I wanted to update my review since I've now played all 4 of Odyssey's rooms. We played all of them by ourselves (2 players).
GENERAL
Overall, their rooms are solid. Their GMs are professional and attentive. I've never been a huge fan of the words-on-a-screen method of clue-giving, but as long as the clues are helpful (which they are), I can't complain.
The lobby is kind of an aesthetic train wreck between the bright office fluorescents, Odyssey's bright green branding, and random pop music from the last 30 years, but don't let that deter you. The lobby is not reflective of the aesthetic quality of their rooms.
It's worth noting that (to my knowledge) there are no laser-cut/cookie-cutter puzzles or store-bought puzzle boxes here; everything feels custom-made and fits well in the world of the rooms. Big plus.
Bonus: Odyssey is a sub-5-minute drive from Jekyll Brewing, great spot to debrief and have a victory (or consolation) beer for players of drinking age.
ROOMS
Jack the Ripper: 4.5 stars. First and foremost, this room's set design is gorgeous. It's probably in my top 5 rooms for sheer production value. I've played other Ripper rooms, and they can't touch this one as far as immersion goes. As I said in my initial review, there is A LOT to keep up with, and this results in a central puzzle being easily rendered unsolvable by normal player actions. You essentially have to work pretty hard to NOT break the puzzle, which isn't ideal. We were warned about this, and we still were unable to keep everything straight. In spite of that, I still really enjoyed this room. Possibly my favorite of the 4. I STRONGLY recommend at least 4 players for this room, as it is very difficult with 2.
Titanic: 4 stars. This room has the lowest difficulty level and lowest production value (the sets are well-made, but there is a lot of unused space, not as immersive as some of their other rooms). That said, the puzzles were a lot of fun and the conclusion was satisfying. There is a good amount to do, but it's very doable with 2 players. I probably wouldn't want to have more than 4. Great choice for first-time players.
Prison Break: 4.5 stars. This room is difficult but doable, a well-balanced challenge. The set is immersive and there are some clever puzzles throughout, though nothing seemed especially novel (that may be in part because of how many prison-themed rooms are out there). I would recommend 4 players for this room (we struggled with 2), probably no more than 6. Good for experienced players, as long as they're not sick of prison escape rooms.
NOTE: At one point there is a prop that players are required to interact with which contains glass (I only know this because we dropped and broke it - so sorry! Thanks to the GMs who were very gracious about this!). I would strongly encourage Odyssey to replace this with plexiglass or plastic to avoid issues in the future.
Towering Inferno: 4.5 stars. I went into this room expecting to hate it, based on what I'd heard from friends who had played. I am not generally a fan of technology-heavy escape rooms (totally personal preference) and was prepared to be underwhelmed. I ended up not really minding the technology aspects, though be aware that computers are involved in a MAJOR chunk of the game. I found that bit to be somewhat repetitive, but not so much that we got frustrated with it. Still, it IS a blatant time-suck, and I believe that time could be better filled with other puzzles.
The other puzzles in this room were entertaining and inventive. Some were a bit obtusely clued, but our GM was on top of things and maintained a great balance of letting us struggle vs. nudging us in the right direction. I would recommend at least 3-4 players for this room, mainly because the time-suck computer puzzle requires 2 people, and it would be immensely helpful to be able to work on other things while that's happening. Very different from other rooms I've played before, so I would recommend it for veteran players, as long as they don't mind the tech aspect. Not as difficult as Prison Break or Ripper, but challenging all the same. read more