Review: The Escape Game

RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 4:14

With a story and puzzles that pair together well, you’ll need to pay attention to everything you see and hear… or you may find yourself in for a life sentence.

Story

The year is 1955. You’ve been wrongfully accused of a crime, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Your new “home” is a cell that once belonged to an inmate who disappeared without a trace…or did he? Some claim he escaped. Others swear he was murdered by the infamously cruel warden. But no one actually knows…can you escape before you suffer the same fate?

Escaping from Prison Break will take you through multiple distinct rooms that each add another layer to the room’s dramatic story. While breaking out from prison is nothing new in the escape room business, the skill with which The Escape Game executes their storytelling through set design and puzzles is nothing short of marvelous.

Early on, you’ll begin to find remnants and mementos from a previous inmate that will slowly unravel the mystery behind his fate. Even as you watch the video that sets the scene for the game, you’re being offered clues that might aid in your escape. These types of clues are, as far as I’ve seen, unique to The Escape Game, and are an excellent addition to every game. It creates a means of rewarding players that pay attention with what could be considered a bonus clue, while staying deeply rooted in the attraction’s storyworld.

Scenic

The Escape Game is known for their scenic prowess, and Prison Break is no exception. The game begins with teams split between two separate, unique cells, complete with toilet and cot. As you move through the prison to the Warden’s office, you’ll notice markings on the wall, break areas for the guards, and holes fit for a rat to crawl through. The level of detail that The Escape Game puts into their rooms truly shows, and the best part is that virtually everything has a use or purpose, no matter how frivolous or small it might seem.

The use of crawl spaces and different levels greatly enhances the excitement of discovering a new room or passageway. While these passages are not necessarily ADA friendly by their nature, The Escape Game always manages to play around with these types of areas by offering an available “bypass” from one room to another, ensuring that everyone will still have a great experience.

Although the ending of Prison Break is revealed somewhat early on in the game, the execution of the final puzzles still shocked a few of the members of my party. It’s a testament to how well things are set up in a game when you can know what’s coming, but still jump from it!

Puzzles

Starting out in separate rooms is something few escape rooms do, and even fewer do well. Prison Break, however, pulls off the split-start nearly flawlessly, offering both sides several independent tasks and many others that require good communication back and forth between your cells. This can be both rewarding and frustrating at the same time, depending on who you choose to play with!

Regardless, Prison Break includes a strong array of puzzles, both traditional and technical, that all work fluently to enhance the story and the players’ experience. I was thoroughly impressed by the game’s progression and how each puzzle still felt uniquely tied to the story, right up until the end.

Overall

Prison Break was one of the first Escape Rooms I ever played, and remains to this day as one of my favorites. A solid story, excellent scenery and immersive puzzles all add to the immersion: one of mounting fear, mystery and intrigue. The Escape Game is truly an industry leader in the escape room business, and it’s no wonder why; there is an enormous amount of thought and planning behind every room they come out with.

The intricate way in which the story and puzzles intertwine is something incredibly unique to The Escape Game, and one I wish other escape rooms would recognize and begin using. Puzzles for puzzles’ sake are never fun for the player, but you’ll find none of that here.

The Escape Game has more than earned their position as one of our industry’s clear leaders. Their consistent quality from one location to the next guarantees a solid gameplay experience for each and every one of their guests. We can’t wait to see what’s next from this great company!