Location:  Wharton, New Jersey

Date Played: November 26, 2024

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 4-6

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: $49 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  There are a few steps within the game.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

With their ninth escape room (yes, really!) in their Wharton, New Jersey, location, 13th Hour Escape Rooms continues to build upon their reputation as an escape room destination, known for their fantastic sets, engaging actors, and high quality puzzles. The Campground earns high marks in all of these areas… plus it added one of the best escape room sound tracks I’ve ever spent 90 minutes dancing to, while solving puzzles, of course.

We had to keep focused because The Campground packed a lot of puzzles. Smaller teams, beware: there was a lot to solve and this game is designed to be solved in parallel. (And yes, I am speaking to you, players who always play in duos and have no problem… you’ll have problems.) The puzzles were plentiful and engaging. They utilized the full set (which wasn’t small!) and were largely tactile in nature. Completing this game was challenging, but every moment was really fun.

13th Hour Escape Rooms is aiming for epic adventures. With the elongated game clock, expansive and gorgeous set, and amusing actor interactions, they are doing just that. This game didn’t have a wow moment on the level of their previous game, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but it did have multiple grand reveals. It also had a story arc. The next frontier for this company is less mission-focused, and more active storytelling through gameplay.

We are huge fans of 13th Hour Escape Rooms. They might be out of the way for just about everyone (as they are about an hour west of New York City) but they are worth the trek. After all, you can spend a full day here. They have more excellent games than you’ll have time for. They’ve learned from each experience they’ve built, and our favorites are their more recent ones: The Grand Parlor, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and The Campground. However, their earlier suite of games chronicling The Hayden Family Farm is also quite fun. Choose the themes that speak to you most.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• 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?

• So many fun puzzles
• An expansive and detailed set

Story

Our friend had gone missing at Whispering Oaks State Forest. We’d come to this campground to search for them.

Setting

We started our search in the ranger’s office. With basic furniture, photos, brochures, and tools, it was cozy, but pretty standard. However, our search continued out into the woods, where this state park came to life. A roaring campfire greeted us. Around it, we found a full-sized cabin, a snack shack, and a garage. The set felt rustic. It was well constructed and full of detail.

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Room’s The Campground was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.

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

The gameplay was non-linear, and many of the challenges required communication and collaboration. While the individual puzzles were not exceptionally challenging, they were numerous, and some had many layers.

Analysis

 The Campground opened with 13th Hour Escape Room’s signature personalization, which continued into the first act. While they can’t personalize for absolutely every team, they really try. We found the personalization added extra charm to the gameplay.

 The staging escalated. Following a smaller, more mundane opening act, the reveal of the large, intricate state park was especially exciting. It felt like we were outdoors, at a cabin in the woods. We especially loved the in-world game clock.

 While the major set reveals were fun, The Campground didn’t have a wow moment on the level of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

 The Campground was the strongest set of puzzles we’ve seen from 13th Hour Escape Room. They were well-clued, integrated into the set and props, and flowed well. Gameplay never stalled. 13th Hour innovated on their signature “listing” style. They leaned into layering and communication. They used the full landscape of the game as a design surface, and as a result the puzzles felt expansive.

The tactile props elevated the act of inputting solutions and fostered further collaboration. Whether a teammate was articulating a solution, or inputting it, every component of the solve was fun.

 The soundtrack might have been my favorite part of The Campground. We were dancing the entire time. I exclaimed “I love this song” so many times in this 90 minutes.

 There was a lot of information to keep track of and we used the boogie board a lot. We would have preferred to write less, but then we would have been shouting over the soundtrack. This all felt deliberately designed, but was frustrating nonetheless.

 Narratively, the late game reveal was telegraphed, but the execution still bit us, in a good way, and upped the intensity of the last act.

