Gather ’round the campfire.

Location: Port Charlotte, FL

Date Played: February 14, 2026

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  from $42.99 per player for teams of 2 to $35.99 per player for teams of 4 or more

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: This experience is not wheelchair accessible.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood rounded out the lovely trio of games at The Escape Ventures Port Charlotte location, including Click & Glitch and Phantom Files. Each of these games tapped into nostalgia, with a playful take on a beloved theme. Nightfall was the spooky (but not too scary) one, taking us to a haunted campsite where an unseen creature lurked in the shadows.

Nightfall was a well-rounded game. The set and effects created an eerie atmosphere. The puzzles flowed well and solved cleanly. And the character who led us to our campsite really sold the fiction, amping up the energy, and especially elevating the end game, which balanced what was the least interesting segment gameplay-wise.

Nightfall would be a great entry point for teams of all kinds… those who like the theme and are new to escape rooms, or escape room veterans who want to try very light horror. For players like us who are neither of those, we loved how this game – like all the games at this venue – had personality and spirit.

While my favorite adventure at this venue is Phantom Files, the theme that vibed best with my tastes, I can see how any one of these games could be a given player’s favorite. If you’re anywhere near Port Charlotte, just book all three games. Each one is delightful in its own way.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Cryptid fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• For campy horror… not too scary
• The atmosphere and vibes
• Good puzzle flow

Story

There was a creature haunting Camp Deadwood. We gathered ’round the campfire to experience the tales of it… or perhaps experience more than just tales.

Setting

Our adventure began around a campfire, in a clearing in the forest, next to a camper. The lighting and scents helped set the eerie tone.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles. While it was lightly horror, it was never scary enough as to make the gameplay extra challenging.

Analysis

 At The Escape Venture’s Port Charlotte location, each game is introduced by a character who makes appearances throughout the experience. The performer who hosted Nightfall for our group brought an energy and passion that elevated the game.

 Nightfall felt bigger than it was. The Escape Ventures made it feel like a menacing creature controlled the place, even without one ever being physically present. They disrupted the set just enough to make the space feel inhabited.

 The set was more than just the visual elements. The Escape Ventures lit up this campground through sounds, scents, special effects.

 The gameplay was well-clued, with good flow, in part from excellent lock-mapping. We always knew where to input a solution. We also appreciated how The Escape Ventures blurred long, extraneous text to keep it from being a red herring.

 There was opportunity for gating in one scene with low light. We spent a lot of time struggling to solve in the dark, when solving a different puzzle first would have given us more light.

We weren’t sure whether to take the menace at Camp Deadwood seriously. Our in-game character clearly took it very seriously, but its in-game visual representation didn’t feel threatening, and didn’t fit with the hold it had over the camp. Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood was approachable horror, and by lightening up on the scare-creature, it’s possible to make the experience more silly parody than horror experience. This game would be fun either way, but we felt some dissonance between how our in-game character felt, and how we thought the game wanted us to feel.

/ We loved the stakes of the finale, and the in-world actions we took to keep ourselves safe. It was dramatic. That said, this scene had the least interesting puzzles, making it a weak finale from a gameplay standpoint.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures provided a complimentary game.

Check out our conversation with Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley, founders of The Escape Ventures, on the Reality Escape Pod.

The post The Escape Ventures – Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Pier into the darkness

Location: Winter Garden, FL

Date Played: February 16, 2026

Team Size: 2-8; We recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  It’s complicated, but about $45 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: One player must climb over a low wall and up a ladder

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The newest (as of this review) addition to The Escape Ventures Winter Garden, Haunted Harbor, found us once again following in the footsteps of the famous Spirit Stalkers to a new haunted locale. Our enthusiastic tour guide gathered our group, gave us a free breathwork lesson, and promptly abandoned us at the threshold of the spooky pier. As all good tour guides do.

The planked path led us to a dilapidated marketplace where the darkness enveloped us and our adventure began in earnest. The transformation and expansion of Haunted Harbor’s physical footprint was impressive. The Escape Ventures honored the legacy of A Fisherman’s Tale, which previously lived in this space, and took the opportunity to add their distinct flair to the set, puzzles, and story. The attention to detail in the set allowed us to be transported to this run-down and possessed locale where we attempted to survive, and perhaps vanquish, The Sinkerman.

Throughout the escape room, the theatrical lighting cues drew our attention to important story beats and played as a guide to focus our attention in crucial moments. However, we found that we struggled on occasion to enter some puzzle solutions or read pieces of important information due to the dim ambient light during puzzling interludes.

