Oreo is a black and white kitten in the carrier next to her little purple purrrrr-buddy.

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re within the Mafia, bombs, and chilly arduous money.

Avoid if… you’re terrified of tigers, don’t like enclosed locations, and discover sewers disgusting.


THE BASICS

New Mexico Escape Room – McLeod (there are 2 places):

Address: 4401 McLeod Rd, Suite B, Albuquerque, NM 87109 (click on handle for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 505-289-1002

The Room – Bombshell:

Description (from the corporate web site): For many years, town’s biggest felony syndicates have answered to at least one man, Vittorio Bosargio. He is called the Don of Dons, holding energy over a number of felony organizations, however recently his judgement has been questionable and unstable. He is slowly slipping into insanity. You’ve been summoned, together with different organizational heads, to fulfill in a secret location and focus on the destiny of the extremely revered, however faltering Don. Unfortunately, your betrayal doesn’t go unnoticed. Someone has double crossed you, and now it’s a race towards the clock to outlive. Don’t find yourself ‘sleepin’ wit’ the fishes.’ Can you outsmart Don Vittorio Bosargio?

CAUTION: This recreation requires some physicality the place gamers might need to kneel into low positions, crouch, and climb up and down steps. There are additionally uneven and shifting flooring, and small areas. Please be happy to contact us instantly with particular questions relating to the bodily facet of this recreation.

Difficulty (1-10)6/10

Time Limit: 60 minutes

Cost: $28 per particular person (all bookings are actually non-public)

Identifier: R1

Party Size: 4-6

Staging Area: LARGE open foyer space; I don’t recall there being any seating, however there are merchandising machines and hand sanitizer obtainable.

Metro Access/Parking: Parking obtainable proper out entrance and extra alongside the facet of the constructing. Unsure about public transportation.


OUR EXPERIENCE

This is the video we took earlier than we entered the room:

This is the video we took simply after we accomplished the room:

I’m apparently actually horrible about taking post-room movies… ~Jason

Logistics:

Description of the room: You begin in a room with a big animal crate, a another scattered crates, and an elevator door in the direction of the again.

Understanding of the Mission: Escape along with your life earlier than the explodes and kills you when you’re within the warehouse.

Did We Escape: No, and I’m not likely certain how I really feel about it.

Time Remaining: FAIL :'(

Our Suggested Party Size: 4-6 is okay, although it WILL be a bit cramped.

Did the room problem the whole workforce? Yes, and never all the time for the precise causes. (Read under)

Members of our workforce (aside from the ERG): Stephanie D (and Oreo)

Oreo is a black and white kitten within the service subsequent to her little purple purrrrr-buddy.

Worth the money and time? For the visuals and expertise, sure. For the gameplay, no.

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:

We didn’t stick round for grub after, so we don’t have a advice.


OUR SCORING:

 

JASON says:
Overall Expectation (Summary)
We had a tough time selecting a room to play on trip. The choice at New Mexico Escape Room is sweet, however given the time choices we had, since we have been coming down from Santa Fe and had a kitten with us, the one room that match our schedule (and might be simply performed by 2 folks), was Bombshell. I’ve by no means been to New Mexico earlier than, not to mention to NMER, so I had no expectations entering into.

I’ll, nevertheless, say this about Bombshell: the story shouldn’t be fairly because it appears, so I’ll do my highest to maintain this spoiler-free. (And no, this had no bearing on the scores given under.)

Story (Rating)
Don Vittorio Bosargio is slowly going mad. As an organizational chief, you’re known as in by the Don’s daughter to fulfill with different leaders to overthrow him earlier than alliances break and the peace that he retains isn’t any extra. However, you’ve been double-crossed by somebody and now your life is in peril.

I need to admit, I didn’t know what was actually occurring right here. As I discussed, the story shouldn’t be because it appears, however because the web description claims (and I’ve regurgitated above), you’re double-crossed. I don’t recall ever listening to by whom or why, solely that the Don now is aware of you have been there and now he needs you lifeless or caught by the cops to your betrayal. (Where have been all the opposite households? No concept…)

Rating: 7/10

Mission (Rating)
Defuse the bomb and escape. Which was not being caught by the cops. (I imply, that’s not a far stretch for the situation so I really feel no disgrace in placing that on the market.) There wasn’t a lot to this aside from getting out (which, once more, we didn’t).

Rating: 5/10

Puzzle Diversity (Rating)
There was a lot stuff on this room and when you have been in a position to acknowledge which issues went with which different issues, it was simpler to get shifting. Without giving an excessive amount of away, there have been crates, some kind of a dexterity puzzle (you 100% want at the least 2 folks for this room), affiliation, a bit little bit of logic and downside fixing, and it’s essential know learn 2 totally different sorts of maps (certainly one of which was most likely the best factor in there). There was additionally a shuffleboard/skeeball/plinko puzzle (referred under because the SSP puzzle so I don’t need to kind that once more) in there, however we’ll discuss that one later.

There have been a few padlocks, however given your location, that’s comprehensible. You additionally need to play with a rat, however you’ll see what I imply for those who go to NMER.

