Escape the Room Boise — Local services in Garden City

My group did the western themed escape room and multiple puzzles were not working correctly and it completely ruined the experience for us. We were told that the Western and Theater themed rooms were the easiest but the western had one puzzle that puts it a step above the other, but it turned out that the puzzle isnt actually more difficult, it just doesn't work reliably and many guests actually cannot get the mechanism to work.

We found the clue and the hint for getting the lock to work, and everyone in our group tried it, some multiple times and we couldn't get it to work. The staffer asked if we wanted a hint and then just repeated the hint we had already found that did not help and then eventually asked if we wanted a "workaround" because the lock is notoriously difficult and many people can't get it to work even with all of the correct information.

Mind you, this is the last puzzle that gets you the money & the gun to escape the room. She said the workaround was just to "pretend" we had the items and go to the next area to leave the room, ending the game. Are you kidding me? The workaround for the big end of the game is to play pretend that we solved all the puzzles and got all the items out?? There's no other way to do that? No backup props or other hidden way we can access it- even though this is a KNOWN issue with the game?

There was also another puzzle that we accessed because it was malfunctioning. We just opened it by searching around without having any idea it was a puzzle. Then when we later uncovered the clue, we were told we could just skip that because sometimes the puzzle opens accidentally. If they know this, why not fix it or change the puzzle mechanism? I really don't understand.

We ended up running out of time because the "workaround" for the final puzzle felt lame so we kept trying to see if we could successfully solve the final puzzle. When we asked the staffer after the game to show us how the puzzle works so we could see what we were doing wrong, she refused, despite acknowledging that we had all the right information to do so and that many people struggle with it. She said she had another group coming in right after but there was nobody there.

When I brought up how disappointing it was to have the climax of the game ruined by a faulty mechanism she got very defensive and robotic instead of apologizing or having any sympathy that we felt disappointed in the experience. It would have been nicer to have our feelings acknowledged than to be told I'm out of luck because I didn't want the ridiculously lazy workaround. If we could have solved that puzzle then the other smaller issues we had (like waiting 10 minutes in the lobby to get our change after we paid) would be overlooked, but not being able to finish the game correctly and having to deal with her sour attitude about it really killed the joy for us.

Instead of having repeat customers for the other rooms we will just never come back. There are many other options to choose from in the area. Not to mention it is EXPENSIVE. $40 per person is a lot of money, and there is no excuse for things not to be operating properly, especially when the issues are known and longstanding and not difficult to...

I’m coming back to add a star- we just finished the Theater Room and it was really fun! The room was STUNNING. The attention to detail was really cool to see. And even though the puzzle wasn’t too difficult; all the clues made sense, all the props worked, it was very clever! Exactly what you want in a room. I’m glad we gave this place a second chance as I was very disappointed with “the agency” room we did previously. I’m excited to come back a third time—hoping for another 5 star room!

—————- Previous 3 star ⭐️ rating of “the agency” room:

The props and rooms are beautiful! The whole place really was gorgeous and we were excited to try some new rooms- however! The room we did just wasn’t that fun! 🤷🏼‍♀️ So far we have only done the 007 room and I went back and forth between 3 stars and 4. The flow of the room was very choppy, and the clues didn’t lean naturally towards any kind of storyline or “spy” intrigue. Just a lot of hunting for #s and looking for keys. Some clues RELIED on hints from the employee attendant which is a huge no-no for me! 😐everything you need should be in the room- if the “hint” is necessary to solve a riddle, put the hint in the room! Not so much a puzzle as a “stumble upon the key” kind of escape room. Very disappointing! If you love puzzles and want to be amazed and delighted, try “Escape This” (no I don’t work there but I wish I did!) the puzzles there may look more “home-made” but they are so SMART. We may try this location again just because the setup and design was so beautiful, hoping the 007...

I would like to be able to leave a 5 star review here. The room we did "Western Bank Heist" was pretty good. Unfortunately, there were a couple of issues with the game. One drawer didn't open like it was supposed to, and the final lock in the room to hit the win button was already unlocked. Both of these things confused and slowed down our progress. Ultimately, we still escaped, but it took away from the game for us. When we were leaving, the person running our room offered to email us vouchers for the 3 of us to return. 4 of us planned to go back this week while still in town. When I called to inquire about the vouchers, I was told it would take 5-10 business days. Unfortunately, we won't be in town at that point, and the vouchers would be useless. They said there was nothing more they could do. After spending that kind of money on a room, I would like to think the inspection prior to us entering would be thorough. We like to do these all across the country when traveling. This is our first experience with a failed room. I guess we will have to try a different company...