We were also impressed by the significant quantity of puzzles packed into the modest space. We especially enjoyed one layered puzzle that required some well clued logical extrapolation to solve. In fact, we relished the process so much, we wished that Haunted Harbor contained perhaps fewer puzzles overall, but more puzzles involving layered, multi-step solves that required synthesis from multiple pieces of information. In general, the game was non-linear with plenty of puzzles available to be done in tandem; however, the game became much more linear during the extended finale. Yet, this shift in style let all of us experience the cool parts together and wrapped up our time in this world with a satisfying spectral bow.

Haunted Harbor was worth the trip to Winter Garden from Orlando. This location was only a 30-minute drive from The Escape Ventures in Orlando and we had a wonderful time experiencing this spooky spectacle. The set, puzzle density, and logical flow were a credit to The Escape Ventures’ brand and growing catalogue of experiences. We’re always excited to see the new creations that come from TEV.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Large quantity of non-linear puzzling
• Detailed and thematic setting
• Spooky theme with playful and humorous moments

Story

Pier 18 was one of the legendary sites haunted by a ghost called the Sinkerman. Those who returned were changed forever. Many were lured onto this dock and lost to the dark waves at the end of the dilapidated planks. But our visit was going to be perfectly safe because the renowned Spirit Stalkers had just held a seance the night before! Our guide still seemed nervous about it though, and strongly encouraged us to take the self-guided tour. Within moments, it became clear that the intrepid exorcists had failed their task. Our only hope was to strike down The Sinkerman and save our souls.

Setting

Pier 18 ticked all the haunted locale boxes. Dilapidated storefronts were devoid of life and shrouded in gloom and despair. Darkness crept in from all sides as the whistling wind and crashing waves drowned out the spark of hope that we might proceed unscathed.

Gameplay

The Escape Venture’s Haunted Harbor was an in-person escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay allowed for a lot of parallel puzzling and included a significant quantity of observation, spatial, and visual puzzles.

Analysis

 The in-universe intro and responses from our gamemaster were fantastic. They did a stellar job capturing our attention and amping us up to get started with our Venture.

The repurposed and upgraded space included a beautiful set that enhanced the spooky tone for the room immediately.

/At one point a player had to climb a ladder. The payoff for that interaction was minimal and the space was largely unused, but we weren’t sure doing more with that space would be worth the safety risk and accessibility issue.

 There were moments where darkness was a hindrance when attempting to enter a combination or trying to see a piece of information set back in the shadows.

 The amount of puzzles packed into Haunted Harbor were impressive and an expert use of the limited footprint.

 One puzzle that conceptually was very clever had a finnicky tool and color matching issues. The interaction worked for us, but we had to be very precise which took away from the cool factor.

 The finale sequence captivated us with its attention to detail, clever puzzles, and clear storytelling.

Tips For Visiting

• Plenty of parking out front of the venue
• 5-10 minute drive to downtown Winter Garden with several dining options

Book your hour with The Escape Venture’s Haunted Harbor, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Venture comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Escape Ventures Winter Garden – Haunted Harbor [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Stalked by the Stalker in the maize maze

Location: Orlando, FL

Date Played: February 16, 2026

Team Size: 2-16; we recommend 4… that’s the ideal, but 3-5 is good

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: $209.97 total for teams of 2-3 players, pricing scales with larger teams

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players need to be able to step up and duck.

Emergency Exit Rating: This game has been approved by the Orlando Fire Marshal.

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

“Cornstalkers: Lost in the Maize was The Escape Ventures’ largest, most ambitious game to date. Blending American and European styles of horror, they created something that was as entertaining as it was expansive.”

REA Reaction

Cornstalkers: Lost In The Maize is one of the only games of its kind in the United States. It’s a horror style common across Europe that downplays jump scares and gore while centering the experience around a menacing character that pursues the players. In The Escape Ventures’ take on this style, the horror had less psychological depth and instead leaned more into the haunted house-style decor and scares that will be familiar to American audiences.

The Escape Ventures has been releasing new games in central Florida at a rapid pace. Cornstalkers was their most ambitious build to date and a huge step up in atmospheric immersion. It boasted a larger set, longer play time, and more actor interaction. They dialed a lot of knobs way up.

I appreciated the pacing of this experience. Some scenes focused on puzzles, and other scenes were built around pursuit by a menace. Adrenaline spiked and then waned as we became comfortable with a new space. We didn’t need to be on edge for every minute of the experience. In this way, Cornstalkers will be approachable to those who are more nervous but intrigued enough to play. Though, to be clear, it was most definitely a horror game.

There was an opportunity for The Escape Ventures to develop the narrative through the puzzles themselves. While Cornstalkers was epic and exciting, we didn’t feel as connected to the story as we could have been had each of our actions furthered the plot and cemented our role in it. The puzzles were well-clued and solved cleanly, but they could be something more.

When I stepped back and thought about the brilliance of Cornstalkers after playing, I was most impressed by the logistics. One performer played every character, moving undetected behind the scenes to always be in the perfect place for the next scene. They hit their timings impeccably. They changed fluidly between personas.

