Escapedom - "The Cranial Carnival"

Updated: Apr 9

LOCATION:  Los Angeles, California, USA

Photo above is property of Escapedom

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: The Cranial Carnival
📅 DATE PLAYED: November 7, 2019
🎬 GENRE: Thriller, Suspense, Circus
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7.5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-8 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $28.00-$33.00/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Anatoly Smith was found in a coma after getting lost in the Hall of Mirrors in the carnival. His father assembled a team to enter his subconscious mind and try to lock away what he saw that scared him into his current state. But we only have 60 minutes or else his body will create antibodies that will eliminate us forever!

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

The unique concept and story line were quite refreshing. We have not encountered anything like this yet.
As we entered the room, we immediately felt like we were transported into someone’s brain. The use of the padding was great as it created the cranial look but also acted as an excellent soundproof device.
The incorporation of various playable carnival games closely tied the story line together.
The game flow was nice. We had fun dividing tasks as a team of four since the game was nonlinear.
The room also had some “fun house” element that we’ve never seen before. We liked the conceptual way of how these puzzles were designed.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

One puzzle was tricky to visualize for us as enthusiasts. I wonder if other players would have a hard time with it or not. We didn’t particularly enjoy that puzzle. The input was also very sensitive as we thought we put it on the right spots, but nothing happened until we tried a few times.
A puzzle malfunctioned a few times and eventually the game master had to come into the room to fix it. We hope this issue would be resolved for future games. (Update 12/24/19: We've been told by the venue that this puzzle has been fixed since our visit)
If the hint system could be incorporated as a boy’s voice speaking to the room, it would add to the immersion factor. At times, it was quite hard to hear the hints.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Love carnivals and games? You’ll be very entertained in this room then. We had some help from our friends this time and with the four of us, we got out with some time left on the clock. Our recommended number for this room depends on how many rooms you’ve played. But we think 4-6 people would be perfect. Teamwork was essential in us escaping out of this one.

🔎 HINT

Might help to delegate and each remember some.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

** UPDATE - We regret to inform that "Escapedom" has closed.

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