Monday, July 4, 2016

Beat Escape Rooms - Tips and Tricks to Win Escape Games

Top Escape Room Tips & Tricks – How to Win Every Time 🔐🕵️‍♂️

Escape rooms have exploded in popularity as a fun and challenging group activity that tests logic, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Whether you’re an escape room newbie or a seasoned pro, knowing the best strategies can help you escape faster and increase your chances of winning.

Here’s a complete guide with expert escape room tips and tricks, including team organization, common mistakes, and top-rated escape rooms in Arizona, Nevada, and California!

Escape Room Tips and Tricks
Escapology San Diego - 2016 my team at our first win



🧠 Best Team Strategy for Escape Rooms

Having the right team dynamic can make or break your escape room experience. The ideal team size is 5-7 players—too many people can be chaotic, while too few limits problem-solving abilities.

👥 Ideal Escape Room Team Roles

✔️ Project Manager (1 person) – Keeps the team organized, assigns tasks, and ensures progress.
✔️ Searchers (2-3 people) – Actively look for clues, keys, and hidden objects.
✔️ Quartermaster (1 person) – Organizes all found clues and items, preventing clutter.
✔️ Puzzle Solvers (1-2 people) – Focus on solving riddles, deciphering codes, and unlocking puzzles.

💡 Pro Tip: Consider booking a private escape room to avoid being paired with strangers—this ensures better teamwork and communication.


🔑 How to Win at Escape Rooms – Essential Tips & Tricks

1️⃣ Search Smart & Search Fast

✔️ As soon as the game starts, search for locks, hidden compartments, and loose objects.
✔️ Look under furniture, inside drawers, behind pictures, and inside books (but don’t rip anything!).
✔️ Don’t waste time on locked areas—find the clues needed to open them instead.

2️⃣ Call Out Clues & Keep Communication Open

✔️ Every time you find a new lock, number, key, or clue, announce it to the group.
✔️ Listen to all team members—different perspectives can lead to breakthroughs.
✔️ Don’t let one person dominate the game—collaborate!

3️⃣ Organize Your Findings (Quartermaster Role)

✔️ Place all found clues in a central area for easy access.
✔️ Separate used and unused items—this prevents duplicate effort.
✔️ Try all possible combinations before giving up—sometimes, simple mistakes like reversing numbers can hold you back.

4️⃣ Work on Multiple Puzzles at Once

✔️ Don’t get stuck on one puzzle—divide and conquer!
✔️ If a puzzle seems unsolvable, move to another task and return later with fresh eyes.
✔️ Check for hidden connections between different clues.

5️⃣ Know When to Ask for Hints

✔️ Monitor your progress at 15, 30, and 45-minute marks.
✔️ If you’re falling behind the average escape time, ask the Game Master for a hint.
✔️ Remember: Winning with a hint is better than not escaping at all!

💡 Pro Tip: Some escape rooms add false clues (red herrings) to throw players off track, while others keep every clue relevant. Be aware of each escape room’s style.


🏆 Best Escape Rooms in Arizona, Nevada & California

Want to test your escape room skills? Here are some of the best-rated escape rooms my team has enjoyed:

🔐 Arizona Escape Rooms

✔️ Escape Rooms Mesa (Mesa, AZ) – Variety of themes and puzzles.
✔️ The Room Escape Games (Avondale, AZ) – Challenging and immersive experiences.

✔️Escape Westgate (Glendale, AZ) – Challenging puzzles and Variety of themes.
✔️ Baffled Escape Rooms (Peoria, AZ) – Engaging puzzles and excellent customer service.


🎰 Las Vegas Escape Rooms

✔️ Official SAW Escape Room (Las Vegas, NV) – Based on the SAW horror movie franchise, very intense!
✔️ Escapology Las Vegas – High-tech escape rooms with thrilling themes.

🎬 California Escape Rooms

✔️ 60Out Escape Rooms (Los Angeles, CA) – Movie-quality set designs and unique storylines.
✔️ The Escape Game San Diego – Interactive puzzles with realistic scenarios.

💡 Want us to review your escape room? If you have an escape room in Arizona, Nevada, or California, contact me on Facebook for a detailed review!


