Welcome to Steeped and Unlocked!

Where escapes are reviewed and tea is spilled 🍵🔐

Let’s face it: not all escape rooms are created equal. Some are brilliant, immersive, and clever with amazing puzzle flow and attention to detail. Others? Quite literally an office cubicle with a few locks and some laminated pieces of paper.

After completing countless rooms across state lines I found myself wishing for one central place to keep track of the good, the bad, and the “wow” – whether that means above and beyond or just… wow.

That’s where this blog comes in. Part honest archive, part public service, and part excuse to make too many lock-related puns, this is a place to share real, spoiler-free reviews of escape rooms. For myself. For fellow enthusiasts. And for anyone who deserves to know whether a room is *worth* escaping in the first place.

🔎 What You’ll Find Here

Each escape room I review will be rated out of 5 in these 8 different key areas:

• 🎨 Immersiveness & Theme Integration
  • Does the room tell a story, or just look like a thrift store exploded?
  • Do I feel like I’m somewhere new or do I *know* I’m at a strip mall?
• 🧩 Puzzle Uniqueness & Variety
  • Is it a fresh brain workout or just padlocks on everything?
  • Do they use the same kind of puzzle repeatedly or is there a nice variety?
• ⏱️ Flow & Pacing
  • Was it a smooth escape or a traffic jam of group confusion?
  • Did the room flow from puzzle to puzzle?
  • Is the room built for one small group or a larger group to divide and conquer?
• 👨‍💻 Game Master Quality
  • Did they add to the immersion, or take away from it?
  • Clue too much or too little?
  • Offer clues unprompted?
  • Were the clues given actually helpful?
• 🛠️ Durability & Maintenance
  • Are the props sturdy and functioning… or held together by hope and hot glue?
  • Are there game components that are not well maintained or flimsy?
• 🔒 Difficulty
  • Was it comparable to the difficulty the company assigned it?
  • What difficulty rating would I give it?
• 🧼 Cleanliness
  • Because no one should fear what’s behind a blacklight.
  • Is it clear they clean daily or can I easily see it’s been a while?
• ♿ Accessibility
  • Physically doable in shoes that aren’t hiking boots?
  • ADA accessible?
  • Deaf friendly?

I may also include my own personal opinions about the room as well since, ya know, everything is subjective, and there is always a hot pot of tea here. 🫖

❌ What You *Won’t* Find

Spoilers. I’m here to spill the tea, not the solution to Puzzle 7.

I may share that there a certain *types* of puzzles, but only if I wish I had known going in. I personally believe that part of an escape room is going in to solve puzzles, so what’s the point if I walk in already knowing exactly what I’m going to find?

For example, I might tell you a room has a riddle in it and/or if I think the answer to the riddle in the room was a stretch, but i won’t tell you the riddle or the answer to the riddle in question.

I may also tell you if there are multiple color-based puzzles that may make it difficult if you’re color blind or smelling based puzzles that make make it difficult for those with allergies or a nose that maybe doesn’t work the best – especially if there isn’t a simple work around. I want people to have fun, not be super frustrated because a room isn’t accessible to them.

📅 Posting Schedule:

In the spirit of all good escape plans: as soon as the timing is right. 💅Expect reviews whenever I get the chance to tackle a new room.

🎯 Why This Exists

To help you walk into every escape room feeling confident, curious, and excited — not duped by vague star ratings or five-year-old reviews. Whether you’re a seasoned solver or a first-time escapee, this blog is your guide to choosing rooms that are worth your time, money, and mental energy and hopefully allow you to find the experience your looking for.

🎉 Let’s Get the Party Started

Thanks for being here. Now let’s get locked in… and start unlocking opinions. 🗝️😉