Escape Room review: ‘Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp’ in Orlando
The “Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” escape room is new at Puzzle Corp Escape Rooms in Orlando; come with us as we try it out!
What do you do when rumors of bigfoot in the swamp may be more than just urban legends? Why, you charter a bigfoot tourboat and spend 90 minutes solving puzzles, of course. At least that’s what we did when the Attractions Magazine team was invited out to Puzzle Corp Escape Rooms to try out “Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp.” Made in cooperation with Escape Ventures, Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp is the newest game at Puzzle Corp Escape Rooms (formerly America’s Escape Game).
Scenically, the room did a great job of capturing the look and feel of a swampy adventure albeit in a limited setting. The room didn’t try to be hyper-realistic, instead leaning on a stylized look and feel that still felt immersive. The game starts on a “tour boat” before venturing into the swamp itself and a few locales beyond. Props felt and looked good and were generally interesting and varied.
Challenges in the room ranged from pattern recognition and scavenger hunts to more involved lateral thinking and physical challenges. Being a 90-minute room, there were a lot of puzzles to solve, which was nice because it meant everyone in our group had something to do. That being said, most challenges culminated in entering a code or number into a lock, which is not unexpected, but just notable for the sheer number.
The “Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” escape room benefits highly from having an organized and experienced player who can keep track of everything yet to be opened. This way, the team can know what to try a key, password, or combo on.
In the room, we quickly figured out how one puzzle would function, but in the end never actually needed to do anything with it. I’m not sure if this puzzle was just temporarily broken or perhaps was never fully implemented and just left in this state. Several puzzles did have just the right amount of confusion followed by “Aha!” to give that pleasant serotonin rush we’re all seeking.
While “Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” is not a horror escape room, per se, our gamemaster set the tone immediately right from the safety briefing. “If you see a bigfoot running toward you, you run the other way.” It was definitely one of the more unique warnings I’ve heard and it clued us in on what kind of experience we could expect. It seems like something that shouldn’t have to be said, but then again, most safety instructions tend to have some specific incident that they stem from, so who am I to judge?
Considering you hear these words before ever entering the room, it’s safe to say that it’s probably not a spoiler that yes, this situation will come up during the room. Obviously, we were never in any real danger, but the added “threat” did help ramp up the tension. Guests who may want a slightly tamer experience should express their concerns with the gamemaster before playing.
“Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” is billed as a 90-minute room, and our team of five experienced escapers made it out in 75 minutes with just a few nudges. The room can accommodate up to eight players, though I think more than six may start to feel a bit crowded and leave people without something to do more often.
Accessibility in the room is also limited, with a step up being required right in the beginning. Guests in wheelchairs may want to inquire ahead of time about accommodations before booking. Visual and audio clues are both also necessary for completion. It’s also necessary for at least one player to climb and crawl and someone to complete challenges, requiring a bit more physical dexterity.
In the end, this was a quite enjoyable room with an immersive atmosphere and a variety of challenges and puzzles. We were seldomly sitting around waiting for something to do. The tense atmosphere may not be right for some people, but for those seeking a longer-than-average escape room with plenty of puzzles, “Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” may be just what you’ve been searching for.
“Bigfoot: Secrets of the Swamp” is open now at Puzzle Corps Escape Rooms in Orlando, Fla. For more information or to book tickets, visit PuzzleCorpEscapeRooms.com.
We like to use the Morty app (Morty.app) to track and rate all of our escape room experiences. You can find our reviews featured in the editorial section of any room we’ve done. And of course you can follow us on Morty at @Attractions!
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