Rating: 9/10

Puzzle Complexity (Rating)
I really feel like a lot of the issues we had on this room weren’t as a result of issue however as a result of issues simply not working proper (okay, possibly half the issues). For instance, the logic puzzle required you to put issues in particular locations. We had it right however we have been instructed by our GM to simply be certain issues have been totally seated of their locations correctly, so we needed to reseat all of the objects a number of instances earlier than it labored. So, I wasn’t very glad about that, however my happiness is apart the purpose proper now. There have been different instances we simply didn’t transfer one thing out of the way in which, which might have made fixing the puzzle that a lot simpler (I feel that occurred twice). Additionally, we had the aforementioned SSP puzzle that required no talent or thought in any respect. There was a maze that was mainly only a time suck (extra on that under as properly), and there was one different one which was considerably deceptive, however we should always have figured it out since there’s just one right reply, however who the fuck would assume to do this to these issues? (Yes I’m being intentionally imprecise, in any other case I’d simply be giving it away and it’s arguably the most effective factor in there.)

In hindsight, I can’t say something was really terribly tough, however I feel it was simply extra that we have been pissed off and that brought on us to simply not assume clearly.

Oh proper, issue scale… 1-6

Rating: 5/10

Yes, I notice we failed the room and I solely rated this a 5, however I’ve learn by this a number of instances and it’s justified.

Flow/Cohesiveness/Uniqueness (Rating)
Where do I start. First, let’s speak concerning the SSP puzzle. Can somebody clarify to me what this has to do with something and why it was in right here to do nothing greater than piss us off (learn: waste time)? Steph refused to maintain attempting after about 30 throws and I used to be compelled to maintain going else we’d be caught there (and also you needed to get 5 or 6 of the little hockey-puck issues into their houses). Did I point out there was a tiger roaring for half the time we have been in there? (And not a quiet roar, both. Though I didn’t catch that the Don’s nickname was “The Tiger” till I listened to the recording of the briefing once more, so the tiger being in there is smart, kind of, however as this was a warehouse that had “fallen into disuse since” the Don’s declining psychological state, the rattling factor ought to have been lifeless.)

Then there was the maze. I just like the idea (I gained’t spoil it) and I like that it was a maze (since you ought to all know I like mazes by now and for those who’ve forgotten, I’ve one tattooed on my shoulder/higher arm with the answer in black-light ink), however if you get to some extent that the GM has to come back in and get previous a selected part of the maze for you whereas telling you “virtually everybody will get caught on this half and I’ve to come back in and do it”, shouldn’t that let you know one thing? (That one thing, for these retaining rely, ought to be both repair it or exchange the puzzle as a result of it has nothing to do with the situation, solely the way in which the room is themed at that time.)

OH! And earlier than I neglect most likely probably the most ludicrous downside of all, I’ll preface it with a minor…

***********SPOILER ALERT**********

The bomb you might be presupposed to defuse doesn’t really must be defused. I had to make use of a clue on this!!! We efficiently disabled it, however then didn’t know progress, so I requested and we have been instructed we needed to allow it to finish a subsequent puzzle. The literal f? Seriously???

***********SPOILER OVER***********

That all stated and carried out, and now that I’ve caught my breath once more from that spoiler/rant, the story (fortunately!) progressed and was defined as you tried to make your escape from this warehouse. Probably the saving grace right here…

Rating: 5/10

Fun/Amusement (Summary)
I had enjoyable at instances, however (a) the rattling tiger always roaring was extremely annoying (and I can solely think about what Oreo (our kitten) thought was occurring…), (b) some stuff simply didn’t must be there and felt like a literal waste of time, and (c) the issues that introduced the room down have been greater than what propped it up, sadly.
Game Master (Summary)
She was cool, no complaints. Nice particular person (sorry I can’t bear in mind your identify) and didn’t trouble us till we requested or noticed we have been clearly struggling (which was most likely fairly obvious).
How Helpful Were Any Clues Given, if any (Summary)
Yeah, they have been useful. We felt silly for half of them. I don’t bear in mind what number of have been full clues vs nudges, however we requested for an uncharacteristically great amount of assist…
RAGE Meter OR ERG (pronounced URG, as in “we should always have identified higher”) Score
Probably the best RAGE Meter ranking I’ll ever give that was not a 0. Like I stated, this room had quite a bit going for it, however as we progressed, and as is now evident in hindsight, there have been many issues (little or not) that simply introduced the expertise method down. The immersion issue was excessive, however even that couldn’t save this room for me. (And no, for the document, failing the room had no bearing on my temper; at one level, we each knew we weren’t escaping.)

Rating: 👊👊👊👊👊

ESCAPE ROOM GUYS’ OVERALL SCORING 6.2/10 

Final Thought: I actually wished to love this room however when every part was stated and carried out, it was extra bother than it was price. However, they do have one other room that we wished to check out (and so they allow us to take a peek at it) that’s horror themed (Blackwell Manor), so we are going to seemingly be again. Here’s hoping that have is best!


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