Escapologic: Howitz

Good fun spooky game, need to visit here again to try their other offerings 

I was taking one of my friends to play their first escape room and they were nervous about it being horror and about being claustrophobic. 
So before starting I asked where the emergency button was to open the door, and we got a blank look followed by a snide remark. 

I was under the impression that after those poor kids died in the escape room fire it was a law requirement for all doors to be openable by the inside. 

Other escape rooms I have visited have 'Press to Exit' buttons which you're always warned against pressing unless its an emergency. Or even a key hanging next to the door... something!! Some even have Fire Exits inside the room with the push bar style doors. 

I fount out afterwards that my friend was extremely upset and worried throughout the whole experience and did not enjoy a single moment due to worry but didn't want to say anything at time and ruin my gift. 
From speaking to others about this, it seems all of this venues rooms dangerously lock you inside for real with no way of letting yourself out in case of an emergency. 

Being a fan of scary rooms I absolutely loved this room. So much going on and an unusual path through the room with it not being a straightforward onwards we go type of room.

Some really clever puzzles and ideas in this room, we were kept going with some really well timed jump scares and an unusual but very appropriate clue system.

Hosting by Willow was excellent, we're looking forward to coming back to try other rooms here.

This is supposed to be a scary games - However it wasn't for us at all. I don't know whether the operators make a choice on the team vibe as we didn't get to experience this at all.. 

However, I still enjoyed the theming and the game play! The coop part of the game was especially fun and we still laugh about our communication. We did manage to escape with 30 minutes left and no clues, as without the scary aspect, the game is a cake walk..

This room has been on my "to play" list for a couple of years now - so I finally booked it.  It is worth noting there is sometimes  a live actor in the room so if you're uncomfortable with this, mention it to your GM and they are very accomodating in removing this element. 

The game itself isn't super tricky but there are some clever puzzles that alongside the intensity of the room and theming can appear harder than they are.  The room is cleverly lit and has some really clever "spooks". 

A great surprise element in this room (no spoilers of course) I'm still laughing about today. 

It is worth noting that if, like myself you have a major clown phobia - this may not be the room for you, if you just find them a bit creepy, you'll probably be fine. Despite this phobia I still really enjoyed myself, I'm glad I did it but I'll pass on ever seeing a clown again 🙂 

Thank you to Willow for hosting us and accepting me at my worst. 

Quote of the game "what is wrong with these people?"

This was super super fun, the GM made it even better. It's pretty well decorated and the puzzles are satisfying. One puzzle in particular made me laugh more than any other escape room ever, so I hope everyone gives this room a go and gets to enjoy it as much as I did!

So funny! So enjoyable! Nothing much to fault. Could be busier I guess  we escaped pretty fast

Classic creepy toy shop game. There were a couple elements which were good fun and clever but nothing too out there. Didnt find it scary but i’m not one to be all that fussed by jumpscares. You can tell the room is older and it does need a refresh/face lift and i think it could be a lot better.  

We opted for no live actor but the game was still creepy and scary in places and was a good solid game, very enjoyable. 

This sort of game is right up my street. You're completely immersed from the first second, loads of little jump scares and innuendos. Fun puzzles and tasks and a huge beautiful space. My favourite at Escapologic.

After playing Curio and Butcher we had high expectations but these were sadly dashed.

The games host seemed very awkward, she was maybe new and in need of a bit more support.

Couple of jump scares but not a scary room. 

This room had some nice aspects and a few different puzzles. But there were things in there that were not part of the game, seemingly they part of the old version of this game but we didn't need them. Very confusing and unnecessary. 

We got out in half the time and did not feel very victorious. 

Incredible mechanics, surprising twists and turns, great hosting with lots of scares! Escapologic rooms always go the extra mile and this was no different. Loved the immersion, genius creativity, physical puzzles and lack of padlocks. 

Theming is excellent and creepy, our GM was great and clue system is a brilliant. However felt the game flow wasn't excellent but the puzzles were quite good. Really enjoyed the toilet section and overall the game is great 

I am in two minds about this game. The decor is suitably creepy, the hint system is fantastic (to the extent that it is worth asking for a hint even if you don't need one), the jump scares are well done and they ramp up the low key horror with requiring one player to do something alone. There is one puzzle in particular that I think is one of my top ever ER puzzles to work on as a pair. 

However - and this was a big but for me - the room is not advertised as having a "live actor" and I am not keen on having other people in the room when playing - especially when alone. I steer clear of horror games where I know this will happen as I genuinely dislike it. From seeing other reviews later, I know that this is a sometimes occurrence with the room, presumably related to the GM, but it really dampened my enjoyment of the room as a whole. Overall I'm glad I played it but at the time I could not have got out of there quick enough - worth knowing if you would feel the same!