Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: 7/10. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Up to 8 people. Public and private booking options. 💬 Hints: A game master would stay inside the room with you; they provide help and hints when requested. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 6 or 7/10 (team of 3). The most difficult puzzles are multi-layered. Nice! 🔢 Ideal team size: Minimum of 4, but would probably cap at 6. Any more than that could be a chaotic yell fest. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE An invitation from an eccentric professor leads you through a secret portal into the fabled lost city of Atlantis. As you search among the ruins, you’ll solve mysterious clues and puzzles, while discovering the long-lost pieces of Poseidon’s fabled trident. Find all of the pieces and escape before your air supply runs out! Set out on the adventure of a lifetime as you explore the spectacular underwater world of Atlantis! MATTSTER'S SUMMARY Your eccentric history professor won't do it, but you will! Explore through the ancient ruins of Atlantis, and to find Poseidon's trident's whereabouts, all before time runs out! It's an immersive ancient underwater adventure backed by a beautiful set, high tech gen 2 automation, and challenging puzzles that require effective teamwork. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: Escape Room LA has been on my escape gaming radar for a while, though a trip to this well known venue hasn't been realized until recently. With 5 options on the menu currently, I was treated to a visit in the fable lost city of "Atlantis" by an eccentric professor. Before we knew it, the portal was open, and I had only so much time until my magical air supply runs out underwater. So, go, just keep swimming! Having read through my previous paragraph, you pretty much blew through the entire narrative for Atlantis. Your objective, to collect shattered pieces of King Poseidon's trident, then you know, something gleaming follows, game ends. There isn't much to the plot, and there doesn't need to be. Atlantis falls under the category of fantasy scavenging game, garnering key items by overcoming obstacles, and emerging victorious in this live-action video game level, so to speak. Your enjoyment derives from exploration & immersion, and an arguably weak backstory won't detract you from the fun, really. Besides, as far as visual/audio go, you're treated to the premium standard LA is known for. Atlantis looked wonderful from beginning to end. From the seemingly "boring" explorer's study, to the drenched-in-turquoise-color city of Atlantis, I can tell the owner hired the right people for the job. And although majority of the game took place underwater, I did not necessarily feel that vibe. That is not to say, there's no immersion--just not at the correct sea level. Perhaps more constantly moving, wave like projections would help make the deep ocean come alive. I myself instead perceived this as an adventure in an ancient ruin, and it worked just fine. For puzzles aspect, from my conversation with the owner, all challenges are conceived by him, who is an escape game lover and expert himself. Therefore, most fortunately, not one single puzzle that suffer from any leap in logic, everything made good sense, and I feel very comfortable recommending Atlantis for its quality puzzle elements. With that said, there is a level of sophistication & difficulty associated with a handful of challenges, and stumped even the best of us--and our team as a whole conquered a LOT of games prior. Spread out, communicate loud and clear, and don't be afraid to ask for clues when necessary. Technology was well employed, whether it be to produce special effects, or to support the behind-the-scene wiring of automated puzzles. Only a couple of locks appeared; most actions and reveals were congruent with the ancient city setting. Expect to play around with a lot of prop and set pieces! Classic escape room ideas form the backbone, but the latest high tech construction illustrates the final product. It's a harmonious marriage of the two, and I believe that was Atlantis's biggest strength. Merging all elements mentioned, it's a recipe for a respectable entertainment option. So dive in. Atlantis ▪ Escape Room LA And here are some extra afterthoughts: Yes, the game master (gm) does accompany you inside the room, and while mine was given a role to play, he was really only there for guidance, and mostly responded when spoken to. I did not mind his presence, and enjoyed his confirmation on whether my imminent action would potentially damage any prop--I play extra nice and extra safe! The escape room business itself is beautifully modeled, though physically located in an iffier part of downtown. I would solemnly recommend everyone to plan ahead; parking could prove painstakingly hard to find. Skid row is a few blocks away, so travel safe. P.S. A special shout out to EscapeTheRoomers for the invite. Always a pleasant memory. Atlantis ▪ Escape Room LA READY FOR FUN? "Atlantis" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. ERLAAtlantis.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Anaheim, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Not specified. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2 to 10 players. Private booking (at the time of publication). 💬 Hints: Via speakers, then hints will appear on a monitor screen, (if my memory serves me). 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 4/10 (team of 3). Puzzles were standard but well executed. 🔢 Ideal team size: Up to 4 or 5 if lacking in experience. For experts, 3 (or even maybe 2) would do well. MUST DO! OFFICIAL PREMISE You’ve gotten mixed up in the wrong crowd and it’s time to pay your debt! The mob wants you to clear it by getting them what they want. You have one hour to retrieve a rare artifact stored in the bank vault before it’s too late. Do you have what it takes to pull off The Ultimate Bank Heist? MATTSTER'S SUMMARY Hung out with the wrong crowd and crossed the mob boss? No problem. Rob a 1950s bank in the "THE ULTIMATE BANK HEIST" and pay your troubles away. But be careful! Faced with era-appropriate gen 1 and heart-pumping gen 2 elemental security, your team of sneaky burglars will have many challenges--and tons of fun--before reaching the final prize. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: It's been a while since I visited Mission Escape in Anaheim. Last I checked in, I unraveled the mystery of Mr Hyde, and was pretty sure I will take on "THE DARKEST HOUR" next. Somehow, that never panned out. That's all right; I'll get potentially murdered another day. What I did do in this year's gap, apparently, was getting mixed up in the wrong crowd, being threatened by the mob, and subsequently forced to participate in "THE ULTIMATE BANK HEIST". Okay, not my first robbery, won't be my last. I have 60 minutes to pull this off, all right, let's get start... Holy cow! This bank looks GORGEOUS! I seem to have ventured back in time, having stepped through the door of a much older looking bank building. Is this the 1960s? 50s? No matter, gotta keep my eyes on the prize--that rare artifact in the vault. But can you blame me for being distracted? This is a beautiful set...ting. Because surely, I'm giving praise to the impressive architecture of the bank's lobby, teller's windows, staff's back room, and not how convincing and immersive this non-escape room looks. *Grins* Ok, back to stealing. Hmmm... the gate's locked. The door's locked. The drawers, also locked. EVERYTHING's locked... as they should be. I need keys. I need combos. I need gen 1 puzzles solutions! Oh, why, of course, this is decades ago from the 21 century. Computers and related gadgets are not yet ubiquitous. It makes perfect sense that game designers, err, security team employed era-appropriate tools to protect their assets. Good job, team! Mission Breakout: The Ultimate Bank Heist ▪ Mission Escape Games (Anaheim) But wait, what's this? I need to put this item here? Flip some switches? And I need to do WHAT to break into the vault? Man, oh man, it seems like, after all, there are some still-era-plausible gen 2 elements to overcome in order to seize our elusive treasure--not to mention some inevitable visual and audio spectacles along the way! (Seriously, what?! This is insane!) Such thrills, such excitements, such... FUN? All in a burglar's day of work, I guess! There's no denying it. My adrenaline's pumping hard, and I want MORE. And forget about valuable prize locked behind the safe. That isn't what I seek more of. I crave more of THIS, the mission, the adventure, the EXPERIENCE of being a master criminal! Yes, yes, seasoned bandit ain't exactly the title to boast on LinkedIn, but if all bank heists are this entertaining, I'd surely do more of it! I won't need any mobster motivation--I will volunteer as tribute! Mission Breakout: The Ultimate Bank Heist ▪ Mission Escape Games (Anaheim) Every puzzle, I mean, security measure I've encountered seems fairly easy to crack. Standard, easy peasy. A 4, or 5 at most, out of 10 on a difficulty scale. An expert bandit like me didn't need any clue to achieve the objective, but a beginner small-time pickpocket may want to round up some mildly experienced buddies before attempting the deed. But trust me, you got this! And this seems like a 4 people job, max. More may just hinder efficient purloining. I highly value my night as part-time outlaw at Mission, and I would strongly encourage everyone reading this to abandon your current career and join in for a life of, or at least an hour of, crime. Whether you succeed as honorary hooligan, or get caught red handed by the police, be sure to return to the front desk for a commemorative adhesive, also more commonly known as a souvenir sticker. ;) P.S. A special shout out to EscapeTheRoomers for the invite. Always a pleasant memory. Mission Breakout: The Ultimate Bank Heist ▪ Mission Escape Games (Anaheim) READY FOR FUN? "Mission Breakout: The Ultimate Bank Heist" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. MEGBank.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Anaheim, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Every game will have one winning and one losing team. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Must have 5 to 8 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: An in-character actor/game master would stay inside the room with you; they offer hints at their discretion. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): Not applicable to the game itself, but the puzzles hover around 6 to 8/10. 🔢 Ideal team size: I would push for maximum of 8. It's much more fun to deduce who's insane with more suspects! OFFICIAL PREMISE Sane or Insane? Trustworthy or not? These are the questions Dr. Griffin wants you to answer. He has created a social experiment for a select group of patients. Some of these patients he believes are sane, others, completely insane. Like lab rats, he has put you inside his twisted experiment of paranoia and challenges you to figure out who to trust and who to betray. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: Cross Roads is arguably one of the most well known escape games company there is in So Cal; their previous offerings: Hex Room, Fun House, and Asylum are some of the most fun experience I've had in my escape room history thus far (see "previous reviews"). Their effort and strive for innovative games continues with their latest option Psych Ward, though their most recent product had been met with their most divided reception to date. And here's my genuine attempt to decipher whether I am sane or insane, and whether the game is a hit or a dud. I'll leave it for you to explore the company's official website for the premise of the game, the overview of its objectives and rules, and just a general sense of what you're getting into before reading further. A little research's beneficial. Once you're done, come back! Due to the chaotic nature of both the game's story line (a la psych-ward) and my own's hour-long experience (a la so-many-things-going-on-at-the-same-time), I'll review this game in sections that may not transition smoothly. Bear with me. And minor spoilers alert, for it's hard to analyze and discuss this game without some much needed expositions. Story/Set: there's never once a doubt in my mind that this would excel. As hinted by their Asylum mini game, the theme of mental illness and institute was well baked into the actual game. Madison's flawless art direction again shone through, blowing away all 8 members of my group, including my hard-to-please brother-in-law. Patient related costume pieces, returning padded cell, & iconic medical devices related to psychiatry, everything's top notched. But 1 thing that left me wondering was the whole Dr Griffin's narrative, which seemed to have gone nowhere ultimately. Immersion/Theater: CR's long prided itself with its immersive factor, and this was by far, their greatest success. We weren't goofing off in a carnival. We weren't playing characters in a horror flick. We WERE the patients. We were treated like so since the start of the game, having our real-life identities stripped off, and completely at the disposal of nurses and orderlies. Thanks, Michaela, our in-game GM/actress, for moderating the game well. Parts of the games relied on her discretion, and she handled with ease and expertise. She took some creative risks, and they may not be everyone's tea. For me, it's well within the realm of the game universe, so a-ok. One particular scene was a theatrical gem that showcased magic of tech, though it felt tagged on. Everyone's all checked in "The Psych Ward" ▪ Cross Roads Escape Games Structure: A bit muddy. The main objective of the game was to discern the insane patients from the sane, and each side would fight to emerge victorious via a points-based system. While attempt was made to explain how this worked prior to game, it was done rather hastily pre-game, & with a certain level of mystery, which I guess was on purpose. I would've preferred a clear written format of how points were tabulated, or specifically, how insane could "earn" points for their side, on an individual AND group basis, for devising a fair strategy. For my group of 8, I felt the game heavily favored the insane by default. And though the large number made the game all the more confusing, I thought it added a layer of interesting challenge, which strangely made it even more fun. (It's a double-edged sword and conflicting sentiment, I know.) Puzzles: The fans asked for less padlocks, and they listened! Everything was high-tech and automated in this game, and puzzles ranged from "duh!" obvious to "what the eff?!" hard. There were so many puzzles embedded that it's rare for any 1 group to solve 'em all in 1 game. Replay value realized! Kudos for the designers to find a way to compartmentalize each puzzle in a more or less nonverbal fashion. While I found the learning curve to be appropriate, beginners may find this room's format turbulent & difficult. Overall Feel: This was the only room I walked away confused, both in terms of puzzle solving, and in terms of if I felt like I accomplished a noteworthy feat--which was a highly unusual feel from CR. Although, I have to say, everyone of us had a unique experience as each of us were sent off to different parts of the room at various times, whether it be jail cell or hidden location, and no one participant had the exact same adventure. Also, the game toyed with my trust, and the feeling of betrayal was REAL. I appreciated CR for doing something different. Indeed, not your average escape room. Certainly not perfect, riskier than the beloved Hex Room, though for entertainment, Psych Ward was certainly adequate. In the end, your own expectation drives your satisfaction level. I expected to share this rare opportunity with those I enjoy most, & it's a blast! As polarizing as this game could be, with some tweaking, it could be further polished--though most likely still not a 1-size-fits-all. The Psych Ward ▪ Cross Roads Escape Games READY FOR FUN? "The Psych Ward" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. CREGPsych.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Anaheim, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Every game will have one winning and one losing team. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: Must have 5 to 8 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: An in-character actor/game master would stay inside the room with you; they offer hints at their discretion. 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): Not applicable to the game itself, but the puzzles hover around 6 to 8/10. 🔢 Ideal team size: I would push for maximum of 8. It's much more fun to deduce who's insane with more suspects! OFFICIAL PREMISE Sane or Insane? Trustworthy or not? These are the questions Dr. Griffin wants you to answer. He has created a social experiment for a select group of patients. Some of these patients he believes are sane, others, completely insane. Like lab rats, he has put you inside his twisted experiment of paranoia and challenges you to figure out who to trust and who to betray. MATTSTER'S SUMMARY An unconventional, outside-the-box entry from the makers of "Hex Room". Having visited the "Psych Ward" twice, I've concluded that: Due to reliance on an imperfect point-based scoring system, this game's best played with at least 7 players to ensure more enjoyable and less unpredictable variability. Not exactly an escape room, but a fun time nonetheless. