Jason was able to escape the Bates Motel!

ESCAPE ROOM REVIEW – THE QUICK AND DIRTY

Play if… you’re brief on time and need to scratch that escape room itch.

Avoid if… you dislike rooms with actually no story.


THE BASICS

Gulf Coast Escape Room Destin at Harborwalk Village:

Address: 34 Harbor Blvd, Unit 102, Destin, FL 32541 (click on tackle for Google Map)

Contact and Website: 850-460-8760

The Room – Bates Motel:

Description (from the corporate web site): You end up trapped in one of many many rooms in Bates Hotel. You have 30 min to search out your method out earlier than you turn out to be the subsequent on Normans record.

Difficulty (1-10): None listed

Time Limit: half-hour

Cost: $20

Identifier: R1

Party Size: Can e book as much as 8

Staging Area: Small ready space with a bench or two however loads of standing room.
Metro Access/Parking: There’s a car parking zone alongside the harbor that’s mainly within the center. You’ll must drive or get a lyft (see what I did there?).


OUR EXPERIENCE

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

Jason didn’t do a post-room video however he reserves the fitting to take action and replace this web page.

Logistics:

Description of the room: It’s a small room with 3 items of furnishings + a mattress and photos on the partitions.

Understanding of the Mission: Um…Escape

Did We Escape: Yes

Time Remaining: Time left on the clock was 1:31, nonetheless, because the GMs went to reset the opposite rooms, my GM left his walkie-talkie elsewhere so I needed to emergency-key it out of there and make a scene (learn: name for assist), so extra like 3 and alter.

Our Suggested Party Size: I can’t say I’d advocate greater than 4 (first as a result of it’d be cramped, and second as a result of there’s actually not lots to do.

Did the room problem the complete staff? Yes, however within the mistaken methods. Read on.

Members of our staff (apart from the ERG): It was simply little previous me (Jason).

Jason was in a position to escape the Bates Motel!

Worth the money and time? No

Where to Eat/Drink Before/After:


OUR SCORING:

 

JASON says:
Overall Expectation (Summary)
This was form of a final minute factor. As I used to be wandering the boardwalk on my final evening in Florida (day-job work-trip), I stumbled upon these 2 wonderful phrases: “escape” and “room”. So, I opened the door and in I went.

I used to be greeted by 3 very good staff and, after explaining I used to be on the town on my own (there could or could not have been some minor begging), I used to be allowed to buy entry into certainly one of their 30 minute rooms. (I believe the truth that that they had 30 minute rooms made it simpler to permit me in by myself.)

Story (Rating)
There was mainly no story. You’re within the Bates Motel, a la Psycho, and that you must get out of the room earlier than you might be discovered and murdered.

Rating: 2/10

Mission (Rating)
I can identify that tune in 3 phrases: escape the room. (This could find yourself being my shortest evaluate ever…)

Rating: 1/10

Puzzle Diversity (Rating)
Ok so let’s see. Key and mixture locks. That’s it. Remember, 30 minute room, so solely like 6-8, to not point out the mix to exit the room (it was certainly one of these door locks). Thankfully, I knew learn how to use it as a result of I don’t recall being proven. I imply, clearly you press the buttons however do you need to press the highest button first/final? How do I do know if it’s mistaken? (The prime button lights up inexperienced or purple for proper or mistaken, respectively.)

That stated, half the padlocks had been simply discovering keys across the room to open them. One was considerably deduction. There was even a “customized” pigpen cipher (and I say “customized” as a result of it wasn’t simply this) however the mixture, after getting the primary 2 letters, was predictable.

Rating: 3/10

Puzzle Complexity (Rating)
Here’s the place I actually shit the mattress (I form of want I used to be being literal…lol). But earlier than I’m going into any element, a HUGE…

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SPOILER ALERT (the subsequent bit can be hidden)
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So, I used to be initially informed by Alex, my GM (who ended up sharing these duties with Blair (if I keep in mind her identify proper), that the very first thing I needed to do was discover 4 keys in regards to the room. You actually can’t transfer anyplace else except you discover them. Welp, forgot about that. What I DID discover, although, concerned flipping one thing over, which I used to be not anticipating (and actually one thing I do NOT like doing in an ER). That was actually my solely stumbling block. There’s a motive the present report is quarter-hour.

I simply blatantly did NOT seek for the keys; I did all the things else you’ll usually do, although. Including flipping the mattress over (that’s the spoiler in case you had been questioning). Again, don’t like having to try this. Additionally, one of many puzzles concerned studying numbers off the important thing tags. I requested for a code verify and was informed 3 of the 4 had been right. Well, on the finish, after Alex got here in once I was finished, I stated, yeah, no, that’s undoubtedly not what you’re saying it’s. I can clearly see a special quantity. DEMERIT!

Other than that, as soon as I hit the ending, I flew by it (as Alex identified).

Nothing was terribly onerous, I simply screwed up. If Mike had been there, we’d’ve been out in quarter-hour, on the most. :/

Rating: 1/10

Flow/Cohesiveness/Uniqueness (Rating)
The neatest thing about this room was the décor, IMO. It was a dingy room, minimally furnished. Looked just about like an affordable motel you’d take…nevermind.

At least that’s what I believe they had been going for. Like I stated earlier, there wasn’t a lot to essentially latch onto for something to move (however that’s extra so the impact of a 30 minute room, I believe, particularly one that may be finished in quarter-hour). While there have been 4 tiny pathways concluding in one other single pathway, it felt extremely linear (and sure, I notice that’s partially as a result of I used to be there myself, however you discover a key, use it, finished till they mix for the ultimate path).

There was no actual development of story and the puzzles actually solely got here to a head on the finish as a result of you need to discover all the things wanted to unlock one lock earlier than you get the door combo. So, I can’t absolutely fault the room right here for that. However, we’ve seen this all earlier than.

Rating: 6/10

Fun/Amusement (Summary)
I believe I had a greater time joking round with the GMs than truly being on this room. I’m not an enormous fan of simply on the lookout for keys to open all the things and…
Game Master (Summary)
…I used to be significantly aggravated that they didn’t take the walkie with them (regardless that I’m purported to be what you’d name an “professional”). Alex was humorous although, I’ll give him that.
How Helpful Were Any Clues Given, if any (Summary)
Sigh, sure, I used all 3. 1 as a result of I’m silly and forgot to search for the keys, and the opposite 2 as a result of I simply thought I used to be doing shit mistaken, nevertheless it was extra a second-guessing of myself than something.
RAGE Meter Score
3 fists right here (“This time he used fists…” [please, someone get that reference…]). Equally cut up between the room itself and my incapability to comply with instructions…

Rating: 👊👊👊

ESCAPE ROOM GUYS’ OVERALL SCORING 2.6/10 

Final Thought: Gulf Coast is conveniently positioned on the harbor stroll (boardwalk, no matter), and I actually chalk this dismal rating as much as the shortage of time out there to this room (30 vs 60 minutes). Though, if you happen to keep in mind A Nightly Reminder

If I had been within the space with individuals, I’d do the Alice room for certain as a result of I’ve to do an Alice room once I see one. However, one of many teams that got here in after I had been hanging out that did one of many 60 minute rooms (there have been 6-8 of them within the group) I bumped into on my method again to the automobile and so they stated their room was additionally extremely linear, so grain of salt? Until subsequent time I suppose.


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