Escape Room Adventure At Lake Escape's New 'Pharaoh's Passage' Room

First I will confess: I have not tried all the escape rooms in Missouri.

And while as an escape-room addict I would like to try them all, I know I don't need to, in order to definitively say Missouri's best escape room experience is at Lake of the Ozarks: Lake Escape.

Owner Drew Busen's love for creating brilliant, immersive, mind-bending puzzles is woven through every one of Lake Escape's five rooms. From the downright impressive decor to the narrative twists and turns, Lake Escape's rooms never fail to disappoint: and this comes from someone (me) who has experienced every single one of them.

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I've only got about a 50% "solve" rate for my personal escape room portfolio, but who cares? Escape room puzzles are crafted with the intent to thrill; so every time a secret door swings open, or a series of lights suddenly appears, or you realize that set of numbers goes with that combo-lock, sounds of awe and excitement resound among the participants.

Lake Escape Exudes Cool Vibes: Axe Throwing, Yard Games & Family Fun In An Outdoor Beer Garden

As the weather cools from the dog days of summer, there's a new family fun spot in town -- and if you haven't tried it yet, it's time.

Most recently, I took a new crew to solve Lake Escape's newest room, The Curse of the Pharaoh's Passage. I was the most experienced escaper in the group, which included my sister-in-law and her husband (both newbies), my 12-year-old son (who'd done one room before and wouldn't let me do this one without him), and my 9-year-old daughter who insisted on coming too.

With this green group, we managed to escape the Pharaoh's tomb with only a couple of hints and time to spare.

It's tough to say much about an escape room without giving away its secrets, but suffice to say this room contained brilliantly fun surprises, a couple of puzzles that I should have figured out but needed a hint to overcome, and absolutely perfect decor — from the stucco'ed walls to the giant hieroglyphic codex to the full-sized mummy coffin. To make the room even more tricky (aka, fun), not everything turns out to be a clue. The trick to escaping the mummy's tomb is not only to solve the clues, but to ignore the distractions.

Before you go, one tip from a somewhat-seasoned escaper: divide and conquer. The best kinds of escape rooms typically have multiple "streams" of puzzles to solve within their linear narrative, so make sure the group spreads out and works individually or in pairs on solving clues.

Escape rooms are the perfect pastime for a group of friends, any time of year. But at Lake of the Ozarks they're especially suited for those indoor days when you just can't go boating: e.g. - rainy summer days, and pretty much all winter.

Now, go!