 The opportunity for 13th Hour Escape Room is in storytelling through gameplay. The Campground had outstanding tactile and thematic puzzles. It also had a story. However, the player interactions themselves didn’t deliver the story beats, or develop characters. We solved puzzles, and completed tasks to create more gameplay.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• We like the nearby Townsquare Diner.
• The Campground is not scary. It is not a horror game. However, the theme might not be appropriate for some kids.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Room’s The Campground, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Room comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Room – The Campground [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: Wharton, NJ

Date Played: November 30, 2022

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

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $38 per player

Ticketing:  Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Gate is different from most of their other escape rooms. The company is known for its horror rooms and its Hayden family, but The Gate does not take place in that universe. Instead, The Gate is a reimplementation of Themescape’s game of the same name, initially reviewed in October 2019. The team at 13th Hour made a series of changes that improved the game in multiple ways and differentiated it enough from the original that a replay would be a mostly separate experience.

While both sections of the set looked well-built and inviting, I found myself unsure of the story and why the two very different elements were blended into the same gamespace. The room itself gave little indication of narrative and purpose, and we noted in our team debrief that we only had knowledge of the curse that needed lifting because it was on our in-game to-do list.

The bulk of the activity centered around the second room, just past the eponymous gate in the first area. And there was a lot of activity. Our team of five was in constant motion split along two paths, reconvening at times to confer about a puzzle, update on progress, or pull together for an anticipated set piece when a puzzle was solved. The ability to keep five enthusiasts busy through the end is an impressive feat. If you’re in the area, you should check it out.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Sci-fi fans, especially Stargate
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• To experience two very different and very detailed sets
• Exciting reveals
• Constant solving

Story

A mysterious door has been discovered and beyond that door lay a terrible curse. We needed to open the door, enter the realm beyond it, and remove the curse.

Setting

The Gate began in a futuristic installation that was well-lit and decorated with items and symbols that foreshadowed what lay beyond the gate at the far end of the room. The setting quickly shifted into another world once we opened the gate.

Gameplay

13th Hour’s The Gate was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty. Game play revolved around puzzles, observation, making connections, the opportunity to solve along parallel paths.

Analysis

13th Hour had two totally different decoration themes happening in this game. They were distinct, detailed, and well-kept.

The story was initially unclear unless you’ve read the introduction on the website.

/ Things just kept happening! There was always something new to explore…but it wasn’t always obvious what effect a solve had. There was always some hunting to do to find what had opened.

13th Hour took a fairly standard escape room puzzle and amped it up.

One puzzle involved a laser beam that, while being a fun and dramatic interaction, was placed in a manner that felt unsafe and did not turn off when the interaction had ended.

We appreciated one particularly oversized interaction that let multiple people piece together a puzzle.

One reveal took everyone by surprise and led to a very cinematic moment.

Tips For Visiting

• Parking: There is ample parking in the parking lot. Make sure you know which building to go to, as 13th Hour uses multiple buildings on the same property.
• Food: For the classic New Jersey diner experience, we recommend the nearby Townsquare Diner. There are also many options available at the Rockaway Mall, which is less than a five minute drive away.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Gate, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Rooms – The Gate [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Follow the yellow brick road!

Location:  Wharton, NJ

Date Played: November 30, 2022

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $38 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  There are a few steps within the game. Talk to your gamemaster if set movement is a concern.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

With The Wizard of Oz, 13th Hour Escape Rooms has proven that they are not a one trick pony. This escape room departed from their overarching world of The Hayden Farm (where actors playing the murderous family members sometimes roam the escape rooms) and their commitment to the playful, creepy style they’ve become known for.

With the Wizard of Oz as inspiration, 13th Hour Escape Rooms built their own Kansas and Oz. From the characters, to the sets, to the iconic story beats, they brought it all to life. Fans, take note: you don’t want to miss this.

The escape room included the type of transition that few companies can pull off. Even though we knew where this house would land, the reveal was as magical as when it happened in the movie.

From an aesthetic and adventure standpoint, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was easily a regional standout. We encountered some inconsistent cluing, and there was room for improved gating. However, overall, 13th Hour Escape Rooms adapted their signature style of layered puzzles, lists, and pattern recognition to Oz, and it flowed pretty smoothly.

One of the things that truly excites me about The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is that it isn’t just a fantastic game that I’d recommend to escape room fans, but it’s also the kind of game that I could recommend to just about anyone.