This game represents a huge step forward for The Escape Ventures, and fans of their earlier work will find more of what they already love blended into this new style. You should book Cornstalkers: Lost In The Maize because there aren’t many games this side of the Atlantic that share its DNA. It’s something special.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Horror fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• An expansive set with many scene changes
• Strong acting
• A rare European-style horror game in North America

Story

The Clearview Fall Fair was opening soon, and they had invited a bunch of us social media influences to see it first. From the carnival midway to the haunted corn maze, we’d be live-streaming the whole thing. Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more.

Setting

Cornstalkers was set in a fall fair with a distinct Halloween flair. The set was as lovingly built as it was expansive. Each space that we visited clearly conveyed what it was supposed to be and really sold the fiction.

This was The Escape Venture’s most extensive build, and it was great to see that they could deliver a fantastic environment at scale.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ Cornstalkers: Lost In The Maize was a horror escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

It took us through different scenes, some centered on puzzles and others more on scares.

In the puzzle-focused sections, core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

In the maze, the puzzles were less challenging, and gameplay centered around searching, communicating, and avoiding the menace.

Interacting with in-game characters (on their terms) was a big part of this experience.

Analysis

 The introduction to Cornstalkers was hilarious. The character we met was a funny stereotype… albeit annoying and a bit cringe, by design. Impressively, The Escape Ventures went all in on the intro, in a way that could take on a life of its own. We embraced the silliness of influencer personas and had fun with this scene. This might be awkward for some folks, but let loose and go for it! Know that this character won’t overstay their welcome.

 The second character we met was reserved, safe, and endearing — a perfect balance to the character who greeted us, and to the menace yet to come. We loved how integrated this character was to the puzzle solving in the section of the game that they presided over. Their involvement added variety to the puzzles, including one we really bit into and savored.

/ The Escape Ventures cares a lot about safety. To this end, they have clear rules of engagement with the scare actor playing the menace. They spend time making sure players understand how to safely interact. However, we met multiple characters throughout this experience, and they didn’t all follow the same rules of engagement. There was some immersion-breaking cognitive load when we asked ourselves, “is this interaction allowed?” (It was.) We appreciate that The Escape Ventures wants to be safe and spoiler-free, and we challenge them to continue workshopping the onboarding for clarity across characters.

 The gameplay was balanced, with some scenes leaning into puzzles and others keeping us on edge as we moved through unknown space. I appreciated that the puzzle scenes felt safe, and we could solve without looking over our shoulders every few minutes. I liked the heightened adrenaline of the scarier scenes, where it was clear that our main objective was to avoid the menace and the rules of engagement were clear.

The sets looked great. Cornstalkers was a huge step forward in immersion compared to The Escape Venture’s previous builds. Each space within the set was big. The Escape Ventures used angles and height to make the spaces feel realistic. The decor in the fall festival itself made for a particularly enjoyable environment.

Furthermore, the set was dynamic, opening up spaces for dramatic scenes and spatial solves. This made the scarier parts more intense and the experience overall more exciting.

Menace-driven gameplay is challenging. The Escape Ventures was able to create perceived stakes and build tension around this character, without veering into the territory of capture.

The Escape Ventures minded the details. Every surface was designed and finished, even in some places where they didn’t need to be. We loved how costuming and set dressing blended as part of the story.

/ The puzzles solved cleanly and flowed well. They were tangible and satisfying. That said, there was an opportunity for the puzzles and the narrative to be more intertwined. In some scenes, our in-game actions didn’t support the overarching experience. For example, why were we counting?

 In-game video and audio were hard to hear. This made it hard to follow any specifics of the narrative.

The finale was underwhelming. We craved a boss battle where we defeated the evil, or perhaps even became it.

Cornstalkers is run by one gamemaster who plays every role. I was impressed by the behind-the-scenes logistics that enabled this, and the performer themself. The gamemaster was an active participant in so much of our experience and elevated it in many ways.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ Cornstalkers: Lost In The Maize, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures provided a complimentary game.

Check out our conversation with Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley, founders of The Escape Ventures, on the Reality Escape Pod.

The post The Escape Ventures – Cornstalkers: Lost In The Maize [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

“We try to do something new every three months.”

In 2018, Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley were both attending college, studying business management and theater set design. Additionally, they were both working at an escape room when the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day happened. Severely understaffed, beset with disasters, and lacking resources or appreciation from the owners, Curtis and Derek realized that if they wanted things to run more smoothly, they were going to have to do it themselves. 

And thus, The Escape Ventures was born. They started this business while they were both still in college, and now, six years later, they have three locations with twelve escape rooms, and more on the way. Not only are they incredibly prolific, their games are also critically acclaimed, with three games ranking in the top 300 games in the world. They are also featured in the Escape, Immerse, Explore tour to Orlando.

