Bates Motel Escape Rooms - "Bates Manor"

Brandon Chow

Apr 26, 20213 min read

Updated: Apr 16, 2024

LOCATION:  West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA

Photos provided by Bates Motel Escape Rooms

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Bates Manor
📅 DATE PLAYED: March 1, 2021
🎬 GENRE: Mystery
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 4.5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 1-10 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
💰 PRICE: $29.95/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Now's your chance! Mr. Bates has just vacated his Victorian mansion for a few hours and it's reported that he has a secret safe containing millions in gold and cash! You and your team of burglars finally have an opportunity to break in and try to crack the safe! But you must hurry! If Mr. Bates catches you, the police will be the least of your worries!

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Once again we applaud Bates Manor with its set design! We entered what seems to be the front gate and porch area of a house. The working water fountain, the birdhouse and the lit up window really made us feel like someone was living there. Once we stepped foot inside, it felt like a scene from the movie - "Clue"! The lighting and music really provided that Victorian era feel.
In terms of puzzles, the game for "Bates Manor" starts OUTSIDE the front door! Once you've made it past the gate, your skills of breaking and entering are going to be tested! We love the added objective of being tasked with how to get inside the escape room. This was done extremely well due to the fact that we are burglars trying to figure out a way in! Once inside, there was a good mixture of traditional, physical (loving the ideas of physical tools), and technological puzzles.
The storyline was unique in a sense that we start off as the culprits that could potentially face a larger threat from the real antagonist... Mr. Bates! This "threat" is constantly felt by the atmosphere of the home even though there were no live actors in the game.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

Cici bypassed a set of puzzles by accidentally setting something the right way which confused us quite a bit.
The room was too dim to have too much reading material for this one puzzle. There were also too much red herrings that accompany the reading which made it even more difficult to figure out in this type of room setting.
Some props felt worn. One particular one definitely needs a replacement as it contained a code that we couldn't read clearly which we had to eventually ask the GM.
Although the storyline was unique and we kept discovering things as we continued, we felt like it could've had a more climactic ending.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Bates Motel Escape Rooms is an interactive entertainment center that currently has 4 escape room games! Today, we are trying "The Tomb", "Bates Manor", "and their hardest one... "Countdown". Unfortunately, we didn't have time to play their 4th game - "Revenge of the Serial Killer". They also have Stryke Force laser tag which is an intense, unique indoor tactical laser tag arena! In addition, they also have a party room and rage rooms. only had enough time to play 3 out of the 4 games. Like a lot of other companies, they started off with haunted attractions and later expanded to create Bates Motel Escape Rooms. One thing that we always appreciate, is when company's decorate the outside of the room before even entering inside! What better way to fully immerse yourself into the experience of walking inside of a haunted manor? This a fun room for haunt-lovers that want to experience something a bit eerie but not too scary! The theme of this game reminded me a little bit of the movie - "Don't Breathe". Check out our reviews of "The Tomb" and "Countdown"!

Additional Info

Parking lot available
Lobby with waiting area
Laser Tag
Rage Rooms

Photos/ Videos are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

BOOK NOW

We don't want to go into detail and ruin any surprises for you, but if you'd like more information on the room, feel free to email us.

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank Bates Motel Escape Rooms for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.