If you’re never visited 13th Hour Escape Rooms because the murderous Hayden family doesn’t appeal to you, it’s time to make the trip to Wharton, NJ.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• To go on a classic Wizard of Oz adventure
• The magical reveal of Oz
• Fun layered puzzles

Story

We followed the steps of Dorothy in a classic Wizard of Oz adventure, meeting iconic sets and characters along the way.

Setting

Our adventure began outside Aunt Em’s house in Kansas, surrounded by her picket fence and wooden front porch. The set was dim, but detailed and well constructed.

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

 13th Hour Escape Rooms nailed the iconic scenes from the story. From the sets to the characters, we followed in the steps of Dorothy. Of note, outside knowledge will help you appreciate each scene, but won’t help you solve any puzzles.

 The set design was top notch. It was aesthetically inspired by the story… and just like in the story, this brightened the reveal of Oz.

 We stumbled upon one puzzle that quickly started to drive us mad. It took us a while to connect the feedback to the set, perhaps in part because it lacked the visual appeal inherent in other puzzles. This was an unnecessary low point in a generally fantastic experience.

The transition sequence in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was magical. Few creators attempt this type of illusion. 13th Hour Escape Rooms used effects and story to distract us while they worked this magic.

 In one instance, the instructions seemed to contradict the gameplay. We didn’t know if we should, or could, interact yet.

The gameplay flowed well. As is their style, the layered puzzles relied on lists and groups of like things, noticing patterns, and communicating well with teammates.

 The final act would have benefited from stronger search cluing and added gating for one prop. In this sequence, the gameplay was a little bumpier then it needed to be.

We especially enjoyed a late-game transition involving an oversized, haptically satisfying keypad and – surprisingly – a card reader that stamped an iconic moment.

/ Narratively, we wanted the characters to interact with the MacGuffins. That said, their placement worked well within the escape room to set up our journey back to Kansas.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• This game is not set within the world of the Hayden Family Farm. There are no actors, even during weekends in October when actors roam the other games at 13th Hour Escape Rooms.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

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On October evenings and weekends when the haunted house next door is operating (sometimes including Christmas & Valentine’s Day), the escape rooms have an added twist: actors. The actors roam the escape rooms providing character, hints, and the occasional jump scare. They are also the gamemasters. The actors take on the personas of the different members of the Hayden family, a clan of murderers who use the tricks and traps installed into the different rooms of their old farmhouse to capture their next victims.

Room Escape Artist was able to pull some strings and bring the actors back in for our post-Halloween visit. This was the best example of in-room actors-as-gamemasters that I have ever seen. Days afterward I was still marveling about how impressive they were.

How It Works

On the day we visited The Hayden Farm, 4 or 5 escape rooms were running at all times. These games were serviced by 4 in-character actors (in complete haunt style costume and makeup) along with a 5th team member in the control room. The actors were free to roam the entire facility as needed. They would periodically visit each game individually or as a group. They would interact with the players and each other, adding story, comedy, scares and hints to the games.

Playing Both Sides

The motivation for the fictional Hayden family members is to have you fail the game and therefore be trapped in their house where you will meet an end of their choosing. 

I was fascinated by how clearly this storyline came through, while they made sure each team escaped in just enough time. For slower teams, they gave just enough hints to keep them progressing. For teams moving quickly, they’d playfully sabotage, but always to just the right extent so that the players escaped on time and the actor could then play up their disappointment at having to eat spaghetti for dinner again instead of dining on the flesh of their victims.

Their knowledge of all the games allowed them to provide in-character hints that didn’t feel like hints. They used dialog and physical acting to clue players towards important information. 

Connecting With Players

Since we were playing multiple games on the same day, the characters became familiar to us, and we to them. Ongoing jokes, nicknames and running gags added so much fun to our visit. 

One frustration I experienced as a player was that due to the building design there can be some sound bleed between rooms, but it works in the story world because the setting is a single farmhouse with multiple rooms. Our actors used this to their advantage to both understand what was happening in other games and to communicate with each other to help facilitate their visits to each team. Hearing the characters screaming and arguing with each other throughout the house was both spooky and believable.

