Ever since discovering Taipei’s Escape Room Scene back in August, Josh and I have been itching to check out some more. And we finally got our chance this weekend, when a couple of our best expat friends came back for a visit after moving to Japan. This was the 3rd Escape Room Company we’ve tried in Taipei. And we all agreed it was our favorite yet!  Here’s why:

Very Easy to Book

To me, the most intimidating part of doing an escape room in Taipei is just booking it! Some are extremely complicated to book, especially if you don’t speak or read Chinese and aren’t familiar with LINE, 7-11 and other unique payment/communication methods used here in Taiwan. But here Limitless shines. Their online booking system is shockingly simple. In fact, as of this writing they don’t even require a deposit! They just trust you to show up when you say you will. How refreshingly sweet is that?!

Super English Friendly

Josh and I arrived at Limitless ahead of our Chinese speaking expat friends. We were a little nervous about trying to check in without them (especially when it occurred to us that they might have booked under their Chinese names, which we don’t know!) But as soon as we stepped in, the staff welcomed us warmly in English. And even though our Chinese is getting better, it was a relief not to have to struggle through that moment. We learned that Limitless has 2 escape rooms and both are English friendly. And we can now attest to the fact that you seriously don’t have to speak one word of Chinese in order to enjoy this place from start to finish.

Well thought out storyline

All escape rooms have a theme and some sort of story to explain why you’re stuck in that particular setting. Sometimes the story feels like more of a side note, just an excuse for the fun. And I’m okay with that. I don’t really go for the story, I go for the puzzles. But at some places the story is clearly supposed to be a big part of the experience. And that can be great too, so long as it isn’t so elaborate that it becomes confusing and distracting from the fun of just solving puzzles and making it through the room. I thought Limitless hit the perfect note here.

The room’s story was very straightforward, a little creepy but not too gruesome. They explained the  “case” through an introductory video which also gave us a 3 point mission to complete (one being, of course, to escape the room!)  From then on the puzzles and the rooms continue the story in a way that isn’t heavy handed but pulls everything together.

Scary.. yet tasteful

I was a little worried when I saw the poster for this room. I HATE horror movies. I don’t get the appeal of dressing up as a bloody zombie for Halloween, and you’ll never find me in a haunted house. Still, I really liked this room! And in the end, my take is, if you’re VERY easily scared this room (“The Warrant”) might not be for you. On the other hand, if you’re up for a little spookiness and suspense we HIGHLY suggest it! It really wasn’t too macabre. The story is a bit dark and disturbing but they don’t lean into it too much. As a result it ends up feeling more like an immersive murder mystery than a full on horror story. 

Great Puzzles

Of course all of this – ease of booking, English accessibility, and story integration – would be moot points if the puzzles weren’t engaging, creative and challenging. But they hit the mark on that too! We loved the variety of puzzles, the ingenuitive use of technology, and mix of skills called upon.  Although that said, nothing in this escape room required any great deal of physical skill or strength, which I also appreciate. But it was a great mix of visual, audio, and physical puzzles.

Well designed for a small group

As if coming up with the story, puzzles, tricks and gadgets isn’t hard enough, Escape Room designers also have to consider how many people will be playing the room. How many and what types of puzzles should be simultaneously available to solve? Too many things to do at once can be overwhelming, but if there aren’t enough then you have people left standing around while one or two people solve everything. But again this room proved well designed.

There were some larger puzzles that all four of us were able to work on together. And there were other times when we split into teams and solved separate pieces simultaneously. At other moments all four of us were spread out looking for clues or brainstorming solutions for the next step. Four seems like the ideal number of people for this room. Although we could see it working well for groups of 3-5 too. A couple might have fun too, but its hard imagine that just 2 people would be able to make it all the way through in just 1 hour.

Entertaining Debrief

Like most escape rooms, after finishing we took a group picture, holding a sign stating that we’d made it out in time. Not to brag but… We made it out of the room with 2 minutes to spare and with only 1 hint! We were SO proud of ourselves. The staff also walked us through each part of the room and offered to answer any questions we had about the story or the puzzles. Honestly, it was so well done that we didn’t have any questions. But we did have fun hearing the staff share what parts tend to be difficult for groups and the different ways groups respond to “scary” parts  or different challenges.

Details

Website: https://limitlessescaperoom.com/v2/

Where: Located within easy walking distance of Gonguan MRT station (Green Line) . Note that its located on the 3rd floor of the building. Just walk into the building and take the elevator up.

When:  reservations available from 10am – 8pm daily

How Much: $500 per person (unless you are booking just 2 people to play then its $1500 for the room)

Other notes: Lockers are available to stash your things in while you play.  They do allow you to bring your phone into the room!  But you have to promise not to take pictures or use it as a flashlight.

UPDATE : After having such great time breaking out of “The Warrant”, we were anxious to check out their other room, “Prison Break.”  And we got the perfect chance when my brother and sister-in-law visited. Once again Limitless delivered! We had a fantastic time. It was equally as fun as “The Warrant” and yet totally different. Different puzzles, different styles of group problem solving, and of course, a whole different story line. Our only complaint is that Limitless only has two rooms! Here’s hoping they get so popular that they decide to open up a second location with some different rooms. Seriously, go support them!!