Bringing Bigfoot’s Lesser Known Cousin to Tampa

I have experienced my fair share of wilderness in my lifetime. I am an Eagle Scout who has lost count of the number of camping trips taken as a scout, on vacation with family, and with my roommates in college. I also am lucky enough to have worked throughout Florida as an archaeologist in my younger days. I’ve spent countless hours traipsing through the woods and have been on both the giving and the receiving end of the infamous ‘Snipe Hunt’. Needless to say, I’ve always had a fascination with the many creatures lurking in the woods, both real and imagined.

I was curious to see how Rabbit Hole Escape Games approached bringing Florida’s version of Bigfoot and Sasquatch and their combined mystique to Tampa. Would it be more House of 1000 Corpses or more Harry and the Hendersons. (Somewhat unrelated tangent: Is there anything John Lithgow can’t do well..? )

The Good

The Escape Junkie’s found themselves transported back in time to the fictitious Cabbage Lake State Park. The setting and decor were top notch from start to finish, starting with a briefing room staged as the Park Welcome Center and ending with a pretty unique finale. At least one of my fellow Junkies, Escape Junkie Neesa, who we have to remind quite often to wait to start until time officially begins, was surprised to find that the immersive room she had been scoping out for clues was not actually part of the puzzle solving experience.

Once our team moved on from the briefing room/Park Welcome Center, we were treated to equally well-executed scenes from the State Park Ranger Station and the depths and holdings of the surrounding wilderness. With one exception, the puzzles we encountered were enjoyable tasks that evolved to match the spaces we were inhabiting. For example, as the 2nd annual Cryptozoology Conference was occurring at the park, it was interesting to see a puzzle introducing us rangers in training to a variety of legendary creatures from around the USA.

The pace of the story and time spent per area flowed well, and even with seven Junkies, there was ample space to move around and plenty of puzzle solving ensured that everyone always had something to do. One of our Junkies even managed to solve a bonus puzzle of sorts, which granted us a bit of extra time (that thankfully we didn’t end up needing).

Lastly, we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge our Game Master Kidany (pronounced tiny child-en-ee). The Junkies booked this room during what turned out to be an unnerving and fearful time in the Seminole Heights community and he went out of his way to make sure we felt safe and comfortable. Kidany was friendly, engaging, and even let us stay and help reset the room (which was a first for us). While it’s not usually the first thing you think of, a friendly and engaging staff does wonders for an experience.

The Not So Good

Having worked for an archaeology firm that’s done its fair share of work in the Everglades, I was one of the few Junkies well versed in the legend of the Skunk Ape prior to our outing. This was due in no small part to one of my coworkers being so enamored with the legend that he tracked down the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters in Ochopee Florida and returned with handwritten research materials. Having that prior exposure, I was hoping for more interaction with the creature, but was left feeling like so many others who only managed a fleeting glimpse before coming away with a blurry photograph.

We also had the small misfortune of running into a malfunctioning puzzle. This forced our Game Master to give us a solution verbally after an awkward pausing of our escape clock while they tried to resolve the technical issue. It’s a shame because it was a very unique puzzle, the sort I hadn’t experienced before. It would have given us a real sense of accomplishment if we had been given the opportunity to complete it.

Closing

Rabbit Hole Escape Games did an admirable job transporting the Escape Junkies into the wilds of South Florida to solve interesting puzzles with an unlikely (and largely unseen) ally. Other than Escape Junkie Kyle, who shudders at the very mention of the term Skunk Ape (even before partaking in this room), our group enjoyed the first half of this two-part tale. Unfortunately, a non-functioning puzzle can really halt the momentum of an escape experience, especially when there is a literal pause in the action. That being said, our interactions with Kidany before and after our escape cancelled that out for most of us. 4/5

• Location: Rabbit Hole Escape Games
• Time Limit: 60 Minutes
• Number of Players: 2-8
• Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

For Know that No One is Free, Except Zeus – Aeschylus

Remember that Ancient history class you slept through?

Glad I paid attention in class during Ancient Greek and Roman history and a shout out to my parents for naming me after a Roman goddess and a certain princess from Themyscira.