The speed at which The Escape Ventures creates and builds escape rooms is mind-boggling. Curtis and Derek join us to talk about their quick game development and production cycle. They were also early adopters of ideas like unlimited hints where every team wins. Their game design focuses on immersion, humor, characters, and quirkiness.

Not only do they design and build escape rooms, they also consult with other escape room companies, buy and sell escape rooms, and they have also just opened Geek’d, a game store with a fun and inclusive environment. I am in absolute awe at how much these two have accomplished, all before the age of thirty. I really enjoyed hearing about their process, and I especially enjoyed the conversation about the name Bros for Life, Fraternity Heist. Curtis and Derek have a passion and drive that is really inspiring. I’m really thrilled to learn what this younger generation of escape room designers is bringing to the industry.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.

Morty News:

• Morty is rolling out Instant Bookings directly via the app.
• Escape Room Owners can join the Morty Partner Program for in-app bookings.

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners. (This works for existing users too!)

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

• 00:13 Sponsor Break: Buzzshot, Escape Room Marketing Software
• 05:06 How Academic Experience Translated to Running a Business
• 07:09 How an Understaffed,Terrible Day at an Escape Room Made Them Quit Their Jobs
• 10:28 The  Story Behind Bros For Life, One of The Escape Venture’s Standout Games
• 16:29 Sponsor Break: Morty App, Discover And Track Escape Rooms
• 18:29 The Actor Driven Game: Neighborhood Watcher
• 28:10 Sponsor Break: Cogs By Clockwork Dog, Interactive Show Controls
• 30:15 Operation Arctic Storm and Producing on a Larger Scale
• 34:23 New Games in Port Charlotte
• 47:00 Building Games Modularly
• 48:54 Purchasing Escape Goat
• 53:20 Insights on Working With Your Romantic Partner
• 57:21 The Story of Geek’d Orlando
• 01:09:21 Bonus Story: When Immersive is too Immersive

Leave us 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

• Escape Ventures Website
• Geek’d Orlando Website
• Derek Townsley Design Website
• REA Reviews
  • Phantom Files (Port Charlotte)
  • Click ‘N Glitch (Port Charlotte)
  • Outage: No Vacancy (Orlando)
  • Neighborhood Watcher (Orlando)
  • The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail (Orlando)
  • Operation Arctic Storm: The Final Meltdown (Orlando)
  • Bros for Life Fraternity Heist (Orlando)
  • Area 51 (Originally Escape Goat)
  • Operation Treehouse: Capture the Flag (Originally Escape Goat)
  • Dragon Challenge: A Hero’s Choice (Originally Escape Goat)

About Derek Townsley & Curtis Ratliff

Instagram: @TheEscapeVentures

Facebook: The Escape Ventures Orlando, The Escape Ventures Port Charlotte, The Escape Ventures Winter Garden

Tik Tok: escapeventures

We at The Escape Ventures has been hustling for the past 4 years for non-stop growth and improvement! In just a short time, we have three “The Escape Ventures” Locations, a Board Game Lounge called “Geekd” and a consultation firm that now has clients all over the world for immersive experiences.

For now, we do not see an end to the growth and are excited to bring even more experiences in the coming years!

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 Move Fast & Make Things: The Escape Ventures (REPOD S8E8) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Boo yah!

Location: Port Charlotte, FL

Date Played: February 19, 2024

Team Size: 3-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: $49.99-53.99 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players must climb a few steps

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Phantom Files enthralled us with an intricate, expansive set and a boatload of nerdy nostalgia, pulling from the likes of Ghostbusters, Scooby Doo, and even Clue. The Escape Ventures’ signature humor and quirkiness were on full display throughout every act of this epic adventure.

We were recruited as new members of the Spirit Stalkers, complete with jumpsuits and a catchy theme song. Our objective was simple: find our way into the Lockturne Mansion and find a way to defeat a particular pesky ghost.

Phantom Files didn’t take itself too seriously, giving us full permission to play — and to sing along, to dance, to crack jokes — from start to finish. The joy and glee designed into this experience were infectious, and it was impossible not to be delighted by the countless cheeky references and accessible, satisfying puzzles.

At times, Phantom Files was a notch less thematically focused than The Escape Ventures’ newer Click ‘N Glitch, with some puzzles that fit the environment but didn’t necessarily contribute to the story and a patchwork of pop culture allusions. Though Click ‘N Glitch was a somewhat tighter and more cohesive experience, Phantom Files was no less impressive or delightful. And both experiences demonstrated a wealth of learnings from the many strong offerings at The Escape Ventures’ original Orlando location.

