“Quietly ambitious and a bit unhinged.”

Somewhere in the Midwest, a talented young couple is quietly building an escape room empire. Their company, 60 to Escape, has over 12 different escape rooms across 3 locations, a puzzle-filled mini-golf experience, and a haunt so extensive and scenic that it was used as the set for a horror movie called Haunt Season on Amazon Prime.

Stephen Kristof literally has entertainment in his blood. His parents owned a family entertainment center, and he grew up bouncing around mini-golf, go carts, and fixing the arcade machines. Growing up, Stephen always wanted to work at a haunt, but he was too young. So at the ripe young age of thirteen, he presented his parents with business plan for opening up his own haunt, and his first venture was born.

In the course of running the haunt, they brought in a talented young SFX makeup artist named Stevie Calabrese (now Stevie Kristof). During haunt season, she manages four other artists as they get eighty performers into costumes and makeup in under two hours.

Stephen and Stevie met, fell in love, and became “The Steves.” They now run their immersive entertainment ventures together, crafting and creating much of it themselves, along with their team of talented folks. If either of them look familiar, you may have seen them on a reality show. Stephen was a contestant on Season 1 of Holey Moley, a zany mini-golf reality competition show, and Stevie was a contestant on Season 9 of Face Off, a special effects makeup reality competition show.

I really enjoyed hearing them talk about their commitment to the customer experience, and their dedication to production value and creativity. Their company 60 to Escape was part of the Escape Immerse Explore tour in the Chicago area in 2025.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG’s Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Support Room Escape Artist on Patreon

Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events.

By becoming a Patreon supporter, you’re not just backing a blog — you’re fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. You can also access exclusive Patreon content such as the Bonus Aftershow, Spoilers Club, and get early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles.

Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.

PG’s Playhouse Podcast

If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG’s Playhouse recreates a fun game night with friends, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what’s game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes!

Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you’ll take a listen and play along with us at PG’s Playhouse.

Buzzshot

Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

COGS

COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 00:00 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 03:36 Escape Rooms in Shopping Malls
• 09:22 60 to Escape’s Marquee Games
• 13:05 How Stevie Builds Out the Vision
• 17:06 Designing Duke’s Farm
• 22:05 Sponsor Break: Room Escape Artist Patreon – Bonus Episodes, Spoilers Club & More
• 24:22 The Maker Tools in Stevie’s Toolbox
• 27:03 Cheesie’s Pizza Party
• 34:15 Building and Managing a Passionate Team
• 38:31 Sponsor Break: PG’s Playhouse – Puzzles, Pals, and Trivia
• 44:27 The Haunted House Journey
• 50:13 Sponsor Break: Cogs By Clockwork Dog, Interactive Show Controls
• 51:50 Launching a Themed Mini Golf Venue: Putt Portal
• 54:49 Balancing Multiple Ventures
• 56:51 Next Steps
• 58:51 Face Off Reality Show
• 01:03:32 Holey Moley Show
• 01:05:37 What Comes Next
• 01:08:46 Credits

Leave a Voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• 60 to Escape Website
• Realm of Terror Website
• Kristof’s Entertainment Center Website
• Stevie’s Special Effects Makeup Website
• Watch Haunt Season on Amazon Prime
• REA Reviews
  • Museum Heist
  • Duke’s Farm
  • Putt Portal Mystery Golf
  • Arctic Expedition
  • Lockbuster Video
  • Jurassic Outpost
  • Magic Heist
  • Cheesie’s Pizza Party
  • Mystery Manor
  • Hidden Temple
  • Merlin’s Legacy
  • Pirate’s Curse
  • INVASION!

About Stevie and Stephen Kristof

Instagram: @asseenonstevie

Stephen Kristof, is the founder, lead designer and director of Realm of Terror in Round Lake Beach, along with 60 to Escape with locations in Gurnee and Schaumburg in Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He’s also created Putt Portal Mystery Golf, which fuses puzzles with immersive mini golf.

