Escape Room
Curse of the Mayan Ruins calls Escape Hour Gig Harbor home. Escape Hour Gig Harbor was the first Escape Hour location get its start! After seven years, it now has four permanent escape rooms to choose from. For more information on this award-winning venue, and for a list of all their current escape rooms, click here https://www.escapehourgigharbor.com/rooms
One of their permanent experiences is Curse of the Mayan Ruins, a critically acclaimed escape room, and a fan-favorite for many reasons. With authentic Mayan history on display and well-researched ancient cultural beliefs threaded throughout, Curse of the Mayan Ruins not only provides an intense adventure, but also a beautiful educational experience. Here is our best nerdy deep-dive into everything Curse of the Mayan Ruins.
Exploring The Ruins
You and your team are sent into an ancient Mayan ruin to collect two coveted artifacts. But your journey isn't as straightforward as it first appears. We went through this firsthand, and wouldn't change our experience for anything.
Seconds after entering the experience we realized this was not your ordinary escape room. Mossy stone walls separated us from whatever lives we led on the outside. Now, our only focus became the quickly evolving storyline suddenly before us.
With sounds of the rainforest echoing through dark chambers, we pressed on. Torchlight flickered and guided us to new discoveries. We were no longer ourselves, but stalwart archaeologists, dedicated to our mission and nothing more.
When the intensity picked up, we felt it in our bones.
Everything about the setting — from the countless stars overhead to the foliage growing from cracks in the walls — painted a picture of beauty and forgotten legends.
With vibes that remind us of Indiana Jones, The Mummy movies, and The Road to El Dorado, Curse of the Mayan Ruins evokes a sense of adventure and appreciation.
The Gameplay
Curse of the Mayan Ruins is not without its challenges. Luckily, that is the entire point of a great escape room. The Puzzles There is a vast mix of physical puzzles, logic-based puzzles, word puzzles and spatial puzzles inside this experience. Everyone in our group had something fun to work on at all times, and we all had a way to contribute to our ultimate victory — something that can't be said of all escape rooms. The games flow nicely, as well. There were multiple points during this experience where we split off and worked on separate problems at the same time. This saved us time and allowed our different strengths to shine through. If we could describe the environment in a few words, including all the games and puzzles, here's what we'd say: Everything. Made. Sense. All the décor, props, game elements, sound designs, musical pieces and solutions were logically placed and kept us digging deeper into the storyline. Strategy For Victory
With all escape rooms, there are several things to remember that will make escape more likely. Here are some strategies we've collected, including strategies specific to Curse of the Mayan Ruins:
Communicate - No, this isn't a free therapy session, but you could definitely benefit from opening your mouth and sharing your feelings — er — findings! If you don't let everyone know you're holding the cipher to their word puzzle, it won't get done. If Cousin Benny fails to mention the secret door he just found, you may never know it's there! In short: Speak up!
Stay organized - When things get cluttered it's easy to spend multiple minutes sorting through already used game elements. Our suggestion? Set everything you've already used someplace that won't confuse you later. Keep used keys inside their respective locks, keep used locks inside their respective boxes, and make sure everyone is on the same page! (Looking at you, Benny)
Ask for help - Escape Hour Gig Harbor offers unlimited hints, at no penalty! Some places with dock you time when you ask more than three questions. Not here. We'd say, if you spend more than 5-10 minutes on one puzzle, it might be time to ask for a small nudge. Escape Hour Gig Harbor Game Masters will never outright tell you a solution, and that little bump in the right direction might save you later!
Arrive on time - This one should be a no-brainer, but late groups aren't guaranteed extra time, and you may need all of your 70 minutes to escape in time!
Pass the puzzle - Stuck on something? Don't be a game hog. If you are fresh out of ideas, we recommend passing the puzzle to someone else. Sometimes things just need a fresh perspective! And who knows, maybe later someone will pass a puzzle to you.
Explore everything - This one should also be fairly obvious, but we've been to many escape rooms, with many people. You'd be surprised how often things go unnoticed, only because no one thought to explore a little deeper. Unless your Game Master or waiver explicitly forbid a certain action, investigate all you can! Keep your common sense cap on, but really. Escape rooms are meant to be explored!
Award-Winning Experience
To top it all off, Curse of the Mayan Ruins has won the Morty Top Escape Rooms (2022) - Morty's Finest.
Check them out on the Morty website here: https://morty.app/game/1040/curse-of-the-mayan-ruins
Overall Thoughts
It's hard to find a negative with Curse of the Mayan Ruins. It is a breath of fresh air, and a journey not only of the mind, but all the senses.
Compared to other rooms we've played, this one absolutely feels like a graduation. It tackles ancient legends in an authentic and respectful way, requires the entire group work together, and has a storyline that feels rewarding once completed.
We would be remiss not to highly recommend Curse of the Mayan Ruins to beginners and escape room veterans alike. It's hard to find escape rooms that evoke emotional responses as well as intellectual ones, but this experience did all that and more.
If you're looking for a true adventure, where mystery, heartbreak, immersion and ancient lore combine into one epic experience, you have to give Curse of the Mayan Ruins at Escape Hour Gig Harbor a try.
If you are near Gig Harbor, Washington, or plan to make a trip, read more about Curse of the Mayan Ruins at Escape Hour Gig Harbor and book your reservation today!
More information and booking: https://www.escapehourgigharbor.com/curse-of-the-mayan-ruins
Escape Room
This blog calls the ESCAPE ROOM topic on our blog home. Browsing the ESCAPE ROOM Topic you'll find reviews and information about small businesses offering unique escape room experiences. We also provide valuable resources for enthusiasts. In addition to showcasing new escape rooms, we highlight some of the best and most innovative experiences. Our team is dedicated to finding the most thrilling and immersive escape rooms, and we provide honest reviews to help you choose the perfect adventure. So come back often to stay up to date and find your next great escape!
