Mr. E's Escape rooms — Local services in Fort Walton Beach

Context: I’ve done about 20-30 escape rooms over the last 15 years of varying complexity and have escaped many rooms rated 10/10 difficulty.

Pros: -Room had fun, unique themes with well designed and interesting props! -Puzzles were (*mostly) well thought out and used cool technology and fresh takes on existing puzzle types -Facilities were clean and well-organized -Owner offers snacks and drinks after escaping, which is a nice touch!

Cons: -(*) one room used a puzzle similar to a Rubik’s cube, which felt like a cheap tactic to artificially kill time. Commonly in escape rooms, once you understand how the puzzle works, all that’s necessary is the execution, which should be straightforward. Although anyone COULD solve a Rubik’s cube eventually, for instance, not everyone can solve one efficiently. Same here - we needed the host to open this puzzle for us. -Being read the rules of the room felt like being read our Miranda rights (we showed up early, were respectful, etc.) -Items that are not related to the puzzle needed to be marked clearer (not with just a microscopic green dot that could be missed). Related note - it felt like 80% of the room was not related/had green dots on it. -Certain immersive elements like 1/2 of the tv screens in the room were turned off/broken -The owner individually responding to every review under 5 stars and attempting to refute claims (as will no doubt happen with this one) leaves a bad taste in my mouth

Edit: owner responded.

In the first section of the room, there were two “window” panels with dark glass. I understood them to be screens, as being on a train and seeing scenery rushing past would make sense. As it appears that these were in fact not screens, only 1/2 screens (not 3/4 as originally listed) were inoperable, and I’ve edited my post to reflect that. Our group was never apologized to about them, unless the owner is referring to a direct call she had with the booker from our party the day after, which I was not privy to.

To the owner: my opinions do not reflect the opinions of my whole group, who were doing their first escape room and had a good time. I am speaking from the opinion of someone who’s done more than a few, and have a standard I’ve come to expect. This is not a personal attack against you or your business, simply my opinion. I hope you enjoy...

We had a super fun time! Kris was our Escape Room Host and he was incredibly fun and had high energy to match all of us and super nice. My parents never been to an Escape Room so after explaining our reserved room, we decided that the other room would be more fun for their first time and he switched us, no problem. He made jokes and witty comments during our time in the room to keep us laughing and called us by our names when talking on the intercom. Myself and my boyfriend have been to multiple escape rooms and we loved this one not only because the escape room was good but because Kris made it a more personal experience which we have never received at others. The locks, codes, etc. were all in great condition, they made it clear on what can and cannot be touched, even though a couple tricked me (that was the point) and it worked haha. The riddles and hints all flowed greatly unlike some we have gone to and after we escaped successfully, he took us to the back where we got to stick a pin on a map where we are from which I thought was cool and offered us drinks and snacks (which has never happened at others) and we even got to meet their pup, Buddy! This one really stood out because of the experience the owners provided and the escape room was a plus! The price is a tad bit higher than some of the others, but totally worth it. We got what we paid for and more and We will definitely be returning to do the...

Had a great experience here! The owner was very accommodating and we were able to work out the logistics/timing of me joining another team while I was in town since it was just me.

Having experienced both rooms they currently have to offer, it's safe to say that there's something for both beginners and experts alike, and they are able to get you through them in a variety of ways if you are struggling or running short on time to make sure you have the best experience possible. Or if you're up for a challenge they are as hands-off as you want them to be.

Puzzles are just the right amount of frustrating, and will definitely test your skills of logic and dedication. The pirate experience is an easier one that would be perfect with families or a limited amount of players. Our squad of 3 managed to complete the train at just a little over 50 minutes. There are a very limited number of red herrings... but fear not... nothing stops you dead in your tracks as long as the team keeps working through the room.

I definitely got my money's worth (with a discount code courtesy of Polly the Parrot no less) and highly recommend this...