[187] Riddle Room: The Nightmare

Date: 08/06/2024

Company Name: Riddle Room

Room: The Nightmare

Cost: $45 per person - Riddle Room were kind enough to offer us $10 off per person (Team of 4)

Time Allowed: 60 Minutes

Website Link: https://riddleroom.com.au/canberra/#rooms

Location: 8/160 Lysaght St, Mitchell ACT 2911

Best Parking: Street parking right outside the establishment or there is a complex out the back which has ample parking available

Succeeded: Yes in 45 Minutes, 58 Seconds.

Rating: 

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

Overall: 7.60/10

Room Description: 

The DreamWake Corporation is looking for volunteers to enter the mind of a young girl trapped in an endless nightmare. Can you find the cause, save her, and get out in time?

Comments:

The Nightmare marked our team's 32nd escape room overall and our second room in Canberra over the King's Birthday long weekend, and our momentum was strong. The staff at Riddle Room were exceptional—welcoming, highly attentive, and spot-on as our Gamesmasters. Needless to say, we were set for a big day, taking on four of the five rooms on offer that Saturday.

Riddle Room uses a unique method of communication for Gamesmastering. They utilize a version of the "Voice of God" system, where responses to our questions are displayed on a monitor that also keeps track of our time. I quite liked this approach as it minimized miscommunication. The only drawback is that in a multi-room escape, you have to make your way back to the first room to see the monitor.

The Nightmare is a dark and creepy-themed room, which was more intense for Luke, who was fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to be separated from the team at the start. The room had a really nice flow. While there was no one or nothing actively chasing us, the clever use of ambient sounds and music created a constant sense of urgency. All the props were high quality, and both the props and puzzles made sense within the space. The strong storyline continued throughout the experience, tying everything together nicely.

Another excellent service that Riddle Room provided during the debrief was the Gamesmaster running through all the stats, showing where our team was at certain puzzle intervals compared to the average. This was a great little touch that we haven't seen offered as "the norm."

Overall, The Nightmare is a solid room that we didn't find overly difficult, as we escaped in roughly 45 minutes. However, it definitely had moments that even experienced escapers can appreciate.