An instructor at the Kosart Atelier, Stevie Kristof (née Calabrese) works to further her professional abilities while teaching others her trade. Her accomplishments span mediums from projects with renowned horror photographer Joshua Hoffine to makeup applications for commercials and web series. Currently, she serves as the Lead Makeup and Creature Designer for one of the top haunted attractions in the country, The Realm of Terror.

Support REPOD

• Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content.
• Please rate and review our podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post REPOD S10E5: Ambitious and Unhinged: Stephen & Stevie Kristof of 60 to Escape appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

There was one overwhelming standout as the favorite game of the trip. It’s no surprise it won a Golden Lock Award shortly thereafter. After that, however, there was much less consensus.

After each of our escape room Tours, we send the players a survey that asks them to stack rank every game they played. Here are the results!

The Favorite Game

The Forest of Fables at CU Adventures was the favorite game, with 75% of survey respondents ranking it #1.

CU Adventures’ newest game was full of unexpected twists and turns. Plus it was just so adorable.

Second Place Tie

With the weighted ranking, three games came in next, all contending equally for that #2 spot:

• Game Night at CU Adventures
• Lockbuster Video at 60 to Escape
• Rise of the Icarus at CU Adventures

Game Night won a Golden Lock Award in 2022 and always wins the hearts of Dungeons & Dragons players. David recently recorded a Spoilers Club episode all about Game Night with creators Anne & Chris Lukeman, where they dig into the game’s journey from pop up to permanent (and long running!) installation, in addition to talking through the puzzles and interactions. This is episode is available to our Patreon backers.

Lockbuster Video wasn’t officially on the Tour because it would have felt crowded in teams of 4, but almost every player found a buddy or two to play it with and squeezed in a booking. They didn’t regret it.

Diverse Number Ones

While one game was voted #1 most often, each of these games placed as at least one player’s favorite game of the trip:

• Arctic Expedition at 60 to Escape
• Game Night at CU Adventures
• Jurassic Outpost at 60 to Escape
• Magic Heist at 60 to Escape
• Mystery Manor at 60 to Escape
• Rise of the Icarus at CU Adventures
• The Forest of Fables at CU Adventures

The Tour featured four games from 60 to Escape, and three of them turned out to be at least one player’s favorite. Interestingly, while Lockbuster Video ranked more highly than these others in aggregate (by ranking as #2 or #3 for many players) it wasn’t anyone’s #1 of the Tour. Mystery Manor was also not officially on the Tour, due to its small size, but lots of people played and loved it.

60 to Escape is an extremely consistent company, and any given player’s favorite tends to come down to thematic preference.

Search For A Superhero by The Mystery League was a tabletop puzzle experience that was also featured as part of the Tour. While not exactly an escape room, one player ranked it as their favorite game of the Tour. This encourages us to continue bringing escape room adjacent activities into these events!

Reactions from Tour Attendees

For this Tour, the attendee reactions really centered around one game, Forest of Fables.

“Forest of Fables carried a narrative to an extent I’ve never experienced before in an escape room. It continued to surprise both in story and structure throughout, gave the space for exemplary game guides to shine, and had a scaffolding that allowed players to follow the story even when we were chiefly engaged in puzzling.”

“The story, set, and character interaction in Forest of Fables were all excellently executed and made that game solidly my favorite in the trip.”

“LOVED: The Forest Fables! So delightful, fun & theatrical…perfect recipe for an A+ room!”

The other popular game to talk about was Game Night,… and that’s why we knew we had to make the Spoilers Club episode.

“Game Night rolled a 20 for gamer nostalgia.”

“Game Night: what a wonderful experience! What game enthusiast doesn’t want to spend some time playing in a full-sized RPG world??”

Shout outs for LabEscape

LabEscape wasn’t officially on the Tour, but it was a gem that Tour attendees unearthed in Champaign-Urbana. One person wrote in their survey that “LabEscape was amazingly geeky.”

It was these comments from the many people who visited that convinced us we had to see it for ourselves, even while running a Tour.