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: My East Coast escape room enthusiast friends are in town, and they're hunting in the West Coast for some quality escape rooms. Expected so, we ended up at Cross Roads Escape Games at some point, since they are quite well regarded in the SoCal escape room community. One of my very first rooms was their now extremely well-known "Hex Room", and even to date, Hex remains in a special place of my heart. Though "Psych Ward" is billed as a replayable game, I dunno many that have done so, let alone read any review that provides a view point as such. Well, look no further. Here's the perspective of someone who's gone through treatment twice: The Psych Ward ▪ Cross Roads Escape Games First off, let's not rehash anything I've already covered: production is awesome; props and sets are immersive; staff is well trained. Quality! "Psych Ward", unlike traditional escape rooms, is an overall encompassing logic puzzle--your utmost goal is to weed out those who are insane in the group, and come out victorious for your team via a point based system. While great in theory, the game initially received mixed feedback, most notably for loopholes that could discern the sane from insane via systematic elimination methods. Cross Roads, who gracefully listened to its customers' concerns and suggestions, made some much needed adjustments to the game mechanics, and I applaud the company for doing so! Innovative ideas aren't always executed with perfection first time around, and the willingness to tweak and improve is much appreciated. However, after my second playthrough, I've discovered that a modified scoring system is not a complete remedy; what really helps is to *INCREASE NUMBER OF PLAYERS*. This game requires minimum of 5, and fits maximum of 8, but I sincerely and adamantly recommend everyone to play with at least 7, and arguably best with 8. It is only then the group as a whole has enough variability to support the atmosphere of paranoia and distrust that the game is originally designed to create. While playing with 5 people tonight, my group was able to identify the 2 insane participants (partially by luck) super duper early on. Once the 2 targets are under the cross hair, it was surprisingly easy to confirm such suspicion. This inadvertently took out the element of suspense for the rest of the hour, which is much less likely to occur in a larger team. So, it isn't so much that Ward isn't an enjoyable and entertaining experience (it is); it's more that the game framing and its underlying mathematics inherently require a large pool of experiment subjects for best results. The Psych Ward ▪ Cross Roads Escape Games Another added bonus with a larger team is that (previously) undiscovered, or "hidden", sections of the room would be much more probable to be unlocked by your supervising hospital staff (aka the gamemaster). To completely see, touch, and experience 100% of the ward, it'd most likely take several attempts. Do make note, however, that certain beginning puzzles would stay the exact same, so I'd highly recommend you communicate with the venue that you're a repeat visitor prior, and I am sure they'd do what they can to accommodate accordingly. To sum up, though I was outed as insane early on in the game (boo!), I still came out with a different vantage point than my previous ward stay. I was assigned to tasks delegated to others before--thereby getting to actively perform them, rather than to simply watch. And while I'd much prefer to win the game, or at least fly under the radar with my crazy, let's not discount that fact that you're still given plenty of puzzles to solve--including some difficult brainteasers that I am still stuck on after both plays. Ward may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I still do recommend everyone to give it a go! You may not find it to be a familiar creature in your escape room comfort zone, but that's what makes it unique and different. Sometimes, you just can't please everyone. P.S. A special shout out to EscapeTheRoomers for the invite. Always a pleasant memory. The Psych Ward ▪ Cross Roads Escape Games READY FOR FUN? "The Psych Ward" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. CREGPsych2.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Medium. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2 to 6 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Via built-in, hidden speakers system, (if my memory serves me). 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 3 to 4/10 (team of 2). Just be observant of all your prop parts; it'll be easy. 🔢 Ideal team size: 2 or 3. There is a good amount to do for a small team. Bigger teams may finish way too early. OFFICIAL PREMISE You got the keys to a secret storage room in an abandoned casino with millions of dollars, but so did your competitors. Can you get the money before the other gang gets to it? Oh, and the casino is being demolished in an hour, GOOD LUCK! MATTSTER'S SUMMARY Despite being one of the older entries in the 60Out menu, Casino Heist is still a charming good time for those who dare to gamble to become millions of dollars richer. At the peculiar crossroads where slot machines, table games, and escape room puzzles intersect, great fun ensues... just make sure to exit before the demolition dynamites explode. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: Did you know: 60Out at West LA is, in a way, a milestone for the escape room industry. Originally named Escape Key Room, this is the home to 2 then leadingly innovative, state-of-the-art escape games: Casino Heist, and The Mystery Of Senator Payne. Back when almost every single bandwagon-jumping escape room business was pumping out lock, key, and combo style games, Esc Key invested in technology based puzzle input, and such investment paid off big time. Undoubtedly rare and impressive at the time, they were catapulted to the front of the industry, and in part helped reshaped the direction of the future market. Years transpired since then, now acquired by 60Out, this branch still largely remains unchanged. In the current business trend of scraping existing rooms after just 2-3 years sometimes, it's actually pretty amazing to see these games age ever so gracefully. Though constructed circa 2016, both games benefit from having a strong foundation of solid game play. That, plus the undeniable charm of genuinely great puzzles, help Casino and Senator Payne stay relevant without necessitating any newer, flashier, or more gimmicky update. Casino Heist ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms Casino Heist takes place entirely in the basement of the building, and therefore, I must first compliment the resourceful usage of square footage. While the venue looks small externally, every available inch of internal space was utilized to its maximal potential. Basement, game. First floor, lobby. 2nd floor, game. With this layout, they have more room than meets the eye. Accordingly, for those pondering if Casino is a one-room game, as I did myself--a pleasant nope! You'll have much to explore as the story unfolds. Speaking of the plot, I habitually never quite pay close attention to any intro vid, so I wasn't 100% what the tale was. I know you need to find lotsa cash, before your rival does, and also before an imminent demolition in 1 hour. The make-believe story was at most semi-logical, and not critical to game play. Casino Heist--the title is all you really need. Production value wise, sadly, Casino took a major hit, especially by 2019 standards. This isn't a big time, Vegas caliber playground. It's more in tune with a small-scaled, local, almost mom-and-pop underground (both figuratively and literally) gambling site... if such a place exists. But hey, it's being demolished for a reason, right? Maybe it's because it's outdated! (Har har... Laughin' at my own joke...) In short, there're plenty of improvement opportunities for sprucing up. Casino Heist ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms Fortunately, the truly enjoyable puzzles, which are the meat that audience comes for, securely reeled me back in the game's favor. The most elaborately furnished and decorated portion of the game, the very first scene, where players got to actually "gamble" on the casino ground, was a real treat. A handful of signature, classic chance game was featured, with each playing a unique role for game advancement. What I appreciated most was the incorporation of real, natural motion of gambling in the process of figuring out the challenge solutions. It just felt so organic and intuitive, something highly deserving of praise. The elegance and simplicity of actual inclusion of playing the table games, instead of forcing a particular puzzle onto a somewhat casino-like scenario, was what made this experience memorable, and dare I say, even superior to some newcomers' game design. The rest of the room was decent, avoided unnecessary use of lock & key unless when narrative-driven, and turned out to be overall quite the sweet surprise, considering how long this room's debuted, and how little the latter parts' been spoiled within the escape room community. Casino Heist is 100% doable with just 2, solo even, I think. My partner and I finished in 35 minutes with 1 hint, a sore spot in my ego due to one seemingly relevant, borderline cruel red herring. (Darn you, prop in question!) That aside, Casino Heist proved to be still a dynamite option on the 60Out roster, with puzzles straightforward enough even for beginners. Nevertheless, I, an "expert" player, still found it very darling. Casino Heist ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms READY FOR FUN? "Casino Heist" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. 60OCasino.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Redmond, WA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Medium. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2-5 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Via walkie-talkie or an intercom system, (if my memory serves me). 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 6 to 7/10 (team of 2). 🔢 Ideal team size: 4, due to many cooperative opportunities, and a good sum of challenges to tackle. OFFICIAL PREMISE Take part in the most famous heist of the 20th century! An amazing adventure in the Louvre. Go through the security room, deactivating clever alarms and security systems. Get to the exhibition filled with ancient artifacts and paintings. Finally, steal the main exhibit - The Mona Lisa! MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: Before starting this review, I just wanna put a clear disclaimer that I am an avid escape room enthusiast. Most of the games I've played are located in the Los Angeles area, where it is known to have some of the most cutting edge escape rooms in the industry in the entire nation, whether it be of the technology, set design, or storytelling aspect. As such, I'd admit, my views are very biased--once a customer's standards have been heightened, it's hard to go back. Next, Conundroom was my boyfriend's and my choice of escape room on a celebration trip in the Seattle/Redmond area. He knows how much I adore this hobby, and will not allow me to leave the destination without experiencing what Washington state has to offer. Therefore, being somewhat alien to this part of the escape room market, I dunno what's considered the gold standard of what's good and what's not in Redmond. In summary, Conundroom is competing against many top quality rooms I've experienced in the past, and therefore, even a grade of B may not mean "Mona Lisa Heist" is not fun, it simply means on a relative scale, there're better options out of state. With that out of the way, I'd like to say simply, I had fun. "Mona Lisa" is an adequate room that provided this couple almost an hour of entertainment, and an intimate opportunity to (argue and) bond. It was great! Mona Lisa Heist ▪ Conundroom Real Escape Quest Now that's rewind back to the beginning. To find the building itself, you're searching for a quite residential looking, almost a straight-up suburban home/house. It's best to see some photos beforehand. But luckily, Conundroom themselves were in on the joke. Finding the business is your very first puzzle! Once checked in, my game master informed us that "Mona" was actually a 3 people minimum game, so some adjustments needed to be made to 1 particular cooperative challenge. No matter, however many changes needed to be made to make a customer's experience more satisfying, I'm all for. Thanks, man, for being so proactive and accommodating. The premise was simple: we're master thieves. We want to override the museum's various security systems, steal the famous Mona Lisa painting, and that's it. While not much on the plot, it's a simple objective, suitable for players of all ages and experience level. No problem there. The set, however, was a tad disappointing. First, there's only so much you can do to convert what's used to be a house to be an office building, then on top of that, convert that into a believable escape room set. And while the publicity stills on the official website made the place intriguingly cool, the actual location... well, let's just say you can spot marked difference. For the most part, the set and props, while not visually stunning, got the job done. There's a couple of things that didn't help further immersion. For example, the windows were open for ventilation, but effectively showed us the streets outside, thus ruining the museum facade. Also, for a painting of this caliber, would Mona Lisa really be displayed against a backdrop of random graffiti? Mona Lisa Heist ▪ Conundroom Real Escape Quest Missteps along the production value aside, the puzzles were actually kinda cool. While there's still a heavy reliance of locks in general, (which I don't mind), many challenges employed gadgets and technology to keep the grand theft experience from being bland. I particularly enjoyed one of the "security systems" that's reminiscent of an arcade machine. Ahh, childhood throwback. Difficulty was appropriate for my two people team, and though I pride myself as an advanced player, I was stumped multiple times, which was kinda exciting, because I love a good challenge and be introduced to previously un-encountered elements. And to think, being able to see something new still after numerous rooms in my escape artist "career" so far... Thanks so much, Conundroom! One puzzle, however, lacked proper cluing, and it's unsolvable without direct prodding from the gm... so yeah. In the end, it really only mattered that we had fun. Was it the best room I've ever done? Frankly no, and it wasn't an immersive or convincing heist by a far reach. But, if you were to just see it as a bunch of fun puzzles to be solved, which may or may not be directly related back to the overarching theme, then why not? They do have great customer service, & you do get a cute lil button as an "I escaped!" souvenir. So, all is well. It's a terrible picture of me. But it's okay--my partner and Mona both look great! ▪ Conundroom Real Escape Quest READY FOR FUN? "Mona Lisa Heist" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. CREQMona.

Game Website | Company Website | Based In: Los Angeles, CA, USA OFFICIAL SPEC 💪 Difficulty: Hard. ⏲️ Time duration: 60 minutes limit. 🔢 Capacity: 2 to 6 players. Private booking. 💬 Hints: Via built-in, hidden speakers system, (if my memory serves me). 🛒 If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) MATTSTER'S REC 💪 Difficulty (as perceived by Mattster): 5/10 (team of 3). I was worried that it'll be super hard--it turned out manageable. 🔢 Ideal team size: Around 4 players, ideally with escape room experience. It's a puzzle-heavy room; be ready! RECOMMENDED OFFICIAL PREMISE The last dictator of the world is relinquished of his powers but he won’t go down that easily. In a last ditch effort, he initiated a nuclear missile sequence that could decimate the civilization. Stop the countdown to save our planet. MATTSTER'S ANALYSIS First, a special note: This game play took place before pandemic announcement in the United States (before March 2020). This review reflects previous business standards & practice at the time. Your experience may follow new health & safety guidelines where and when applicable. Please contact business venue for operating hours, booking info, and other further inquiries. The following is adapted from a Yelp review I've previously published. And now, read away, my lovely readers: It's a real treat to finally update a review for this 60Out location. I still remember when I was an escape room baby when I first tried out their "Dr Psycho" game, which was awesome. I then beta tested for their "Fire & Ice" room that pitted two groups of friends against each other, though this room is now closed. (I did not review this room.) And now, "Red Alert"! I held off on playing for "Red Alert" because the staff has repeatedly warned me that these are some of their hardest challenges, and should be reserved when players are truly ready. I heeded this warning rather seriously since I'd literally played through tens and tens of escape rooms since I last faced the cannibalistic doctor. But now, I wasn't just ready... I rocked "Red Alert" so hard, Vladimir Putin's shirt fell off. (Well, he's usually already shirtless, so I guess he put it back on, then our team shook it off again with our awesome puzzle solving efforts.) Awkward joking aside, (which is *EXACTLY* what you're getting in this room, kinda,) "Red Alert" (previously named "PUTIN Bunker") is really, truly a puzzle room. So right off the bet, if you're considering choosing this game, you need to know, it's lighter on the story, there's not much running around, it's mostly a time to flex those bulging brain muscles. What's missing in terms of plot, was made up with tongue-in-cheek humor, as you'd find several amusing, sometimes absurd, scenarios throughout the game, which were all purposely meant to make you crack a smile. Or smirk. Once again, if you like solving solid puzzles, if you like silly jokes, and if you *don't* like a lot of action or plot driven steps, this room's for you. (And for me. Because I qualify for the first 2 features.) Red Alert ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms (Hollywood) To elaborate a bit, your main objective was to sneak into the self-loving Putin's top secret office, and halt an imminent nuclear weapon launch. Yes, it's a bit (or a lot) typical, you go through a lot of motion to finally land on the holy grail of a password, punch it into the PC, and crisis diverted. Yes, it's been done before, but this game does do it well, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the mental challenges. The variety of puzzles laying throughout the room is eclectic to say the least, and though there were your commonplace locks, keypads, and such, every step required us to use a certain unique angle to reach the solution. (Sometimes literally, hint hint.) I never once felt bored because the designers really aimed to deliver something different in every puzzle, and with every code cracked, my brain was more pumped, and even on a roll, rushing to the next clue. It's this level of intensity of brain work that "Red Alert" required me to be constantly on my toes, that I appreciated the most. Now, with that said, though I was always busy gathering clues and applying them, I'd confidently say *none* of them was considered honestly super difficult. We missed a detail or two, didn't do a complete scavenger hunt, but that's about all that my team faltered on. (But yes, I've played quite the number of rooms, so that does weigh an impact.) And for completeness sake, I feel obligated to inform everyone that "Red Alert" is categorized as a mixed gen-1/gen-2 room, so you'll encounter a large range of inputs, tools, and technology at your disposal before finally preventing a deathly disastrous bombing. Echoing above, it's this nice mix of variety, the marriage of classic elements and newer interesting gadgets that'd lengthen the longevity of this game. With the advantage of the game's setting in the Cold War era (I think), this game may probably feel somewhat timeless, and be a great consideration for any escape room junkie. Let's play a game of "Spot The Shirtless Putin" ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms (Hollywood) Oh! And the set! The set was nice looking, and that helps to recommend this room to others, (keeping in mind that it's more suitable for a certain subset of the audience). To put in other words, the set impressed me enough for it to work for what it's assigned to do, while occasionally adding something extra. There's A LOT OF Russian reference in there. And I ate all that right up! Whatever publicity still photos you find on the 60out website, they accurately portray what you'll see in person. In fact, I thought the room looked more beautiful in real life. It's just realistic enough, spacious enough, and playful enough to be a good time. Beginners, bring up to 6. My fellow advanced fanatics, no more than 4. We 3 got out in 47 minutes; so, budget your team size. Side note: I know you're here for my review, not for an anecdote, but you're getting one anyway. During my game play, the entire room shook. Literally. My team was so speechlessly amazed at this off-the-chart special effect. Was this a warning for the nuclear war that's about to happen? ...Nope. We had an earthquake. In Southern California. During my game. Good times, good times. Happy 4th Of July! ▪ 60Out Escape Rooms (Hollywood) READY FOR FUN? "Red Alert" is available for booking HERE. If you BOOK due to this blog, please give EscapeMattster.com a shout-out! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. 60ORed.

