S-P-L-I-T: Service, Puzzles, Look, Immersion, Theme. These are the five components that we look for when we rate and review an escape room:
Service: Did the staff members go above and beyond in providing customer service?
Puzzles: Were the puzzles difficult? Were they intuitive? Were they innovative?
Look: How much effort was put into the art direction of the room?
Immersion: Did the room have a certain sense of urgency? Did it feel like more than just an escape room?
Theme: Were the puzzles and look of the room thematically loyal? Was the backstory substantial? Was the theme unique?
Each component is rated on a scale of:
4, the lowest score a component can receive–particularly because we still want to give credit to a component, and any score below would be downright mean–indicates a component failing to meet standards and needing significant improvement. 10, the highest score, indicates a component setting the bar and succeeding exceptionally.
Lastly, our Overall section provides a summary of our overall feelings and thoughts about the room. The individual components may not necessarily reflect our overall satisfaction and enjoyment of the room. A room can get lower S-P-L-I-T scores, but still get a high overall credit simply because, well, it was fun.
Overall scores are rated on a hierarchy:
Diamond: Maximum satisfaction. A must-try.
Platinum: Great room. Highly recommended.
Gold: Good room. Enjoyable and fun.
Silver: Average room. May be more suited for newer participants.
Bronze: Below average room. Needs improvement.
Coal: Cannot be recommended.
