Room Escape Williamsburg — Attraction in Williamsburg

I just did the Bank Heist and it was SO bad. Definitely the worst, most ghetto escape room I have ever done. Here's why:

(1) The employee who put us in the room did so with ZERO introduction. We didn't even know what our objective was. I ended up leaving the room to speak to someone else because I knew something wasn't right. (Turns out there was some vital information that we weren't given, including that our objective was to steal some diamonds).

(2) The room itself is very bare, and most everything in it is in bad shape. Papers are torn. Sheets with clues on them are so worn down over time as to be made illegible. And so on.

(3) For the most part, the puzzles themselves do not require cleverness so much as fiddly, annoying busy work. (Get ready to spend 5 minutes pushing something through a long tube 1 centimeter at a time using only the worn nub of a pencil; or another 5-10 minutes scanning some dizzyingly massive boards for a single, tiny missing number.)

(4) It turns out the second/final room requires 3 people. They didn't bother telling us that when only two of us (my wife and I) entered the room.

(5) No worries regarding point (4) though, because it turns out the second room hadn't been reset properly, and the diamonds were just sitting there in an open drawer! We were very confused when we found the diamonds, because there was still at least one lock that we hadn't opened elsewhere. When we voiced our confusion to the camera (timer still ticking away), they were just like, "You're done." They then congratulated us for "solving" it without having to do the last few puzzles, as if their error was a bonus or something.

I would give it 1 star because several of the above complaints are pretty unforgivable, regardless of my experience in any of the other rooms. But, the thing is, I've also done the Holy Grail room here (and with different staff on duty) and that one was actually pretty fun. So, 2...

Number 88 is in the books. (Please note reviews may not be in chronological order)

The Wizard’s Pub Room Escape Williamsburg

This room finished up our time at Room Escape Williamsburg, which is always a bittersweet moment. They have four rooms and they are all pretty well done. Each has its particular up and down moment, however Wizard’s Pub stands out as the their best room in my opinion. It is meticulously detailed after a very famous line of Wizards books (which shall not be named) and the rooms is quite stunning to look at.

The room is a very tech heavy room and one of my favorite pieces is the dragons. No spoilers, but it was a fun little prop. While the theming was top notch, the puzzles were nothing to scoff at either. They were well done, fit the theming and flowed together nicely.

If I had to nitpick over anything, it would be the gratuitous use of stickers in the room. It in the establishments way of saying do not touch. I get it and understand the theory behind it, it just detracts, albeit in a small way, from the overall grandeur of the theming. Same for the do not touch electronics. One other gripe and again it is based on multiple games doing this, but you are told to not misplace some things as you go through the room. You will need them later. As gamers who make piles of used and unused props and items we didn’t want than”hint” but we definitely understood why it was there.

Our game master Tony was wonderful. Always a nice experience when you do multiple games in one setting and have the same person. You can have a lot of fun together. Of course it can go the other way, but Tony was knowledgeable and easy going and seemed to really enjoy what he was doing. Love that he was willing to hang for a second to talk about the room and experience.

Overall a very nice way to finish our time at Room Escape.

We...

Here’s a draft for your review:

Extremely Disappointing Experience – Avoid at All Costs

I walked into Room Escape excited and a little nervous for my first escape room experience. We came early because we had a larger group and wanted to get settled in. Unfortunately, my excitement quickly turned into frustration and disappointment due to the staff’s unprofessional and downright rude behavior.

Upon arrival, I was greeted by a man who appeared disoriented and unresponsive. Initially, my family and I were genuinely concerned for his well-being, wondering if he might be experiencing a medical emergency. Despite saying hello repeatedly, he remained unresponsive, leading my sister to even ask if he was deaf. When I politely inquired if he spoke English, his response shocked me: a curt, aggressive “I can hear” followed by an even more hostile “What are you doing here?”

Instead of being welcomed, we were made to feel uncomfortable and unwelcome, with the entire interaction escalating as he argued with my mother over our reservation. His tone and demeanor were completely unprofessional and even frightened the children in our group. At that point, we unanimously decided that this was not a place worthy of our time or money.

Thankfully, we found a much better alternative at Operation Escape (located at 217 McLaws Circle), where William greeted us warmly and turned our day around. His professionalism and kindness restored our faith in escape room experiences.

If you’re considering visiting Room Escape, do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. This was, by far, one of the most disappointing customer service experiences I’ve ever...