Who is this for: Families , Enthusiasts , Searchers , Other
Live Actor: No
Public Transportation: N/A
Parking: Street parking – some , Paid parking, next to the venue
We parked a block away from the venue for free.
Overview Notes:
This room was built for enthusiasts - it is a difficult, puzzle heavy challenge. I would recommend small groups of 4 experienced players for maximum hands on puzzling.
The Venue
Venue / Lobby Info:
With a ground level entrance, it was easy to spot from the street! There's some room to wait for teammates without feeling super crowded. With a mini puzzle in the lobby, early team members will have something to do.
Public Restrooms: Yes
Refreshments: No
Notes for People with Disabilities:
Call prior to booking. This room has steps within the game.
The Game
Game Introduction: We are stuck in a clock workshop of a crazy person, and have an hour to escape before we're lost in time!
Operator Intro: Exciting - takes you into the story
Theme: Fantasy / Fiction
Narrative: Escape a Specific Unpleasant Place
Main room first glance: Wow!
If you could imagine what a mad professor's lab would look like, paired with a steam punk feel... You may have an inkling to the main 'wow!' factor this game presents. Walking into a large, well lit area, we feel as if we've been shrunken to fit inside of a clock! It's a beautifully designed room, far exceeding our expectations.
Flow: Good Flow - one thing leads to another. Sometime not clear
There is a LOT to do in this game - for our trio, it was a bit overwhelming at times. With multiple game play paths, it is perfect to keep several people busy at once.
Puzzles: Some of them were great (matched promised level)
With so many clock puzzles within the room, I was amazed at how (a) the puzzles stuck on theme while (b) not being overly math heavy.
Puzzle difficulty ranged from easy to moderate, allowing children the chance to solve some of the room on their own!
Game Strengths:
Beautiful, elegant first room - well thought out game play - puzzles remained on theme
Game Weaknesses:
The last 10% of the game feels rushed, messy, and not fully thought out. With such an amazing experience, I hope the final puzzles are brought to par with the rest of the game.
Hints & Clues, Debrief
Method: Other
Quality: Good (things made sense)
Closure & Debrief: Very Good
Final Thoughts:
If you are travelling through the Chicago area, the Timekeeper Room at Escape Factor is perfect for an experienced group of players! It is beautiful, fun, and well executed.
