Articles by Brian Gondek

Racine, WI: Seven Keys to Escape – Critter Craters

December 8, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

Seven Keys to Escape in Racine, WI has a special distinction for me and my dad- their “Nana’s Room” game was the first escape room the two of us lost together within the United States.  Nana’s Room was filled with loads of content and it was tough for a team of two to get through all of it, but we were still itching for another try, and we finally got that try when Seven Keys opened their new Critter Craters room.  A visit to Seven Keys to Escape made sense as the perfect birthday gift for me to give to […]

Puzzle for a Buck

December 2, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

Hunting deer isn’t something I’d previously thought of as a puzzle, but this season, I’ve started to see it a little bit differently.

Public or Private?

November 19, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

I’ve seen more and more escape rooms advertising that they offer only private experiences.  While in general this is a nice perk, I have to admit I have conflicted feelings about it. While some of my worst experiences have been getting dumped in with other groups, I’ve also got a lot of great memories from this kind of arrangement.

Louisiana Blitz

November 13, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

I had heard legends of the escape rooms in Louisiana. The first mention I encountered was in St. Louis about three years ago. After solving an escape room with a pretty neat design, the owner mentioned that the only rooms cooler than his were in Louisiana.

Cayman Islands: Locked Inn – Pirate’s Cellar

November 7, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

Escape rooms are pretty much everywhere now, as proven when Christina and I found one only a two minute walk away from the Cayman Islands cruise terminal – Locked Inn.  I had known about this business ahead of time, but it was still surprising to see how close and accessible it was.

I’m Thinking I’m Back

November 6, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

For a while before my wedding, nearly all my time was dedicated to getting the wedding arrangements in order. Christina and I still had some adventures, but time was minimal for doing pretty much anything else. It was a huge shift to spend more than a week “taking it easy.”

Wedding Anticipation

October 25, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

No, I haven’t vanished without a trace. The past few weeks have been very busy wrapping up Christina’s and my wedding plans, and now we’re only two days out.

Puzzle Challenges – Internet Edition

September 30, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

There’s never been a better time to be a fan of puzzles. Escape rooms are the most obvious recent development, but the worldwide enthusiasm for puzzles didn’t stop there. One of my favorite new developments is the online puzzle challenge.

Hurst, TX: Thrifty Pirate – Escape Cave

September 17, 2019 Brian Gondek 0

September 5, 2019 – I’ve got a new record for closest margin of victory in an escape room.  I’ve had some close calls before, some where we needed to double check that we actually won.  At Thrifty Pirate in Hurst, TX, the opening of the final lock and the sound of the buzzer telling us time ran out were borderline simultaneous.  It was thrilling to get the win and close out the trip 3-0.