UPDATE (03-20-2020): In a matter of days, our lives have changed drastically. More and more states are now issuing orders for all residents to stay home, with only few exceptions of essential activities, such as going grocery shopping and seeking medical care. While it is most definitely unfortunate that escape room companies, along with other non-essential businesses, are now temporarily closed in multiple states, we must maintain a clear perspective--this is for the best interest of our own health and society's as a whole. We must work together, practice social distancing with unity, in order to effectively combat the novel coronavirus that has wrecked havoc through our nation. No one is immune, even if you're young. Anyone can get seriously sick from COVID-19. And even if you're luckily asymptomatic, you could very well spread the infection to someone who may suffer a much graver consequence. Please take this seriously. Hence, if you want to survive this game--not an escape game, but very life itself--BE PREPARED AND STAY INFORMED. BE KIND AND TAKE GOOD CARE OF EACH OTHER. AND MOST OF ALL, REMAIN AT HOME AND BE SAFE! UPDATE (03-16-2020): If for where you reside, you have received official recommendation/order to stay away from public places as much as possible from authoritative sources, please comply as directed. Plan your visit another time when it is again deemed safe to do so. (Potentially support your local businesses via gift card purchases instead.) Remember, no matter what role you play in this community, it's nothing personal. Keep your spirits up! I've been neglecting my blog soon after it was launched due to work (my real-world job, so to speak), but little did I expect my next post would be urgently prompted by a global pandemic. As we all already know, currently we are dealing with a widespread viral outbreak. The novel coronavirus COVID-19 has been a serious health concern for people everywhere on the planet, and it's actively changing many aspects of our daily lives. For everyone in the escape room community, no matter owners, staff, or consumers, we are all affected. While there is relatively little we can do now to "contain" the virus, there are many management options we can still exercise to mitigate the microbe's detrimental effects on our healthcare system and society as a whole. This is known as "flattening the curve", a realistic strategy in alleviating the burden on healthcare workers, and maximizing everyone's access to proper treatment when sick. Wear a mask when out in public So what does all this have to do with escape rooms? Pre-crisis, escape room enthusiasts have little to think about when booking an hour of puzzle entertainment. Now, due to all escape room businesses' being in public areas, there is a legitimate concern of whether what is considered safe, and what is not. In addition, our decisions as customers and patrons during this time will directly impact on these often small businesses' survival. Hence, this post. I want to present as much information as possible to help guide others in deciding whether reserving an escape room appointment is in the best interest in YOUR life. I am not here to tell anyone what to do. There is no one blanket statement, a solution to all. Do your own research, use this post if you wish, and make good choices. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: I am not publishing any of this as an expert of any pertainable field. I am writing this as a fellow escape room lover, in the format of a personal blog post, with my own personally gathered information and common sense, with everyone's best interests at heart. Your opinions may vary, and that's okay! Do what's most well suited for yourself, family, and friends. Together, as a team, we will get through this national emergency together. FOR THOSE WHO ARE OLDER IN AGE, THOSE WHO CARE FOR THE OLDER, THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, OR THOSE WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK OTHERWISE: I would strongly recommend tight measures of "social distancing". Avoiding any public places, not just limited to escape rooms, is the common consensus for the time being. While your passion for escape room may be temporarily disrupted, I believe the industry is full of talents, surprises, and resilience. The rooms should be waiting for you after things have calmed down. Health and safety are your priorities. FOR THOSE WHO ARE OTHERWISE YOUNG AND HEALTHY: "Social distancing" is still the current recommended option as a concerted effort to help slow the spread of the virus. COVID-19 is a highly contagious agent, and staying home for even one day will assist in curbing its proliferation. If you choose to stay home for the time being, great! There is a variety of "at home escape room" board games on the market, so have a wonderful time solving puzzles in the safety of your own house. *** Update: Before proceeding, please read updates at the beginning of this blog post. This is an ever-changing situation; we shall respond with flexibility and resilience.*** If you decide that booking an escape room is a viable option, by all means, practice all recommendations to make the experience as safe as possible, for you, your family, your friends, and the staff operating the business. (Always stay alert and informed; be flexible if circumstances change, and rescheduling becomes inevitable.) Otherwise, here are my own personal tips for safer room escaping: BEFORE YOU GO: - Inquire/ensure that your business has heightened their sanitation effort in response to COVID-19 - When in doubt, call ahead and ask questions; businesses understand your concerns - Only reserve private booking to minimize your contact with other strangers - If any of your party appears sick, or displays signs/symptoms of respiratory illness, THEY SHOULD NOT GO - Bring hand sanitizers and disinfecting wipes with you to the venues for use during the game, if needed - Alcohol based hand sanitizers, at least 60% or higher, are effective alternatives when used as directed - Optionally, bring gloves (to avoid touching of surfaces) and masks (to prevent touching of your face) WHEN YOU ARRIVE: - Communicate with staff about available protections provided by the businesses that you can use - Verbally confirm that your upcoming game has been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected prior to play - Inquire if any of the puzzles involve close contact with your head or face, and ask if those can be skipped - Wash your hands with warm water, soap, and proper techniques before your game - Double check with your host to see which of your personal items can be used mid-game - For instance, can you use sanitizers and wipes during your 1-hour adventure? - Continually make usage of your safeguarding tools (sanitizers, etc) during your game play - MOST IMPORTANTLY AND IDEALLY, keep all set pieces, props, and your own hands away from your face! AFTER THE GAME: - Immediately proceed to thoroughly wash your hands with warm running water and soap - Use proper scrubbing techniques, and wash your palms carefully for at least 20 seconds - Thank your game master and staff for providing an enjoyable experience - If possible, leave the premise and return straight home to minimize further contact with others Wash your hands regularly While these advice may sound extreme, especially when compared to our familiar daily routines, as the old adage goes, "Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures". The novel coronavirus pandemic is a serious health risk with grave gravity, and in all honesty, it deserves our utmost attention and correspondingly earnest response. (Get further useful information in chart forms here.) Remember: while the virus and its potential health havoc may not pose an immediate or severe danger to your own health, you have the power to protect those around who are dear to you who ARE more likely to suffer. In fact, to me, every single citizen has the social obligation and responsibility to protect one another. In closing, there is misinformation, panic, and chaos amidst of current events, and the best that we can do is to be educated, be informed, and to be kind and supportive to one another. My fellow enthusiasts, live your life cautiously but not fearfully, and stay safe and healthy! Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Get The F Out Room presents... "THE EXPERIMENT" Juice will be served! VENUE INFORMATION Company: Get The F Out Room Company Website: Click Here Address: 1500 S Los Angeles St Unit 4, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Game Name: The Experiment Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: N/A Capacity: Up To 10 Players Room Type: Public/Private MISSION BRIEFING "Participants needed in an escape room study. THE EXPERIMENT. Looking for all ages, male & female, to participate in a psychological study of escape rooms. It will take 60 minutes of your time. Juice will be served." (via official website) THE 10-SECOND "QUICKIE" REVIEW BLURB A meta, family-friendly, after-school special vibe escape room with minor plot twists. Actual theme to be discovered in game. Puzzles are widely varied, mostly gen 1 based, and enjoyable across the board. Clever use of space, lighting, and props will open even some enthusiasts' eyes. A tepidly difficult challenge that ends with a promised juice treat. NOW... "THE FULL MONTY" DETAILED REVIEW Please note: This room, experience, or game is currently not available for booking or purchase. The blog entry will remain on site for your reading enjoyment, and for Mattster's own personal bittersweet trip down memory lane. Please inquire with company if this will become available again in the future, or what other exciting options are currently available. Thank you. You know how "Scream" defines the term "meta" for the horror genre? It discusses its common film tropes, pokes fun at its predictable conventions, and all the while being the very subject it is referencing--a scary movie. Well, "The Experiment" aims to fill the same shoes in the escape room universe. Professor Elias wants to know just why the "escape room" fad's got countless people spellbound. Enthusiasts of all ages, male and female, all are encouraged to participate in this psychological social study. Prior to our volunteering in "The Experiment" | Get The F Out Room He'll even entice you with juice! The dilemma with this sort of cryptic premise is that you rarely know what you're signing up for. What's the actual theme? Is it scary? The official site shows an anatomy drawing of a brain. So perhaps a biologist gone mad? None of the existing reviews I read (at the time) gave any definite clue, either--my brain therefore ran wild speculating. Came game day, I went in with a super-heightened expectation, and subsequently, the actual story fell a bit flat for me. To avoid potentially the same happening to you, I'll do everyone a solid; here's what you can expect: it is NOT science based, a departure from the company's other offering, "The Virus". It is NOT scary, though there are elements of suspense and mildly dark tones. Finally, there are minor plot twist(s), but it's more accurate to think of them as plausible story developments. (And don't forget the meta theme.) All in all, I felt like "The Experiment" invoked more of an after-school special vibe--after conflicts came resolutions, a happy ending for all. (Well, for us anyway, because we got out with ease.) They probably won't do a brain biopsy on you. Probably. | Get The F Out Room Though I wasn't entirely swept away with the plot, it WAS still a concept you won't encounter often in this industry. More importantly, "The Experiment" still made quite the delightful Saturday morning outing for my team. With the help of a promo discount, we received way more value than our admission, especially for my friend, who praised "The Experiment" as one the more immersive games she's tried. I, too, agree that there were areas this room really shined through. For starters, the beginning parts of the game was constructed around the the architecture and the layout of the building, and thereby used up every nook and cranny of its structure. The owner basically transformed some dead space into part of the journey. Not bad. Next, the creator knows the overall game design still leans moderately more towards gen 1 inputs, ie traditional locks, so he made sure there is a wide array of puzzle formats to keep things from being stale. Calmly reflecting back now, this game really took out every weapon in the arsenal. There was just so much variety, something that I didn't fully appreciate under the time crunch. (And, oh, the outright deceptions!) (Of note, you won't be just dealing with locks. There was a handful of tech components, or gen 2 elements, involved, too.) Truly, we four walked away having experienced what we had never encountered in other venues. Notably, we also learned about the power of strategic lighting in escape room design. And who knew you-know-what is not just good for eating? Perhaps the only drawback, or advantage depending on perspective, was that the challenges were too easy. I hardly struggled over any given puzzle, and we escaped at a respectable speed without any hint. We even snagged ourselves the bonus prize by completing the bonus challenge. We walked away completely victorious, and yet secretly, I as a seasoned player yearned for more. On the flip side, this also effectively confirms that "The Experiment" really does welcome participants of all ages, from beginners to experts. And yes, as promised, juice was served! I did it for the juice, y'all. (...Haha. 69.) | Get The F Out Room CONCLUDING THOUGHTS Mattster's Difficulty Rating: Easy-Intermediate Notable Strengths: Intriguing Themes, Family Friendly, Smooth Gameplay, Logical Puzzles, Affordable Pricing, Affable Staff, Customer Service Great For: Novice/Beginners, Casual Players, Family Bonding, Leisure Hangout, Those Who Like Plot Reference/Twists Tips & Advice: Street parking available right in front of the entrance, though may be scarce on the weekends. Travel safely and be vigilant when visiting at night. There is a bonus challenge with actual reward built into the game. Listen carefully to the rules on how to win it--it wasn't too hard! Try your best to walk away with that bragging right! Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. GTFORExperiment.

