LOCATION: Tampa, Florida, USA
Photo above is property of Mouse Trap Escape Entertainment
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: Octagon House
📅 DATE PLAYED: November 17, 2021
🎬 GENRE: Mystery
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6.5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up To 8PPL (Recommend 2-4PPL)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $32.99/PP
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes
📖 THE STORY
There have been stories about old Miss Winslow and her Octagon House. Rumor has it that the house had an excessive amount of rooms that was designed to trap her guests inside. Now, 15 years later, you and your friends decide to sneak inside the Octagon House to find out if the stories are true. But be sure to remember which door you entered, because once it closes, you might not be able to find your way out...
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🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE
This particular set design was super unique. Right when we entered the room, we were faced with 8 doors. The thought of trying to open each and every one of them and not knowing what's behind them added a lot of suspense and thrill to the experience.
Each door truly led to a different scenery. It was like they each had their own story to tell. Sometimes it could just be a closet and others, something much bigger.
As a player, by entering into just the center space of a "maze", you will felt disoriented but in a good way. Each of the areas had different types of puzzles but you will have to go back and forth in order to piece the mystery together.
Some puzzles were quite simple and you just needed good eye sight where as others took some logic and deduction to workout the solution. The room had a nice balance to keep the game's flow. There's a good amount of puzzles to be done with just the two of us. You'll feel the sense of urgency as you get closer and closer to the 1 hour mark.
The set design had a surprise for us in the ending. It truly embraced the storyline of a "maze".
🧩 MISSED THE MARK
The hallway space felt like it could be utilized a bit more in terms of puzzle ideas as we thought about it throughout the game play but never had to go back for anything other than entering/exiting.
One puzzle was not really "accessible" for Cici due to her height. She was not able to see the clues to solve the puzzle. The same puzzle also felt like a "trial and error" type of input as it didn't have particular clues other than the "fit".
There were a good amount of decorative props in the rooms that had no relevance to the puzzles. Some felt worn by previous players. It would be great if those can be replaced or bolted down to take out the time needed for "searching" as there's already plenty to do in the rooms.
The ending felt a little confusing to us as we were not sure if something was triggered or not as we couldn't hear that final message clearly but we were greeted by the GM so essentially we knew we escaped. It would be great if the ending was made more clear and had a more climactic finish.
🏹 TAKE A SHOT?
The "Octagon House" truly brings out the idea of the "unknown". Starting off in a room surrounded by 8 doors and a vase in the center, your fate is truly left in the choices you make next. Although the beginning of the game was linear, you'll quickly learn that as you open up more doors, divide and conquer is your best bet. You'll piece together information as you go but you won't find out the actual truth until you solve that last puzzle. Are you ready to test your luck in the "Octagon House"?
ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO
There are many free parking spaces right outside the facility. You'll need to climb one flight of stairs (not wheelchair accessible). There's a Lobby area with seating.
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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 Mouse Trap Escape Entertainment 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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