Cartel: DEA Undercover - 60out

Overall Rating: 4.7

Location	Los Angeles, CA. USA
Date Played	September 4, 2022
Team Sizes	2-12, 2 is fine - no more than 4
Duration	60 minutes
Website	https://www.60out.com/los-angeles/escape-rooms/cartel
ACE Time	42:18

The Room - 6

Honestly, the room was impressive and even a bit unnerving upon entry. So, most of the score here is derived from the creative usage of props and installations. After 10 minutes, however, the novelty of the room wore off and we were left with the frustrating fragments of a room that we later learned was stripped down from its European version. These unused portions were not removed and so this meant there were a lot more red herrings than usual.

K: I just wanted to go inside the van.

The Story - 5

The drug bust is not a unique theme but we have to commend the original creators on the audio design in this room. There was some great simulated tension and urgency and you can follow the original heist-like spirit of the room. That said, the story also suffered from the removal of certain elements.

The Puzzles - 3

Here’s where it really faltered: as a simplified port of a European room, it was filled with red herrings, and the replacement puzzles felt stale. The puzzle flow was highly linear, with a few frustrating moments where unprompted hidden clues stalled our progress entirely.

The Verdict - 4.7

If you're in town there's better rooms around, even at 60Out! In our opinion, it just wasn't worth going into the van.