Hear It From Tour Attendees

Here are some comments about the actors from other tour participants:

“It’s really an incredible skill that they have to be creepy, sweet, funny, kind, and cutting all at the same time – and also be great gamemasters.”

“They seemed to strike the perfect balance between leaving us alone and giving us help, and they were always there to help us cross the finish line which was really appreciated.”

“Live, in-person hinting can already be tricky, so to do it through multiples rooms running simultaneously, while staying in character is #chef’s kiss”

“There seemed to be musical or sound clues they responded to. For example, the “daughter” was with us in the parlor and ran off quickly when she heard a song play in another room. Likewise, they all showed up when a music cue went off in the parlor.“

“The performers were terrific! They did a great job balancing messing with us and giving us hints, and kept us laughing the whole time.”

“I thought the actors were wonderful. They heightened the immersion and brought the games to life in a thrilling but campy way. They walked a fine line between scary and humorous and made the experience wickedly fun!”

Consider Escape Immerse Explore

My experience at The Hayden Farm was surprising and wonderful. An EIE tour once again went above and beyond what I was expecting. It introduced me to a style of gamemastering that will be hard to top. 

The service that Room Escape Artist is providing by running these tours is quite remarkable. Escape room players from all over are able to gather and experience some of the best games and the most interesting styles and techniques on the market today. The tours also provide a means of connection and community-building that is important for our industry. I encourage everyone to keep their eyes peeled for announcements about future Escape Immerse Explore tours from Room Escape Artist.

If you want to make sure you’re informed when the 2022 tours are announced, contact REA and note your interest in future tours.

The post Actors As Escape Room Gamemasters on The Hayden Farm appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location:  Wharton, NJ

Date Played: October 27, 2019

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $29 per player

Ticketing: Public

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

13th Hour Escape Rooms has become northern New Jersey’s most consistently high quality escape room company. We’ve played and enjoyed 7 games from this company and awarded them with 2 Golden Lock-In Awards (2017 & 2018).

It’s going to come as no surprise that The Trophy Room was a fun game. This was 13th Hour’s 6th escape room set in the Hayden Family’s farm of torture, murder, and cannibalism. The facility itself was fully themed against this backdrop.

As usual, this was a challenging, puzzley game in a grimly beautiful environment.

We played during October, so we had the Hayden Family haunt actors doing their Tim Burton-esque, whimsically creepy antics to distract, entertain, and hint us.

The Trophy Room lacked a truly arresting moment like some of their other games have had. It’s an all-around great game. We just wanted to see something that really blew our minds.

If you’re in New Jersey, 13th Hour Escape Rooms is a must-visit company. We’d easily put The Trophy Room in the top 3 games that they have on the premises. So long as you can handle a bit of creepiness, I highly recommend taking a gander at The Trophy Room.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• Strong puzzle play
• Amusing interactions
• A great creepy set

Story

John Hayden has a special room on his farm where he keeps trophies of his victims. The old murder farmer continues his search for the ultimate trophy. Would he find that individual in our group?

Setting

All of 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ games were part of a unified setting. The Trophy Room extended the aesthetic of the Hayden farm into new areas of the “house.”

The Trophy Room was visually striking from the opening moments, as we took in the space, surrounded by tastefully mounted human skeletons. It looked great; 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ craftsmanship always does.

13th Hour Escape Rooms struck a creepy and intense vibe without turning full horror. Additionally, while their games all look dirty and gritty, they are kept quite clean. (This isn’t always the case in escape rooms.)

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Trophy Room was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, observing, and making connections.

Analysis

 The scenery looked outstanding. 13th Hour Escape Rooms built a large, rugged, weathered set. It established the mood of the experience and was fun to explore.

 Although we started among John Hayden’s trophies, as we played The Trophy Room we explored other areas of the Hayden farm. These unexpected sets added charm to the Hayden mystique. We enjoyed the variety within the experience.

