[187] Escape Rooms Canberra: Curio

Date: 09/06/2024

Company Name: Escape Rooms Canberra

Room: Curio

Cost: $40 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.escaperoomscanberra.com/curio

Location: 2/24 Dundas Ct, Phillip ACT 2606

Best Parking: On site parking

Succeeded: Yes, in 42 Minutes, 22 Seconds

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 9
• Room Quality: 10
• Immersion: 9
• Puzzle Design: 8 
• Fun Factor: 8

Overall: 8.80/10

Room Description: 

The Enigma Theatre has had many lives, but none as spectacular or peculiar as the home of world-renowned magician Madame Rose and her resident act, the Disappearing Woman. She has performed the act hundreds of times, but still, there are skeptics, and Madame Rose plans to silence them for good. Tonight is the night that Madame Rose debuts her new act, The Disappearing Audience!

You are Madame Rose's assistant, and as the show begins, you are locked under the stage with C.U.R.I.O., the machine that Madame Rose uses to power her illusions. You tried to warn her that the machine can't cope with an illusion of this magnitude, that if she goes through with the act, 2,000 audience members will disappear and not come back. She wouldn't listen, and now you must race against the clock to fix C.U.R.I.O. and make sure that The Disappearing Audience reappears.

Comments:

After finishing the masterpiece that is The Vault at Escape Rooms Canberra, our Gamesmaster kindly got us moving swiftly into our next and final room, Curio. The seamless transition and attentive service from our Gamesmaster ensured that our momentum stayed high, and we were excited to dive into another adventure.

Once again, Escape Rooms Canberra did not miss. Having the same Gamesmaster gave us an added level of comfort and confidence—they were nothing short of friendly and courteous throughout the entire experience, providing helpful hints and maintaining a warm and engaging demeanour.

Entering the room, we were instantly captivated by the beautiful set. The attention to detail was immediately apparent, with the props, puzzles, and overall design creating an atmosphere that made us feel like we were genuinely part of the unfolding show. The immersive experience was further enhanced by excellent lighting and sound effects, as well as the high quality of the room's construction.

The puzzles in Curio are linear in nature. However, teamwork is essential to solve particular puzzles, making communication and collaboration crucial. The final stage of the game requires team members to be separated to complete the puzzle, adding an extra layer of complexity and excitement.

There was a great variety of puzzles in this room, featuring a mix of high-tech and low-tech elements that kept the experience fresh and engaging. The clever use of magnets and other unique mechanisms added a touch of innovation which is evidence of a new and exciting room.

Overall, Curio is a fantastic room that showcases the creativity and expertise of Escape Rooms Canberra. After escaping with about 18 minutes remaining, we were thrilled with our performance and couldn't stop discussing the highlights of the experience. This room easily made it into my (Kyle) top rooms of all time, not only for its challenging and enjoyable puzzles but also for its exceptional theming and immersive atmosphere.

If you’re ever in Canberra, Curio is a must-visit for both seasoned escape room enthusiasts and newcomers alike. 

[187] Escape Rooms Canberra: The Vault

Date: 09/06/2024

Company Name: Escape Rooms Canberra

Room: The Vault

Cost: $40 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.escaperoomscanberra.com/the-vault

Location: 2/24 Dundas Ct, Phillip ACT 2606

Best Parking: On site parking

Succeeded: Yes, in 51 Minutes, 26 Seconds.

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 9
• Room Quality: 10
• Immersion: 9
• Puzzle Design: 8 
• Fun Factor: 9

Overall: 9.00/10

Room Description: 

The world has already ended. You won't be saving it.

The promise of mutually assured destruction wasn't enough to stop the superpowers of yesteryear from flipping the doomsday switch. Now there is only desolation and waste, but where there is life, there is hope. Small bands of survivors have emerged into the wasteland; the human race hangs on by a thread, yet there are those who would see it cut for good.

In the wasteland, a cult has emerged that believes the human race to be a disease, crawling over the world and leaving decay and ruin in its wake. They believe that the only way to save the world is to finish what our predecessors had begun and wipe humanity from the face of the earth.