The theme of this 90-minute escape is the quest for the ambrosia and immortality among the Greek gods. Don’t expect to be transported back to Clash of the Titans, but the areas were decent in keeping up with the theme. If you remember what each god represented from class, you’ll recognize the relics.

Oh, one hint and only because I have the soul of a fat kid, the ambrosia is not of the marshmallow variety so don’t expect bubbling vats of fluff…like I did. Chocolate Museum next door….

The Good

You’ll have the option to pick the level of the room: easy, medium, or expert level. This room can be recommended for all escape enthusiasts.

There are a lot of us in the Junkie Crew and sometimes rooms are tiny and we trip over each other. This one had several rooms for us to spread out and work on different puzzles at a time. There is no need to brush up on ancient history to do this room. A bonus point is that I felt no one was left out in solving the puzzles. We were all able to contribute in some way.

The Not So Good

I think knowing we had 90 minutes made us a little too relaxed and we were out of practice. However, there are no excuses…THIS IS SPARTA!!! We eat expert level rooms like a snack. This time, sadly we went just a shade over the 90 minutes, which for me is a confidence kick in the hind parts (and I had the whole ride home to Tampa to think about it).

Closing

This part of Orlando is all about family fun. There is no scare factor in this room, PG-rated, so definitely okay to bring the kids. And if they don’t contribute, you can always offer them up as a sacrifice.

Do not be intimidated by this being the only 90-minute escape room in Orlando. I liked this room and felt it was worth the drive from Tampa to Orlando. Plus, I will always look forward to being locked in a room with cool people. I liked it and absolutely recommend it. 4/5

• Location: The Escape Effect
• Time Limit: 90 minutes
• Number of Players: 1-10
• Recommended Skill Level: Adjustable

Valentine’s day is quickly approaching and for reasons beyond my understanding many Americans choose this day for first dates with that new special someone. First dates are hard enough as it is, but add in the pressure of Valentine’s and you have the potential for a dating disaster tale. The main culprits with Valentine’s dating mishaps are attaching too much importance on the day itself and planning the cliche’ candlelight dinner with flowers. The first date should be fun and loose and give you a chance to get to know the other person, and it doesn’t matter if it’s February 14th or Friday the 13th. An escape room first date can give your first date a shot in the arm and much-needed break from convention, below you will find 10 reasons why you should consider making your Valentine’s Day first date an #EscapeDate. (To be clear we hope you will not want to actually escape from your date).

1. It’s a unique date – In the social media era a lame first date can easily end up as a series of colorful emojis in someone’s Twitter timeline, for example:

We are in the age of sharable experiences and a dinner and movie date just doesn’t move the needle like it used to. Every escape room experience is a ready-made story and will give you something interesting to Tweet about at the end of the night.

2. You have something to talk about at dinner – Assuming you plan on having a meal during this first Valentine’s Day date (I strongly recommend doing the escape room first: see below) you don’t want to worry about the all too common first date awkwardness the happens when you are nervous or can’t think of anything interesting to say. After completing an escape room you and your date with have an abundance of topics to discuss including but not limited to how awesome that escape room was.

3. You won’t be alone – We’ve all heard horror stories about the creepy first date, you know the 1 where you need to text 911 to your best friend in order to rescue you because your date keeps saying things like “I’m not sure why I said that” and “trust me I’m not a serial killer.” If you decide to try and escape room for your date you will likely be grouped with other people who can severe as a buffer between you and that potential creepy companion … or at very least they will be witnesses that can vouch for you when you file for the restraining order.

4. Your date will learn something about you – This will be a golden opportunity for you to make a lasting first impression that goes beyond aesthetics, and if you perform well in your #EscapeDate you might just earn yourself an encore.

*Pro tip: If you are really desperate to impress book an escape that you’ve already completed, that way you look like a genius. Be warned though, you might just have to “preview” all future escape rooms from here own to keep up the ruse.

5. Leave your cellphones at the door! – I haven’t been on many first dates over the last decade but I can only imagine how many of them are ruined because 1 or both parties spend too much time looking at their phones instead of making a connection.