Port Charlotte, Florida, is a sizable trek away from any other escape room hotspots, but if you happen to be in the area or can fit the detour into your itinerary, both Phantom Files and Click ‘N Glitch are not to be missed.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• A labyrinthian manor that’s fun to explore
• You wanna bust some ghosts

Story

As newly recruited Spirit Stalkers, we entered Lockturne Manor to bust some ghosts!

Setting

Phantom Files began outside the infamously haunted Lockturne Manor. Intricate white and purple moulding and lattice-work covered the facade and porch, with bright flowers and the hint of a cemetery around the corner giving the scene an almost cartoonishly Victorian vibe.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ Phantom Files was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around solving puzzles, making connections, searching, and interacting with an actor.

Analysis

 The labyrinthian manor of Phantom Files was gorgeous. Both outside and inside, every detail was polished and meticulously handcrafted, with tasteful laser-cut components and bold textures. Each new space felt different and exciting, yet there was a consistent aesthetic throughout. The space was creatively utilized, with disorienting twists and turns making it feel even more expansive than it actually was.

Thematic costuming immediately enhanced our immersion.

/ There were a few too many stages to the introductory onboarding, and we’d have benefited from a more streamlined entrance into the game. Once we got into the room, the in-character intro was entertaining and clear.

The gameplay was smooth, fun, thematic, and well situated in the environment.

/ The physical mechanics around identifying and capturing ghosts made sense and established our roles as ghost hunters. These ghosts were funny yet ultimately minor characters, appearing too briefly to meaningfully contribute to the narrative.

A radiant input was awkwardly positioned, literally tripping over itself and inevitably leading to some amount of breakage.

The Escape Ventures loves their 2×5 positional locks. While I have nothing against this less common lock type, being instructed how to use a special lock before every game is not fun. I question whether these instructions could be provided more naturally in-game.

An environmental transformation cleverly took advantage of the layout of the set.

The final act was surprising and satisfying, with an emotionally resonant and appropriately campy payoff.

Phantom Files was a 90-minute game, and my team finished in about half the time. The game included a substantial quantity of puzzles that all flowed very smoothly, and I have no doubt that most teams in the regional market will take closer to the full 90 minutes. That said, enthusiasts needn’t puzzle too hard. Additionally, as The Escape Ventures continues to experiment with more involved, larger-scale experiences, I encourage them to explore alternate quality labels (such as “traditional” vs “premium” experience) when explaining or justifying their price differentiation, beyond just charging more relative to the duration of the experience.

Reality Escape Pod

Be sure to listen to our conversation with Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley, founders of The Escape Ventures  during Season 8, Episode 8 of the Reality Escape Pod.

Tips For Visiting

• Phantom Files is located in The Escape Ventures’ Port Charlotte location.
• There is a parking lot.
• Review our tips for playing escape rooms with actors.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ Phantom Files, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Escape Ventures – Phantom Files [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

&

Location: Port Charlotte, FL

Date Played: February 19, 2024

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $32.99-38.99 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: At least one player needs to crawl or kneel

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Click ‘N Glitch took us on a nostalgia trip to the 1980s. Almost a heist, our objective was not to steal anything but rather to set a brand new high score and claim all the glory (and tokens) at our favorite local arcade.

Throughout many of their games, including Bros for Life: Fraternity Heist and Neighborhood Watcher, The Escape Ventures has embraced quirky, off-beat themes that cast the players as kids. In Click ‘N Glitch, we were middle schoolers who just wanted to have a good time at our favorite hangout spot. With this setup, we are not asked to be anyone other than ourselves, yet by quite literally bringing out our inner child, we are given explicit permission to play.

This set the stage for a joyful and action-packed adventure. Countless puzzles provided nonstop fun, and a sequence of brief actor interactions humorously elevated the experience.

I’m impressed by The Escape Venture’s approach to escape room design; specifically, with their thoughtful balance of business and creative considerations. With each new experience they design, they level up in a myriad of small ways, from their build quality to their storytelling to their lighting and sound design. Yet, with typical build times of a mere few months per game, a strong pulse on local audience preferences, and an increasing eye towards modularity and portability in their set design, they’re truly building business sustainability into their creative process. Furthermore, such rapid iteration allows them to experiment and learn about player behavior much more effectively than games that take multiple years to come into existence. It’s rare to see creators in the fast-paced category churning out new experiences at as high a level as The Escape Ventures.

If you are anywhere near Port Charlotte, both Click ‘N Glitch and Phantom Files are delightfully creative, nostalgia-filled adventures that are not to be missed. For escape room enthusiasts visiting Florida, Port Charlotte is admittedly a ways away from other escape room hotspots, but it’s worth the detour if you have the time — especially once The Escape Ventures opens their third and final game at this location, Nightfall: Creature at Camp Deadwood. (We got a peek at the in-progress set and it was already looking great!)