60Out Escape Rooms presents... "TURING TEST" Are you human? Prove it! LOVES THIS GAME. IT'S A MUST DO!! VENUE INFORMATION Company: 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) Company Website: Click Here & Here Address: 135 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004 Game Name: Turing Test Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Medium Capacity: 4-8 Players Room Type: Private MISSION BRIEFING "We now exist in a world where human intelligence and artificial intelligence are indiscernible, and you must prove that you are who you say you are, human. It's just your normal check up, nothing new. False positives are quite rare, so you shouldn't worry, that is, unless you have something to hide?" (via official website) THE 10-SECOND "QUICKIE" REVIEW BLURB A modernized twist on the classic prison breakout escape room motif, the futuristic "Turing Test" is one the most ambitious games from 60Out--or any company--currently available. Dressed in a standout theme, offering a large and attractive game stage, and featuring an eclectic collection of puzzles, Turing truly is a test--of your problem solving and communication aptitudes. NOW... "THE FULL MONTY" DETAILED REVIEW *Please note: This review is based on the beta test version of the game. Your experience may vary due to probable changes and/or improvements implemented in the final, public release version. "Turing Test"--a game that's quite different from all other rooms I've played thus far. Before diving in further, please note I've already done this location's other games "Nautilus" and "The Orphanage". And with this proper set up, let's celebrate this notion early on: I liked "Nautilus" much, absolutely loved "The Orphanage", and "Turing Test" turned out to be another surefire hit. "Yes, 60Out? I'd like to book 'Turing Test', please." | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) This 60Out branch at Koreatown is, without a doubt, as the kids say it, LIT. As mentioned, even though I experienced the beta version of "Turing Test", I was nonetheless already so positively blown away and intellectually impressed by its unofficial "work in progress", I am super confident to recommend this game to all fellow escape room players, even as it was! And I'm sure the final product available today is destined to amaze. The premise was eccentric and abstract, but oh-so-intriguing. Just the title of "Turing Test" begot a Google search by little old (ignorant) me. What exactly is a Turing test? Well, it is a "method of inquiry in artificial intelligence (AI) for determining whether or not a computer is capable of thinking like a human being." But in 60Out's world, the definition is simplified: it is a test to find out if you're human or machine. That's as much as you need to know going in. With minimal requirement of 4 players, all teammates would be separated at the start of the game. And having brought exactly 4 subjects in my test group, we were all mercilessly ushered and imprisoned into our own futuristic, oh-so-brightly-lit, computer-controlled "jail cells". And the testing commenced! If you're veteran player, you've probably guessed at the reference of "jail cells", that the initial part of the game design banked heavily on hindered communications. Essentially, this is your familiar prison escape trope, but on steroids! This made the early portion quite challenging, but its difficulty level is ultimately dependent, or even dictated, by how well you could relay messages between your own teammates effectively. The more chemistry you share among your group of friends, the better you should theoretically fare. How well do you "get" your friends? You shall find out! Cylinders and Cones? It's like elementary math class all over again! | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) And while the exterior might look a bit modest, I assure you, the interior of this game was top-notched, superbly-theme-appropriate, and much, much, MUCH bigger than you'd ever anticipate. In fact, this is one of the *most* ambitious 60Out games I'd ever participated in. In addition, since there's a heavy high tech component involved, a lot of random techs, props, and sets were incorporated to the theme's advantage to coalesce together one weird, wonderful experience. (Many of your senses involved & tested!) There's nothing quite like it, and that's EXACTLY why you should go play it. Le gasp! My favorite kind of cube! Rubik's! | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) For a 60-minute game, this game went on forever during testing, and my group clocked at 80 minutes with all tasks finished. (But don't fret! The owners have since informed me that the overall game play has been modified, and many current customers are able to beat the game under time limit.) There are unbelievably LOTS to complete! The journey was long, winded, and very, VERY fun. Cooperation among individuals was an ongoing theme, and I especially appreciated how the designers forced you to switch partners during game play to ensure you struggle to the max, having to work together with different members of your team at different times. So forget having a perfect partner; you'll need to work well with everyone! Furthermore, since you start off in different rooms, and are challenged by various puzzles that are solved as a joint effort with different members of your team, no one single participant's exclusive experience is the exact same. Everyone walks away with an one-of-a-kind memory, which makes for a very interesting post-game chat, or better yet, replay value. Theoretically, from what I gathered, you could easily experience this same escape room at least twice without encountering any same puzzle for about 75% of the game. So! Something to keep in mind before blabbing out all the particular details of your own Turing journey ;) I, too, am curious to find out what they're staring at the ceiling. | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) To avoid rendering this post super long, let me just lightly summarize that production value was every bit as impressive as the game play, but there's no doubt in my mind that it's the game's complexity that would leave you talking about it for days to come. And since the beta version did not have a complete & clear narrative, I cannot comment on the plot line of this room with confidence, but there is one! And from what I heard from the staff, it's quite the devious story with a surprising twist that may threaten your very existence! Or it could something else. Who knows? Why don't you go play this Grade A room and let me know? What'll stump you the most? Polygonal sphere, black cube, or a handful of balls? | 60Out Escape Rooms (Koreatown) CONCLUDING THOUGHTS Mattster's Difficulty Rating: Intermediate-Hard Notable Strengths: Intriguing Themes, Family Friendly, Innovative Creativity, Production Value, Immersive Atmosphere, Satisfying Challenges, Impressive Technology, Unexpected Surprises, Affordable Pricing, Attractive Lobby, Affable Staff, Customer Service Great For: Escape Room Regulars, Expert Enthusiasts, Close Friends, Sci-Fi Buffs, Family Bonding, Communication Training Tips & Advice: Street parking available, though may be scarce on the weekends. Game requires extensive and clear communication between teammates, hence not ideal for true beginners. A minimal of 4 players will be separated into 4 different cells in the beginning, so plan accordingly. (For instance, those with less escape game experience should consider buddy-ing up!) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster Full disclosure: complimentary game access was generously provided for review or testing purposes. All media are sourced from and credited to rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended. In certain cases, media materials are made available under fair use doctrine of copyright law. 60OTuring.

Exodus Escape Room presents... "SHERLOCK'S STUDY" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights Branch) Company Website: Click Here & Here Address: 19271 Colima Rd Unit E, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 Game Name: Sherlock's Study Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Medium Capacity: Recommended For 2-8 Room Type: Public GAME OBJECTIVE "In the midst of a murder investigation, Sherlock Holmes has been kidnapped by the very murderer he was trying to catch! Now, it is up to you to piece together the evidence he has left behind in his study. Will you be clever enough to step into Sherlock’s shoes and solve the mystery?" (via official website) YELP ELITE EVENT RECAP Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp Elite Event recap post, posted originally on 02/13/2019: I am the EscapeMattster (IG)... ...Escape rooms became an unstoppable phenomenon in the recent 2-3 years, and I, with no exception, had willingly fallen victim to this addictive hobby. In the span of 1 year and a half or so, I had completed roughly 60 escape rooms, give or take. I still remember being so emotionally affected after my first 1 or 2 rooms, that I was extremely compelled to verbalize my running thoughts and many praises for the respective escape room companies--that's actually how I really got started as an avid Yelp reviewer. And as I wrote more and more *extremely* long and detailed reviews for my first 10 to 15 rooms or so, I felt even more so motivated to outreach more audience to read my Yelp essays (haha) because I truly believed escape rooms, when done right, is a true craft. Not that much so different from video games, escape games are a relative new form of entertainment, and I wanted to make sure it'd stick around for years, rather than just being the latest trend. And to do so, I aimed for that Elite status and red badge, banking on the fact that Elite reviews in general would gain more credibility and exposure. I worked my butt off for a few months, and finally, I got that fateful message from our CM Margaret. Storefront | Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights) Ever since, I'd always wondered if there'd be an escape room based Yelp Elite Event because, dude, this is literally what's hip and happening right now, and isn't that what Yelp is all about? Imagine how elated I was to be informed about this event--everything's truly come full circle. This is really happening: I played, I reviewed, I went Elite, and now I got to play AS AN ELITE. Holy crap. This event really meant a lot to me, and I practically forced Margaret to make sure to put me on that guest list. So without further ado, I sincerely extend my gratitude to our SGV CM for organizing this event, and for her to have so fortunately selected a company that I had yet to try, and to allot a time frame that spanned from 6 to 10 pm. Had this event been shorter, I would've still been stuck at work at the hospital due to my unpredictable schedule. Gratefully, all stars aligned, and I got a spot at 8 pm. Super. (And by chance, I even got assigned to play in the same room as 9 other wonderful teammates, including none other than our CM Margaret. It's beyond cool.) Having checked in, received my event freebie (Cute notebook! But is there any lunch bag left?), signed the guest book, and emptied my bladder, I was ready for my voluntary lock down for the next hour. Connor, one of the hosts, whom I believe was also at least one of the management staff or owners, went over some basic rules, and off we went into Sherlock Holme's study. You see, Sherlock's been kidnapped by the very murderer he's aiming to capture, and he needs our help to exact justice by helping the seemingly useless police to solve the case... before it's too late. You know, since he's being held hostage somewhere, and should he meet his untimely death. Lol. RIP, SH, if that's the case. Being no stranger to this hobby, (one may even rightfully say that I'm obsessed with escape rooms,) I'd read tons of reviews for our venue "Exodus Escape Rooms RH Branch" prior to this visit. And I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised to realize many negative comments found on their Yelp listing were more or less unwarranted. Without turning this event review into one of my full blown game analysis, I'd say simply, while production value was modest, and story line seemed a tad weak, the game play itself was fairly solid, and the experience was most definitely enjoyable. It's a very "gen 1" style game with tons of locks, keys, and codes, without a lot of smokes and mirrors magic, but execution was clean and effective. It's beginners friendly without being too convoluted, and very ideal for today's event purpose, considering the large fraction of guests who's never done an escape room before. I've greatly appreciated my time inside "Sherlock's Study", relished our collective triumph as a group, and just overall super thankful for Exodus for hosting our event. Though "in the real world", so to speak, playing an escape room with strangers at maximum capacity usually spells disaster, I was delighted to find out I'd experienced the exact opposite tonight. I guess the Yelp Elite family isn't the average consumer after all. Team work at its best, we busted open that door in about 44 minutes with 3 hints. Great job, guys. I hope each and everyone of you enjoyed your game as much as I did. Without the slightest doubt, this is one of my favorite time in my Elite experience thus far, and I feel truly happy to be able to have shared those moments with those I'd met tonight. PS: Margaret, please organize more escape room events! Fellow Yelpers, if after tonight, if you feel a burning fervor in your soul that escape rooms are your calling, feel free to DM me with any question! And hey, my IG EscapeMattster always welcomes more audience ;) POST GAME PHOTO The Yelp Elite fam solved the mystery for Sherlock himself in no time | Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Exodus Escape Room presents... "MASQUERADE MANOR" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights Branch) Company Website: Click Here & Here Address: 19271 Colima Rd Unit E, Rowland Heights, CA 91748 Game Name: Masquerade Manor Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Challenging Capacity: Recommended For 4-10 Room Type: Public GAME OBJECTIVE "Wealthy and famous composer Ludovico Manin is the prime suspect in a recent, high-profile crime. Tonight, during his annual Masquerade Ball, is your best chance to look for evidence against him. Disguised as guests, you must infiltrate the ball, find proof of Manin’s guilt, and leave without being detected. Can you find the stolen object and escape in time?" (via official website) YELP ELITE EVENT RECAP Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp Elite Event recap post, posted originally on 08/16/2019: This is a somewhat unexpected but very welcoming sequel to the last Yelp Elite Event hosted by Exodus Escape Room, Rowland Heights branch. I attended the last one (the Part 1, if you will), and was fairly certain this one would be just as fun and gratifying. (And it was!) Hence, first and foremost, I'd like to extend thanks to those who made it possible: Always and forever, thanks to our community manager, Margaret, for planning and organizing events for us Yelp Elite members to enjoy. Extra appreciation for allowing plus-one, which made this event that much more special for me and my loved one. Again, I'm super thankful for Exodus to welcome Team(s) Yelp with open arms for the second time, granting us the chance to experience their newest creation "Masquerade Manor" free of charge. Finally, Domino's Pizza, Olipop soda drinks, and Vegan Rob's chips, you guys were all delicious. The latter two, thanks for being vegan but not ruining it. Lol. Nom nom nom. To those who are reading this review who are not familiar with me, my name's Matthew, and I actually got my start in Yelp review-writing almost exclusively from escape room visits. I frequent (or used to, a little more sporadically these days) escape room businesses and have a strong passion for writing about them, sharing them, and recommending them to fellow fanatics. For this reason, I *REALLY* wanted to attend this type of event, and making it onto the guest list made my day. (Side note: feel free to contact me for tips/tricks/recs/all things related to escape rooms.) What also made the day was my awesome, awesome 8pm crew who foiled Ludovico Manin's string of high-profile robberies in our masquerading adventure. Unlike my previous teammates from the first event, this 10-man task force was 80-90% escape room veterans (well, at least moderately experienced), and we zoomed through our puzzles with, dare I say, copious ease, even somehow landing ourselves second place on the leader board. (We achieved all our objectives with almost half an hour left, with no clue given.) Whereas I needed to do some light leading and guiding for our more novice participants in the Part 1 event, there's no such necessity tonight in Part 2. Everyone's got. It. Down. I got to, at times as a spectator, see many people just get up and go, springing into action with no hesitation. It was honestly quite impressive. Pat yourselves on the back, masquerade ballers. Flexing about our great performance aside (ha ha), as someone who has done close to 80 escape rooms, I felt nothing but joy, excitement, and admiration when working with my Yelp Elite family. Being grouped with "strangers" in an escape game does not always translate into smooth collaboration and team work. In fact, the very opposite happens often in the real escape room market. And yet again, Yelp Elites proved me wrong. Much like my previous experience at Exodus, everyone was super nice, chill (yet passionate), and just all-around bright. Everyone contributed in solving riddles quite evenly, and the end result was nothing but a huge success. As to the escape room itself, "Masquerade Manor" leans towards beginners level on the difficulty scale. This makes it a very suitable introductory room for anyone who's interested in playing an escape room for the first time, or just curious to what the fad is all about. A what the industry calls a "gen 1" room, Masquerade relies on mostly lock and key schemes to formulate a series of challenges for the customers to examine, ponder, and overcome. Fans of classic escape rooms would enjoy a collection of delightful but somewhat light puzzles, working those brain cells just enough to elicit that well-sought-after ah-ha moment. Those who prefer a bit of technology sprinkled throughout may be a tad disappointed, however, even though it was in no way a bad game. Time remaining; not bad, not bad at all | Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights) Nonetheless, I gotta say, that last puzzle got me good. It's got an extra layer of sophistication and trickiness to it, and therefore, despite stumping me well, it was, hands-down, my favorite puzzle of the evening. The overall production value was consistent with what I've seen in "Sherlock's Study", with Masquerade's being an improvement due to the extra details they've put in the first room. The lighting, the brick wall, and the crawling plants were in particular my favorite accents of the entire set. The less urgent backstory and the whimsical nature of a costume ball distinguishes this room as the most family friendly of the 3 available options at this Exodus location, and if bought out as a private game, would also possibly make a respectably enjoyable date. And yup. I think I've covered everything. (Great to see some of my Elite friends that I've interacted with in the past, and here's looking forward to many, many more adventures together in the rest of 2019 and 2010!) POST GAME PHOTO Another win for the Yelp Elite fam. Almost everyone's an expert in this group! | Exodus Escape Room (Rowland Heights) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Chronos Escape Room presents... "JURASSIC ISLAND" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Chronos Escape Room Company Website: Click Here Address: 676 Fairplex Dr, Pomona, CA 91768 Game Name: Jurassic Island Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Medium (5/10) Capacity: 2-6 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "You are a group of researchers that have been hired to return to the island after the incident that happened a year ago that caused it to be shut down. According to your sources, one of the main incubators in the hatchery is still active and is reported to be keeping a nest of Velociraptor eggs alive. You need to retrieve one of those eggs so your employers can begin rebuilding the park. You’ve managed to make it to the main building, but the EVAC crew has notified your team that they can only give you 60 minutes to claim the egg due to an incoming monsoon." