The Alchemist

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Dungeons and dragons and spells, oh my! If you’re a fan of the time of knights, kings and wizardry, you should check out The Alchemist Room at Escape Room LA, which does an amazing job of transporting you back to medieval times.

The immersion experience starts right when you enter the room with an actor that plays the part of an alchemist in training. Upon entering the room, our group wasn’t sure if he was a real person or a mannequin since he didn’t move and he blended in with the room and props really well. The lighting, the decorations on the wall, the furniture, and the props made this one of the more immersive rooms I’ve ever reviewed. Nothing in the room felt out of place or random which allowed for a constant flow of the storyline.

Everything in the room felt sturdy and well-maintained so we didn’t feel that we had to be delicate when solving the puzzles or moving the props around. There were also a wide variety of puzzles in this room which played to different players’ strengths which was nice in that everyone got involved and no one was really standing around not doing anything or being bored. The puzzles were not your typical “find the number or word combination” and unlock the lock, which was also a nice breath of fresh air. Without giving away too much, the amount of technology in this room was just right and it kept things interesting but individuals that love math and word puzzles would thrive and fully enjoy this room.

The actor in the room also did a good job in sticking to his role (which felt a bit frustrating at times) by not responding when we asked him questions but merely just looking at something intently or pointing at/turning something that we may have missed. Be warned, there are a lot of puzzles in this room so I would recommend going with a group of six or more people since our group of nine ended up splitting up to complete the different puzzles of earth, wind, air, and fire. Had we not split up, we probably would have struggled to finish all the puzzles and escape from the room.

The room is located near the Flower District in Downtown LA, so be prepared to do a bit of hunting for cheap parking or just bite the bullet and pay $10 in the lots around that area. Once we found the easy-to-miss sign leading up to the room, we were greeted with a few short puzzles on the wall that will unlock a candy jar for those patient enough to solve them. The bathrooms also need a code to be used so be aware of that. All of these things definitely provide a good warm up to the challenge ahead. The game hosts also offer bottles of water for anyone who checks in on Yelp and you get a group photo after the room that’s posted on Instagram.

Veteran players will definitely love the immersive storyline, the variety of puzzles, and the unique technology in this room. Beginners to escape rooms may find this room challenging and a bit frustrating at times but the satisfaction you will receive when you conquer this room may well be worth the journey.