Escape Room Review– Escape Waukesha, Wisconsin– Escaping Wonderland and Captured
A little under six months ago, I wrote a review of Escape Waukesha’s room “Blue Ocean Heist.” That room is now gone, as Escape Waukesha changes its rooms every couple of years. It will be replaced with a murder mystery-themed room, currently titled “The Final Chapter.” But there are still two rooms open, both of which my friends and I have played recently: “Escaping Wonderland” and “Captured.”
“Escaping Wonderland” is inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll. As you enter the first part of the room, you’ll find it’s filled with images from Alice in Wonderland, and you’ll have to solve a number of puzzles, including crosswords, math problems, and standard searching for keys and clues in order to move forward into the next part of the room, which draws upon Through the Looking-Glass. You’ll have to do a lot of careful counting– it’s easy to overlook a surreptitiously placed clue that will throw off your arithmetic, and all objects in the room must be scrutinized carefully from all angles– a bunch of critical clues are placed in easily overlooked spots.
It’s a colorful, artistically designed experience, though it’s not the most immersive room. The first part looks more like a themed daycare playroom than actual Wonderland, though the second part does have a slightly surreal (but not scary for children) feel to it. Groups of young players will probably do as well as adults. It’s a moderately challenging room that is rarely frustrating, except when one puzzle required precision arrangement, and a couple of important points were hard to find. My friends and I finished with plenty of time to spare.
“Captured” takes players to that classic escape room theme, the pirate ship. Right off the bat, I was struck by the improved production values of this room. It really does– for the most part– give the sense that you’re in an old wooden sailing ship, especially in the first section, which mimics the brig of the pirate ship. The puzzles are fun, clear, and not too difficult, aside from one complex puzzle that had us checking and rechecking until we finally got it right. It’s a good mix of observational and logic puzzles, and escape room fans ought to enjoy the experience. Once again, we won with lots of time on the clock.
There is one physical issue for players. At one point, players will have to crouch or crawl to get through an approximately three-foot-high doorway. This may be difficult for some taller players or those with mobility issues, who will have to go in and out, so be warned. Other than some minor stooping for some low-placed clues in both “Captured” and “Escaping Wonderland,” there’s no physical dexterity issues involved in the game.
These are fun rooms that are neither too hard or too easy, good for players of all ages. If you’re in Waukesha, stop by before these rooms are switched.
–Chris Chan
Chris Chan’s book The Autistic Sleuth, written with his mother Dr. Patricia Meyer Chan, will be released on September 19th! He is the author of the Funderburke and Kaiming novels Ghosting My Friend and She Ruined Our Lives, released by Level Best Books. He is also the author of the comedic novels Sherlock’s Secretary and Nessie’s Nemesis, published by MX Publishing, as was his anthology Of Course He Pushed Him and Other Sherlock Holmes Stories Volumes 1 & 2. His Agatha-nominated book Murder Most Grotesque: The Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter was published by Level Best Books. His first non-fiction book, Sherlock & Irene: The Secret Truth Behind “A Scandal in Bohemia” is available for sale at Amazon.com and the MX Publishing website, as well as at Book Depository (with free worldwide shipping there). It is also available in a Kindle edition.