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 09/16/2019: Chronos Escape Room expansion project is now in full swing. Just 2 months ago, I had the pleasure to try out their "Private Eye" escape room (see "previous review"); and today, I am super thankful to be, once again, invited to beta test their next-on-release-list "Jurassic Island". Being quite the fan of the obvious inspiration for this game, the "Jurassic Park/World" franchise, and just of the four-legged, prehistoric lizards in general, this escape room captured my interest since I first saw it pop up as a coming-soon attraction on their website. The plot for the game follows quite similarly to the movie's: disaster struck what's once a scientific breakthrough and business marvel. The dinosaur theme park had fallen, and you're assigned to retrieve what's left of your company's research from the now deserted island. ...Be super careful not to get eaten though. This sounds positively amazing, because you're basically living out the starring role on the silver screen, and I particularly enjoyed the various nods to the movie. If you're familiar with the first one or two films (JPark series), you'll definitely get some fanboy/girl moments when you recognize the reference. In fact, the first film of the JWorld series would also help with the immersion factor. Therefore, though no prior knowledge is required to participate, I do recommend watching the movies for a more enjoyable hour. Of note, since this was, after all, in early beta testing, many things were still works in progress. Hence, I couldn't fully assess and report the extent of awesomeness this room will set out to achieve in the future. After tonight of beta testing, as of right now, I undoubtedly see untapped potentials, things that can be improved, and to be expected, kinks to sort out. Of things that Chronos did get right, even as is, the first room upon entry had decent production. In a facility that's been long overrun by vicious carnivorous creatures and over-crawling by natural vegetation, you'd expect to see worn down infrastructure and visible damage, perhaps those signature of dinos. And you do get exactly that. The effort in aging the set to reflect appropriate wear and tear was greatly appreciated, from the ground up to the ceiling. There're a couple of prop or art misdirection that I suggested changing, but overall, vastly adequate. The later parts of the game were still being fully "furnished", though once again, I saw potentials and rooms for improvements. In the right set of hands, these remaining portions could turn into something great. Speaking of something great, one particular buzz-worthy feature would be informed to you prior to start from your game master, and I could only refer to it as "THE SURPRISE". And this surprise singlehandedly stole the show for the hour, and was reminiscent of an actual theme park attraction element. (You'll see!) My team of 3 unanimously agreed that this was the "it" factor that absolutely cannot be spoiled to future customers, though it's ironically and most likely the biggest draw for this adventure if you were to hear about it! I haven't seen this in other escape rooms before, and I've done more than 85 rooms! Chronos also managed to break off its habit of (over)using keypads, introducing "Jurassic Island" as its first 100% fully automated escape room. So if you're a fan of gen 2 era technology, you're in for a treat. In fact, if properly and fully decked out with high-quality decoration, this could match some of 60Out's offerings. Difficulty wise, it's a bit harder than they advertise, though much of the struggle stemmed from the lack of adequate writing utensils and puzzles that required adjustments. (As of now, some challenges required SERIOUS hinting before advancing, though many could remedied by simple fixes.) I'd imagine when better clues were included, and appropriate stationery were at our disposal, everything would be smoother running. 1 or 2 puzzles offer a clear and distinct advantage for dinosaur fans--something that I benefited from and ain't complaining about. ;) Post game, I gave manager Marybeth tons of suggestions, and also voiced my share of concerns, in hopes of this room's becoming the best version of what it could be. So, I have my fingers crossed! (Btw, Marybeth, thank you for being great as always.) Pro tip: Chronos runs promotion often, and with the right discount (Groupon, also inquire with staff), this company continues to be a very affordable choice, something decent to consider for a night out. Until the final-version debut of "Jurassic Island", I'd continue to recommend trying out their most popular selection (also my own Chronos favorite), "Awakened", preferably in private setting with your own team of friends. (Again, Groupon.) You can also read about their other rooms, "Inception" & "Chronostopia", in my "previous review" sections. POST GAME PHOTO We all have that one friend that can't follow directions... "Stare at the egg," we said. | Chronos Escape Room Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Chronos Escape Room presents... "PRIVATE EYE" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Chronos Escape Room Company Website: Click Here Address: 676 Fairplex Dr, Pomona, CA 91768 Game Name: Private Eye Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Hard (8/10) Capacity: 2-6 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "The year is 1943, the place New York City. Everywhere you go the city is bursting with life and excitement but beneath the glitz and glamour there are dark powers at play. You have been hired by Police Chief Donovan of the NYPD to investigate the whereabouts of a missing person, detective Frank Costigan. What you’ll find is anyone’s guess." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 07/06/2019: Chronos wanted to expand since late 2018, but now I'm finally witnessing the early stages of that coming to reality :) After conquering the 3 previously available games (Inception, Awakened, and Chronstopia, all found in "Previous Review" sections), I'd found myself tangled in the chaos of brutal criminal underbelly of 1940s New York City. Taking place in the metropolis, "Private Eye" is this company's latest released escape room, the first of *several* to be introduced in the coming months. Having published 3 fantasy-driven escape games in the past, Chronos focuses their latest effort on a more grounded detective narrative. Players are entrusted to investigate what exactly happened to one of NYPD's finest but missing detective--a classic, traditional approach of mystery game solving. Due to its film noir style story line, Private Eye is, by far, the most plot driven game Chronos has yet to offer. It actually offers a self-contained crime novel chapter for its audience to follow. Nonetheless, for a 60-minute sesh, the story crammed more-than-preferred plot lines for already my anxious & busy-puzzle-solving mind to digest. Because, this time, the puzzles were HARD. But I'll circle back to that. What Private Eye undoubtedly excels over its older siblings is its collection of interesting puzzles. Chronos had a weird habit of awkwardly placing random brain teasers that arguably have little tied in with the theme. This is most definitely *not* the case here! I can't recount any single puzzle that felt even a tad out of place! (*Applause*) Every single riddle and challenge found its home comfortably and naturally in the NYC story world. In addition, there're puzzles I hadn't seen prior, despite my having over 80 escapes to date. It's always nice to increase my solution repertoire! Alas, a bit disappointingly, Chronos came close with perfecting the puzzle aspect, so close! Let me explain. These puzzles were meant to be expert level, and it certainly felt so. However, as I fumbled & stumbled upon road blocks after road blocks, I found myself being able to solve the riddles with ease, *once* the gm provided some hints. Then it hit me--it felt almost as if the default clues included in the game weren't specific enough, and light clarification was often required to advance. Another minor imperfection was the game's time period & its puzzle solution input choice. Although 1940s saw the availability of various types of lock, I found it dubious for a typical residence to be littered with digital number keypad locks. I am not saying it's impossible, but I am saying it felt less convincing. Allow me to be an advocate for employing "low tech" locks when appropriate: Metal locks don't automatically make an escape game inferior; in fact, they add on to immersion when done correctly. Another viable alternative would be to "age" all input devices, or use time-appropriate buttons, dials, or the likes. There's certainly room to get creative here. Hence, since Private Eye has managed to improved upon their puzzle dept by quite a good margin (that's a great thing!), Chronos should embrace its theme to its fullest, & perhaps make some welcoming tweaking. Even so, I really enjoyed the puzzles (variety, novelty, and "sensory challenge"), and I'm really proud of how far they've come. Production value was worthy of praise for certain sections of the room(s). While I honestly won't say Private Eye exceeded the set quality established by Chronos's own flagship room Awakened, there were obvious efforts made to this new game that merited compliments. The [censored] (no spoiler) entrance and its conjoining lobby was, imo, quite nicely executed, and the deliberate choice of lighting level and appropriate period soundtrack worked in sync to impress players right from the start. Just a couple of light touches and embellishments away, I'd say the first half of the game was nearly perfected visual wise. The latter half, in comparison, saw a bit more room for adjustments, and it's highly probable that this game would receive continual improvements as time goes on. Nonetheless, even as it was, meticulous care was taken with intent to give the customers as great of a game as possible. For instance, certain props not essential to solutions were stapled tight, stitched closed, or glued down, eliminating unnecessary time wastage. Furniture and appliances, for the most part, were conspicuously selected as reflection of the 40s. (Again, if it weren't for the digital key pads!) The basis of a great game was surely present, and now, it's up to the owners to steer its baby to become the best version of itself. In the end, no mystery was left unsolved, and all 4 of us had fun! And importantly, for a market that seems to be increasing the average admission, Chronos has managed to offer quality experience at very affordable price tags--it's a no-brainer to keep Chronos on your to-do list. POST GAME PHOTO Not being murdered by crime bosses is all the rage in 1940s NYC | Chronos Escape Room Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Level Games presents... "DISRUPTED DECADES" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Level Games Company Website: Click Here Address: 5000 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601 Game Name: [CLOSED] Disrupted Decades Time Limit: 75 Minutes Room Type: Private YELP REVIEW Please note: This room, experience, or game is currently not available for booking or purchase. The blog entry will remain on site for your reading enjoyment, and for Mattster's own personal bittersweet trip down memory lane. Please inquire with company if this will become available again in the future, or what other exciting options are currently available. Thank you. Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 06/03/2019: Ahh, Level Games. Previously Escapades LA, now under new ownership and management, LG helped save 2 escape games from their untimely demise. Even as Escapades LA, this venue's "Doggy Dog World" maintained quite a steady reputation as one of the cutest rooms on the market today. When in need for some undeniable adorability, just add doggos! I, too, bought into the hype. Sadly, however, I outgrew their target demographic by a decade or two--it's more of a kids game, and not for moi. That's not to say Doggy didn't have its strengths. Taking place in the unique perspective of man's best friends, players would transform into furry, 4-legged creatures for the hour, in hopes of finding their favorite toy. Everything in game was distorted through the lens of canine eyes. Kitchen cabinets, humongous. Human writing, illegible. Mailman, the most evilest of all. I'm grateful for this creative vision. Production was adequate: intentionally cartoonish, colorful, and children-friendly. Puzzles embedded, however, left more to be desired. For a game intended for 60 minutes of game play, there wasn't a whole lot to do. One may argue, well, it's designed for kids, so you can't possibly make it too difficult by overstuffing the contents. Well, then, I ask: why did the entire first half of the game heavily focused on a logic puzzle? Without giving the solutions away, I highly doubt critical reasoning and deduction is a young tween or teen's idea of a good time. Would most children even fully grasp the rationale behind the problem solving process? (I shrug. Or rather, a confused doggy head tilt.) Thankfully, there were at least 2 stand-out moments that really captured the pure, innocent joy of childhood fun that were both organic and parallel to a dog's innate tendency to be happy and positive--and I much appreciated those instances. (The grand finale was great!) Nonetheless, it was exactly this "identity crisis" that alienated this potentially wonderful game from my liking. Are you for kids? For puzzle lovers? I want Doggy to commit, rather than to waver awkwardly between the juxtaposition of two very different worlds. It made more sense to have more action based tasks, rather than mental puzzles, for an experience supposedly inspired by, well, animals, (even considering however smart they may be.) "Disrupted Decades", on the other hand, felt much more well thought out and overall more polished, and is my preferred game of the 2. Regrettably, I forgot what objective players had in this game, but you're basically travelling through the 70s, 80s, and 90s via a time machine. A whimsical, wacky adventure with loads of throwbacks. Just like its Doggy neighbor, it's got personality and obviously intended for older audience who'd recognize and appreciate the chronology Easter eggs. The puzzles were of gen 1 era, mostly locks and combos. But fret not, the variety thrown in was more than sufficient to keep us constantly thinking and fully entertained. I am a sucker for good locked-based challenges! I do, however, think the rating of "hard" was overstated since my team of 4 completed all the objectives in about 45 minutes out of 75. To have an entire 30 minutes left over is a pretty good indication to dial up that difficulty setting, even just a notch. Kudos for clear effort in tying every puzzle to fond memories of each decade. Some were as silly as they came, but definitely silly good fun. Production value was okay--decent enough, sufficient, and supported game play smoothly without a hitch. Ultimately, what gravitated me towards Decades was its aim to provide the customers an actual story and journey, rather than overly dependent on singular cuteness. The wise decision to include the game master as a semi-actor-semi-guide really tied all the elements together. Post game, I truly felt like I got what I paid for, a full package fitting within my expectation. I walked out feeling satisfied, as opposed to Doggy, which left me somewhat incomplete and unsure. Finally, a touchy subject--the price. Yes, Level Games does charge a bit more than its usual competitors, and after playing both games, I do recommend teams of at least 4, or be on the look out for a discount, mainly to keep your hobby economical. Probably some pretty pennies went into re-branding, re-vamping the store, and general expensive rent on the nice side of North Hollywood. The new website looks *gorgeous*, and tbh, that's investment well spent. I've been entirely ambivalent of whether LG is worthy of 4 or 5 stars, and judging from Doggy alone, it's a 4. With Decades in the mix, it's heading in a better direction. For the time being, there's room for improvements, and may my upcoming visit for "The Menagerie" be the boost that it needs to become a 5-star recommendation. POST GAME PHOTOS How many decades reference can you find in this pic? | Level Games Fun to note: Life Magazine & Polaroid are still going strong these days | Level Games Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Level Games presents... "IT'S A DOGGY DOG WORLD" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Level Games Company Website: Click Here Address: 5000 Lankershim Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 91601 Game Name: It's A Doggy Dog World Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Capacity: 2-8 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "You've lost your favorite red ball! Can you find it before your owner gets home? / Meet man’s best friend: you! Life is all sunshine and rainbows, until you realize that you are missing your favorite red ball. Will you find it before your owner gets home? Doggy Dog World at Level Games has been voted one of the best Escape Rooms in Los Angeles. / This game is designed for players who are looking for a playful escape room theme. It is a popular choice for birthday parties and for group events of adults and children alike." