Unlocking the Joys of Austin’s Puzzle Rooms

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Lockout Austin

It was difficult to choose from the intriguing options at Lockout Austin, but ultimately we chose to pass up the World War III Conspiracy Theory and Blue Meth Breakout for one final heist scenario. It was a light afternoon, so we were an intimate company of three friends, working together to infiltrate a casino vault and make off with the valuables inside.

Arriving early, we had ample time to relax in the spacious lobby, distracting ourselves with the numerous puzzle boxes, toys, and gizmos throughout the space. (Our host noted that Snooze, the new brunch place a few doors down, often had waits in excess of two hours, so it was possible to put your name on the list there, swing by to tackle an escape room, and be back in time for mimosas.) Our hosts were amusing, charming, and knowledgeable, running us through the routine instructions, warnings, and pointers before depositing us at the casino door.

A person behind a sliding peephole in the door gave us a simple riddle to solve to acquire the password that would grant us entrance, and within moments, we were inside. A live operator in the room provided color and guidance, and as she was fully in character as a blackjack dealer, that added an extra element of enjoyment to the scene. At various points in our escapade, our team was required to interact with her in a variety of ways, affording us the opportunity to buy her "drinks" for hints, play games, and overcome different types of challenges that other, more solitary escape affairs don't provide.

The room itself was nicely designed and decorated – slightly minimalist but still rich and evocative of the casino theme, complete with mood music, various pieces of gambling apparatus, and a set of antique lockboxes to crack. No element of the room was wasted; everything inside was used to figure out the solution to one of the puzzles. We enjoyed a fair amount of environmental discovery and moments of revelation as we uncovered clues hidden in plain sight, and each new challenge flowed naturally from the last. Even with a very small group, we were never lost or overwhelmed, making good time without feeling rushed and finally walking out the back door with a sack full of loot in near-record time.

Lesson learned: Sometimes a tight-knit strike team of focused smarty-pantses can outperform a larger bunch of uncoordinated puzzle-hounds, when properly motivated.