RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 31:30
History tends to repeat itself. That probably explains why we are foolishly entering another tomb.
Archaeologist E. A. Budge discovered the hidden tomb of Ani, the high scribe under Ramses II. Legend has it that while exploring the ruins in the Valley of the Kings, Budge disappeared in 1888, and he was never seen again. Sir Budge became trapped and starved to death and his corpse remains to this day in the tomb. Your adventure starts here. The explorer’s’ knapsack has maps and tools that will help you solve the riddle of Ani’s treasure room, but beware of Anubis, the god of the underworld. Find the clues, open the secrete compartments, and solve the riddles and escape the fate of Sir Budge. This room follows historical facts and legends passed down for thousands of years, and is perfect for adventurers as well as students studying ancient Middle East history.
It’s no secret that we have wandered into our fair share of ancient tombs. You would think we would have learned our lesson by now, but here we are once again cautiously avoiding booby-traps and obstacles. One wrong move could cause dire consequences. Fortunately, we are given some tools to help on our journey.
The Tomb’s narrative contains historical facts, which makes it even more believable that we have in fact taken a trip to Egypt. Bates Motel Escape Rooms immerses us in their world through a sense of exploration and grand adventure. Will we anger the Gods and seal our fate forever, or will we escape with riches in hand?
Bates Motel Escape Rooms delivers an authentic and immersive set. The floor is dusted with sand, and the stone walls are decorated with golden serpents. The corpse of Sir Budge lays on the floor – hopefully we will not be the next victims!
Each catacomb of The Tomb is more impressive than the one before it. The center chamber makes us feel small with its high ceilings along with Anubis watching over us. Of course, no tomb would be complete without hieroglyphic covered pillars standing from floor to ceiling.
A massive golden Sphinx rests on a raised platform, and the room is surrounded by many other priceless ancient artifacts. The mystique of the chamber is enhanced by the numerous glowing blue cubbyholes cutout into the walls, and there are many surprises that await.
Most of the steps taken in The Tomb come from Sir Budge’s laminated journal, which can cause frustration since it is hard for more than one person to read it at a time – and there is a lot of reading.
Many of the notes are cryptic, so it is often difficult to determine which pieces of information are relevant to the game, and which parts can be ignored. Several of the steps can be solved in a non-linear fashion, which requires the notebook to be passed around many times.
While we would have preferred less reading and more exploring, the tasks all fit the narrative and made us feel like real-life tomb robbers. However, it seems like Anubis may only have a few tricks up his sleeves because many of the puzzles are similar to the ones we have seen in other pyramids.
Bates Motel is well known for producing immersive haunts, so it should come as no surprise that they are able to use their talents to build incredible sets when it comes to their other venture – Bates Motel Escape Rooms. The Tomb is one of the most aesthetically pleasing pyramids we have witnessed, and it felt like we had been transported to the middle of Egypt as our shoes filled with sand and hieroglyphics led the way.
It made it difficult to admire the impressive scenery when our nose’s were buried in a journal during the entirety of the game. None of the steps diverted from the overarching narrative, but the amount of reading involved made the overall experience a little less enjoyable than its full potential.
While we wish that The Tomb were less reliant on the journal, the immersive atmosphere and variety of tasks made our team agree that it is the strongest game at The Bates Motel Escape Rooms. Anubis is waiting for you to enter his confines… if you dare.
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Venue: Bates Motel Escape Rooms
Location: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Number of Games: 4
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 10 people
Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.
Cost: $29.95 per person / $249.95 for a private game of up to ten people
We thank Bates Motel Escape Rooms for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.