13th Hour generally builds more around escape room logic than narrative. That is part of their charm. They’ve successfully merged thematic with escape room norms, crafting their own style in both aesthetics and gameplay. They make it work. If you’re looking for serious storytelling, however, that’s not present in their games.

 Although The Trophy Room had a reveal – and this was enhanced by the actors who roamed the games in October – it wasn’t on the same scale that we’ve seen from this company in the past.

13th Hour reskinned a traditional escape room puzzle for the theme of The Trophy Room. It worked well.

 13th Hour Escape Rooms steered clear of a laundry list of tropes, but one that they did use should be hung up and retired.

/ The Trophy Room had many strong tech-driven reveals, but a few of them made odd use of keypads. It was difficult to map individual puzzles to their inputs.

The Trophy Room was a more intimate game than those we’ve seen most recently from 13th Hour Escape Rooms. That isn’t to say it was small, but rather that the gameplay was more accessible for a smaller group size. That said, it lacked the grandeur that impressed us in The Grand Parlor and The Great Room.

 Many of the puzzles in the The Trophy Room worked best with teamwork. They made use of the space and the details within it.

The ending might be the final nail in the coffin for some scaredy cats. (Although 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ games aren’t scary, they are creepy enough to put some folks on edge.) We loved this conclusion. In our October playthrough, the ending was personal and playful.

Tips For Visiting

• There is parking available.
• If you visit during a weekend in October, the actors roam the Hayden Family Farm, the set for all the 13th Hour Escape Rooms. They are more creepy and playful then scary. They are a fun addition to the games, if that’s your thing.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Trophy Room, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Rooms – The Trophy Room [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location:  Wharton, New Jersey

Date Played: January 22, 2019

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $29 per player

Ticketing: Public

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

Update December 8, 2019 – This location is closed. This game was sold to another escape room company in NJ. 13th Hour Escape Rooms is still running games at their location.

REA Reaction

Created as a side project from the people behind the 2-time Golden Lock-In Award-winning company 13th Hour Escape Rooms, The Garage was a themed puzzle game in a fun setting. We were in a garage trying to get the garage door to open.

The Garage exemplified how escape rooms don’t require a complex, epic story to be entertaining and compelling. The substance of The Garage existed in the thematic props and their associated puzzles. It was lovely, challenging, and fair.

If you’re in the region and enjoy puzzle-driven games in a unique environment, we strongly recommend driving through The Great Escape NJ. The Garagewould be approachable and fun regardless of experience level.

Additionally, The Garage is for sale along with its lease (and, I believe, space for another game). Feel free to contact The Great Escape NJ for details.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
• Fans of 13th Hour escape games

Why play?

• Great puzzles & flow
• An elegant set with an unusual theme
• Attached to a BBQ restaurant

Story

We had 60 minutes to reopen the old Hot Rods Garage.

Setting

The Great Escape NJ’s The Garage looked as the name advertised. The entire room was built around tools and cars. The puzzles, props, and interactions were rooted within the theme.

Created as a side project by 13th Hour Escape Rooms, The Garage was imbued with their aesthetic and level of detail… without the creepiness of their other rooms.

Gameplay

The Great Escape NJ’s The Garage was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

 The garage setting was an unusual and welcome theme. The Great Escape NJ’s execution was solid. It felt right.

We had an objective. We didn’t miss the presence of a deliberate story.

 The Great Escape NJ made excellent use of automotive props in general, incorporating them into clever, layered puzzles.

 The hint system was triggered by beeping the horn on a steering wheel. It was a great detail.

 The Garage contained a searching puzzle that was legitimately fun. We took turns doing it. When we had reached a point where we could have brute-forced the last digit, we elected not to. We wanted to complete the puzzle naturally.

 The Great Escape NJ turned 1-person interactions into full-full team moments.

 While The Garage made good use of traditional locks, we had access to a few too many 4-digit locks at once, creating situations where we had to try solutions in too many places.

The Garage included non-traditional inputs, in addition to 4-digit locks. These added a lot to the puzzle solving.

 The Garage gave feedback whenever we solved a puzzle. We always knew whether we were on the right track, or needed to u-turn.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• 13th Hour Escape Rooms is just around the corner.