Your escape room first date will begin with at least 1 full hour free of mobile distractions and maybe lead to a more fulfilling experience. Hopefully the only time you will want to use your phone will be to Tweet about how awesome your first date with @Escapee_Adam was.

6. Test his or her intellect

Ladies, have you ever worried that your friend may have set you up with a real-life Homer?  

Fellas, on Instagram, did you date list her favorite color as plastic? Take this opportunity to find out if that potential new mate needs to use a hint when signing their name on the waiver.

7. Find out how well you work together – Relationships are built on teamwork, how well a couple communicates can determine whether or not a lasting connection can be achieved. Spending 60 minutes with your date in an escape room can give you data that some couples take years to learn. Escape rooms are often used for teambuilding exercises, why not relationship building?

8. It’s only an hour – If at any time during your #EscapeDate you are not feeling the vibes from your partner you’ll have an excellent built-in exit point once the hour is up. If your date insists on a second date just make up a story about how you have unresolved childhood issues with (insert escape room theme) and you and your therapist are still working through it. Congratulations, this date, and the chance for future dates are over!

9. You can save a little money – It’s very easy to overspend on Valentine’s Day, especially if you are desperate to impress your new date. Flowers, cards, candy, and fancy restaurant prices can quickly put a dent in your savings account. If you decide to opt for an #EscapeDate you will find that many escape room companies like Lakeland Escape Room (enter promo code FEBLER2019 to save $5 per person) are offering special prices or promo codes for VDay.

10. Lasting Memories – If things work out you’ll have a wonderful relationship origin story, and a post-escape photo to commemorate the event. Just imagine telling your children the story of how you met their mother… and then proceeded to lock her in a room for an hour and insisted she solve riddles to get out.

Have a happy Valentine’s Day. Follow us on Twitter @Escape_Junkies and share this article if you enjoyed it.

“The Hardest Escape Room in the USA!”

“Hardest escape room in the USA is a very bold claim. An article in the New York Times from 2018 claims there are an estimated 2000 escape room companies in the U.S., not counting the multiple rooms each company operates with varying levels of difficulty. Boasting an escape rate of 8% on their website The Caretaker is the most difficult room that America’s Escape Game (AEG) offers by that metric (the Lost Tomb of Monthu had a 9% escape rate while The Asylum had a 10% rate of escape). So what did the Escape Junkies think when we learned that in our backyard was the:

Challenge accepted.

The Good

Most of the games at AEG Orlando score well in the room design department and The Caretaker is no different. It’s not easy to make a believable outdoor space while indoors, but AEG’s designers did a masterful job in making the forest area feel real and alive. The little details in the props surrounding the cabin provide a sense of believability needed in a horror-themed room. Because this room was designed for smaller groups there was something for everyone to do to contribute to the escape effort. Personally, I believe 4 is the perfect number based on the amount of space to operate in, but 5 didn’t make me feel claustrophobic. The carrot at the end of the stick, a chance to conquer the “Hardest Escape Room in the USA”, kept the adrenaline pumping as every joyful moment of progress contrasted with the steady loss of clock.

The Not So Good

The elephant in the escape room needs to be addressed because America’s Escape Game made a point of putting it on the poster advertising the room -“Hardest Escape Room in the USA”. With that claim comes expectations of challenging and innovative puzzles that would put any reasonable group of players to a 1 of a kind test. Unfortunately, The Caretaker failed to live up to the hype. The Caretaker is a challenging room but not in the way one expected. The difficulty is artificially inflated because of poor lighting or tedious word search games that only serve as timesinks. The most interesting puzzles in The Caretaker are the more mechanical ones but those are spread too far apart and too few to overcome the less interesting aspects of the room. The story was also somewhat of a letdown for the more narrative focused members of the group as we had pretty much figured out the ending before we made it through the 2nd room. Finally, this may sound strange, but the fact that we escaped this room with around 6 minutes on the clock was a bit of a letdown. Having completed my fair share of challenging escape rooms, I never felt like the difficulty reached the level of hardest in the nation. In fact, I would argue that AEG’s own Lost Tomb of Monthu was more challenging by a pretty wide margin. We expected to be wowed by the difficulty of this room, and win or lose have a memorable test of wits that we could base all future escapes upon, instead the whole experience felt unsatisfying.