📌 Final Thoughts – Mastering Escape Rooms Like a Pro

Escape rooms are all about teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. Whether you're playing for fun or to set a record, using these escape room tips and tricks will increase your success rate and enhance the experience.

📢 What’s your best escape room time? Share your record in the comments below! 🕵️‍♂️🔐




Universal Studios Hollywood - The Walking Dead Attraction

The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood 🧟‍♂️🎢

Imagine waking up in a post-apocalyptic world where walkers, biters, and zombies roam free, just like in AMC’s hit series, The Walking Dead. Now, you don’t have to just imagine it—you can experience the terror firsthand at Universal Studios Hollywood’s The Walking Dead Attraction!

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to fight for survival alongside Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, and the other survivors, this year-round haunted house is your chance to step into the action.

Here’s everything you need to know about Universal Studios Hollywood’s The Walking Dead Attraction, including location details, special effects, hidden Easter eggs, and survival tips to make your experience unforgettable.


Universal Studios Hollywood - The Walking Dead Attraction
Universal Studios Hollywood - The Walking Dead Attraction

🔎 Fun Facts & Easter Eggs from The Walking Dead TV Show

Universal Studios worked closely with AMC’s The Walking Dead creative team to make the attraction as authentic as possible. Here are some cool hidden details inside the attraction:

18 Hidden Artifacts from the TV Show – Look for props and set pieces from The Walking Dead, such as Daryl’s crossbow, Hershel’s severed head, and Michonne’s pet walker chains.
The Walkers are Played by Real Actors – Unlike most theme park haunted houses, this attraction has a mix of real actors and animatronic walkers.
Universal’s Scare Experts Were Trained by The Walking Dead Team – The zombie actors were personally trained by the show's stunt coordinators to make them as terrifyingly realistic as possible.
Custom-Built Attraction – Unlike some attractions that repurpose existing buildings, this was built from the ground up specifically for The Walking Dead experience.


📌 Final Thoughts – Is The Walking Dead Attraction Worth It?

If you're a fan of horror, zombies, or The Walking Dead, this permanent haunted attraction is a must-visit at Universal Studios Hollywood. With Hollywood-quality sets, realistic walkers, and Easter eggs from the show, it’s an experience that truly brings AMC’s post-apocalyptic world to life.

📢 Have you survived The Walking Dead attraction? Share your experience in the comments below! 🧟‍♂️🔥




🎢 What was The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood?

📍 Location: Upper Lot, Near the Park Entrance
🗓️ Opening Date: July 4, 2016
🔥 Type: Year-Round Haunted House Attraction

This was fully immersive, live-action horror experience transports guests straight into the world of The Walking Dead. Unlike Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights mazes, this permanent attraction was open year-round and features real scare actors, animatronic walkers, and cinematic-quality sets from the TV show.

📢 The Closing of The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood 🧟‍♂️🔚

After thrilling fans for over six years, The Walking Dead Attraction at Universal Studios Hollywood officially closed on March 4, 2020. The year-round haunted house, which brought iconic moments from AMC’s hit TV series to life, was one of the park’s scariest and most immersive experiences. Featuring live scare actors, animatronic walkers, and authentic set designs from Greg Nicotero and the Walking Dead creative team, the attraction had become a fan-favorite for horror lovers. However, as Universal Studios evolves with new attractions, The Walking Dead walkthrough was permanently shut down to make room for future projects. While its closure disappointed many zombie apocalypse enthusiasts, guests can still experience horror at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, where The Walking Dead occasionally returns as a seasonal maze.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Friday and the number 13

The Origins, History, and Superstitions of Friday the 13th

📅 Why Is Friday the 13th Considered Unlucky?

The origins of Friday the 13th superstitions remain a mystery, though both Friday and the number 13 have long histories of being associated with bad luck. Interestingly, there are no documented references to Friday the 13th as an unlucky day before the 19th century, making its superstitious reputation a relatively modern phenomenon.


🔮 The Myth of 13 People Dining Together

One of the most pervasive Friday the 13th myths is that if 13 people dine together, one will soon die. This belief can be linked to:

✝️ The Last Supper – In Christian tradition, Judas Iscariot, the 13th guest, betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion on a Friday.

