60 Minutes To Escape

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is a locked room full of fun.
After filling out some perfunctory paperwork (if I get hurt it’s my own fault, standard stuff) and an initial briefing, we were ushered onto the set, and the countdown began. Dun-​dun-​daaah.
Each of the 8 members of our crack team was selected for their unique approach and skillset. The tinker, the tailor, the soldier, the spy. Or just a birthday group of people who enjoy games. We worked separately and in concert, solving clues and answering pieces of the bigger puzzle as the time like sands through the hourglass rushed by.
Whenever a big discovery came together, we’d all cheer, and when we eventually got stuck in a rut or two, helpful hints would appear. They say you can’t get out without an advocate on the outside. I believe it. Nobody’s a hero here, folks, we’re all in it together. It’s team-​building at its finest.
They’ve created a very well-​designed game that keeps everyone engaged throughout, and without distracting gimmicks. We were very pleased to escape, but even then, we had plenty to discuss afterward, as no one person saw everything that happened. How did you get that thing? What was that all about? What were you doing over there?
Whenever I wonder if Portland’s still the place for me, I am reminded that (multiple) places like this can exist and thrive here, and though I worry that, like froyo, the idea might quickly peak and retreat, it makes me very happy to live where inquiring minds want to know.
So what are you doing reading this? Get yourself down there before this message self-​destructs.

This was a good experience.
My only complaint was, that when we arrived, we were on time, and we walked into the door that we thought went to them, and there was no one there. It was super creepy, because it was 9:00 and they work out of a warehouse in downtown Portland.
Believe me, I almost decked the guy that showed up to tell us the rules, because we had been waiting in a creepy soundless suite with security monitors for 15 mins!
But, all in all that just made it more realistic and the puzzles were pretty good.
I was disappointed when I put the correct code into a lock and it didn’t open (because of a tough lock). NO SPOILERS.
Good luck and have fun!

I went as part of an 18^th birthday party, so our group was 5 17 year olds, one 18 year old and a married couple who had signed up before us. It was the first escape room experience for all of us – and we all had fun! We did not finish, in fact, we probably only got about 75% through. You are given a walk through once time ran out and we estimated that it probably would have taken us 90 minutes to escape, with minimal hints. Helpful, but not too straightforward hints are given throughout via a message board once they can tell you are stuck. It was very creatively put together, but I only gave it 4 stars because of the price. I guess once these places become more popular the price will have to drop due to competition but until then I probably won’t go to a different escape room unless someone covers the cost: it’s $ 30 per person which doesn’t help popularity among teens. But overall it was a very good experience and I am looking forward to watch the growth of places like these in Portland.

Did this last night for a work team building/​fun event and it was incredibly great. The puzzles have just the right level of difficulty and the theme is put together really well.
They could do a little bit more to make the room fit it’s theme, but seem to have instead opted for making each item in the room really count.
Can’t recommend it highly enough for a small team building exercise or just a good family and friend outing. Plus Boke Bowl is right around the corner!

Overall our group of six had a great time and thought it was a nice challenge with good puzzles. However we walked away with a bad taste when we asked for a debriefing and we were turned down because we were the last group (I think only group) of the day and the woman wanted to get home. The intro where you have to talk yourself into the room past the same woman was very awkward and completely unecessary to the game. If this had been cut out, maybe there would have been time for a debrief, though I suspect that she still could not have been bothered. To add insult to injury, we received an email telling us to look for our group picture on Facebook. They didn’t take a group picture of us. They went out of their way with the email to illustrate their bad service!

Went here over the weekend to kick off a friend’s bachelorette weekend and had an absolute blast! It was challenging and we (a group of 6) took the full hour. There were enough elements that everyone contributed and they were integrated into a feasible story and sequence. I’d absolutely recommend this for any group event.

It was super fun. We went here on a date and was paired with a larger group of 6 other people. Even though there were so many of us and people we didn’t know, there was something for everyone. It was interactive and engaging. We made it out with only 2 seconds to spare. We’d definitely do this again if the room was changed.
Definitely take a stab at this if you like riddles and puzzles.

It’s my first escape room experience and it was quite entertaining. I went with the max allowed group of 8 and I think it’s definitely good to have more people to help solve everything. Unfortunately we failed to escape but still had lots of fun. I don’t want to ruin anything but definitely worth checking out! They only have one room right now but said they will be opening up another one soon so maybe I’ll be back to try and redeem myself. I was rather unhappy at the end when they gave us the solution because it sounds like there was a mistake in one of the puzzles at the very beginning and caused us to be stuck for 15 – 20 min so I felt a bit cheated. Even the guy seemed surprise that we got stuck at that part and how the answer didn’t match so I’m not sure what happened but they should really check their puzzles to make sure there aren’t mistakes.

This was an unforgettable experience and a ton of fun! The building is old, dusty, and serves as the perfect setting for the scenario that plays out in the escape room. The puzzles were very clever and well executed. We managed to escape with just a few minutes left on the clock. Overall, a great experience!

