Escape Room Concord NH - "The Lion's Den"

Updated: Apr 12

LOCATION:  Concord, New Hampshire, USA

Photo above is property of Escape Room Concord NH

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: The Lion's Den
📅 DATE PLAYED: November 4, 2023
🎬 GENRE: American History
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 PPL): 7/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-10 ppl (Recommend 4-8PPL)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins
💰 PRICE: $45/PP, $150/Group
☎️ BOOKINGTYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Your Great-Uncle Ollie recently passed away and left to you a letter, in which he reveals that he was part of the Order of the Lions - a secretive group with ties to the Founding Fathers. The members were a wealthy and powerful bunch, who had accumulated a large cache of treasure. Ollie has been keeping the treasure safely hidden by means of a series of devious puzzles incorporated into his study. He has utilized his knowledge of American History to make sure that only a true history buff such as yourself can access the treasury. Rogue members of the Order are hoping to steal the treasure, and you must find it to keep it safe. The treasury will self-destruct in an hour if you're unable to make your way through the sequence of puzzles. Put on your best National Treasure costume and start solving!!

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

This classic room has a lot of puzzles –some that open locks, and many that utilize more modern technology. As a result, a lot of information is needed to work your way through it. However, the signposting regarding which information is needed to solve a given puzzle is clear, and it is also generally apparent when a puzzle can be solved. If you feel as though you have to guess, move on or look for more clues! This minimizes the confusion that sometimes occurs in more densely packed experiences.
Given the volume of puzzles and information, this room lends itself well to larger groups. There are observational puzzles, tactile puzzles, logic puzzles, and word puzzles. This will give almost any type of puzzler a chance to shine!
There is a lot of tech, and it all worked quite smoothly with the exception of one drawer that needed a bit of encouragement - fortunately, our attentive GM was on top of it!!
The decor is consistent with the theme, accurately giving participants the feel of being in the study of someone who favors 18th and 19th century Americana. There was one device we'd never seen with which we were quite enamored!

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

This room has varying levels of difficulty and hints are freely given. Be sure and talk through the difficulty options with your GM as some of the puzzles are a bit rote on easy mode (which we were given by default, being a party of two) and are more interesting when challenging.
As with many escape rooms, there is minimal progressive narrative, but the objective is clear from the start.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

This is a compact, densely packed room with minimal searching - great for smaller, seasoned groups who are ready to knock out a lot of puzzles, as well as large groups of people with varying skill sets and abilities. History fans in particular will appreciate the decor, but the clean puzzle design will make it appealing to anybody who is familiar with the all too common struggle of trying one solution on multiple locks. It could be too busy of a challenge for a small and inexperienced group, but Escape Room Concord has other rooms to try if you are new to the puzzling scene. And once you've gotten your feet wet (perhaps with Deep Space or The Library) you'll be ready to test your mettle against the many machinations of "The Lion's Den"!!

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Escape Room Concord strives to create as many of the components of their games from scratch as possible, as well as to provide experiences that are adaptable for kids and adults of all skill levels.
Their rooms have puzzles that can be adjusted to be simpler when smaller groups are tackling a room meant for many, as well as challenges that can be leveled up for more seasoned groups of escape artists.
The lobby is cozy and fun, with one wall covered in layers of pictures of past escapees. A water station and bathroom are readily available.
It's right off I-93 and has its own free parking lot.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Check out our visit to Escape Room Concord NH and our exclusive interview with the owner to understand more on the development side of the game:

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

BOOK NOW

(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 Concord NH for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.