And that led to REPOD Season 9, Episode 10 Untangling Quantum Mechanics – Paul Kwiat of LabEscape, where David and Peih-Gee start by talking about a science-inspired escape room, and move straight into quantum mechanics, but in a way that everyone can understand.

Traveling Tour

CU Adventures and 60 to Escape aren’t exactly close together. This meant we had to get creative with our Tour design. We took a bus 2.5 hours each direction in the middle of the Tour… and it was worth it.

If you’re traveling to this region, check out our Chicago Escape Room Recommendation Guide, which tells you not just the best games to play in Chicago (many at 60 to Escape and a few other gems), but also the best games to play on your way to Milwaukee (seriously, it’s worth heading north for some really unusual games), and what to book in Champaign-Urbana. It’s a full region guide. We can’t wait to return.

Future Tours

Our next Tour is right around the corner. We’ll be taking 50 people to The Netherlands in October.

We’ll be announcing our spring tour later this fall. The best way to find out where we’ll be going is to support us on Patreon. There’s even a Patreon tier that gets early access to tickets. And these tours sell out!

The post The Top Escape Rooms of Chicago & Champaign-Urbana [Time & Space Tour Survey Results] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: Gurnee, IL

Date Played: May 3, 2025

Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: Prices start at $90 per game, but pricing varies by day and number of players.

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: At least one player has to crawl.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Museum Heist was a marriage of 3 common escape room themes: museum exhibits, heists, and ancient Egypt. The main thrust of this game was the puzzles. There was a good amount of content to play though, and it all solved well.

And while there was a heist component, Museum Heist didn’t quite sell the drama and intensity of a heist.

From my perspective, this was a good escape room, but one of the weaker 60 to Escape games that I have played. It didn’t have the same level of personality and charm as the rest of the games in their catalogue. At a different escape room company, Museum Heist would stand out as a stronger game, but within the walls of 60 to Escape, it didn’t quite shine like so much of their work does. It’s absolutely worth playing, but it’s the lowest priority of all of the games that I have seen from them. At their Gurnee location, don’t miss Duke’s Farm and Hidden Temple.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Heist fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Solid puzzles
• A playful environment

Story

An extremely valuable jewel had found its way into our local antiquities museum. Fortunately for our crew of thieves, we already had someone on the inside. He couldn’t steal it for us, but he certainly made it easier for us to pull off the heist.

Setting

As the title implied, Museum Heist was set within an eclectic museum, primarily in the Ancient Egypt exhibit. The space was filled with convincing replicas of Egyptian artifacts.

Gameplay

60 to Escape’s Museum Heist was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

 Museum Heist was a puzzle-focused game. It used some classic escape room heist tropes in a good way. These puzzles were fun to solve. They solved cleanly.

 The set looked good and sold the premise that we were in an antiquities museum.

 That said, the set wasn’t as dramatic as some of the others at 60 to Escape. There were opportunities to play with scale, or generally make some of the art more astounding.

 There was a hidden humor to this game that made it more than the sum of its parts. We unlocked a few details that showed us Museum Heist didn’t take itself too seriously, which was refreshing.

Tips For Visiting

• The game is in Gurnee Mills mall. Park at entry J near Top Shelf Hockey
• There is a food court nearby in the mall.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape’s Museum Heist, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape comped our tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape – Museum Heist [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

That cow is radiant!

Location: Gurnee, IL

Date Played: May 3, 2025

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: Prices start at $90 per game, but pricing varies by day and number of players.

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: At least one player has to crawl.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I thought that I had 60 to Escape’s style figured out. Then I played Duke’s Farm and had to accept that there was even more depth here than I had realized. Duke’s Farm was silly, verging on unhinged.

There was a playfulness to all of 60 to Escape’s games, but not like this. Duke’s Farm leaned hard into the absurd and landed it.

To add to the intrigue of this game, Duke’s Farm felt notably difficult compared to 60 to Escape’s other games. It’s not unreasonably challenging, but there were individual puzzles that asked a lot more than the other 60 to Escape games that we have played.