Book your hour with The Great Escape NJ’s Garage, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: The Great Escape NJ comped our tickets for this game.

The post The Great Escape NJ – The Garage [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Earn the urn. 

Location:  Wharton, NJ

Date Played: October 28, 2018

Team size: up to 10; we recommend 5-7

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $29 per player

Ticketing: Public

REA Reaction

The “grand” in Grand Parlor was not an overstatement. 

13th Hour Escape Rooms delivered a creepy interactive adventure, for a larger team, on a large scale. 

The Grand Parlor felt epic and delightful. 

While not every puzzle made sense in the experience, or was on the same level, the vast majority of the gameplay elevated the impressive gamespace… and the majority of our critique is about details that wouldn’t even get mentioned in our reviews of more average games. 

We visited 13th Hour in October to experience the effect of actors on The Grand Parlor. We loved this augmentation, but your mileage will vary depending on your gameplay preferences (see below for a full explanation of the actors and how to get or avoid them).

If you are anywhere near northwestern New Jersey, and can enjoy an eerie and sinister vibe, we highly recommend an excursion to 13th Hour Escape Rooms. We’ve loved many of their escape rooms and The Grand Parlor was no exception. It rivaled The Great Room.

Who is this for?

• Fans of the creepy
• 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?

• Expansive and immersive set
• Large-scale interactive puzzles
• Epic and joyous moments

Story

The ashes of Bishop, a notorious killer and beloved member of the Hayden family, had gone missing. If we could help the Haydens find Bishop’s urn, then they would let us leave their parlor unharmed.

Setting

The Grand Parlor was set in the most spacious area of the creepy Hayden family farmhouse. From the dark and foreboding entryway, it opened up into a massive space with height, depth, and hiding places. The props ranged from parlor staples to farmhouse essentials.

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Grand Parlor was a standard escape room with a higher level of difficulty.

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

While the puzzles were not especially difficult on their own, the large gamespace and large-team dynamic raised the level of difficulty of the overall experience.

Actors in October

13th Hour runs a haunted house in additional to their 5 escape rooms. On October evenings and weekends when the haunted house is operating (sometimes including Christmas & Valentines Day), the escape rooms have an added twist: actors. The 6 actors roam the 5 escape rooms providing character, hints, and the occasional jump scare. They are also the gamemasters.

The set, story, puzzles, and gameplay do not change for October. The escape rooms are open year round.

We visited The Grand Parlor during October to experience the actors in the escape room. Our other reviews of other 13th Hour games do not include this discussion because we did not visit those games when the actors were in rotation.

The actors were impressive. They added character to the experience. They surprised us at well-timed moments. They were a ton of fun. If you’re looking for feels and immersion over focused puzzles, I highly recommend playing these escape rooms with the actors.

At times, the actors were heavy-handed. They were the hint system as well as added character for the space. If you want focused puzzle-play, don’t visit in October. You’ll be frustrated by the interruptions. You’ll also have less control over the hinting.

A visit to 13th Hour in October is an individual decision. The actors don’t make the escape rooms better or worse. They make them different. We loved the creepy, playful horde roaming Hayden’s farm. They improvise and have fun with you. It’s also perfectly reasonable to have zero interest in that added layer. 

Analysis

The set was impressive. It was detailed and designed. The vertical scale and the decor were captivating. It was an incredible environment to explore and puzzle through.

The gamespace opened up over the course of play with exciting, grand reveals as well as more surprising, quiet opens.

It was easy to miss the best moments if they triggered while we were elsewhere in the gamespace, working on something different. The Grand Parlor would have benefited from gameflow that guided all players into position to witness the most exciting moments.

The Grand Parlor was creepy, playful, and joyous. Note for the timid: it was creepy, but not scary.

 13th Hour Escape Rooms produced layered, but approachable puzzles. We had to connect elements across the large gamespace, which forced communication and teamwork. This structure worked really well.

The gamespace echoed a lot. With a large team of players – and the actors as well – the space was full of commotion. Communication became frustrating.

