Escape Room Treasure Hunt: The Bootlegger’s Dilemma

Locking yourself in a room with four strangers and solving puzzles is not everyone’s idea of fun.

But, there’s a reason most people who try an escape room once go back for more. In The Bootlegger’s Dilemma, the participants have 45 minutes to unlock a series of hiding places. And no sooner than it begins, all are completely engaged as the clock counts down with alarming rapidity.

Teamwork is a vital component of escape rooms. But the scenario where multiple objectives can be tackled separately is excellent for a bunch of strangers. Although never quite coalescing as a team, a series of fiendishly difficult puzzles get bumbled through together. Though without the hints from gamesmaster Richard Maritzer, this would be a highly challenging room.

Maritzer has a fondness for intricate electronic devices, and a few of them aren't quite up and running today. Some of the props are also too delicate to touch. And, as with last year, the temporary location creates a few issues.

But The Bootlegger's Dilemma remains rewarding and immensely enjoyable, especially for those not content to sit back and instead wish to engage with the experience.