The cult has gathered into an army and has taken control of the vault containing the last of humanity's great weapons and has set them to blow.

This is where you come in. You are part of a small band of survivors that have infiltrated the vault, and it is up to you to stop the launch and cancel the apocalypse.

Can you get inside the vault within 60 minutes? Can you escape with an army closing in? You won't be saving the old world, but you might just save the new one.

Comments:

The boys had a great day at Riddle Room on Saturday, but Sunday was the day to return and finish what we had started on Friday with Escape Rooms Canberra. Fresh off a good night's sleep, we packed up the car and headed out to ERC.

Expecting nothing but the best at ERC, given the high standards set by House on the Hill and the exceptional staff, I'm happy to report that The Vault did not disappoint. The production value, theming, story, and immersion were all top-notch. Without a doubt, this was my favorite room, not just from this outfit but over the whole weekend.

Teamwork is key to getting through this escape room at a good pace. While the puzzles are linear, there are a few layered puzzles where working together really helps. The diversity of puzzles is impressive, ranging from mechanical, physical, and high-tech to association, pattern-matching, and sensory puzzles. There was even a puzzle that required the use of an everyday item—you'll know it when you see it! Additionally, one puzzle required someone to have a bit of flexibility.

I cannot say enough good things about this room and recommend it to anyone looking for an experience that not many outfits can offer. We really enjoyed the experience, escaping with about 9 minutes on the clock. We were stoked to get another win on the board.

[187] Escape Rooms Canberra: House on the Hill

Date: 07/06/2024

Company Name: Escape Rooms Canberra

Room: House on the Hill

Cost: $40 per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://www.escaperoomscanberra.com/the-house-on-the-hill

Location: 2/24 Dundas Ct, Phillip ACT 2606

Best Parking: On site parking

Succeeded: Yes with about 15 minutes remaining

Rating: 

• Hospitality/Gamesmaster: 9
• Room Quality: 8
• Immersion: 7
• Puzzle Design: 7 
• Fun Factor: 8

Overall: 7.80/10

Room Description: 

There is a heavy cloud that covers the town of Salem, Massachusetts. Livestock have been struck down by sickness and townsfolk complain of molestations from the invisible world. They fear the occult; arts of malignant evil and wicked vengeance, and all fingers seem to point to The House on the Hill. Rumour has it that the widow who lives there is using witchcraft to try and summon a portal from the natural world to the unnatural one.

They have sent you to the house to investigate. You have 70 minutes to find your evidence and escape the house. But be forewarned, if a portal does open, then you will need to shut it quickly, for the demons that have been in there the longest will be the most eager to escape.

Comments:

Our team arrived in Canberra on the night of Friday the 7th, excited to kick off our King's Birthday long weekend with some escape room fun. Our first stop was House on the Hill by Escape Rooms Canberra. We were welcomed by warm and friendly faces, which only made us more eager to get started. The pre-room lobby, though small, had a cozy and inviting atmosphere that got us in the right mood.

As soon as we entered the room, we were blown away by the amazing theming and production quality. The sounds, lighting, and overall setup were top-notch, creating an immersive experience from the get-go. The attention to detail was impressive, with every element contributing to the eerie and captivating ambiance. The well-placed jump scares and dark moments definitely added to the thrill.

The puzzles in House on the Hill were fantastic, offering a great mix of lower-tech and higher-tech challenges. This variety kept things interesting and catered to different problem-solving styles within our group. Each puzzle fit perfectly within the theme and made sense in the context of the story, showing how much thought went into the design.

We managed to escape in about 45 minutes and had an absolute blast. House on the Hill was a fantastic start to our weekend of escape rooms, setting a high bar for the rest of our adventures. We loved every moment and appreciated the creativity and challenge. This escape room is a top-notch experience that we highly recommend to both beginners and seasoned escape room enthusiasts. If you're in Canberra, it's definitely worth a visit.