MARCH 30TH, 2026
#003: Difficulty and Designer Showdown!
A Note from Jol:
Heeeyyy all! How’s everyone’s March??
I’m so excited to share what I found with y’all today because this question was a BANGER. Honestly, I had some pretty solid opinions up until I started talking with our team. Now, I’m really torn, so you’ll have to let me know which game designer sways your opinion!
ONWARD to the question:
Question of the Month:
“What is the most complicated puzzle/prop in any of the games?”
Submitted by Peter T
My gut reaction is to say anything in Ruins: Forbidden Treasure...
Sure, Prison Break is our hardest game but Ruins will WORK your brain.
Y’all... Ruins’ set is MASSIVE. Imagine the world’s most complicated lego set, plus electronics and computers, and then you add puzzles into that?? Sheesh!
But let’s see what the rest of the team says...
Rachel
On flowers, vines, and paintbrushes!
Ruins: Forbidden Treasure - Flowers
When the original pitch was given to our designers, they had designed a tissue-based flower that bloomed through the wall. The engineers on the case, came back with flowers attached to 'Magic Wands' that would appear from behind the wall.
Ruins: Forbidden Treasure - Vine Sourcing
Fun Fact: The ropes/vines in Ruins were originally scouted from vines in zoo enclosures, but ended up not being sturdy enough for our games!
Only Murders in the Building - Paintbrushes and color blindness!
Rachel's favorite of our puzzles is the paintbrush puzzle in Only Murders in the Building. She loves how interactive the puzzle is and how it inspires 'Wow moments' in teams. (Plus, it's designed so that even color blind guests can participate equally!)
Daniel
On combining tech, scenic, and makeshift solutions.
Special Ops: Mysterious Market - Missile
The missile has A LOT going on inside of it. There's a plywood-built frame, wrapped in metal, painted and scenic-ed, then filled with tech! (That's pretty much ALL of our construction departments)
Ruins: Forbidden Treasure - Altar
There's less metal work than the Special Ops: Missile in the altar, but it makes up for it by having MUCH more tech involved. It's a large component as well and is involved in three different puzzles, each with its own set of components and technology!
Cosmic Crisis - Exhaust Plug Up
Daniel's favorite puzzle in our lineup is the Cosmic Crisis Exhaust puzzle, primarily because it has multiple solutions and inspires creativity among our guests! Because it has so many unique solves, it makes the player feel like they're part of the game!
Kiera
On scenic artistry, statues, and play-testing!
Background of Scenic Artistry
Fun Fact: Kiera started in our scenic department and worked her way up into our game team! Because of this, the artistry and physical makeup of the components are of interest to her! Each component has a complicated lifestyle and thorough build process, so she approaches difficulty with that mindset!
Ruins: Forbidden Treasure - Statue Heads
The statues in Ruins have been known to be one of our most complex build components! They combine the complex molding process with CNC parts that ensure they all fit perfectly, and tech that allows them to spin during the game! Over time, they've found new ways to create these that allow them to be more durable, including 3d printing!
Play-Testing Timeliner: Train Through Time
Kiera's favorite of our game components comes from her time on our install and quality control team! She would play test each room before stores opened and would request that the jousting puzzle be saved for her to test! (I second this being a favorite, it's SO silly)
Escape room for three!
“We're big fans (my family of 3). Our latest game with The Escape Game was Special Ops: Mysterious Market, but here's a photo of our Gold Rush game!
Also, the last time we played, we got to sign the Wall of Fame because we have done all 6 of the games that the The Battery Atlanta has to offer. In particular, my 6 year old son, Khalil, loves escape games!
I hope you can make his day by giving him a shoutout or posting our pic on your website. He would love that! His birthday is coming up on 4/1 and that'll really make his day.”
— Michelle W.
