Review: Nightmare Hotel at Orlando’s Game Over Escape Rooms is hauntingly fun, full of surprises
Game Over Escape Rooms is now open at The Florida Mall in Orlando. We got to experience the Nightmare Hotel escape room firsthand!
Just in time for the Halloween season, the Attractions Magazine team was invited out to experience Nightmare Hotel, a spooky, fun escape room at Orlando’s Game Over Escape Rooms! We had exactly one hour to solve the hotel’s mysteries and escape before we were trapped inside forever. Keep reading to find out if we enjoyed our stay at the Nightmare Hotel or if it was one bad dream we were dying to wake up from.
The facility: Game Over Escape Rooms at The Florida Mall
Nightmare Hotel is one eight games offered at Game Over Escape Rooms’ recently opened Orlando location. Since escape rooms are typically such a labor of love, we sometimes find that franchise locations can feel a little corporate and soulless, but we were pleasantly surprised by Game Over Escape Rooms.
Before we got to experience our game, we found that even the venue itself was well appointed. The spacious lobby is decorated with larger-than-life representations of each of the games literally busting out from the walls, with a giant, keyhole-shaped pathway leading toward the games. Also, the facility being located in The Florida Mall means that guests have plenty to do before and after the game including shopping, dining, and other activities. There’s even a hotel right in the middle of the mall. Well, two I guess, if you count the Nightmare Hotel!
The room: Nightmare Hotel
Stepping into the room, we were immediately struck by the craftsmanship and quality of the immersion. Stylized as a creepy hotel from a bygone era (think The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios), the room has every spooky element you could want: old-timey lamps and forgotten relics from a time long past, all covered with cobwebs; creepy paintings adorning stained walls with decaying wallpaper; and not to mention more than one outrightly scary element (which won’t be spoiled here) all serve to set the mood and tell the story.
Heck, even the only light source we had to use at times was a small candelabra, making us feel stuck in the middle of a horror movie. Beyond the physical elements of the room were lighting, sound, and even smell effects that all combined to immerse us in the world and keep us constantly on edge. Seriously, whenever we opened a new pathway, we all dared each other to walk in first. I would also be remiss to not mention that the room features several jump scares, though exactly when and how will be left for you to discover on your own.
The escape room experience: fairly linear with impressive jump scares
The experience begins (as most escape rooms do) with a short video explaining the rules, followed by an in-character video explaining the story and our goals. I will admit, this second video leaves a little to be desired, as the ghost’s thick accent is a little difficult to follow. Once the game proper began, though, our escape-room instincts took over and we set about searching for clues and solving puzzles.
The puzzles themselves feature a good variety, though the structure is fairly linear, which can be a plus or a minus depending on your personal preferences. Many puzzles feature elements for multiple people to participate in, so only seldom did any of us find ourselves standing around waiting for something to do.
A great escape room will generally feature “reveals” after solving puzzles, such as new doors opening or clues popping out of unexpected places (or indeed jump scares), and Nightmare Hotel contains several very solid ones. One such reveal (which again won’t be spoiled here) impressed all of us, as we didn’t see it coming and were genuinely delighted when it occurred. We were pleased that most of the puzzles feature logic that makes sense and feel correct, though at least one puzzle requires a logical leap that unfortunately feels a little unsatisfying.
Special effects and clues
Nightmare Hotel features a decent amount of technology behind the scenes, which enhances the experience rather than distracts from it. These include puzzles that feel mechanical, but must be electronic to do what they do. Some items magically move by themselves in ways that don’t, feel hokey but instead served to enhance the “spookiness” of the room.
Clues can be requested from a sleek touchscreen system in the room or can be given by the game master over the room’s speakers. There is no penalty for clues or nudges, and the game master is open to providing whatever level of assistance guests request: from being completely hands-off to providing a near-total walkthrough, and everything in between. We opted for nudges only if we were falling behind pace (so we could be sure to see the entire room), but options are available to match any group’s preference. Our game master was courteous and knowledgeable and hung out to just chat escape rooms with us a bit after the game (which, let’s be honest, is the true mark of a good game master).
Better lighting, subtitles would help the Game Over Escape Rooms experience
As far as accessibility goes, the room is mostly okay, but a few quality-of-life improvements could have assisted. Players leave personal items in a locker outside the room and keep the key for their own security. This includes leaving phones behind. While we didn’t need them to solve puzzles, phones could have provided extra light to help our old eyes see and interact with the small locks and tiny text in the otherwise dark and moody room. While I understand the ambiance the darkness creates, it did make things more difficult in ways that weren’t necessarily fun. I would have been okay breaking my immersion to be allowed to shine a little more light on a few of the harder to read and manipulate objects.
Additionally, subtitles would be helpful for a few of the videos. Even as a fully hearing group, we occasionally had trouble understanding what was being said.
One room requires stepping up into it without an option for wheelchair access that we could see. The reason for the step up becomes apparent later — and not everyone is required to enter the room, nor is the room utilized for very long — but it’s good to note that at least one member of your party must be able to take a step up. Ultimately, these quibbles don’t detract from the experience too much.
Overall thoughts on Nightmare Hotel at Game Over Escape Rooms
We found Nightmare Hotel to be an enjoyable experience featuring solid puzzles and appropriately spooky elements. Our team of five experienced escapers made it out with around 12 minutes left on the clock, only needing a few nudges from the game master to keep us on track.
The room is designed for two to six players and, as usual, the sweet spot is probably one or two fewer than the room’s max — but (to paraphrase a certain other haunted attraction) there’s certainly room for one more. If you like your puzzles with a healthy side of scares, then definitely check out Nightmare Hotel at Game Over Escape Rooms. We enjoyed our stay at the hotel and we’ll be sure to … hurry back …
Purchase tickets for Nightmare Hotel at Game Over Escape Rooms in Orlando here. Find a Game Over Escape Rooms location near you here.
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We like to use the Morty app (www.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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