Closing

With all of this said, The Caretaker is not a bad escape room, it’s just a victim of its own hubris. The Caretaker is not the hardest escape room in the USA, its not even the hardest room in the building. This room started as a bucket list goal for the Escape Junkies but ultimately ended up as 1 of the biggest disappointments that we’ve experienced as a group. This isn’t an indictment of AEG as an escape room company because they have proven capable of delivering some truly memorable escape rooms, but The Caretaker just isn’t 1 for the record books. 3/5

• Location: America’s Escape Game Orlando
• Time Limit: 60 minutes
• Number of Players: 1-5
• Recommended Skill Level: Experienced

If you’re new to escape rooms or you’re thinking about trying one out for the first time, you’ve probably wondered whether or not you need a full gang of 6-8 people in order to play.

Short Answer: No, you don’t.

Although every escape establishment is a little bit different in their booking process, a vast majority will allow you to book a room with as many, or as few, people as you have in your party.

So if it’s just you and your best mate, you’ll be fine.

Be advised, however, that when smaller parties book a room, you’re more likely to be placed with another couple/group. So if you and a friend book 2 spots in an 8 person room, you’ll likely be meeting 6 new friends for the first time.

For many, this can often cause anxiety over an ancient evil known as “Stranger Danger.”

If there’s only one thing you’ll ever learn from me, I want you to know that doing rooms with strangers is nothing to be afraid of. In fact, it can be pretty rewarding.

As I said above, when doing rooms with strangers, try to think of it as a chance to meet new people and make friends. There’s something about sharing a new experience with a complete stranger that inspires a sense of solidarity.

To help you and your new found friends escape, I’ve put together a few tips:

1. Talk to Each Other!

The best time to do this will be in the waiting area before you head into the room. If you find yourself sitting among a group people waiting for the same room you are, introduce yourself! Build a rapport! Break the ice! Exchange names! Trust me, not only will this save time for you (because you don’t want to spend a lot of your time making introductions and learning names), but you’ll communicate with your team more readily when you’re in the room. And communication is key! After the room starts remember to check-in with each other. Often.

2. Get a Feel for Everyone’s Experience Level

This is one of my favorites. And it’s an easy way to break the ice. “So, have you done an escape room before?” This magical question is your gateway to success. If you’re totally new to the escape scene, ask if your team members have done any rooms before. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised at the tips and tricks your new team members are willing to impart.

If you discover that YOU are in fact the seasoned veteran, take a moment to share some of your experiences and offer some insights. I’ve found myself in this position many times and I’ve always gotten the impression that newcomers were appreciative of being shown the ropes.

3. Don’t Hog

Don’t hog puzzles, hints, clues, attention, or ANYTHING else! This kinda goes back to communication. Escaping a room IS a team effort. You’ll need to rely on your whole team to bring home the win. If you’re having trouble with a puzzle or clue, bring it your team members. Make sure everyone has the chance to see what is going on in the room. If someone wants to take a closer look at something you’re doing, invite them to come along side you. After well over 100+ rooms that the Junkies collectively have under their belts, we’ve learned that everyone sees things differently. This is a GIFT. Sharing the room is your key to a timely escape!

4. Don’t Segregate

It’s a sociological fact that different groups in a room will tend to keep to themselves. In an escape room, this means that group A is communicating with group A, and group B is only communicating with group B. THIS IS DEATH! If you suspect your team is having this problem, make a concerted effort to bring others into your circle. Consult them on a puzzle, ask their opinion, ask them what they’ve figured out so far. I cannot emphasize enough how much harm segregation can cause.

