Hourglass Escapes: Rise Of The Mad Pharaoh (Seattle, WA)

We made Mummy proud

"Hourglass Escapes" features one room, "Rise of the Mad Pharaoh" and our group of four decided to play this while in Seattle after some word of mouth advice. The story followed Dr. Carter's archaeological dig, which sets off a trap and locks him in an Egyptian tomb. The narrative and countdown were relayed via a TV screen in the room and the flow of the game was smooth. Each player roleplayed a character and used their expertise, in the form of a hint on their character card, to solve a puzzle. We liked this roleplaying and have only seen this in a few escapes room to date.

The puzzles were thematic and the custom made props and centerpiece were unique and fun. The gamemaster (owner) was present in the room as five people were required to activate something, although we felt that this activation could have been designed for far fewer people with no repercussions. The set decor of the room was basic and there was a bit of an office space feeling that might be due to restrictions set by the office administration. It's always hard to make an immersive environment in an office so it's good to know this beforehand.
 
Like many of the Seattle area escape rooms, the footprint of Rise of the Mad Pharaoh was on the smaller side being a single room venue. We were not sure how this room could accommodate nine people as it would be very tight. The custom made centerpiece was the main attraction and entertaining to interact with.  There weren't any crazy reveals but the way that the puzzles tied to the theme was clever.

Pros: Nice props and centerpiece puzzle, fun integration of character backgrounds
Cons: Decor is basic and room is small

• Set/room design: Average decor (still felt like an office space), props were awesome
• Technology/automation: Gen-1.5 room (video conveys story, centerpiece is cool)
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: $31.50/person,  
• Number of players: 4-9, open to the public (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★½

See their website here: https://hourglassescapes.com