Review: The Perfect Escape - The Pharaoh's Tomb

RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 6:12

How many angry Pharaohs must we encounter before we finally learn our lesson?

Story

You and a group of friends have finally taken that trip to Cairo, Egypt. During one of the tours of the pyramids, you all have decided to split off and explore some of the areas yourselves. Unbeknownst, stumbling across a tomb that has been undiscovered, only to find a spirit of an evil pharaoh waiting inside…

We have angered our fair share of Pharaohs, so what is one more? It should come as no surprise that there are many booby traps and obstacles impeding our journey. This pyramid even comes equipped with a curse, so we must be extra cautious! Before our adventure began, we were handed flashlights and told that in order to break the Pharaoh’s curse, we must find the sacred ankh.

While the narrative of The Pharaoh’s Tomb is not incredibly unique, the story and sense of exploration were maintained throughout our journey. The Perfect Escape immersed us in a world that made us feel like tourists who had stumbled upon a place that nobody was meant to enter.

Scenic

The tomb starts off dimly lit, so we are forced to use our flashlights to light the way. The chamber has an impressive stone floor with hand carved hieroglyphics, and there are two large Sphinx statues lining one wall. It certainly feels like we have wandered into a pyramid.

It’s apparent that another explorer had also stumbled upon this tomb. However, we can only hope that our fate will be a little different than his, as he is nothing but a pile of bones. Luckily, he brought a power generator and hung some lights for us, so we do not have to carry our flashlights for too long.

The attention to detail in the second chamber is just as impressive as the first, and our shoes begin filling with sand. A wooden barricade impedes our adventure, but it certainly entices a curiosity in us as to where this adventure will ultimately lead.

Puzzles

The Pharaoh’s Tomb offers a wide variety of puzzles that all link to the Egyptian theme and make us feel like real tourists turned explorers. If we had not been able to dig in the sand while on this adventure, we would have thought something was amiss.

While some observational puzzles were solved quickly, other activities took more time and brainpower to complete. However, every action was intuitive and naturally linked to one another. Teamwork became crucial because the steps were non-linear, and there was some scavenging and teamwork involved throughout the entire experience. In fact, one action physically required multiple participants.

One of the most thrilling moments of the journey was a physical activity that required crouching. The Perfect Escape was able to take a simple puzzle mechanic but build it on such a grand scale that it became fun and exciting.

Overall

While The Pharaoh’s Tomb may not have a unique theme or backstory, the execution and design are definitely unique. It was able to induce a sense of adventure and exploration that is missing from many rooms in the area, and it is also one of the most scenically impressive rooms in town.

The Perfect Escape has quickly become one of our favorite venues in the Dallas area, and they continue to impress us with each new room that they build. They have raised the bar even higher for themselves with The Pharaoh’s Tomb, and we are excited to see what they produce next. This is one vacation to Cairo that we will never forget.