All of this combined into a truly interesting game. I don’t think that this is a must-play for everyone, but for players who are excited by a combination of challenge and whimsy with just a bit of edge to it… Duke’s Farm was a unique experience. I have to imagine that 60 to Escape must have had a blast designing this one.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Comedy fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• An unhinged story
• Fun environmental design
• Strong, challenging puzzles

Story

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Duke’s Farm. It’s just a normal farm, doing normal farm things.

Setting

Duke’s Farm had us exploring a barn where everything looked great… but narratively it was clear that everything was just a little bit wrong. 60 to Escape clearly had a lot of fun building this space and cramming it with humorous details.

Gameplay

60 to Escape’s Duke’s Farm was a standard escape room with a higher level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

 This thematic mashup was brilliant, and lent itself to really funny set decor, props, and puzzles. 60 to Escape made this core to the game, integrating it from the opening moments through to the final interaction.

 The set looked great. As we moved through it, the look and feel changed dramatically, but in each area the vibe was right, which made the ridiculous theme come to life.

 We encountered some low doorways in the late game that meant we had to be especially cognizant moving through the gamespace.

 One big late game prop was a bit finicky. The main interaction required precision that wasn’t clued.

 Duke’s Farm pulled off a surprising set-based maneuver rarely seen in the U.S. This is hard to do, and 60 to Escape executed it exceptionally well.

 The puzzles were challenging but fair. The clues were there. We had to put in effort, but the payoff was worth it. We felt smart solving these puzzles.

Tips For Visiting

• The game is in Gurnee Mills mall. Park at entry J near Top Shelf Hockey
• There is a food court nearby in the mall.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape’s Duke’s Farm, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape comped our tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape – Duke’s Farm [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: April 26, 2025

Team Size: As many as you want; we recommend splitting into groups of 2-6

Duration: about 45 minutes

Price:  $15 per adult, $13 per child

Ticketing: Public… meaning other groups are also on course, but you travel from hole to hole with your group

Accessibility Consideration: all players will need to be able to swing a putter

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I love mini golf way too much. (I sat out of playing an escape room in Orlando to play mini golf instead!) Putt Portal combined two of my favorite things into a cohesive 9-hole puzzle-and-putt course. With unique holes, puzzles every step of the way, and a golden putter to be found, we enjoyed playing Putt Portal between escape rooms at 60 to Escape’s Schaumburg location.

While the puzzles were cute, and we appreciated the concluding meta puzzle, most of the puzzles had an opportunity to be more interesting and more integrated with the holes themselves.

The hole design was the most impressive part of the experience. The construction of the course was really well done. We loved the variation in the hole design, both aesthetically and mechanically. Each new hole had our team excited to keep playing. Plus, it was brilliant design decision by 60 to Escape to place the mini golf course on the other side of the mall window so passersby could see all the fun.

As a quick experience with a lower price point, and considering its appeal to families and adults alike, Putt Portal is the perfect addition to a trip to 60 to Escape in Schaumburg, or really any Woodfield Mall adventure.

Who is this for?

• Mini-golf fans
• Scenery snobs
• Families
• Dates
• Any experience level

Why play?

• 9 fun mini-golf courses with creative designs
• A very light layer of puzzles

Story

We mini-golfed our way through time and space, putting and puzzling through obstacles throughout history and fantasy.

Setting

Putt Portal is in 60 to Escape’s location in the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. It can be seen through large glass windows from the mall walkway. The space was filled with mini golf-style holes inspired by 60 to Escape’s numerous escape rooms, each with a unique puzzle-y twist.

Gameplay

60 to Escape’s Putt Portal was a 9-hole mini-golf course combined with light puzzle-hunt style puzzles at each hole.

While playing mini golf, players could solve puzzles along the way to win a prize.

Analysis

 Putt Portal was polished and well-kept. Each hole felt well maintained, especially considering the amount of children who have presumably walked over and slammed golf clubs into the décor.

/  The introduction that included getting our balls was adorable, but caused two players in our group to receive the same color balls. This was confusing while we were on the course.