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Please note: This room, experience, or game is currently not available for booking or purchase. The blog entry will remain on site for your reading enjoyment, and for Mattster's own personal bittersweet trip down memory lane. Please inquire with company if this will become available again in the future, or what other exciting options are currently available. Thank you. Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 06/03/2019: Ahh, Level Games. Previously Escapades LA, now under new ownership and management, LG helped save 2 escape games from their untimely demise. Even as Escapades LA, this venue's "Doggy Dog World" maintained quite a steady reputation as one of the cutest rooms on the market today. When in need for some undeniable adorability, just add doggos! I, too, bought into the hype. Sadly, however, I outgrew their target demographic by a decade or two--it's more of a kids game, and not for moi. That's not to say Doggy didn't have its strengths. Taking place in the unique perspective of man's best friends, players would transform into furry, 4-legged creatures for the hour, in hopes of finding their favorite toy. Everything in game was distorted through the lens of canine eyes. Kitchen cabinets, humongous. Human writing, illegible. Mailman, the most evilest of all. I'm grateful for this creative vision. Production was adequate: intentionally cartoonish, colorful, and children-friendly. Puzzles embedded, however, left more to be desired. For a game intended for 60 minutes of game play, there wasn't a whole lot to do. One may argue, well, it's designed for kids, so you can't possibly make it too difficult by overstuffing the contents. Well, then, I ask: why did the entire first half of the game heavily focused on a logic puzzle? Without giving the solutions away, I highly doubt critical reasoning and deduction is a young tween or teen's idea of a good time. Would most children even fully grasp the rationale behind the problem solving process? (I shrug. Or rather, a confused doggy head tilt.) Thankfully, there were at least 2 stand-out moments that really captured the pure, innocent joy of childhood fun that were both organic and parallel to a dog's innate tendency to be happy and positive--and I much appreciated those instances. (The grand finale was great!) Nonetheless, it was exactly this "identity crisis" that alienated this potentially wonderful game from my liking. Are you for kids? For puzzle lovers? I want Doggy to commit, rather than to waver awkwardly between the juxtaposition of two very different worlds. It made more sense to have more action based tasks, rather than mental puzzles, for an experience supposedly inspired by, well, animals, (even considering however smart they may be.) "Disrupted Decades", on the other hand, felt much more well thought out and overall more polished, and is my preferred game of the 2. Regrettably, I forgot what objective players had in this game, but you're basically travelling through the 70s, 80s, and 90s via a time machine. A whimsical, wacky adventure with loads of throwbacks. Just like its Doggy neighbor, it's got personality and obviously intended for older audience who'd recognize and appreciate the chronology Easter eggs. The puzzles were of gen 1 era, mostly locks and combos. But fret not, the variety thrown in was more than sufficient to keep us constantly thinking and fully entertained. I am a sucker for good locked-based challenges! I do, however, think the rating of "hard" was overstated since my team of 4 completed all the objectives in about 45 minutes out of 75. To have an entire 30 minutes left over is a pretty good indication to dial up that difficulty setting, even just a notch. Kudos for clear effort in tying every puzzle to fond memories of each decade. Some were as silly as they came, but definitely silly good fun. Production value was okay--decent enough, sufficient, and supported game play smoothly without a hitch. Ultimately, what gravitated me towards Decades was its aim to provide the customers an actual story and journey, rather than overly dependent on singular cuteness. The wise decision to include the game master as a semi-actor-semi-guide really tied all the elements together. Post game, I truly felt like I got what I paid for, a full package fitting within my expectation. I walked out feeling satisfied, as opposed to Doggy, which left me somewhat incomplete and unsure. Finally, a touchy subject--the price. Yes, Level Games does charge a bit more than its usual competitors, and after playing both games, I do recommend teams of at least 4, or be on the look out for a discount, mainly to keep your hobby economical. Probably some pretty pennies went into re-branding, re-vamping the store, and general expensive rent on the nice side of North Hollywood. The new website looks *gorgeous*, and tbh, that's investment well spent. I've been entirely ambivalent of whether LG is worthy of 4 or 5 stars, and judging from Doggy alone, it's a 4. With Decades in the mix, it's heading in a better direction. For the time being, there's room for improvements, and may my upcoming visit for "The Menagerie" be the boost that it needs to become a 5-star recommendation. POST GAME PHOTO Please direct your sight away from my blue balls and towards the bones in her hands | Level Games Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Maze Rooms LA presents... "SKY ODYSSEY" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Maze Rooms LA (Koreatown/Vermont Branch) Company Website: Click Here Address: 132 S Vermont Ave Ste 204, Los Angeles, CA 90004 Game Name: Sky Odyssey Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 70 Minutes Difficulty: Hard Capacity: 4-10 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "A hot air balloon ride takes an unexpected turn and you find yourself in Ancient Greece as a war between Greek Gods and Titans. Do you have what it takes to wield the power of Gods and save Olympus? / Mount Olympus is under siege, and only you can save it! / Eons after their defeat at the hands of the Gods of Olympus, the ancient and evil Titans have broken free from their prison and waged war on the world once again! Zeus and the other deities have been turned to stone, and the Titans have laid siege to Mount Olympus itself! Summoned by Gaia, one of the few Titans loyal to Olympus, you and you band of explorers must travel on a hot air balloon to the land of the deities, where you must activate a magic weapon that can turn the tide of conflict before it is too late." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Escape with me! Follow IG: EscapeMattster ;) ROOM 67 & 69 SKY ODYSSEY / Grade: A (For reviews on Abyss, Magic Kingdom, Secret & Lunar Mission, see "previous review" below.) Best Maze Room location! What sets this branch apart is not just the amazing selection of rooms, but the genuinely personable staff. I'd like to thank my gms, but also especially owner Armen who has been nothing but exceptional ever since our first interaction. It's the actual connection I was able to make with the very maker of these games that lead me to prefer his location. (Sometimes, businesses just feel so cold, you know? Anyone who makes an effort to reach out for their fans is great in my book!) Armen takes part in designing, building, and also fixing of props for Sky Odyssey--I really tip my hat to you, sir. Though titled Sky Odyssey, the actual game had very little to do with, well, sky. It's actually a fantasy narrative taking place in the Greek heavens of Mount Olympus, where all the Gods reside. Their arch nemesis the Titans are waging a war against the Greek deities, and we the hot air balloon sky travelers need to lend them a hand, and help defend their otherwise soon-to-be-fallen kingdom. This theme's fresh & intriguing, and it gave an enthusiast like me something different to look forward to. Designers often get into a rut when creativity runs out, but not here! (For those who love "Magic Kingdom", consider this its Greek cousin, though with less Potter, & more Zeus.) Production value was out of this world. (Get it? This is no longer the secular world of the mortals?) Anyhoo, this room is not bought "off the shelf". Although some Greek statues were probably purchased from props store or the likes, majority of the room had a DIY vibe, but it's DIY DONE WELL & RIGHT. And I mean this in a positive way because you're getting a one-of-a-kind experience that's not available elsewhere. During my 2 runs of Odyssey, I just appreciated so much of the time & effort that must've gone into making all this possible. And because of the setting of this story, you won't see one single traditional lock. Instead, lots of automation were involved, along with sound, lights, and animation fx. The wiring behind-the-scene must've been cray! Segue to game play--fantastic! This room's rated medium officially, but it may actually feel harder since there're SO many action steps required to progress from start to finish. Most puzzles, if you will, weren't actual puzzles. They're tasks that involved you moving item to the correct location, which triggered the next step. The more difficult portions were mostly deferred to the bonus section (more on that later), so if you're a hardcore puzzle lover, adjust your expectation. Though I must say, the reveals after many solutions were so dramatic, both visually & audibly, it felt so rewarding to advance through this epic adventure. The room fits up to 10 players, but I recommend maxing it at half capacity of 5, especially for veterans. You have a non-traditional 70 minutes to complete the game (for both main story and bonus modes). While 5 is plenty to comfortably finish on time, be sure to communicate loudly and constantly, because it's easy to miss something over the large gaming area. (Trust me, so many details were stuffed into this room, you may even feel overwhelmed!) If not, this room has replay value, as I played this game 2 times just to fully witness, absorb, and digest all its glory. Of note: crouching/sitting down, crawling, & stairs are all required for completion. Plan accordingly, or call in for advice. As mentioned, the room looked great, but immersion could be iffy depending on what you think Mount Olympus should look like. Odyssey definitely took all the elements of Greek literature into consideration, but it felt more like a Greek museum with interaction aids, or an arcade even, than the actual Mountain. As shown by my grading of A though, this mattered little in my mind, as this game worked so well on its own for its entertainment value, little things could be forgone. Continuing this venue's tradition, you can wear a costume (toga) for the hour, which's a plus in this dept. Though the game has debuted for 2 months now, they're still continually tweaking the game to maximize enjoyment for its mainstream customers. The overall structure of the game is actually logical & well thought out, though difficult to comprehend by the average player on the spot. Therefore, a guide map's provided to facilitate progress. The more time consuming and challenging puzzles are sectioned off as bonus side quests, thereby allowing more patrons to successfully complete the main plot. Game hints were available from both a built-in system, and via walkie with gm. All these crucial enhancements demonstrate this branch's never-ending pursuit of perfection, and as someone who's played every single game at this awesome, awesome location, I firmly attest: Sky Odyssey is a must-play in LA! POST GAME PHOTO Even the Gods at Mount Olympus needed us the mortals to help defend their empire | Maze Rooms LA (Vermont) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Maze Rooms LA presents... "SKY ODYSSEY" (ENCORE) VENUE INFORMATION Company: Maze Rooms LA (Koreatown/Vermont Branch) Company Website: Click Here Address: 132 S Vermont Ave Ste 204, Los Angeles, CA 90004 Game Name: Sky Odyssey Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 70 Minutes Difficulty: Hard Capacity: 4-10 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "A hot air balloon ride takes an unexpected turn and you find yourself in Ancient Greece as a war between Greek Gods and Titans. Do you have what it takes to wield the power of Gods and save Olympus? / Mount Olympus is under siege, and only you can save it! / Eons after their defeat at the hands of the Gods of Olympus, the ancient and evil Titans have broken free from their prison and waged war on the world once again! Zeus and the other deities have been turned to stone, and the Titans have laid siege to Mount Olympus itself! Summoned by Gaia, one of the few Titans loyal to Olympus, you and you band of explorers must travel on a hot air balloon to the land of the deities, where you must activate a magic weapon that can turn the tide of conflict before it is too late." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Escape with me! Follow IG: EscapeMattster ;) ROOM 67 & 69 SKY ODYSSEY / Grade: A (For reviews on Abyss, Magic Kingdom, Secret & Lunar Mission, see "previous review" below.) Best Maze Room location! What sets this branch apart is not just the amazing selection of rooms, but the genuinely personable staff. I'd like to thank my gms, but also especially owner Armen who has been nothing but exceptional ever since our first interaction. It's the actual connection I was able to make with the very maker of these games that lead me to prefer his location. (Sometimes, businesses just feel so cold, you know? Anyone who makes an effort to reach out for their fans is great in my book!) Armen takes part in designing, building, and also fixing of props for Sky Odyssey--I really tip my hat to you, sir. Though titled Sky Odyssey, the actual game had very little to do with, well, sky. It's actually a fantasy narrative taking place in the Greek heavens of Mount Olympus, where all the Gods reside. Their arch nemesis the Titans are waging a war against the Greek deities, and we the hot air balloon sky travelers need to lend them a hand, and help defend their otherwise soon-to-be-fallen kingdom. This theme's fresh & intriguing, and it gave an enthusiast like me something different to look forward to. Designers often get into a rut when creativity runs out, but not here! (For those who love "Magic Kingdom", consider this its Greek cousin, though with less Potter, & more Zeus.) Production value was out of this world. (Get it? This is no longer the secular world of the mortals?) Anyhoo, this room is not bought "off the shelf". Although some Greek statues were probably purchased from props store or the likes, majority of the room had a DIY vibe, but it's DIY DONE WELL & RIGHT. And I mean this in a positive way because you're getting a one-of-a-kind experience that's not available elsewhere. During my 2 runs of Odyssey, I just appreciated so much of the time & effort that must've gone into making all this possible. And because of the setting of this story, you won't see one single traditional lock. Instead, lots of automation were involved, along with sound, lights, and animation fx. The wiring behind-the-scene must've been cray! Segue to game play--fantastic! This room's rated medium officially, but it may actually feel harder since there're SO many action steps required to progress from start to finish. Most puzzles, if you will, weren't actual puzzles. They're tasks that involved you moving item to the correct location, which triggered the next step. The more difficult portions were mostly deferred to the bonus section (more on that later), so if you're a hardcore puzzle lover, adjust your expectation. Though I must say, the reveals after many solutions were so dramatic, both visually & audibly, it felt so rewarding to advance through this epic adventure. The room fits up to 10 players, but I recommend maxing it at half capacity of 5, especially for veterans. You have a non-traditional 70 minutes to complete the game (for both main story and bonus modes). While 5 is plenty to comfortably finish on time, be sure to communicate loudly and constantly, because it's easy to miss something over the large gaming area. (Trust me, so many details were stuffed into this room, you may even feel overwhelmed!) If not, this room has replay value, as I played this game 2 times just to fully witness, absorb, and digest all its glory. Of note: crouching/sitting down, crawling, & stairs are all required for completion. Plan accordingly, or call in for advice. As mentioned, the room looked great, but immersion could be iffy depending on what you think Mount Olympus should look like. Odyssey definitely took all the elements of Greek literature into consideration, but it felt more like a Greek museum with interaction aids, or an arcade even, than the actual Mountain. As shown by my grading of A though, this mattered little in my mind, as this game worked so well on its own for its entertainment value, little things could be forgone. Continuing this venue's tradition, you can wear a costume (toga) for the hour, which's a plus in this dept. Though the game has debuted for 2 months now, they're still continually tweaking the game to maximize enjoyment for its mainstream customers. The overall structure of the game is actually logical & well thought out, though difficult to comprehend by the average player on the spot. Therefore, a guide map's provided to facilitate progress. The more time consuming and challenging puzzles are sectioned off as bonus side quests, thereby allowing more patrons to successfully complete the main plot. Game hints were available from both a built-in system, and via walkie with gm. All these crucial enhancements demonstrate this branch's never-ending pursuit of perfection, and as someone who's played every single game at this awesome, awesome location, I firmly attest: Sky Odyssey is a must-play in LA! POST GAME PHOTO We the angels... | Maze Rooms LA (Vermont) ...and we the demons helped balance Godly orders. Again. | Maze Rooms LA (Vermont) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Get The F Out Room presents... "THE VIRUS" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Get The F Out Room Company Website: Click Here Address: 1500 S Los Angeles St Unit 4, Los Angeles, CA 90015 Game Name: The Virus Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: N/A Capacity: Up To 8 Players Room Type: Public/Private GAME OBJECTIVE "A deadly virus has ravaged the planet. Join a team of top scientists and descend hundreds of feet to a military laboratory below. There you must discover an antidote and save the world. But be careful not to set off the computerized decontamination system or you may be sterilized...for good." (via official website) YELP REVIEW Please note: This room, experience, or game is currently not available for booking or purchase. The blog entry will remain on site for your reading enjoyment, and for Mattster's own personal bittersweet trip down memory lane. Please inquire with company if this will become available again in the future, or what other exciting options are currently available. Thank you. Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 02/27/2019: I'd admit that trying out The Virus had been long delayed due to some of the less positive things I've read on Yelp, though now I would like to assert that even by 2019's standard, The Virus is still a decently solid escape room with its own unique charm. Synthesizing a cure to save the world from a viral pandemic is hardly a new crisis in the world of room escapes, but here's condensed version: scientist figured out the correct formula for a virus antidote, did not want it to end up in the wrong hands, so locked away the secret through a series of intricate puzzles. But doh, he dead, now you gotta synthesize it in his spirit before the virus eats you away too! This rather simple and familiar plot line may not have the strongest pull, so this company embellished the experience with a VR intro vid to fill you in the deets before you get busy cracking codes. (With a not-so-subtle cameo from the owner, Bob, too!) While technically not necessary, the VR was a genius way to augment an otherwise limited gaming space to a much grander dimension. It made me excited, and felt more immersed in my role of world-saving chemist. As mentioned, the entire game took place over a modestly sized laboratory, with no extra room to explore. (If you prefer room to room progression, explore their other game, The Experiment.) As a result, I have two immediate thoughts: [ONE] don't overstuff your friends into 1 game, I recommend 5 at most. (Pro tip: with 4/8 spaces booked, game can become private upon request.) And [TWO] in a rather tight space, can the creators really keep us that busy in 60 lengthy minutes? Turns out, oh yeah. Not a minute flew by without frenzy, either. And the particular sequence that kicked off the hour--I knew about it, and my friend fell for it. It's always comical to push your dear mates in the face of great danger, lol. I lived for that moment. Anyhoo, having a smaller space actually worked towards the venue's advantage because they were able to furnish & decorate every inch of the room into a plausible looking lab, without a single bare corner. Furthermore, labs are naturally full of cabinets, so the lock placements (for puzzle solutions) were arranged throughout in a mostly organic way that translated into a smooth, linear game play. The overall *format* was well structured, easy to pick up, & suitable for players of all levels. The *puzzles*, themselves, however, were not exactly easy (though I was both ill and tired from work today). In any case, they occasionally stumped this group of non-beginners. We were allowed 3 hints max, and we used all 3. (And that's not counting the gentle nudges we received for free along the way.) Puzzles came in a variety of formats, some relied on pure brain work, while others were super skill based. While I found the collection of challenges enjoyable, some were questionable in my opinion. For instance, a physical puzzle we tried early on proved to be frustrating, since the control was difficult to master. Two other puzzles would grant players with prior knowledge or training an advantage, which fortunately, gave my teammates a chance to shine, though there's definite evidence of tweaking on the designer's part that attempted to level the playing field for everyone. The good news is, since there's a long roster of puzzle, you'll probably find something more to your style, and all is forgiven. Although this game was developed some years back, the creativity stood the test of time. There's a heavy usage of padlock based reveal, so this is mostly a gen 1 room, but the creators were not afraid to make use of myriad interesting tools to guide you through the journey. And precisely because there was such a variety of ideas thrown into the mix, chances are, players of all levels would still see something new, or at least more than your handful of common escape room tropes. Certain puzzles may at times appear loosely tied to the main narrative, but they did all carry an undeniable flavor of "science" (hehe!), and that won my respect and appreciation. However, they did say the original scientist wanted to keep prying hands from stealing the formula, and these eccentric puzzles most surely *almost* did the trick! (Of note, my ability to quickly navigate around a periodic table got a slight ego stroke tonight! Ahhh, chemistry, at least you're useful in escape rooms.) As I was saying, these puzzles *almost* won, but they didn't, 'cause we got out. Whoo! The inclusion of a bonus puzzle was the cherry on top of a wonderful, contagion-infested night. We were so close in winning that bonus, too! I'd like to thank Julie the gm who helped end the next potential global extinction. She doubled as an in-game actress who gave both a committed performance as a lab tech and some just-right hints to help us advance. And Bob, thanks for treating your fellow enthusiasts with such kindness, and of course, RIP. POST GAME PHOTO Virulent fun: saving the world beyond the microscopic level | Get The F Out Room Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Trapped! Escape Room presents... "GRANDMA'S SURPRISE" VENUE INFORMATION Company: Trapped! Escape Room (San Dimas Branch) Company Website: Click Here & Here Address: 173 Village Ct Ste 105, San Dimas, CA 91773 Game Name: Grandma's Surprise Game Website: Click Here Time Limit: 60 Minutes Difficulty: N/A Capacity: 3-7 Players Room Type: Private GAME OBJECTIVE "Today is your Grandmother’s 100th birthday! The whole family is getting together to pay her a surprise visit and throw her a party. However, Grandma doesn’t appear to be home. You and the others may just be the ones getting a surprise today!" (via official website) YELP REVIEW Escape with me! Follow IG: EscapeMattster ;) Isn't weird when all you want to do is to celebrate your grandma's 100th birthday, but instead, she's made the big day into some kind of surprise tell-all? Seriously, gramps, just take our present and serve us some of your famous pies! "Grandma's Surprise" is one of Trapped's latest efforts, and I for one had been eagerly waiting to attend this birthday party for months. And finally it's happened! First, part of the appeal was the mystery shrouded around the aforementioned plot. Usually, Trapped's website would lay out the basic premise and give you a sample pic or two, but this game's given NEITHER. It kept me guessing till the game started. Very early on in the game, you're clued in on what's actually going on if you have observant, keen eyes, and a fast noggin to put 2 and 2 together. And doh, my pre-game guess was wrong--Grandma was not dead this wholeeee timeeee. Darnit. No ghost. What did reveal in the actual game was fairly surprising (and title appropriate) in its own right, however, and it delighted me to see the story take such an unusual turn. Simple, light, fun and a lil bit comedic, it didn't require much serious processing to fully absorb the narrative. Grandma's agenda was brought alive by a 100% custom-made, original set designed and built by the staff themselves. This is one of the things that made me a fan of this company: they're very creative and hands on. You're getting a very unique product, entirely imagined, written, and produced by the company and nobody else. Moreover, production value was great. It isn't high-budget extravaganza like other big chains, but believe me, the look was still very strong. Without spoiling much, the first room you'd enter, grandma's studio style apartment, screamed "old people" vibe in the most endearing sense. You got your senior-favorite choice of wallpaper, both in design & color. You got these old-fashioned appliances straight from the, what, 40s. And a rocking chair for gramps to pass the hours. It looked cozy and cute, and it worked so well visually. All there really missing was the scent of grandma's cooking, which I humbly suggest to incorporate for both atmospheric immersion, and perhaps as a potential puzzle integration as well. ;) Game play was smooth, well structured, and offered both linear & non-linear moments. Once you get past the initial hurdles, your group could split up, go crazy, and tear the room apart (metaphorically only) since multiple objectives can be achieved at the same time. In case you're wondering, this room's a gen 1-gen 2 mixed style game, with countless tech moments to be unleashed! (Puzzles were very well themed; clue system was also lovely, baked right into the story line.) Tech may malfunction once in a blue moon; for my group, only 1 minor "issue", if even, occurred, and can be overlooked. Difficulty was low (well, for us anyway), though purposely designed as such to provide beginners and family groups a satisfying experience. And I should note, communication is key. For the love of Granny, please loudly share any found info, clues, or props with your entire team. It'd most likely get you a better time record! My experienced group technically blew through the room in 37 minutes, though ultimately clocked out at ~57, due to the game's embedded adjustable difficulty level: advanced players're offered with extra, optional, "final bosses" puzzles to solve if time permits, and these challenges are high level, mega evolved monstrosities. We needed close guidance to reach 100% completion achievement. Everything above just spelled out an excellent time for audience of all background, yes? One thing that I'd also wanna emphasize is Trapped's insistence to keep their games heavily puzzle based, and I wholeheartedly love them for it. While escape rooms as of late are moving, as a whole, in a more immersive and experience-based direction, some companies are sacrificing puzzle quality for big, showy production. New rooms are now sometimes over-reliant on task-based actions to solve the games, and little thinking is needed to advance. "Grandma's Surprise" kept it classy and nostalgic, and provided actual puzzles to solve. So tyvm. And no, that isn't to say this game wasn't immersive; it just managed to find the perfect balance to please me so. Post game, we had a semi-lengthy discussion with the staff on the room design, execution, and just awesome things Trapped has in store for us now and in the future. I'd like to extend my gratitude to my gm Kyle, a female trainee, and also one of the bosses Roland. They took care of us well. I was also very happy to hear from Roland that my reviews for Trapped had sparked discussions and improvements for the business, and I'm grateful that they're always taking positive and constructive criticisms with open minds. ...One Eyed Jack in Vegas next! ;X POST GAME PHOTO Ain't no body was ready for "Grandma's Surprise", and also mine. Open that box ;) | Trapped! Escape Room (San Dimas) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Carnival E. Scape | Containment Escape Games GAME INFO COMPANY: Containment Escape Games ADDRES: 936 W Foothill Blvd, Claremont, CA 91711 GAME: Carnival E. Scape THEME: Fair Games, Lighthearted Mystery GAME REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 11/11/2019: - THE 10-SECOND QUICKIE VERSION - Step right up and bring your A game. "Carnival E. Scape" is literally a collection of carnival fair games, with some traditional puzzle logic hidden here and there. Beautifully decorated and wonderfully smelling, this one's for the actual kiddies AND the child in your heart that refuses to grow up. (And why should he ever?!) - NOW... THE SIGNATURE DETAILED VERSION - First off, before you do anything, go to the bathroom. Not only should you void your bladder before an hour-long adventure, you should also try to win a little bonus prize by solving a warm-up puzzle in the john. Just be respectful of others and let those who *really* need to pee/poo go first ;) Bodily functions and mental stretches out of the way, it's time to meet the carnival host. "Carnival E. Scape" is open for business! He wasted no time to invite us to our first midway game of the night. (The first of MANY, I shall alert you now!) Yelpers, how's your aim? You're gonna need it throughout the night. Finally stepping inside the giant tent of the Scape family's carnival, (after months of waiting for its grand debut,) I, or rather, my nose, was greeted with the undeniably aroma of cotton candy. Say whattt? As an escape room AND candle enthusiast, I was ecstatic to see more and more game designers' starting to tackle the sense of smell. (Side note: if you can overload all 5 of my senses, is there any way I can give you less than 5 stars of a review?) The main play area was gorgeously decorated, definitely the most elaborate effort from this venue so far. The space can comfortably fit a large group, though the 3 of us wasted no time beginning our quest. The goal of this room's plot was a little muddy, perhaps not yet fully molded and presented clearly during testing. But the actual story line mattered little, because we're here for amusement games! Just like in a real carnival, much like I suspected, you'll be doing some classic fun fair activities to advance through the room. What blew me away was how wide of a range of things we're offered--from chowing down some junk food (metaphorically speaking), to participating skill games, and to winning prizes, it's the very first time an escape room captured much of your childhood memories by letting you do EXACTLY what you did when you're little. (Or in my case, getting to finally try something I was forbidden to do so as a small child. But big Matt gets to have some fun, safely I should add, now!) On the puzzle and technical aspects, all challenges were logical, and a selection of gen 1 and 2 elements were strategically combined to one fluid product. Containment really wanted to add in as much tech that made sense in this narrative as possible--and they certainly did. Conspicuously so, there's a heavier emphasis on "to do" than "to solve", so your skeletal muscles may actually work harder than your cerebral ones this time around. Thoroughly impressed, my entire team walked away with smiles wide across our faces. Even with all that joy this experience was to provide, this was only their beta testing (at the time when I played)! The owner hinted at us that more puzzles could be potentially inserted depending on audience response, and I suspected as much since there were props left unused. Here're my finger crossed, because as an expert level player, I wanted more! I *needed* more! We got out without any hint, perhaps too fast even. Nonetheless, obviously a game designed for the kiddies as well, maybe this length of materials would pace just fine. For parents who plan to bring their children to the Carnival, you guys are in for such a treat. But do supervise your little ones accordingly for their safety and for the best preservation for the business's equipment. And though this isn't directly related to Carnival, I just want to also briefly commend on Containment's continuous effort to improve on their existing properties. The entrance to their other game(s) are decked out from ground up with immersive props and decors, and just like Carnival, helps begin the narrative before the patrons even step through the door. I was also given a quick tour of an improved "The Cabin", and versus how I first saw it back when it first opened, it felt more refined and cohesive, and is definitely now more of a contender for a escape room player's top picks. It's weird--I am not on staff, but even as a customer, you feel proud of how much they've come since the beginning. Lastly, Kyle/Nic, if you're reading this, congrats on the newest member on your Containment team! ;) Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Bartending, drinking, and smoking our way to success | Maze Rooms LA (Hollywood) Dressing classy to play an escape room--the only way to play it right | Maze Rooms LA (Hollywood) GAME INFO COMPANY: Maze Rooms LA (Hollywood) ADDRESS: 1328 Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028 GAME: One Way Ticket PREMISE: Step aboard our magnificent train, but beware the journey may take you to your death. Enjoy your one way ticket on the train! Welcome to the Maze Room’s One Way Ticket Game It’s a journey of no coming back! Step aboard our magnificent train and zoom off on a journey that may take you to your death. It’s a one-way ticket on the train, and there is no coming back. A trip which is supposed to be memorable with beautiful scenery and comfortable accommodation turn sour as your team finds out the train is booby-trapped with a bomb. With the train speeding steadily to your destination and with each of you having a one-way ticket, you need to escape the train within 60 minutes, or it will be your last train ride. Do you have what it takes to escape with your lives from the locked train, within an hour? It is left for you to find out! GAME REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 01/03/2019: Can I get a high five? Because I have officially completed all 3 games available at Maze Rooms on Highland in Hollywood. For my tl;dr audience, it boils down to this: If you want a real challenge with tons of whimsical puzzles, go for "World of Illusions". If you enjoy elements of exploration and many surprises, try "Pharaoh's Tomb". Finally, if you want a strong plot-driven experience with an incredibly polished and posh looking set, buy yourself a "One Way Ticket"! Tonight, dressed in our dapperest get-up, we took on Maze Room's take on a steampunk-inspired train ride, and came close to Death face-to-face. You see, as the most successful railroad business owners in the West, not only did we make bank, we also inevitably made some enemies along the way--some of them hidden right among the staff. A disgruntled employee had concealed a bomb aboard, set to go off in 1 hour, before the train's arrival at its final station. Would this journey be our last, a one-way ticket... TO HELL? Two things really made me appreciate this room a lot more than I expected: the story, and the set. As mentioned above, this was a very strong plot line by most escape room standards. It's simple, yet direct. It's got an interesting conflict, and a clear goal for resolution. Its simplicity was elegant, and it really helped my group to get into character. All the prep work done by the premise was further strengthened by the amazing, amazing looking set, which was essentially different cars on a train unit. The promo pics on the website probably didn't need a whole lot of photoshopping, because the production value was just as impressive in person as it was online. When I set afoot inside the room, I squealed uncontrollably. It. Looked. So. GOOD! It's certainly good enough to film a Sherlock Holmes movie in here. And with our own preppy costumes, everything just complemented to perfection. On the walls of each train car were "windows" that displayed moving scenery that simulated constant motion of the moving vehicle. While this was undoubtedly an impressive touch, I did feel that without the element of motion, or an atmospheric soundtrack (train track sounds, maybe?), it wasn't 100% convincing. So owners, I'd love to see you perfect this aspect of immersion some day. Puzzle wise, everything played out just as magnificently as the visuals. This was definitely a heavily tech dependent room, but the execution was perfect. Every key items used to unlock and progress the game were objects that were logical within the setting. And to illustrate without outright spoiling it for anyone, there's an alcohol puzzle in the bar, for instance. This was the ONLY ROOM of the 3 that impressed me so, in the way that no single challenge felt forced or misplaced. Literally every riddle tied in plausibly as actions that a character might take as the story unfolded. I did have slight issues with the room that prevented it from being perfect; for example, certain objects would require *exact* placements to trigger next step, even if answer input was 100% the right idea. Some puzzle props would "react" (ie, make a noise) even when I knowingly had not yet attempted to solve 'em, leading to slight confusion, (as in "Did I solve this already? By luck?"). Finally, 1 particular audio cue went completely missing, causing us to delay a certain step until gm's intervention. Most hints I requested stemmed from these setbacks, and could potentially be avoided. Aw well, no tech room is ever perfect, and gm did help move things along, but this inevitably detracted from the illusion of escape room magic. One particular puzzle'd also benefit from slight modification to provide a more clarified and clean-cut solution. Difficulty was easy-medium, and with hints mentioned above, we defused the bomb with time to spare! I guess we oughta rename the room "Round-Trip Tickets" after all, 'cause evil's foiled, and Death's gonna have to try harder on another day. Tbh... "Ticket" just became my favorite at the Hollywood branch, something truly unexpected since "Illusions" was such a strong contender. The commitment to balance story, immersion, and puzzle made "Ticket" the most well-rounded option, ultimately tipping the scale in its favor in the end. Last but not least, our gm Clovis was one of the reasons why this business's keeping its 5-star rating. What a pro! He was quick to respond when I entered the building, well-versed and well-trained in the way he guided us through all the procedures, and was attentive and proactive in keeping the game progress smooth running. He's a bit of a stickler to the rules, which showed principles, and was a great promoter for his employers--Selfie Museum, anyone? He also showed passion for escape room as a hobby/topic in general, so tyvm, it's a privilege to have you as our gm in my closing chapter with this branch. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