I’m a big fan of point and click escape games and this was a perfect real life experience. We went with four people and did the room with four strangers, hitting the max of 8, and we all had a great time. Four would be too few and eight might have been slightly too many, seven or six would be ideal. The room was super fun and we cut it close at four minutes, but we solved it like the aspiring amateur detectives we are! Would highly recommend.

Our group of 5 could not stop raving about how awesome this game was after we stepped out from the door. We raved to the three outstanding staff members there. We raved to each other about how much fun it was, and how much better it was than the rooms in Vancouver, BC”. And I can’t wait to share to everyone how awesome everything was about this place and the experience!
Staff was super helpful, and even the «hints» were integrated into the game play. So it was all one amazing story/​puzzle.
My friends and I are just super upset about how awesome this place is, and it doesn’t have enough VOICE/​SOUND that knows it. My husband actually said after playing this, that he was angry about how much money Vancouver, BC «escape rooms» make. Because if this was 5 star, Vancouver is a negative 5 star, and is a money laundering scheme business that just wants to lock you in a room, and give you a jigsaw puzzle to solve in the dark. Don’t compare Vancouver, BC escape rooms to this. That would be an insult. The Seattle 60 minutes to escape is a 3.5 star in this ratio. if anyone is interested in knowing :)
60 minutes to Escape, Portland = AMAZING/​FIVE STAR/​THREE THUMBS UP/​STANDING OVATION/​OVER POURING RECOMMENDATIONS
integrated game play, integrated machines and equipment. OMGGGG I just want to tell everyone about this place, so that it can generate more roooooomms for the future!
We heard that there will be second puzzle room to be created soon. We will definitely drive back to Portland when it comes out.
MUST DO! BOOOOOOK IT NOWWWW!!!

BEST. GAME. EVER. Definitely something for all adults to try. If you love solving puzzles, clues, etc., you’ll enjoy what this game offers. 25% success rate.
Maximum of 8 people to a session. You are secret agents that use clues and solve riddles/​puzzles to escape a room in 60 minutes. Communication and teamwork are key! $ 30/​person open fridays, saturdays, and sundays. Good luck! :)

This was the most fun I’ve had in months. This is also the first Unilocal review I’ve ever written if it’s any indication of how enjoyable this experience was. So much more clever and involved than I was originally expecting. Had an ABSOLUTE blast and its totally worth the time and money.

This was a really awesome experience. Something different to try with new people. We all had a great time and the environment was realistic. I would suggest that they incorporate different themes so everyone gets to experience something they’re interested in. It also only last an hour, but could easily be extended due the intricate clues and amount of fun you’re having trying to solve the escape.

A MUST DO!
I went into this not really knowing what to expect and left thoroughly impressed! It was completely entertaining, really smartly put together and exciting! An awesome, awesome thing to do with friends. I highly recommend it!

What a unique and exciting hour! I’m still thinking about it weeks later. The environment is meticulously constructed, with a lot of attention paid to details that reward a close inspection, and the puzzles are HARD but feel incredibly satisfying to solve. My small group was composed of some friends and some total strangers, and even though we didn’t make it to the end, it was a really neat bonding experience and a ton of fun to talk about afterwards. This definitely goes on my list of cool little «secret pockets» of Portland to show off and share with visitors, but I hope it’s much less of a secret soon!

I played the «Spark of Resistance» puzzle room in October 2014 and absolutely loved it! The team behind this puzzle room did a PERFECT job at creating challenging puzzles yet solvable in the time frame with an efficient team. This event was one of the most memorable adventures for me and well worth the price of admission. I would love to go again with another group just to watch them solve the puzzles, and I will be first in line if this team creates a new puzzle room in the future!

WE LOVED THIS GAME!
I can’t recommend enough the «Spark of Resistance» experience. It is extremely well-​designed and well-​paced for a group of 8. I love the Soviet-​era spy theme… no spoilers beyond this, but I will say I was really impressed by the puzzles and how well everything worked.
After we left we were talking for hours about the different puzzles.
We went for a friend’s birthday, but it would be fun for a work group, family, or gaming group.

I cannot say enough great things about this. Our group had a blast. (And yes, we did escape.)
First off, the location is great. It’s near a bunch of restaurants and bars (because, Portland), so it’s easy to make an evening of eating/​drinking/​puzzling, which is perfect.
The Room, though. The Room is AMAZING. The whole presentation is really well put together. From the moment you step in, you’re almost overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in the room. There are tons of props and things to interact with (everything is there for a reason even if it’s not immediately apparent what that reason is). There’s a storyline throughout (which most room escapes do not have), and there’s even a bit of a theatrical element. Each puzzle has a different mechanic and needs to be approached in a new way. There’s a lot to get done in an hour, but you always have a sense of progression, of moving forward towards the end, even if you don’t know where that end is.
I won’t give anything away, but a strategy that worked well for our group is if someone gets stuck, to tag out with one of your teammates and move onto another puzzle. A fresh set of eyes is always key.
Anyway, it’s great. Make this happen. You will not be disappointed.