 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ entire facility is themed. Their lobby and hallways look more aesthetically impressive than most escape rooms. 

For one simple puzzle, 13th Hour designed an original take on a common escape room trope. It was phenomenal.

We spent a lot of time trying to solve one puzzle before we had all the information. We would have appreciated additional gating here, especially because the eventual solution didn’t feel like adequate payoff for the wasted time.

A few interactions seemed to belong in a different game. One in particular didn’t make sense – conceptually or aesthetically – in the Hayden family’s parlor.

One standard parlor prop surprised us with an impromptu, silly, and playful interlude. It was delightful. 

The large-scale interactions supported the grandeur of the set. These contributed to nifty and satisfying puzzle solves that felt great in the gamespace.

Tips For Visiting

• There is parking available.
• We recommend Hot Rods BBQ.
• Most of the team needs to be able to climb stairs. While it is possible for a player or two to play The Grand Parlor without climbing any stairs, if you play this way, you’ll miss significant components of the game.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Grand Parlor, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

A special thanks to the Hayden Family for allowing David to photograph them and live.

The post 13th Hour Escape Rooms – The Grand Parlor [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location: Wharton, NJ

Date Played: July 16, 2018

Team size: up to 8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $29 per ticket

Ticketing: Public

REA Reaction

John Hayden’s Room was 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ first foray into the puzzle entertainment genre. As far as initial outgoings go, this was an impressive opener.

This was a solid old-school escape room with an above average set. Knowing that this was their first made John Hayden’s Room that much more impressive.

If you’re in the area and looking for a traditional puzzle-driven escape room in a creepy (not scary) setting, this will be great. If you’re looking for something more immersive or unusual, try The Great Room or The Dungeon.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• Old-school, puzzle-driven escape room gameplay done well.
• A detailed set.
• 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ lobby and overall vibe.

Story

Hayden Farm House had been home to many a gruesome murder. Anyone who had ever found themselves within the home left in pieces. Could we escape with our lives?

Setting

John Hayden’s Room was the first of 13th Hour’s escape rooms. Aside from being a little smaller with fewer dramatic set pieces, it would be hard to tell from the aesthetics. The environment may have been an office-like setup, but the level of detail was far higher than we’ve come to expect from rookie outings.

John Hayden’s Room was essentially the office and work space of a serial killer. It was strangely banal with the intensity coming from the work that Hayden did in this space. All of this gave it a good dose of character.

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ John Hayden’s Room was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

+ The decor was outstanding. It was weathered such that it felt lived in and ominous.

+ This was a puzzle-driven escape room. It had a lot of content and invited parallel (non-linear) puzzling.

– One basic puzzle swapped out the most reasonable solution for another, but it was unclued. We thought this was a mistake, but it was intentional.

– John Hayden’s Room had a lot of locks with identical digit structures. Each time we derived a solution, we’d need to try it in many different locks before anything opened. Varying input digit structure or adding iconography to the locks would improve game flow.

– The triggered opens didn’t provide enough feedback. We were constantly looking around for what we’d triggered. Sound or light cues could improve these moments.

+ As the game progressed, we found the wallpaper especially attractive.

+ John Hayden’s Room was 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ first foray into escape room design. While it played like it was a few years old, when compared with most older escape rooms, it far surpassed them in aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, it was well maintained. Although we preferred 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ newer designs, we were impressed with this company’s origins and we still had a ton of fun escaping the original nemesis of the Hayden farm.

Tips for Visiting

• There is parking available.
• We recommend Hot Rods BBQ.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ John Hayden’s Room, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Rooms – John Hayden’s Room [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

The stairway to hell.

Location: Wharton, NJ

Date Played: July 16, 2018

Team size: 4-6; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $29 per ticket

Ticketing: Public

REA Reaction

Dungeons might be a classic theme but 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Dungeon was anything but ordinary.

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ split-team beginning was unusually balanced. The two-story set was spatially interesting and repeatedly incorporated into puzzle craft. While not every puzzle wowed us, there was a lot of intrigue in the design choices in The Dungeon.