 Each hole felt varied and vastly different from the last in terms of both gameplay and aesthetic. With unique mini golf challenges, the holes had their own personalities tied to various escape rooms at different 60 to Escape locations.

 The starting place for each hole was typically unclear, leaving our team confused where to start. More obviously identifiable starting spots would make the player experience smoother.

 One hole in particular felt similar to a Survivor challenge, and we couldn’t stop playing with it! We found ourselves going back to replay the same hole over and over to prove ourselves. Many of the holes were unique and had incredibly fun mechanics on top of normal mini golf.

 The course was designed to be as flat and accessible as possible, but due to the use of multiple ramps per hole, the ball could easily fall out of the putting area.

/ Each puzzle added an extra layer of fun to the experience, but the puzzle design peaked at the first hole. We wished the puzzles were more interesting and integrated with the holes themselves. Unfortunately, they sometimes felt like an afterthought.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options. We loved Falafill in the food court.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape’s Putt Portal Mystery Golf, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape comped our tickets for this game.

The post 60 To Escape – Putt Portal Mystery Golf [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Arctic Expedition is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Location:  Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: October 23, 2024

Team size: 2-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $90 per team for a group of 2 to $320 per team for a group of 8

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Arctic Expedition was aesthetically beautiful; I was thoroughly impressed with the ice and snow built into the game.

Beyond aesthetics, the narrative design of Arctic Expedition was strangely inventive. They took some interesting swings here, and hit. My biggest gripe with Arctic Expedition was that the wildest risk that they took and landed was kind of undermined by the fact that they did something far too similar in one of their other games.

From a gameplay standpoint, Arctic Expedition was a good, if slightly chaotic game with difficulty spiking and flatlining without rhyme or reason.

Of the 5 games that I have reviewed from 60 to Escape Schaumburg, Arctic Expedition was probably my least favorite… and I still liked it a whole lot. It’s a very strong game. This is a matter of taste not quality, underscoring how impressive 60 to Escape Schaumburg is. I’ve visited a lot of escape room companies over the past 11 years and there are not many that have 5 games that I’d even bother playing, let alone enjoy. Word is that they have another game on the way and I hope that I get to play it soon.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Cryptid connoisseurs
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• A beautiful, frosty set
• Humor
• Solid puzzles

Story

While staying at an Arctic research facility, we received a distressed radio signal that led us to believe that there was a Yeti in our midst. With the temperature plummeting, we had a finite amount of time to confirm this amazing discovery.

Setting

Arctic Expedition was heavily detailed and arguably the most refined set in the current 60 to Escape Schaumburg lineup. While the gamespace felt a bit tight, it was exceptionally well-designed.

The entire game focused on delivering an arctic adventure within the smallest footprint possible, and they pulled it off.

Gameplay

60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Arctic Expedition was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observation, minor physical challenges, making connections, communicating, and puzzling.

Analysis

 The set was cool. The snow and ice were especially notable, both from a set design and gameplay standpoint.

 The writing of Arctic Expedition was surprisingly funny and well-executed.

/  While Arctic Expedition had solid puzzles, there were flow issues stemming from the game’s physical layout (because they gave us too much information too early) and small execution flaws like tiny fonts on the game’s most complicated puzzle.

There is nothing wrong with extremely easy puzzles, but they are best served at the beginning of the game.

 A less common puzzle-type that usually ends in confusion or tears was well-clued.

/ The finale was interesting and comical. It also felt like it could have been more of a moment. It was a bit undermined by the fact that 60 to Escape Schaumburg did something far too similar with another game in the building. This was probably the better version, but it was the second one, and it was made worse by the existence of the other game’s ending.

 I missed it in the moment, but the beginning of and end of Arctic Expedition was brilliantly and subtly tied together.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Arctic Expedition, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape Schaumburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape Schaumburg – Arctic Expedition [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Lockbuster Video is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Location:  Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: October 24, 2024

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 2-3

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $90 per team for a group of 2 to $320 per team for a group of 8

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The humor and cleverness of Lockbuster Video stole my heart. With strong use of an animatronic character that brought a lot more personality than it had a right to, I consistently found 60 to Escape surprising me with the design decisions that they made within this small game.