5. Be Agreeable

At the end of the day, the reason you paid your hard earned money was to get an hour or so of good fun. I promise you that you’ll have a ton more fun if you adopt an agreeable attitude while escaping. Trust me, this will apply to many more things than you might imagine. Take hints for example. I’ve found that different groups of people have very different approaches to hints. Some people feel that hints are an absolute last resort and loathe to use them. To these people, taking a hint is almost an admission of failure. For others, hints are a way to keep up the momentum and keep the fun coming! Whatever type of hint user you are, you may run into your opposite type. Talk to you team before using hints. Be agreeable to the general consensus. Even if you end up agreeing to things that might be slightly contrary to your usual style, you’ll be rewarded many times over in your overall team dynamic. Trust me.

Closing

And that’s it folks. Don’t let the fear of “Stranger Danger” stop you from going out there, meeting new people, and having a ton of fun. 

…And Another One

We’ve already gushed over the awesome couple that own Imagine Escape Games and their innovative MCU-like connected universe that strings each room’s narrative together. Don’t believe me? See for yourself, I’ll wait…

Now that you are all caught up, let us dive into the 2nd chapter of Neil Savage’s Excellent Adventure, AKA reSEArch.

The Good

You almost had us there Imagine. After stepping into the first room of reSEArch I have to admit, we were a little underwhelmed as we were being introduced to the first of our multi-room experience (I mean Jungle Gem started on an airplane!). But our initial trepidation quickly diminished as our team spread out to start unlocking the mysteries to the whereabouts of Professor Finn’s hidden lab. The puzzles that we encountered all perfectly blend into the story and are expertly tuned to feel challenging but fair. We never felt like Imagine Escape Games was trying to cover up a for a lack of content by frustrating us with nonsensical tasks or teasing with red herrings to stretch out the content. There is plenty to do here even for a full group of 7, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right. Once we made it to the research lab… I mean reSEArch lab, I remember thinking that I wish I could stop the clock to admire the effort and detail that went into the atmosphere of the final room. So many cool features and moments that I won’t spoil here, just know that reSEArch pays off with a pretty epic conclusion.

The Not So Good

It’s pretty tedious typing reSEArch a half-dozen times (…damn you auto correct!)

Closing

Imagine Escape Games are 2 for 2 in delivering top-notch story driven escape adventures. They are definitely the platinum tier of escape room providers in the Tampa Bay market. As my co-conspirator, Escape Junkie Kyle eluded to in the Jungle Gem review, you can tell the owners of Imagine are passionate about their business, and once again the results are a polished and rewarding escape room experience. 5/5

• Location: Imagine Escape Games
• Time Limit: 60 minutes
• Number of Players: 2-7
• Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate

Now that 2019 is in full swing we wanted to take look at some of the most intriguing new escape rooms expected to open this year. Stay tuned for updates to our list as additional room information comes available throughout the year.

1. Sixth Wave – Escape Thrill

Why We’re Excited

Escape Thrill will always hold a special place in the collective hearts of the Escape Junkies family. The Diamond Heist room was the introduction to the escape drug for 3 members of the Junkies… and the Skinned Alive room was the site of our most humbling defeat (would it have killed us to ask for 1 hint?). Escape Thrill was 1 of the first local escape companies to fully embrace the use of technology in their room designs and puzzles, but more importantly than that, each time we visited we had a blast! The journey towards Sixth Wave has been a long 1 for the Clearwater based company. If you have been stalking their website like me, you may remember seeing a teaser for a room called Deadline in 2017. The Deadline placeholder was recently changed to Sixth Wave which was both surprising and concerning, and my thought was would we have to wait even longer for a new Escape Thrill room? Amber Rogers, owner of Escape Thrill, responded to our inquires by estimating that Sixth Wave should be done by this summer and promising that “it is going to be our most technologically advanced room to date!” You had me sold at summer.

2. Encounter – America’s Escape Game Tampa

Why We’re Excited

The Escape Junkies have completed at total of 5 rooms between the Orlando and Tampa AEG locations and the Pandemic room in Tampa might be the best of the bunch. Although they got a late start in the competitive Bay Area market, AEG has provided the blueprint on how to stand out by investing in better game tech and providing a more immersive experience. I confirmed with the owners of America’s Escape Game that they are hoping to open additional rooms in 2019 (no exact dates yet) with one of them being a brand new game to the franchise – Encounter. No details were provided about the room (although we can make an educated guess about the theme) but none were needed to place this near the top of our list.

