Area 51

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The Crux in Hamilton is easy to find, and offers more than just escape rooms. The lobby is filled with activities, so you could make a whole afternoon out of a visit (which is always a bonus)! There is plenty of seating where you can play a wide variety of unique board games and puzzles.  There are refreshments and games for sale, and even a 3D printer you can watch in action when it’s in operation. If that’s not enough, they even have a small Kennel escape game in the lobby for a small fee.

Area 51 sounds like an exciting theme in theory, but the room did not match the hype. It was pretty sparse and bare, and if there was some sort of time period they were aiming for, the furniture, props and set pieces did not match this. What should’ve felt like a military base which could potentially lead you to the discovery of alien activity, felt like an empty room filled with relatively random stuff.

The immersion, like the quality of the room, was fine. There wasn’t a ton that made you feel like you were supposed to be in Area 51, which was unfortunate. The story itself doesn’t really carry through the room, which is made more apparent by the fact that the puzzles don’t really have anything to do with the theme (with some exceptions). I think you can find ways to engage with the room and the story, but you really have to work for it, which isn’t ideal.

While the puzzles didn’t match the theme, there were some silver linings. There are quite a few puzzles to do, so everyone on the team was usually actively engaged which is always a plus. We also had a few opportunities to work as a team which definitely made the experience more enjoyable. There was also a fairly nice balance of physical and intellectual puzzles which is always great to satisfy the different types of learners on your team.

This room would be good if you’re newer to escape room experiences. It’s a good chance to work as a team, do some neat puzzles and try to escape. There is no real wow factor, though you may find some fun surprises along the way.