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• 1980s nostalgia
• To feel like a kid again
• A vibrant, playful environment with dozens of bite-sized puzzles

Story

As middle schooler arcade fiends, we decided to break into the Click ‘N Glitch Arcade Palace after-hours in an attempt to set a new high score.

Setting

Click ‘N Glitch began just outside the entrance of the titular arcade. Inside, the classic trappings of an 80s arcade awaited: boldly patterned wallpapers and carpets, glass display cases of cheap tchotchkes, fluorescent lighting, and, of course, plenty of arcade machines.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ Click ‘N Glitch was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around solving puzzles, making connections, searching, and evading a security guard.

Analysis

 From the carpet to the ceiling, Click ‘N Glitch nailed the 1980s arcade vibe. Sound, lighting, and smell all contributed to a clear sense of place.

The story was simple and coherent. Starting with a creative entrance into the space, we were invited to play versions of ourselves as arcade-obsessed middle schoolers. The gameplay, props, choreography, and actor interactions all reinforced this narrative.

/ The Escape Ventures developed 2 original characters, the titular Click and Glitch, to headline the game. The internal worldbuilding to make these characters feel like decades-beloved mascots went a long way. Detailed and distinctive, these characters appeared throughout the game in both 2D and 3D, and also represented our cat-and-mouse chase with the security guard. Custom plushies of Click and Glitch looked incredible — and were perhaps a missed opportunity for some adorable purchasable merch.

Click ‘N Glitch was jam-packed with nearly 30 puzzles. They were fun, playful, and accessible, providing a constant flow of dopamine hits. Everything was tactile, nostalgic, and perfectly themed, from a kid’s bike to trays of iconic arcade prizes.

Many of the puzzles involved some variation on sequence matching. Though they were reasonably differentiated, there was room for a greater variety of puzzle types.

Click ‘N Glitch was a lock-heavy game, yet it was consistently clear which puzzle went with which lock. We also encountered some interesting and intuitive-to-use lock types we hadn’t seen before.

A throwaway interaction ended up being one of our favorite moments of the game. It positioned us at just the right angles to experience the full immersion from a youthful perspective before seamlessly transitioning back into the gameplay. Nothing was wasted.

/ For an arcade-themed game, Click ‘N Glitch delivered on the arcade games. Their physical presence felt substantial, clicky buttons provided satisfying inputs, and their theming was enthralling. Our main interaction with these machines was fun the first few times but quickly became somewhat repetitive.

 Click ‘N Glitch was tastefully situated within the broader world of The Escape Ventures. Multiple Easter eggs and characters referenced The Escape Ventures’ other games both in Port Charlotte and Orlando.

/ The finale fulfilled on the core narrative premise with delight and excitement. A boss battle was sleek and collaborative but perhaps too simple, leaving us wanting a more challenging ramp-up in difficulty.

Reality Escape Pod

Be sure to listen to our conversation with Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley, founders of The Escape Ventures during Season 8, Episode 8 of the Reality Escape Pod.

Tips For Visiting

• Click ‘N Glitch is located in The Escape Ventures’ Port Charlotte location.
• There is a parking lot.
• Review our tips for playing escape rooms with actors.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ Click ‘N Glitch, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Escape Ventures – Click ‘N Glitch [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Put on your tinfoil hat

Location: Winter Garden, FL

Date Played: November 16, 2023

Team Size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $34 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: One person will need to crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Escape Goat is a company that has been around for a long time (by escape room standards). Area 51 has been available since the day Escape Goat opened their doors. That’s seven and a half years as of this review, which is basically forever in escape room years. How did this older room stand up to the test of time?

Area 51 was a game that felt its age and offered new-feeling experiences. The setting had its charms – set design that built intrigue, copious references to sci-fi works, both popular and esoteric – while it also had many of the trappings of a typical office setting. There was a desk to rifle through, a tall standing cabinet, a lab coat hanging up; many of the standard items we expect to see.

But some of the newness and additions were signs that Escape Goat is still iterating on Area 51 even after all these years. New props and interactions made this escape room play somewhat differently from what I am told it looked like when it debuted. And with good results, both for gameplay and business. Reinvesting in an existing game and making improvements is a less resource-intensive way for a company to stay up to date.

Escape Goat is a solid company in an increasingly competitive Orlando-area market. Area 51 did a lot of things right, but it wasn’t their most engaging game or their most interesting storyline. Unless this theme speaks to you, I recommend The Quest or Operation Treehouse more strongly. If you’re in the area it’s worth stopping by to see what Escape Goat has to offer.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Conspiracy theorists
• Sci-fi fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Fun and interesting reveals
• A blend of modernity with old-school trappings

Story

It was our first day on the job at Area 51. As anyone might expect, things didn’t go exactly as planned.

Setting

Area 51 took place in a combination office/ laboratory that was well dressed with sci-fi references.

Gameplay

Area 51 was a standard escape room of medium difficulty with puzzles that focused on parallel puzzling and making connections.

