Once Upon an Escape — Attraction in Spring Valley

Went here for a buddy's 29th birthday party (I'm sure the owners remember us because we had Mario Party costumes on). Our group has done, just about, every escape room in Vegas and now are branching out into other cities for some to do. Here's my assessment of Once Upon an Escape: The ambiance is amazing. You walk into a well decorated, detail oriented lobby and it just feels like a fairy tale. Additionally, all of the rooms are fairy tale themed and does a very good job keeping the clues within the fairy tales. Clues are one area where escape rooms succeed or fail. Some places incorporate clues that do not fit the theme just for the sake of complexity. We did not see this here. Every clue fit the theme. Even in areas where we felt lost and asked for help (Rumpelstiltskin is your game master), we could not blame the room design for missing the clue. Every clue is present and makes sense (after doing 100+ rooms you tend to over look smaller/obvious details). We talked to the owners about their room designs and shared some feedback. Long story short: they did a ton of research into escape rooms and took what they loved and incorporated it. I can honestly say I've seen puzzles here that I've never seen anywhere. These puzzles were not complex but SUPER CREATIVE! Our group lost time on our solves just gushing over now neat some of this stuff was. Here's the Rooms we did (not sure how the ratings work here): Neverland Difficulty: (11/12): Definitely not the hardest room I've ever done but there are so many pieces/puzzles, I can see where people can get lost easily. Very experienced escape room people may be able to predict/bypass some parts but overall an Amazing Room. If you love escape rooms, you'll appreciate this room. Rumpelstiltskin (5 Minute Power Room): $5 for a 5 minute escape room. This is a pretty classic puzzle style room. Experienced people can blitz this but novice may struggle. The pressure is on the clock. If you like doing back-to-back escape rooms with some down time in between, this is totally worth it. We split into 2 groups and raced had a competition. Well worth the money for the little hidden gem. 7 Dwarfs (Difficult 7/10): This room is not so much about difficulty as it is about pleasure. Amazing ambiance and super fun puzzles. We only had to ask for clues because we overlooked small things that less experienced players may have found obvious. I would argue this is their best room. We totally geeked out over some of the puzzle/solutions here. We all left smiling afterwards. Final Thoughts: I would argue this place rivals The Basement (for Vegas escape room people this is a big claim) in the experience but has more creative puzzles. We literally stopped working and solving clues to just discuss how amazing some of the puzzles were. The basement is the only place where we've done that. If anyone likes escape rooms, please go to other places first then come here. You'll appreciate this place so much more than if it is your first rooms. We are already planning on going back to finish this place out and hope they continue to stay open and come...

Once Upon an Escape is adorable inside. The decor and atmosphere are charming as hell when you walk in! We were standing in the lobby for almost 10 minutes before anyone came to check us in..ok no biggie, things happen. We encountered 2 different workers while there and neither were in character like we’ve had at almost every other room before. The people being in character can definitely be cheesy, but it’s a fun part of the experience, and if there’s any escape room you want them to be in character for, it’s a fairytale one! The room itself was pretty good the whole way through, a couple things seemed cheap or like there wasn’t much thought put into it…but the room was cool overall. Many escape rooms offer help through clues when you ask..their system of clues is through texting on an ipod, which worked fine…except for when you had a question they couldn’t quite answer or understand through text…they have to barge into the room(still not in character) and ask you to clarify what you’re asking lol And then they exit your “escape room” through a normal door and it totally takes you out of the experience when you’re reminded all this is fake and we can walk in or out of this room at any moment. It wasn’t until the final step of the room that sort of annoyed us all…In order to get the final key, you have to know this old school “party trick” I’ll call it, in order to get it out. It seems like something you would need to know before ever even going to the room in order to escape. Even the hint they gave us said “time for old school magic” because it is something that someone from back in the day might know how to do?? But what if everyone there is in their 20’s? That stopped us from escaping even though we made it out of what seemed like harder, but more fair riddles earlier on in the room. So overall a cool place to see once because it is nicely decorated, but probably would not go back again.

UPDATE 1month later: I edited my review to 5 stars because the owners reached out, explained the circumstances that they had to hire new workers to run the shop because they had an emergency, and did everything possible to make it right, even offering us a free experience to make up for it. Much appreciated! Top notch customer service from owners who sincerely seemed determined to make us...

I was asked to help Chaperone a small group of our friends' kids for a Birthday Escape Room Party. Not really knowing what to expect I accepted, because it sounded fun. UNDERSTATEMENT!

...ONCE UPON AN ESCAPE is located minutes from the Strip on the Westside of town, just off Tropicana & Arville, making it convenient for locals and tourists. With a simple lobby area for check-in and a fantasy/fairytale themed interior waiting area, just outside the game rooms, the ambiance was great for families and really set the excitement level for the kids to a 10.

After a short video message outlining gameplay and the presentation of our "Magic Mirror" (tablets to request hints) so we can talk with Rumpelstiltskin, our group was led to our room. Upon entering, and with a little organizing of the kids, the game was afoot. To be honest, I think a group of six (including myself) was the perfect size for the type of play offered as any larger of a group would be a bit too chaotic.

With a linear game style, that does allow for minor non step by play, the rooms were set with the right number of clues and puzzles to keep everyone busy and involved. Being the monitor of a young group (6 to 10 year olds), I could see their frustration when unable to figure out clues, but with the "Magic Mirror" shared amongst them, it faded quickly as the game masters offered cryptic but manageable clues to help things along.

In my opinion, the rooms are not suited for kids younger than 8yrs old, as the problem-solving requirements may alienate them from being fully involved. However, a patient sibling or mix of adult and kids working together may be okay.

All in all, it was an amazing experience watching the kids try an organize their thoughts, convert it into game play, and ultimately achieve the objectives set forth by the ONCE UPON AN ESCAPE's staff. With me being a local business operator that works with families as well, I would highly recommend this for an all immersive brain teasing day or night out, guaranteed to challenge the entire family. Best of all, if things get too difficult, your tablet is an ace in the hole, that allows for a bit of "cheating."

Definitely going back to do all the other rooms!

Thanks for a good...