Note that The Dungeon was creepy, but not scary.

If you’re anywhere nearby, The Dungeon is worth checking out.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Serial killer aficionados
• Players with at least some experience

Why play?

• An exciting split-up opening sequence.
• Two floors of gameplay.
• A grimly beautiful set.
• Some well-earned puzzle solves.
• 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ lobby and overall vibe.

Story

Blindfolded, led into individual cells, and then restrained, we had no idea what we were getting into, but we needed to come together and escape before the Hayden family had their fun with us.

Setting

Blindfolded and restrained in individual cells, we began in dark, confined, and isolated spaces. Once freed, we were released into a wide-open, two-story macabre prison/ shrine to infamous American serial killers.

In typical 13th Hour Escape Rooms fashion, the entire set was heavily weathered in the creepy murder farm motif that all of their escape rooms, hallway, and lobby follow. It looked great.

Gameplay

13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Dungeon was a standard escape room with an individualized split beginning and a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

+ The split beginning played really well.

– The Dungeon involved substantial searching in low light. While the darkness enhanced the ambiance, we would have preferred stronger flashlights.

+ The Dungeon was spatially fascinating. 13th Hour Escape Rooms crafted a two-floor experience that delivered memorable spatial aha moments.

+ Many of our favorite moments in The Dungeon made use of its depth.

– One layered puzzle felt a bit boring and burdensome. There was a good puzzle in there, but it felt incomplete.

+ From the split-up beginning, to the multi-level design, The Dungeon fostered teamwork.

+/- 13th Hour Escape Rooms uses the same gimmick to conclude all their games. If you play The Dungeon first, you’ll get a kick out of this entertaining conclusion. That said, The Dungeon begged for a more dramatic ending to punctuate such a dynamic escape room.

Tips for Visiting

• There is parking available.
• We recommend Hot Rods BBQ.
• Every player must be comfortable in their own space for a short portion of the experience.

Book your hour with 13th Hour Escape Rooms’ The Dungeon, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: 13th Hour Escape Rooms comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Rooms – The Dungeon [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

[At the time of this review, 13th Hour Escape Games was called Haunted Scarehouse.]

Where you’re on the menu.

Location: Wharton, NJ

Date played: September 11, 2017

Team size: 2-10; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $29 per ticket

Story & setting

The murderous Hayden family cannibalizes their victims in the The Cookhouse. We’d been caught trespassing on their property and now we had to figure out who had been killed there last in order to win our freedom… or become their next meal.

In The Cookhouse, the old appliances hadn’t been touched or cleaned in years. The set looked exactly the part. It was a small and uninviting, but oddly charming 1960s kitchen.

Puzzles

The puzzles required us to closely observe the set and connect these observations to tangible interactions.

Standouts

The incredibly weird and quirky kitchen set a fantastic tone for The Cookhouse. The look and feel of the space were impressive.

There were transitions and surprises hidden within The Cookhouse that delighted us.

Two different tech-driven interactions were unexpected, fun and funny.

Haunted Scarehouse added a brilliant extra touch with their introduction and conclusion.

Shortcomings

The Cookhouse included many locks with the same digit structure. It then relied repeatedly on a similar puzzle design for each of these locks. Thus in the beginning we had to try every solution in multiple places and by the end the gameplay felt repetitive.

One area of The Cookhouse focused on a single set piece and consequently felt under-utilized.

Should I play Haunted Scarehouse’s The Cookhouse?

The Cookhouse was an unusual interpretation of a mundane space. The aesthetics made us want to both shy away and also interact. It was strange like that.

The Cookhouse was more funny horror than actually scary, but to enjoy it, you had to be ok with a bit of gore, of the not-too-realistic variety.

If you’re new to escape rooms, The Cookhouse will show you how to observe, connect, and open. If you’re looking for more creative and complex puzzles, we recommend The Great Room.

Enter The Cookhouse for an entertaining space and the particularly fun moments within.

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

Full disclosure: Haunted Scarehouse comped our tickets for this game.

The post 13th Hour Escape Games – The Cookhouse [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.