We were better off watching the movie. We died. Minos killed us. | Escape Hotel GAME INFO COMPANY: Escape Hotel Hollywood ADDRESS: 6633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 GAME: Escape Room THEME: Escape Room, Deadly Game, Movie Promo GAME REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 01/12/2019: I'd never done any escape room hosted at Escape Hotel, or a "pop-up" escape room aimed to promote a movie before. But now, 2 birds, 1 stone, fantastic! Why I hadn't ventured into Hotel prior was because of 2 main negative reasons reported from other escape room fanatics: 1) rude staff 2) pricing. But neither applied to me. :) The main driving force behind my trip(s) to this Hollywood escape room company was due to "Escape Room" the movie (2019). To promote the movie, the studios had comissioned Hotel to design, build, and run a "pop-up" temporary escape experience to give the audience a chance to live the movie, get into the mood, and hopefully drive up ticket sales. Best of all, IT'S FREE TO PLAY! (Hence, pricing was not an issue.) Driving to Hollywood and finding parking was admittedly not too easy, even for a Friday morning. Allow yourself plenty of leeway when visiting this venue. (As a last resort, you can always use a paid lot.) When I actually stepped inside the main lobby of this hotel themed company, I was blown away, as expected. (Actually, even the exterior exuded a realistic, 5-star hotel vibe from the 1930s-40s.) The interior, absolutely magnificent. Anyone's who been to the Tower of Terror at Disney Parks would have a pretty good idea of how Escape Hotel looks like. But ya know, add in a lot more creepiness factor--special effects, costumed staff and all. So far, loving it. Check in process's fun, receptionist's helpful and friendly, and we even got some stylish souvenir passports! Onto the "Escape Room" escape room itself: impressive translation of what's in the movie into what you can reasonably build in real life within a given budget. And a very entertaining one at that. Production value was great. Even though the total area of the game was modest, the designers managed to pack in a lot of features, effects, and surprises. Just to highlight how relatively sophiscated this room was, even though the puzzles were definitely linear, the genius use of lighting (or lack thereof) guided the players the correct order of progress and revealed needed info at the correct moment. And tbch, the secret passageway was one of the best I'd seen. So well hidden. Puzzles wise, it was kinda meh if you judged them by themselves. None of them was super hard or interesting without the movie context. One in particular took such a huge logic leap, it was borderline annoying. However, upon viewing the movie post-game, I found out the inclusion of such a puzzle was solely because it's a carbon copy of one from the film. So all is forgiven! Except... things could get frustrating with a weak (spoiler!) magnet. I do praise the excellent use of tech and the overall theatric presentation--both screamed "Hollywood" loud and clear. Time limit was cut in half from the usual 1 hour mark to 30 minutes, so actually, many enthusiasts failed the room on first attempt, myself included! There's just so much to figure out and do in such a short time! I actually thought that was kinda cool since Minos Escape Room, the one in the movie, is designed to... kill. X[ No matter if the partcipants survive the test or met their demises, I am very confident that they'd have a lot of fun. What Escape Hotel did incredibly well was staying true to their source materials; as mentioned, their goal was to immerse you in the movie universe, to transform you into one of the hopeful players, but ultimately becoming lab rats for Minos's sick, twisted festivity. Those who'd seen the trailer before playing would recognize some interesting plot points throughout the escape game, and those who'd gone to see the movie right after playing would see how the rest of the puzzles connected into the latter parts of the film. (If you manage to complete the entire game, that is.) If you had gone through this exact order of motion like I did, trailer to game to actual film, you'd get the full dose of movie magic effect at its maximum strength, and be super giddy how it all came together in 1 full circle. In fact, I went back a 2nd time to finish the game, so I could witness first hand the entire product. Alas, the ending was the exact same whether you lost or won, just a farewell move clip to entice you to go see the movie. Overall, this opporunity gave me a chance to experience what Escape Hotel has to offer without my needing to fork over a whole lot of cash. In fact, I paid nothing except perhaps gas money. And since I didn't encounter one single rude staff, I'm more open to come back to play one of their many paid experience... but I'd DEFINITELY wait for a discount of some kind. Man, the admission is super expensive. Though again, such high quality of production value. What these guys do well, they EXCEL at it. If money's not a problem for ya, you've got some potential great options here. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Survived the "Escape Room" after getting a haircut. Excessive hair was weighing me down. | Escape Hotel GAME INFO COMPANY: Escape Hotel Hollywood ADDRESS: 6633 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028 GAME: Escape Room THEME: Escape Room, Deadly Game, Movie Promo GAME REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 01/12/2019: I'd never done any escape room hosted at Escape Hotel, or a "pop-up" escape room aimed to promote a movie before. But now, 2 birds, 1 stone, fantastic! Why I hadn't ventured into Hotel prior was because of 2 main negative reasons reported from other escape room fanatics: 1) rude staff 2) pricing. But neither applied to me. :) The main driving force behind my trip(s) to this Hollywood escape room company was due to "Escape Room" the movie (2019). To promote the movie, the studios had comissioned Hotel to design, build, and run a "pop-up" temporary escape experience to give the audience a chance to live the movie, get into the mood, and hopefully drive up ticket sales. Best of all, IT'S FREE TO PLAY! (Hence, pricing was not an issue.) Driving to Hollywood and finding parking was admittedly not too easy, even for a Friday morning. Allow yourself plenty of leeway when visiting this venue. (As a last resort, you can always use a paid lot.) When I actually stepped inside the main lobby of this hotel themed company, I was blown away, as expected. (Actually, even the exterior exuded a realistic, 5-star hotel vibe from the 1930s-40s.) The interior, absolutely magnificent. Anyone's who been to the Tower of Terror at Disney Parks would have a pretty good idea of how Escape Hotel looks like. But ya know, add in a lot more creepiness factor--special effects, costumed staff and all. So far, loving it. Check in process's fun, receptionist's helpful and friendly, and we even got some stylish souvenir passports! Onto the "Escape Room" escape room itself: impressive translation of what's in the movie into what you can reasonably build in real life within a given budget. And a very entertaining one at that. Production value was great. Even though the total area of the game was modest, the designers managed to pack in a lot of features, effects, and surprises. Just to highlight how relatively sophiscated this room was, even though the puzzles were definitely linear, the genius use of lighting (or lack thereof) guided the players the correct order of progress and revealed needed info at the correct moment. And tbch, the secret passageway was one of the best I'd seen. So well hidden. Puzzles wise, it was kinda meh if you judged them by themselves. None of them was super hard or interesting without the movie context. One in particular took such a huge logic leap, it was borderline annoying. However, upon viewing the movie post-game, I found out the inclusion of such a puzzle was solely because it's a carbon copy of one from the film. So all is forgiven! Except... things could get frustrating with a weak (spoiler!) magnet. I do praise the excellent use of tech and the overall theatric presentation--both screamed "Hollywood" loud and clear. Time limit was cut in half from the usual 1 hour mark to 30 minutes, so actually, many enthusiasts failed the room on first attempt, myself included! There's just so much to figure out and do in such a short time! I actually thought that was kinda cool since Minos Escape Room, the one in the movie, is designed to... kill. X[ No matter if the partcipants survive the test or met their demises, I am very confident that they'd have a lot of fun. What Escape Hotel did incredibly well was staying true to their source materials; as mentioned, their goal was to immerse you in the movie universe, to transform you into one of the hopeful players, but ultimately becoming lab rats for Minos's sick, twisted festivity. Those who'd seen the trailer before playing would recognize some interesting plot points throughout the escape game, and those who'd gone to see the movie right after playing would see how the rest of the puzzles connected into the latter parts of the film. (If you manage to complete the entire game, that is.) If you had gone through this exact order of motion like I did, trailer to game to actual film, you'd get the full dose of movie magic effect at its maximum strength, and be super giddy how it all came together in 1 full circle. In fact, I went back a 2nd time to finish the game, so I could witness first hand the entire product. Alas, the ending was the exact same whether you lost or won, just a farewell move clip to entice you to go see the movie. Overall, this opporunity gave me a chance to experience what Escape Hotel has to offer without my needing to fork over a whole lot of cash. In fact, I paid nothing except perhaps gas money. And since I didn't encounter one single rude staff, I'm more open to come back to play one of their many paid experience... but I'd DEFINITELY wait for a discount of some kind. Man, the admission is super expensive. Though again, such high quality of production value. What these guys do well, they EXCEL at it. If money's not a problem for ya, you've got some potential great options here. Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster

Just floating in space, solving puzzles, saving lives | Maze Rooms LA (Vermont) GAME INFO COMPANY: Maze Rooms LA (Vermont) ADDRESS: 132 S Vermont Ave Ste 204, Los Angeles, CA 90004 GAME: Lunar Mission PREMISE: Try to escape lunar station in disrepair and survive. Far in the outer space. Only team work can return lunar crew home. Was it a massive computer glitch? Sabotage? Or maybe something even more sinister? There’s no time for speculation – all you know is that you only have 60 minutes to escape, and you better not forget that research sample! Lunar Mission Escape Room in Koreatown, LA is a fairly difficult escape room game that will test your observation and reasoning skills on board a space station that is quickly running out of oxygen. This game is designed to be challenging, but with creativity, teamwork, and maybe a little luck, both experienced enthusiasts and clever first-timers might just find themselves on an escape shuttle home. GAME REVIEW Here is a carbon copy of my Yelp review, posted originally on 01/02/2019: I love this branch of Maze Rooms. The owner of this location is passionate about this hobby, creative in his ideas, dexterous in his construction, and genius in execution. I have already covered "The Abyss" and "Magic Kingdom" in my Previous Reviews. Today, let's go over the 2 Missions: "Secret Mission" and "Lunar Mission". Due to the characters limit, I gonna cut some materials short, so take my words for this: production value of all rooms at Vermont location is AWESOME. Every single game provides corresponding costumes to provide deeper immersion and great photo ops. The level of care and thoughts from this business--simply one of the best in today's market. Now the specifics. I played 2 rooms today. First was "Secret Mission", in which we as CIA agents must intercept a Russian spy from transmitting out crucial, confidential info back to his superior. With an obviously more tongue-in-cheek theme, this room leaned on humor, had a less urgent plot, but still entirely enjoyable. I particularly loved the "trailer ads" playing in the lobby for this room, and the more serious toned mission briefing vid presented prior to game. Both helped brought the story alive. The plot took place in the spy's apartment, hence, the set was understandably easier to build; but this did not stop the designer from overloading the area with style and details, many making obvious nods to the USSR. With the space allotted, the apt housed essentially functional rooms, completely furnished with appliances that were Cold-War-era appropriate. Secrets were hidden away slyly that evaded detection until puzzle's unlock. Everything felt so, so real, and we had so, so much fun. Of note, one particular element that wasn't game-essential, but arguably plot-essential, hadn't been working for a few days, and we were disappointed that we didn't get to experience what otherwise would've been a pretty cool, memorable moment. This also caused slight confusion during the game, but we shrugged it off easily. (This is the biggest reason why the room is A- instead of A.) Puzzles were fun, some of which were uncommon enough to challenge us, others wacky enough to make me smirk, several times even. Difficulty was fairly easy, and we powered through the last part of the game at lightning speed, and ultimately beating previous best record. We solved the entire room in 25 minutes! We were ecstatic; but secretly, I wanted more! Well, I guess I did get more in my next room "Lunar Mission". This was their hardest room, and they recently made it even HARDER in the past months to challenge even the most seasoned players. The plot follows a group of astronauts' desperate escape from the moon back to Earth after an accident, critically crippling the Lunar Station's sustainability. The "trailer" (from lobby) was overlaid by an ominous horror movie music, and as it turned out, the level of urgency we faced in this story world was accurately reflected by this score. So kudos on immersing the players in an intriguing predicament--it really gave us that extra oomph that made the experience great. And oh man, the set! Not only was it beautiful, it was unbelievably elaborate--much more intricate and extensive than I ever imagined. When you first walk through that unassuming entrance, you'd have no idea that the Lunar Station was built with much realism (in a sci-fi novel) in mind. It's got command station, docking station, and many, many more compartmentalized areas to explore. To top it off, the puzzles, for the most part, were actual puzzles! The kinds that made us think! There were still some task based challenges, but even those were incredibly entertaining. (Arcade, anyone?) It was an extremely solid, professionally made, high-tech escape room experience that really showed its peers what a model space themed game could be. The room, as pointed out, was difficult, and I *do not at all* recommend any beginner to play this. Go play some other rooms first, gain some experience, and come back later. For my advanced enthusiasts, bring up to a group of 4. A pair of 2 would most likely fail; my group of 3 barely passed with quite a few hints given. Tip: A handful of clues given early on in 1 room would not come into play until much later, most likely when you're physically far away, and had already forgotten their existence. Otherwise, game was logical and well-structured. One downside of such tech heavy room was there were definitely wear and tear of equipment and the occasional malfunctions. I recall at least 2 correctly solved inputs did not trigger expected response, and either needed repeated attempts, or outright override from game master. But these were minor imperfections in the grand scheme of a great, grade-A product. PS: Props to Will for running several games smoothly all by himself on New Year's! Signing off, ESCAPE MATTSTER Instagram @EscapeMattster ▪ Facebook.com/EscapeMattster