3. Alice’s Tee Time – Rabbit Hole Escape Games

Why I’m Excited

So full disclosure here, the inclusion of Alice’s Tee Time is based on my interests and my interests only. There’s no information about this room on Rabbit Hole’s website other than this blurb, “Escape Room elements + Mini-Golf in an Alice theme”…. sounds good to me! As an escape game enthusiast and an avid golfer (or whatever you call someone that really likes golf but really sucks at it) this mashup has potential to be very amusing. The Rabbit Hole has made a reputation of creating very detailed, engaging, and sometimes buggy set pieces that are worth checking out if you want to try something other than your run-of-the-mill escape rooms. I for one am looking forward to what the Rabbit Hole dreamed up with this hybrid entertainment experience.

The last 2 rooms on our list both opened at the very end of 2018 but since we have yet to attempt them we felt it was appropriate to include them on this list.

4. Dream Weaver – Imagine Escape Games

Why We’re Excited

Imagine Escape Room has quite the reputation. I was doing an escape room while on vacation in St. Augustine, Florida where the game master highly recommend that I check out Imagine when I returned home. It’s always reassuring when you get suggestions for new rooms from rival establishments. It’s extra impressive when it comes from a town nearly 5 hours away. The Escape Junkies have already sang praises for Imagine Escape Game’s in our Jungle Gem review, so it should come as no surprise that we have been patiently waiting for the next chapter in their epic persistent story to released.

5. Escape The Colosseum – The Great Escape Room

Why We’re Excited

The Great Escape Room is one of the most popular escape game companies in the country in terms of the number of people that have visited one of their establishments. They were one of the first companies to market and one of the earliest to brand themselves as industry top dogs with multiple locations in 7 states (and 1 in D.C.) and a ton of positive Yelp reviews that boost the company to the top of Google searches. The Great Escape Room’s reputation with enthusiasts, however, has not been nearly as stellar as it is with the casual escapers. For much of their existence TGER has been content with providing bare-boned, unimaginative experiences to their customers while the escape room industry around it continued to push the envelope and setting the bar higher for what a truly great escape game could be. I was intrigued when TGER announced Escape The Colosseum in late-2018, not because they were opening yet another room (TGER Tampa has a total of 6 active rooms) but because they directly addressed many of the complaints logged by the growing number of fans who have been around the block and experienced better escape rooms. Escape The Colosseum is a 100 minute (more on that in a sec) multiple room adventure based in ancient Rome, but more importantly it appears to be a complete 180 from any other option TGER provides. Based on my past experiences here I was worried about the extra long time limit, but the owners have promised that this will not be an hour and 40 minute scavenger hunt. Also NO IN-ROOM GAME MASTER – probably the best news yet. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little skeptical about this room, but considering TGER has steadily improved with recent rooms (see my review of The President’s Bunker), I am excited to find out if TGER can rightfully claim the title of Best Escape Room in Tampa Bay.

So that’s our list. Which room are you most excited for? Are there other rooms on the horizon that you are looking forward to? Please share in the comments below or Tweet @Escape_Junkies.

A Little Escapism in the Movie Theater… But Just a Little

Escape Room, Directed by Adam Robitel

If you’re an escape room fan or a movie buff, you’ve probably heard about the new movie, Escape Room. A fellow Junkie and myself (both of us being movie buffs and escape room buffs) decided to check it out.

Debuting on January 4th, 2019, the movie is no blockbuster, but it does seem like it’s done well for itself at the box office. With a production budget of $9 million and a total gross (to date) of $57.9 million, it should be among the top 50 movies of 2019 when all is said and done (if box office numbers are similar to those we saw in 2018).

What’s This Movie About?

So, a handful of seemingly unrelated strangers each receives a cryptic invitation to try their hand at escaping the world’s best and most immersive escape room and are promised a prize of $10,000 if they escape!

