RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: 1:37

You might find yourself not having enough time for this Time Machine.

You finally had a week off from work and you were planning the vacation of a lifetime! Since you were a kid you had always dreamed of traveling through time to explore other eras and the ways of life of people in the past and in the future. Now, the first ever time machine is up and running and bookings are available to the public for vacation getaways. Since the opportunity presented itself, you were one of the first to eagerly sign up! With the paperwork in hand, the front page reads, “To all time travelers – WARNING: TIME MACHINE STILL BEING TESTED!!! There is a chance that something goes wrong during your vacation to the past or the future. If so, you will only have 60 minutes to make things right to get back to present times or you will be stuck in your time travel destination.” Even with the warning, you proceeded with the registration. Will you have the vacation of a lifetime or will you be stuck in a different time?

Time travelers are taken to a top secret location that houses the coolest most high-tech time machine to ever exist. The time machine conveniently comes with a super computer that instructs lucky visitors how to operate the mechanism and offers technical support (clues) when needed.

Suddenly, adventurers find themselves taken back to old time, southern Spring, TX. There are broken wagon wheels laying around and saloons to go into to grab a quick drink. It quickly becomes evident that the machine is having trouble operating. In under an hour time travelers will be stuck in this era forever. Three very important objects must be found to re-power the broken travel device.

Time Travel Trouble begins in a dark, uninviting room that represents the machine. There is a large TV on the wall and flashing lights that work together to create the illusion that individuals are going to another era. The timing of the voice that represents the brain of the computer and the theatrical spectacle creates an exciting beginning to hype travelers for the rest of their journey.

The bulk of the game takes place in a room that is split into three different spaces. The biggest of these areas is the “main street” of the southern town. At first walking in, visitors instantly feel like they are taken back to an old era where cowboys shoot guns and horses gallop around.  There are wooden signs and old wheels laying around that create an authentic Texas town vibe.

The second room is a small saloon with a piano that has very evidently been played many times. Bottles of various alcohols are half drank. The vibe of the space is very social and feels as if lots of people come in and out. Each detail is to the tee in creating an atmosphere of a hopping bar.

The third room is a miniature version of a stereotypical southern Jail where the most wanted will find themselves. Nothing is seemingly out of the time zone. Most set pieces are built from an old looking wood and metal. Technology is hidden out of view so it doesn’t ruin the atmosphere.

The puzzles in Time Travel Trouble are very evidently original and crafted specifically for the design of the game. Every mechanism and lock fits perfectly into the worn wooden walls and tables. It is games like Time Travel Troubles that make completing a riddle so special. What is seen to the eye as a normal object reveals itself to be a piece in triggering something exciting to happen somewhere else.

The bulk of the room is solving a multitude of small riddles and puzzles that lead to another action. This stretches from placing objects in a logical place to putting pieces together to figure out the code to a digital lock. Every type of escape game aficionado will find something exciting to solve. The largest strength of Time Travel Trouble is how very not linear it is, so large groups will thrive by splitting up and working in smaller teams.

As a whole, Time Travel Trouble is strong in every way. The scenic design is spot on and the story works with challenging puzzles to occupy the 60 minutes. This game is a whole lot of fun. There is so much to unveil and every single task is exciting and just gosh darn enjoyable to solve. The team at Armadillo Escape Room Adventures has crafted a one of a kind room that is unlike any other.

The story is what really makes Time Travel Trouble stand out the most. A hard sense of urgency is created when the traveling machine breaks down and gives visitors a strong purpose for being a part of the game. The added feature of receiving an important artifact in completing a series of puzzles creates so much more satisfaction. This also provides a means of telling travelers how far they are in completing their task.

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Venue: Armadillo Escape Room Adventures

Location: Spring, TX

Number of Games: 4

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 12 people

Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.

Cost: $25 per person