🛡️ Norse Mythology – According to legend, Loki, the trickster god, crashed a banquet in Valhalla, becoming the 13th guest and leading to the death of Balder the Good, cementing 13 as an unlucky number.


💀 The Thirteen Club – Challenging Superstition

In an effort to debunk myths surrounding the number 13, William Fowler founded The Thirteen Club on September 13, 1881. This group of 13 members met on the 13th of every month, deliberately engaging in superstitious taboos such as:

  • Sitting 13 at a table
  • Breaking mirrors
  • Spilling salt without tossing it over their shoulders
  • Walking under ladders

Despite their efforts, fear of Friday the 13th persists in modern culture.


🎬 Hollywood’s Role in Friday the 13th Superstition

The 1980 horror film "Friday the 13th" cemented the day’s infamous reputation in pop culture. The film, which introduced the masked killer Jason Voorhees, fueled the modern association between Friday the 13th and bad luck, horror, and superstition. Since then, countless sequels, books, and TV series have reinforced the fear of Friday the 13th as an unlucky day.


🏨 Fear of 13 in Modern Society

Even today, the fear of the number 13 (triskaidekaphobia) influences architecture, travel, and daily life:

  • More than 80% of U.S. office buildings and hotels skip the 13th floor.
  • Airports and hospitals often avoid labeling gates or rooms with the number 13.
  • Some people refuse to travel, make business deals, or host important events on Friday the 13th due to lingering superstitions.

Interestingly, not all cultures fear the number 13. In Ancient Egypt, 13 was considered a lucky number, symbolizing ascension to the afterlife rather than misfortune.


🔎 Does Friday the 13th Deserve Its Bad Reputation?

Despite centuries of superstition, scientific evidence does not support the claim that Friday the 13th is any unluckier than other days. However, its reputation remains deeply embedded in Western culture, making it one of the most widely recognized "unlucky" days in history.

🌙 Is Friday the 13th truly cursed, or is it just another date on the calendar? The answer remains a mystery.

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Desert Diamond Casino West Valley to include Class III Gaming

It's been more than 12 years since the Tohono O'odham Nation purchased land in Glendale, Arizona to build it's Desert Diamond Casino West Valley.

The Tohono O'odham had purchased the property near the the Westgate Entertainment District and University of Phoenix Stadium to replace land destroyed by a federally constructed dam years earlier. The tribe then had the land legally converted into reservation land.

In 2011, the State, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and the Gila River Indian Community filed a federal lawsuit against Tohono O'odham in an attempt to block the West Valley Casino, arguing that the gaming compact passed by Arizona voters in 2002 capped the number of casinos allowed in the Valley.

On 12/20/15, the tribe had won it's first major court battle, that lead to the casino's opening of a Class 2 gaming facility which plays competitors against one another in poker or bingo-based slot games.

For more information follow this link.

This week Desert Diamond Casino West Valley and the Tohono O'odham Nation received the blessing of the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals to expand its Glendale casino to include Class III gaming and incorporate slot machines and table games. The ruling marked the 19th decision by courts and federal agencies in favor of the project.

Class 3 gaming features games against the casino, such as blackjack, roulette and slot machines.

Visit the Desert Diamond West Valley Casino website to see current promotions.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected legal challenges by the State and two rival tribes. The Gila River tribe has three Valley casinos south of Phoenix, and the Salt River tribe has two casinos east of Scottsdale.

The Tohono O'odham tribe has three southern Arizona casinos.

The courts found that the Tohono O'odham properly acquired the unincorporated land near Glendale for the casino, and complied with terms of the gaming pact several tribes reached with the state in 2002 that regulates tribal casinos.

The court stated: "...compact negotiated at length by sophisticated parties expressly authorizes the Nation to conduct game on its 'Indian Lands.'" and "... language is unambiguous and not reasonably susceptible to plaintiffs' interpretation that the compact implicitly bars the Nation from gaming ...".

The Desert Diamond West Valley Casino will include table games, as well as slot machines. The location will eventually include a resort and spa which market research will determine number of rooms and design.




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