(Hint-i-ty, hint, hint to any of our escape room-owning readers, huge cash prizes may REVOLUTIONIZE the industry. The Junkies are available to run pilot programs. Please contact us).

The escapees soon find out that the puzzles, and the danger they present, are all too real. And before they know it, they find themselves in an “escape or die” situation.

Our Impressions

The movie was…good. But as I said above, no blockbuster. I have to give some credit to Sony/Columbia pictures for trying to do something original. The reason I say “trying” is because the the movie didn’t feel original. While the plot and setting were welcome elements of originality, it ended up feeling like a Saw wanna-be.

The fun part of the movie was trying to figure out the room’s puzzles along with the characters. Like a total boss, my fellow Junkie successfully solved a puzzle BEFORE the the poor souls on screen! (Heh, rookies). We saw some pretty unique, if not totally unrealistic, escape related stuff like room themes, manufactured environments, riddles, and puzzles. I wonder (or do I wish?) if any of the puzzles in the movie will one day wind up in a real life escape room that me and my fellow Junkies will run across… leaving aside the death and mutilation of course.

For me, the movie really fell short in the plot department. I was really let down by the movie’s ending which proved to have that recycled Hollywood feel. The movie’s jumping off point (seemingly random strangers locked in room) wrote a pretty big check that never got cashed. The movie’s “big questions” were left largely unanswered. And the few answers we did get were pretty disappointing.

All and all, I’m glad I saw it. If this movie was on your list I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s got just enough entertainment value to be worth the ticket price. 3/5

Imagine That…

It’s a sad fact that not every entrepreneur who dives into the escape business is a success. For the most part, the escape business has been booming and there have been all sorts of people who have tried their hand in the industry. Everyone from “Mom & Pop” to big “Daddy Warbucks” corporate types have gotten in on the action. My fellow Junkie, Montez, has had something to say about the business’ casualties which I consider essential reading for anyone who has their eye on the industry. Read it here: Should You Be Concerned About Escape Room Closings?

To say that escape entrepreneurs need to do things that set themselves apart from the growing sea of competition is an understatement.

Thankfully for Imagine Escape Games, I think they’re doing just that.

The Good

The first good thing I have to say about this room doesn’t even have anything to do with the room itself…weird, right?

The Junkies had an opportunity to chit-chat with Imagine Escape Games’ proprietors while we waited to undertake the Jungle Gem. It was clear to us from this brief meeting that the good owners were themselves escape enthusiasts. So it wasn’t much of a surprise to me that they’ve employed some fairly innovative concepts at their establishment.

First, and this is truly a first, as this is something the Junkies had never seen before, each of the rooms at Imagine Escape Games are interconnected by a single narrative. As a lover of stories this instantly seized my interest. There is actually a story progression that you get to enjoy from room to room. Not only is this a smart business idea (because it provides some incentives for customers to back), but it’s an engaging element for the escapee. Who among us isn’t compelled to delve into the proverbial “next chapter.” Whether it’s a good book, video game, movie, TV show… you’re always lusting after the next episode wishing you could have it NOW! For me, it was such a delight that Imagine Escape Games could capture that same longing for gratification – it definitely drove us to come back for the next chapter.

See their website for chapter listings and more details.

Oh, and not to worry, it’s not required that you complete rooms in a certain order, but I’ll definitely recommend that you do.

The next innovative feature (specific to the Jungle Gem) is that it’s difficulty can be CUSTOMIZED!!

Yes! You can opt for the following 3 levels of difficulty

1. Casual – rated a 3/5
2. Hybrid – rated a 4/5
3. Enthusiast – rated a 5/5

Everything else with the room was pretty top notch: puzzle quality (in terms of uniqueness and integration into the overall game), aesthetics, and fun factor! The overall feel of the room is great too. There’s an element of what I’ll call “environmental progression.” This means that as your team progresses within the Jungle Gem room, you’ll find yourselves in different “environments” (aesthetically speaking). It was cool.

The Not So Good

We couldn’t do ALL the chapters! Aaarrghh!*

*(Due to our own time constraints. I’m sure the good folks at Imagine Escape Games would have loved for us to stay.)