If I had to explain 60 to Escape Schaumburg in two words, they are “remarkable consistency.” All of their games are strong, and I suspect that if you were to poll a collection of people who play all of their games, “favorites” would be statistically all over the place. It’s a quality venue.

For me personally, playing Lockbuster Video as a duo, this was my favorite game in the building… but that statement comes with a big “but.” That “but” is that the game is really small, which is great if and only if you have a small group. By small group, I mean 2 people. 3 people is ok most of the time, but not all of the time. I am confident that if you bring 4 people who all want to actively play, you have exceeded the comfortable limits of Lockbuster Video.

Lockbuster Video was more than the sum of its parts. I highly recommend playing it, but I cannot state this more clearly: if you’re a serious escape room player, play as a pair. Split your group and send half to the food court or to play Mystery Manor (another game that’s good for a duo). Whatever you do, don’t cram too many active players into Lockbuster Video. Play it the way that it’s meant to be played.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Movie buffs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Visiting a video store
• Strong puzzles
• A funny story
• Surprising set interactions

Story

Movie rental stores are a dying breed. We entered the last Lockbuster Video on Earth to apply for a job. It seemed that the local manager was pretty intense about late fees.

Setting

Lockbuster Video really felt like a Blockbuster Video without the “B” (and some of the square-footage). This exceptionally compact game brought me back to the days of video rental, and then pushed into some interesting and unexpected directions, through creative set design.

The seams of Lockbuster Video’s set were more visible than in the other games, but I also found myself enchanted by what they were doing here and cared less about them.

Gameplay

60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Lockbuster Video was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, dexterity, making connections, communicating, and puzzling.

Analysis

 60 to Escape told a fun story, led by a surprisingly funny character in Mr. Manager. I’m not usually one for animatronics in escape rooms, but I was all in on this one.

 The comedy and details throughout Lockbuster Video demanded attention.

/ Lockbuster Video was a physically small game. I think that it’s truly ideal for 2 or 3 people due to key parts of the floor plan… and there are a couple of spaces where 3 people might be 1 too many.

 The puzzling was broadly strong, with an indy movie sequence presenting the best of the bunch.

 There were a few nuanced moments where the puzzles needed refinement. Examples included a color puzzle that was washed in colored light, and a puzzle that had a deeply misleading clue that turned out to have nothing to do with the puzzle. (The actual answer was less interesting.)

 Lockbuster Video’s set really nailed the look and feel. 60 to Escape also pulled off a creative and simple approach to a truly compelling set-mechanic that is rarely seen in North America.

 The ending was strong and satisfying.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Lockbuster Video, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape Schaumburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape Schaumburg – Lockbuster Video [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Jurassic Outpost is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Location:  Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: October 25, 2024

Team size: 2-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $90 per team for a group of 2 to $320 per team for a group of 8

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I have a life-long soft spot for dinosaurs… so I am happy to report that setting that aside, Jurassic Outpost is a fantastic and well-rounded game. While the aesthetics are very different, it played a lot like Magic Heist. By that I mean that it’s a beautifully designed, and well-built puzzle-focused escape game with very little to quibble about.

The biggest sin of Jurassic Outpost was that the opening puzzle was far more confusing than it probably should be. Difficult first puzzles are always punishing, but doubly so for new players. Everything was great past that point, with some small opportunities for refinement.

At the time of reviewing, Jurassic Outpost was the newest game in 60 to Escape Schaumburg, and it showed in the maturity of both the puzzle and set design. This is a company that has figured out how to build in a particular style, and that style has a ton of appeal.

