Puzzle Effect (Phoenix) - "Curse on the Emerald Seas"

Updated: Apr 9

LOCATION:  Phoenix, Arizona, USA

Photo above is property of Puzzle Effect

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Curse on the Emerald Seas
📅 DATE PLAYED: August 22, 2022
🎬 GENRE: Pirate Adventure
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Up to 6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $31.95/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

You and your crew lost your ship during the Crimson Storm. All of a sudden, a mysterious but cursed ship known as The Emerald Seas appeared out of no where. You only have one hour to expel the cursed ship to claim it as your own before it disappears into the deep ocean once more...

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Instead of having the game master explain the lock usage in the lobby, the prerecorded intro video did a great job with explaining the only locks that will be used in the room that you're about to play and how they worked. This is a great way to make sure all grounds are covered and that all the players got the same information every time.
The ambient lighting was great. It felt like we just embarked onto a creepy abandoned ship deck.
The clues for the puzzles were easy to understand which led to a really smooth game play.
Since the ship is cursed, our mission was to release the ghosts that were haunting the ship. The creator had a cool way of "releasing" the trapped souls. It was paired really well with spooky sounds and lighting.
There was an interesting way of utilizing a tangram puzzle in this game. We haven't seen it done in combination with another item before so this was quite innovative.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

The intro video for the actual story could've been better with an actor in character or relevant footage to the storyline instead.
Some sound of water splashing or squeaky wood planks would help the immersion of the room.
There was an item we used quite early on to open something but we didn't know there was another item on there that we would need later as well. It would be best to separate the two.
Getting into the second room in this game felt extremely quick. It didn't really give us a chance to build up our anticipation level and we were already allowed into the second area.
The number/letter locks felt out of place on a pirate ship. We suggest using magnetic locks or old fashion key locks instead.
There was a hole in the wall that we thought was part of a puzzle but it wasn't. That will probably need to be repaired as it could be seen as a red herring.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

This room played quite smoothly for us as two enthusiasts. We were able to divide and conquer as most parts of the game were not linear. There were some reading involved but it was pretty minimal. This is a great room for beginners who want to be surprised by some fundamental elements of an escape room. Are you brave enough to board The Emerald Seas ?

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Free parking lot right in front
Merchandise for sale
Lobby with seating

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