LOCATION: Williston, Vermont, USA
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Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: Vermonsters
📅 DATE PLAYED: January 9, 2022
🎬 GENRE: Cryptids, Carnival
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl (Recommend 2-6 ppl)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
💰 PRICE: $28.00 - $49.50/ pp (pending on group size)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
📖 THE STORY
Seeking shelter in a snowstorm, you wind up in a strange cabin…you soon discover that it belongs to Balthazar, a carny who runs a freakshow of oddities. He's searching for the rumored cryptids of Vermont - the Awful, Bigfoot, and Champ (the monster of Lake Champlain). These creatures would undoubtedly be stars in his sideshow! It’s up to you to figure out what’s happened and save Champ.
Photo above is property of Escape Room 60
🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE
This is such a fun and original theme! The mixture of carnival and cryptids is unexpected but highly entertaining, and we loved that it also incorporated authentic Vermont lore. For the most part, the decor is a fantastic mixture of the two, with creepy clowns, giant Bigfoot, an animatronic fortune teller, and so much more. There is lots to look at, and it feels both like a homey log cabin and bizarre hideout for a crazy cryptid-hunting carny. We had to take a few minutes after the game to just go back and appreciate everything and take it all in (when we were not laser-focused on puzzling)! This is not a scary room, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but there are definitely some somewhat creepy decorations that add to the ambience. Coulrophobes beware!
There are a lot of traditional locks in this game, but they come in many varied formats (directional, key, keypad, varied length word, varied length number, color-coded, Chinese splitting spring, and even a date lock). As such, players are spared the frustration of having to run around trying to decide which of several identical locks your particular answer should go into. We found this system to work very smoothly, and got to repeatedly experience that satisfaction of the lock clicking open!
Throughout the game, props and technology were integrated into the puzzles in a number of entertaining and satisfying ways, and there were quite a few surprises and reveals along the way. This kept the momentum and energy up consistently. Some of the carnival-themed interactions made me feel like a giddy little kid at the fair. Lastly, the pen and paper provided was a small but helpful detail to facilitate solving a couple thornier problems.
There was a really nice variety and number of puzzles, with fairly minimal searching. As enthusiasts, this was not the most difficult room for us, which is certainly appropriate for the market. However, we still really enjoyed the puzzles. There was great flow, plenty of tactile interactions, everything made sense, and it all worked really smoothly.
Our GM, Turner, had plenty of enthusiasm and energy. After a recent frustrating experience with over-hinting at another venue, we very much appreciated that, at one point when we got stuck for a bit, they offered a hint without forcing it on us. We decided to give ourselves a few more minutes and were able to get the satisfaction of the aha moment that comes from figuring it out ourselves! We definitely do take hints plenty of times, but it was nice to have the option to struggle a bit when we were not quite ready to give in. They also gave hints in character, which is always way more fun (even if we weren’t sure exactly who that character was).
🧩 MISSED THE MARK
There is no single, major WOW moment or huge reveal in this game. Thankfully, as mentioned above, there are many fun smaller surprises to keep you going, and the theme itself is incredibly memorable.
There was more story development in this room than in many that we have played, primarily discovered through notes you read along the way. Our purpose was clear and Balthazar's motives made sense. However, as is often the case, there were still some parts of the tale that didn’t totally make sense to us and could perhaps be tightened up a bit more.
🏹 TAKE A SHOT?
Whether you’re from Vermont or just visiting and want to get a bit of local flavor, Vermonsters is a really entertaining way to learn a little Green Mountain lore. And what Vermonter wouldn’t want to rescue baby Champ, the sea monster of Lake Champlain? The unique and playful theme, along with its associated decor, is vibrant, charming, and refreshing - a real stand out for this room! If you’re into creepy cabins, clowns, carnivals, or cryptids, step right up. As enthusiasts, it was not a nail-biter, will-we-make-it-out level of difficulty, but it still took two of us 48 minutes. We definitely appreciated the number and diversity of puzzles and the overall smoothness of the experience. This would also be a fantastic room for both families and newbies, particularly in slightly larger groups. Come combine Vermonsters with a little fall foliage, Ben & Jerry’s, and maple syrup, and you will have the full Vermont experience!
🔎 HINT
Carnival rides turn you around and flip you upside down!
ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO
There is a bathroom available and a lobby with seating. They are located in a shopping plaza-type area with a reasonable amount of free parking available in the lot. There are restaurants and a green nearby for grabbing grub and relaxing after you're finished or fueling before you start.
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(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 Escape Room 60 for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.
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