It’s easy to be cynical about “mall escape rooms,” but 60 to Escape bucks that trend hard. It’s worth traveling to this suburban mall to see what they have going on because they are setting the standard for the greater Chicago area.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Jurassic Park fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Dinosaurs!
• Strong puzzles
• A compelling set and interactions

Story

We had been hired as a recovery team to find a dinosaur stolen by a rogue researcher at the Dinotopia Theme Park. Our mission was to track down the dinosaur and transport it back to the safety of our employers.

Setting

Jurassic Outpost had shades of Jurassic Park, but really felt more like a tropical archeological dig than a dinosaur park, which gave it its own identity. Visually, the game was heavily focused on equipment and artifacts, all of which looked compelling.

The set was broadly well constructed and detailed with the exception of a nook that felt a bit like an afterthought.

Gameplay

60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Jurassic Outpost was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observation, making connections, communicating, and puzzling.

Analysis

 The set was visually compelling. It had a lot going on, but wasn’t confusing.

 The opening puzzle fail state was confusing and obtuse. It was a rough way to start an otherwise strong game.

 Broadly speaking, Jurassic Outpost had strong puzzles and interactions to back them up. The game felt good to play.

 One process puzzle was far too process-y and demanding. It could have benefitted from some indicator lights or a bit of confirmation.

 It felt like there was a ghost puzzle involving wooden pegs that were supposed to do something and never did.

 A ball-roll challenge stood out as especially fun.

 We encountered a button that sounded like we were failing… but it was just the normal sound that the button triggered.

 The presentation of a particular screen was noteworthy.

 This is my bias showing, but anything involving dinosaurs gets a boost from my inner child.

 The finale used a bit of classic Disney magic to good effect.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Jurassic Outpost, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape Schaumburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape Schaumburg – Jurassic Outpost [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Cheesie’s Pizza Party is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Location:  Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: October 24, 2024

Team size: 2-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $90 per team for a group of 2 to $320 per team for a group of 8

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  There is one step

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I walked out of Cheesie’s Pizza Party feeling like it was the most interesting game on offer at 60 to Escape Schaumburg. It had some of the highest highs as well as some of the lowest lows on display in the building, but I left feeling a lot of love for this crazy creation.

The highs were all centered around the ruined Chuck E Cheese parody. While I grew up in the era of Chuck E Cheese, I never set foot in one… so I can’t admit to being wrapped up in nostalgia. In spite of that, I found the story that 60 to Escape told with this ratty rat deeply compelling. I was also quite taken with the world that they built and how effectively it triggered an emotional response. This was especially true during the finale. 60 to Escape stuck the landing.

The lows, on the other hand, were centered on the gameplay that felt like it was constantly bouncing between scavenger hunt and somewhat dysfunctional use of old arcade tech.

Every time Cheesie’s Pizza Party started annoying me, it found another way to win me over. In the end, I walked out of 60 to Escape owning a Cheesie plushie, because I really did enjoy this game, even if it occasionally drove me up the damn wall.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Devotees of Charles Entertainment Cheese
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Chuck E Cheese vibes
• A fantastic animatronic
• The ending was great

Story

Filled with fond feelings of nostalgia, we’d decided to break into the abandoned and very defunct Cheesie’s Pizza family amusement center. With some luck, maybe someone left behind some games, costumes, or those incredibly 90s animatronics.

Setting

Cheesie’s Pizza Party began in the rundown alleyway behind the long closed family entertainment center. Everything was in disarray. Once we made our way inside, we found ourselves in a similarly dilapidated facility, filled with nods to the heyday of arcade birthday parties.

While this was not a horror game, the space was surprisingly ominous. The set was fairly consistently high quality, with the exception of one late-game space that felt under-developed relative to the rest of the game.

Gameplay

60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Cheesie’s Pizza Party was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay heavily revolved around searching, observation, and making connections… and secondarily around deduction and puzzling.

Analysis

 Cheesie’s Pizza Party was very Chuck E Cheese. From set, to interactions, to characters, it nailed the look and feel in a legally distinct way.

 The grim, “broken” world of Cheesie’s did some incredibly cool things from an environmental storytelling standpoint. This was clearly not a horror game and never even came close to veering into horror territory… however, it managed to be surprisingly unnerving on the back of the set design.