Closing

Usually at this point in the review, I’d be thinking about who I can recommend this room to: beginners? experts? is it kid friendly? group friendly?… Thankfully, due to the customization option, I don’t have to think about this at all. This room will be great for your team.

Let me part with you saying that not only did we find the Jungle Gem (and have a blast doing it) we found a true escape gem in Imagine Escape Games. And right in our back yard of Tampa Bay. Imagine that. 5/5

• Location: Imagine Escape Games
• Time Limit: 60 minutes
• Number of Players: 3-7
• Recommended Skill Level: You Chose!

I Too Have a Bit of a Dark Side

Get out before her “bad” side gets you… You’ve squarely got my attention. Growing up, my favorite wrestler was the Undertaker, I had an on again-off again love affair with vampires well before all the glittery Twilight vampire hoopla became a thing (Team Alice by the way), and my parents actually once heard me utter some sort of ridiculous nonsense about why it would be fun to sleep in a coffin instead of a bed. Needless to say, when I stumbled across the concept for SPLIT on the Lakeland Escape Room’s website, I couldn’t wait to see what kind of dark and twisted tale they conjured up.

The Good

As a member of the Escape Junkies, I have seen many locations try and fail to create a creepy or mysterious ambiance. When a story has darker elements, its wonderful when the uneasiness you feel isn’t solely the result of jump scares or a haphazard collection of gnarly looking Halloween props. Full disclosure…while I didn’t personally fall victim to any jump scares, it was really enjoyable to watch it happen to a few of my teammates. On one occasion, much to my delight, this resulted in a fellow Junkie’s initial flat-out refusal to set foot within a certain area of the room.

SPLIT offers a uniquely unsettling atmosphere, and this is exemplified by Nina’s room. Much like SPLIT’s logo, which features both Nina and her darker side, the decor in the room is also split smack dab down the middle. On one side you’re treated to a pristine setting fit for a princess. On the other, you’re confronted with a dingier more uninviting theme, complete with some interesting ‘alterations’ to some of the toys.

Lakeland Escape Room also did a excellent job of finding ways to incorporate the room’s puzzles directly into the fabric of Nina and Gina’s world. Most of the puzzles we encountered felt like they 100% belonged in the space and could have been the genuine result of Nina (or in some cases Gina) trying to communicate with us through the material world.

The Not So Good

While the Escape Junkie’s managed to escape Gina’s wrath (and had a memorable time doing so), if two things had been a little different, it may have led to an even more enjoyable experience. First, we encountered a bit of a ‘princess problem’. Sometimes the solution to a puzzle just doesn’t come to your group. It happens to the best of us. But when your hint is more or less asking if you have the solution and the game master can’t explain it to you clearly after your successful escape (maybe it was just an off day for them, for us, for both?), it can be a little ‘dispiriting’ (pun most certainly intended, so as not to let Escape Junkie Kyle have all the fun).

Update: Turns out it was a little of both! The folks from Lakeland Escape Room reached out to us and it turns out we had the correct solution. Some miscommunication among our team members is likely what led to the confusion with the game master. Kudos to them for going above and beyond for customer satisfaction!

Second, while the size of the room wasn’t a claustrophobia-inducing experience, having a full squad of 8 Escape Junkies was a little tight at times. There were a few situations where it was hard for everyone to be fully involved, and at least one instance where it was hard to keep out of each others way after a particularly interesting development (patience may not be our strongest suit…). If you are booking SPLIT soon, and I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so, I would recommend a group size closer to 6.

Closing

The concept behind SPLIT is incredibly original and Lakeland Escape Room did an excellent job of creating a disturbingly believable representation of Nina’s fractured world. The issue we experienced with one of the puzzles left our group wanting a little more, but Nina and Gina’s story shined, and I personally can’t wait to experience the next story that Lakeland Escape Room dreams up.

• Location: Lakeland Escape Room
• Time Limit: 60 Minutes
• Number of Players: 2-8 (The Junkies Recommend 6)
• Recommended Skill Level: Intermediate