5 Wits Syracuse

EDIT: while there was one member who didn’t seem eager to help us, the rest of the staff was very kind and accommodating. We really wanted to have a good experience here, so we came back. The issue was a glitch in one of the rooms that was so bad that we ended up with a cruddy score right from the very beginning with little hope for redemption. but the manager actually approached us and surprised us when we came back to try other rooms. he apologized for the bad experience and helped to make sure that going through again, it would be the best experience possible. He worked with us and was a very kind and concerned individual. He even was there when we came from the first experience, coming back to us just to make sure that everything went accordingly and nothing misfired this time. we ended up being really pleased with the way things were handled the second time around. We ended up doing three out of four rooms. The tomb so far happened to be my absolute favorite! Will be back again.

Original review, 1 Star: It was really rough. We went into One of the rooms that had the lasers and you were supposed to make your way to the other side without touching/tripping them. The moment we were in that room, it said that we were tripping the Lasers, and we weren’t even touching them, the literal second we walked in!. It kept saying we were doing a bad job, and we weren’t even moving. That was really rough. It really ruined our score for the rest of the game. Things just went downhill from there… the next two rooms, We were kind of able to figure it out, one of them before the other. Though on the third one, we didn’t notice the extra box in the room and ended up failing. That was our mistake, but that one was fun. As was the second one. But in the last room, the instructions were going by so quickly, we couldn’t keep up with them. Sorry to think that this one really requires more than two people… But we somehow made it through and figured out the puzzle. It was The first room that really truly ruined it for us and ruined the mood for the whole puzzle. And when we came out to tell the guy working there, he acted confused like he didn’t know what to do to help us. I don’t think we had a very good first experience, and I wanted to. I really did. It was a great idea and would have been an amazing concept, and because of a glitch In the first puzzle, we didn’t get to have the full experience we needed to succeed. I definitely hope it was fixed by the time the next...

You have to be lucky or show up at the right time to have a decent experience without paying a high premium.

Rather than queue groups, the staff will try to group up to 12 random people into one puzzle area. They'll have you enter into the back area with your own group -- wait a few moments -- and then send ANOTHER group in behind you. It feels very deceptive.

Why is this a problem? The puzzles themselves are amusing and mostly fun, but most are designed for groups of 4 or 5 and you generally want to win the puzzle. If you're grouped up with a bunch of kids or a large group it turns into a zoo. We turned around and got a refund after we got grouped up with a family and their kids -- we didn't want to spoil the fun for them as a bunch of strangers took over the controls. With large groups several people will have to sit out on puzzles or watch someone else complete the puzzle. Boring, not fun, and certainly not worth the price at that point.

They offer a "private" pass, but the price is outrageously high. You're charged an extra $7 per person -- easily doubling whatever price you paid to begin with. Insane.

The staff was fortunately understanding of our situation and were quite pleasant. I wish they were more upfront on how the queueing works.

In summary: I would avoid unless you have a larger group of friends or family... or you're willing to pay double the entrance price for a...

"Set the Stage, but Not the Price"

I recently experienced 5 Wits with my family, and while the set design and atmosphere deserve a standing ovation with 5 stars, the hefty price tag left me feeling like I was attending a Broadway show on a budget.

The immersive world they create is top-notch – it's like stepping into a movie. My kids were enthralled, and the accessibility for the whole family was a show-stealer. However, the plot twist came when I saw the bill – a whopping $230 for the entire clan. I couldn't help but feel like I was paying for front-row seats to a blockbuster film rather than a family adventure.

At $60 for two, this experience would have been a steal, but at $230 for my family for the same experience i could get for just the wife and I at 60, it felt more like a white-collar crime. In the end, 5 Wits, you nailed the set design, but you might want to reconsider the ticket prices. After all, even the best show on Earth is a tough sell when the price steals the spotlight. I see it used to be $17.99 each which that would easily made this a 5...