Analysis

 Area 51 had very high puzzle density; there was always something for us to be doing.

 Lock mapping wasn’t always perfect. Many locks were positionally or thematically related to the solution, but there were a few locks that required the same input type that forced us to search for the correct lock.

 One new tech item in particular enlarged our expectations for the room, and the surprising payoff did nothing to diminish them.

 Some areas of the room felt underutilized.

 Our team built up a level of anticipation over two particular set pieces and reveals that made this room very memorable.

Tips For Visiting

• Parking: There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Escape Goat’s Area 51, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

The post The Escape Ventures – Area 51 [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Treehouse of wonders

Location: Winter Garden, FL

Date Played: November 16, 2023

Team Size: 4-8; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $34 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: At least one player will need to climb stairs

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Escape Goat has been a longtime stalwart of the Orlando-area escape room scene. They wowed us with the look and feel of The Quest and they have only gotten better at making rooms that look great and are fun to explore.

Operation Treehouse nailed the charming sort of idealized nostalgia of a perfect childhood treehouse. It was overengineered in a childishly delightful way, full of all the trappings of the perfect clubhouse – right down to the pile of math homework, ignored on the table.

Each area of Operation Treehouse had some kid-friendly task to complete. There was plenty of space for our team to work, sometimes together and sometimes on parallel tasks. We found ourselves visiting each space multiple times throughout the game, except for one oddly underserved area. We completed an interaction early on, but we never felt satisfied that we were done with that section. We wanted more out of what looked like a bigger set piece.

Operation Treehouse was a game that had a real sense of what it wanted to be, and Escape Goat made it happen. If you’re visiting the escape room destination that Orlando is becoming, you should stop by and be a kid again.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• A pervasive sense of fun and nostalgia
• Puzzles that truly feel at home in a child’s treehouse

Story

Our team, the Blue Goats, had infiltrated the treehouse of the Red Squirrels. Could we finally capture their flag and bring the Blue Goats a win?

Setting

Operation Treehouse was set up to look like the interior of every kid’s dream treehouse: full of puzzles, games, and complicated plans to claim victory over the other team.

Gameplay

Operation Treehouse was a standard escape room of medium difficulty. Gameplay was based around puzzling, making connections, and interacting with childhood objects.

Analysis

 Prior to booking the game, accessibility considerations (the need for one person to climb stairs) were stated right on the game description page.

/ One particular interaction was extremely fun to play around with, but finicky controls nearly drove us crazy.

 Operation Treehouse was just delightful to be inside. The set was youthful and vibrant with a high degree of charm.

 One area of the game felt overbuilt and underutilized to the point that we kept going back to it whenever we were stuck after completing the interaction there.

 The set built anticipation by having key elements visible but not fully accessible until we had the proper tools.

Tips For Visiting

• Parking: There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Escape Goat’s Operation Treehouse, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

The post The Escape Ventures – Operation Treehouse: Capture the Flag [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Christmas in Florida

Location:  Orlando, Florida

Date Played: July 21, 2023

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $35.99 per person for teams of 4+ (more per person for smaller teams)

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  This game is wheelchair accessible, according to The Escape Ventures website.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The title, “The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail” tells you exactly what to expect from this escape room: it’s weird and funny. We’ve played a lot of Christmas-themed escape rooms, but none set up quite like this one. This quaint, cozy home was full of delightful laughs.

The Satirical Miracle was the most puzzle-focused game at The Escape Ventures. Yes it has some of the character work and quirky gameplay that they have become known for, but for a company that has built their brand around a quirky style, this was the most traditional escape game in the building. Depending upon what you’re looking for, this may or may not be a selling feature.

While the other escape rooms at The Escape Ventures push the envelope a bit more in terms of narrative, characters, and even weirdness, this one showcases the company’s talent for puzzle design (which underpins all their experiences) and knack for humor. If you’re heading out to Escape Ventures Neighborhood Watcher, Operation Arctic Storm: The Final Meltdown, and Bros for Life Fraternity Heist are our favorites (and Outage: No Vacancy has a more unusual gameplay mechanic), but if those games don’t call to you, or you have extra time, The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail is a jolly good time.

Not every game needs to be an especially unusual specimen in order to be worth playing.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Christmas aficionados
• Fans of humorous escape rooms
• Any experience level

Why play?

• It’s funny
• Fun puzzles with satisfying solves
• The set up is entertaining

Story

It was time to decorate for Christmas! Granny Fanny needed us to clean up the fall decor and transform her house for Christmas before her guests would arrive. We had to be swift because we knew Granny could hold a grudge.

Setting

The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail had a cute set. We began in a kitschy exterior set with a lot of charm. That set transitioned to a warm interior set. It felt Christmas-y.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

/ The set ups for this game were adorable… both of them. We were a little confused by the existence of two different introductions. We loved both the original set up, and then the pivot at the entrance of the game, but we never understood how they fit together, or why.