 My favorite puzzle of the game was a sweet one.

 There were some weak puzzles. A lot of these problems seemed like they stemmed from building around old arcade cabinets that are very difficult to make do anything other than their pre-programmed functions. Significant portions of the game felt very finicky.

 A color vision puzzle felt like it needed some refinement.

 Cheesie’s Pizza Party was extremely search heavy,

 There was no payoff for an iconic game output.

 I usually dislike animatronics in escape rooms because we usually spend too much time around them for the animatronics to have any magic. That statement doesn’t apply to Cheesie’s. I’ve never liked an animatronic in an escape room more than I liked Cheesie.

 60 to Escape sold Cheesie plushies in the lobby, and they are awesome. I happily bought one. He hangs out in the Reality Escape Pod studio. The escape room world needs more plushes of fun characters.

 Cheesie’s Pizza Party had some strong voice acting.

 There was a surprising amount of unnecessary writing and story details that never paid off. The story allusions left me feeling like there was some grander narrative ambition that was partially cut, abandoned, or forgotten.

 I loved the ending of Cheesie’s Pizza Party.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Cheesie’s Pizza Party, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape Schaumburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape Schaumburg – Cheesie’s Pizza Party [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Magic Heist is one of the best games in the Chicago area. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms around Chicago.

Location:  Schaumburg, IL

Date Played: October 23, 2024

Team size: 2-8; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $90 per team for a group of 2 to $320 per team for a group of 8

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Magic Heist was a compelling and beautiful puzzle-driven escape game.

60 to Escape built an aesthetically marvelous world and populated it with magic-themed puzzles that were all well-rounded and explored a wide variety of puzzle types.

In this broadly refined game, there were a few places where the puzzle design could have benefited from a bit of additional refinement. Plus, the ending really could have benefited from more heft and drama.

Overall, 60 to Escape delivered a phenomenal escape room. I truly wish that every escape room in a mall was built to this exceptional level of quality. We’d have a lot more escape room players.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Magic fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• A strong collection of puzzles
• Fantastic set design
• Great interactions

Story

Calastof the Great, the world’s most renowned magician, had assembled a group of the finest magicians and thieves to engage in a challenge of skullduggery. He wanted us to break into his magical vault and attempt to steal the source of his power.

Setting

Magic Heist had us enter through a vault door into a beautiful brick corridor. There was an impressive level of detailing in the entryway and opening space that also continued throughout the game. Everything throughout Magic Heist was evocative of the game’s stage magic foundation.

Gameplay

60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Magic Heist was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observation, making connections, communicating, and puzzling.

Analysis

 The magical set design was great; the lighting was especially strong.

 The puzzle and interaction design were phenomenal. This was one of the more challenging games at 60 to Escape Schaumburg, and the puzzle set earned the difficulty, paying it off with strong props and interactions.

 One exception to the quality interaction design was an alarming moment that was confusing and chaotic with no payoff… and another puzzle that should have worked regardless of the direction chosen by the team.

 From an accessibility standpoint, blurbs of text were far too verbose, with fonts that were too small… and a critical puzzle was entirely too difficult to make-out, even when we knew what we needed to do.

 After the game, we found ourselves reflecting on one specific puzzle, as it truly stood out.

 And upon reflection, another puzzle felt like a better idea than it was in practice.

 As you’d want from a magic game, there was a well-executed reveal.

 The late-game lacked narrative drama.

Tips For Visiting

• 60 to Escape Schaumburg is located near the center of the Woodfield Mall. Park wherever you desire.
• Arrive with enough time to navigate the mall. This mall’s layout is a little strange.
• 60 to Escape also has its own bathroom, separate from the rest of the mall.
• The Woodfield Mall and surrounding area are filled with food options.

Book your hour with 60 to Escape Schaumburg’s Magic Heist, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 60 to Escape Schaumburg provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post 60 to Escape Schaumburg – Magic Heist [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.