 The whimsical exterior set was charming. The warm interior set felt Christmas-y. It was appropriately warm and homey. We enjoyed the Christmas lights.

 The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail offered a variety of puzzle types. There were a number of layered puzzles with especially satisfying solves.

 At some points, we were unsure what solve has triggered what reveal. There were some opportunities for more distinct feedback.

/ In their newer games, The Escape Ventures leans into character interactions. In the The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail, an actor played only a small role. Narratively, this felt forced. It wasn’t particularly Christmas-y, and thus we weren’t quite sure how to play the moment. However, the associated puzzle was funny. Additionally, it was a more interesting and unexpected interaction than this type of prop typically produces in escape rooms. We always appreciate blurring the boundaries of the gamespace.

Reality Escape Pod

Be sure to listen to our conversation with Curtis Ratliff and Derek Townsley, founders of The Escape Ventures  during Season 8, Episode 8 of the Reality Escape Pod.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a large parking lot.
• There are many restaurants close by. We enjoyed Vespr Coffee Bar, just across the parking lot.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Escape Ventures – The Satirical Miracle: A Jolly Tale of Granny’s Blackmail [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Can someone find the breaker box?

Location:  Orlando, Florida

Date Played: July 21, 2023

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

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $35.99 per person for teams of 4+ (more per person for smaller teams)

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  Note that the majority of this game takes place in complete darkness.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Ironically, the nicest set in The Escape Ventures building is the opener to their fully dark experience Outage: No Vacancy.

This small, detailed and weathered room set the creepy tone for our foray into darkness.

We’ve played half a dozen dark escape rooms and each one has its own style. Outage: No Vacancy relied heavily on touch and communication. It was well constructed to avoid light bleed (which is the most common problem in these games). The puzzles were fair, tactile in nature, and provided the right amount of challenge and uniqueness.

All that being said, we weren’t thrilled with some of amount of puzzle and prop debris that eventually cluttered the dark space, especially late-game.

Note that Outage: No Vacancy was creepy, not scary. And really, at the point where players are in the dark, it’s a challenge room; the creepiness doesn’t factor in. Rather than lean into the character-driven experience they are known for, with this game, The Escape Ventures leaned into the gameplay constraint. It’s a different style and they do make it work.

Play Outage: No Vacancy for the novelty of the set up. If this appeals, you’ll have a lot of fun.

Who is this for?

• Fans of fully dark games
• Scenery snobs… for the first few minutes
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• The lit portion was beautifully constructed with well clued gameplay
• Unusual dark escape room puzzles
• To experience the dark escape room style

Story

Back in 1969 there had been a massive power outage at Madame Locktane’s Inn & Suites. The Inn’s janitor had attempted to fix the issue. Power was restored… but the staff was never heard from again.

Now, 50 years later, we’d been hired to repair any issues before the Inn’s grand re-opening… hopefully we wouldn’t be plunged into darkness and lost forever.

Setting

Outage: No Vacancy began in the hallway of a beautifully rundown hotel. The first 10 minutes had all the detail… and from there we transitioned into a fully dark room where we explored by touch.

Gameplay

The Escape Ventures’ Outage: No Vacancy was a dark escape room with a moderate level of difficulty. The majority of the gameplay took place in complete darkness.

Core gameplay revolved around searching and observing with our sense of touch, communicating well, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

 The opening set was small, but strong. It was incredibly detailed and transported us to a creepy old hotel. It had the right vibe.

 The story didn’t make a ton of sense. The audio volume in the first scene was too low, which might have contributed to this. But once we got into the dark room, any story became irrelevant. While this wasn’t inherently bad – at that point players are focused on the novelty of solving in the dark – there was opportunity for the story to be more fully integrated into the experience.

 The Escape Ventures subverted expectations with an early reveal, that only later showed its true nature.

 The puzzles in the opening scene flowed well and included delightful ahas.

 We encountered some heavy wear on some of the touch puzzles that made them less distinct and therefore unnecessarily challenging. A lock with stiff buttons added the same type of unnecessarily obstacle.

 Many of the interactions in the dark produced obstacles that littered the dark set. We spent extra energy calling out these obstacles and avoiding running into them.

The puzzles in the dark portion of the game were fair. They worked well given the sensory constraint. They were fun to solve.

The Escape Ventures managed light bleed well. Outage: No Vacancy was well sealed. It provided a truly dark escape room experience.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a large parking lot.
• There are many restaurants close by. We enjoyed Vespr Coffee Bar, just across the parking lot.

Book your hour with The Escape Ventures’ Outage: No Vacancy, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Escape Ventures comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Escape Ventures – Outage: No Vacancy [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.