"Ah yes, Rick Astley. One of Captain Nemo's favorite artists."

overview

An ordinary trip to the museum takes a turn for the strange when your tour group discovers a long-lost secret. Previously thought to be a work of fiction, Captain Nemo’s fabled Nautilus submarine suddenly becomes very, very real. Exploring the abandoned wreck of the once mighty submarine, things take a dark turn when you realize Nemo isn’t the only mythical figure that turned out to be real… something else is lurking in the depths, and if you aren’t careful, you just might become its prey!

Years ago, the famous Nautilus sunk under the waves. Now, it's back. Even if Captain Nemo no longer exists, his submarine does. 

This unexpected but totally fitting tale picks up the story where Jules Verne left off, and the best part? The room ends itself in a way that doesn't ruin any of the story. You'll find no Last Crusade nonsense here. In fact, you'll be wishing the room's tale was actually part of the original story...

quick stats

gameplay time: 60 minutes

recommended team size: 3-6 players

difficulty: 1/5

scare level: 2/5

location: Foxboro, MA (at Patriot Place)

website: www.5-wits.com 

considerations: -a portion of the game shakes -fog effects used -water effects used (you will likely get a little wet) -strobe lights used -low lighting conditions

5 Wits Foxboro permanently closed on Halloween in 2021. RIP. We're not sure if 20,000 Leagues will be moved somewhere else, or if it will just sink under the waves forever, waiting for someone to uncover its secrets. 

notice

5 Wits is not an escape room. 

It is made to tell a story, to put you in the action, rather than to solve puzzles. Much more about the immersion than the difficulty of the puzzles. A guide comes along with you to help activate surprises, comedic relief, or to provide slight instructions and watch you do the rest. The challenges are a bit kid-friendly and on the easier side, but still extremely fun. You'll find no locks, and there is no timer. There are so many rooms the game wants you to see that they push you along if you are taking too long. Everything is reset by a computer, not the staff. For puzzles that are not reset by computer, the game has a clever way of making you do it yourself, like moving poles from A to B and having the next group who comes through move those poles from B to A. If I'm not making any sense, go to 5 Wits's website. They have an entire page about how they're different from escape rooms. 

The puzzles don't lead to locks or doors. In fact, the puzzles are fully replayable. You can't exactly remember how to put gears on a wall or which button out of 72 will drain a pipe. I went 3 times already. Still as interesting as ever. 

scenery

The outside of 5 Wits has a couple of quotes about the experience. One of them is "like being in Universal Studios". I can wholeheartedly agree with that statement. 

This is some of the best scenery I have ever seen in an escape room. Dripping with steampunk-esque gears and materials, the Nautilus is a massive ship full of rusty and water-covered walls and materials. Spanning through 20,000 Leagues's incredible 8 rooms, the scenic design never fails to impress. Multiple times throughout the experience I thought I was actually there. It's one thing to suspend disbelief, but it's another to be forced to by the room. 

You'll even see some easter eggs and tributes from the 1954 film. 

This is one of the moments it's hard to describe the aura of an escape room. Custom soundtracks and insane decorations make this room really something special. From the fake museum out front, to the library room, to the engine room, to the escape pod and everything in between, 5 Wits never ceases to amaze. 

puzzles

5 Wits has outstanding puzzles. Often we say that the puzzles in a game fit the room's storyworld, but it's nothing compared to this. 

Look, if we're being perfectly honest, those puzzles fit within the storyworld, but it really does feel like a game at that point. If there's a number lock on a medicine cabinet in a prison themed room, it may make sense depending on the puzzle, but seriously, it's a number lock, which makes you realize this is a game. 

5 Wits is not a game. 5 Wits isn't even an escape room. 

20,000 Leagues uses no locks whatsoever. This really helps the game. If you're trying to repair a submarine, you're definitely going to get the gears turning to move the ship, even if you're not in a game. You're gonna drain an escape pod if it's full of water, even if you're not in a game. You're gonna [REDACTED] even if you're not in a game. 

See, 5 Wits is really an experience. It's nothing, nothing like you will ever see, or experience. If that prison room's ending had you literally digging out of the yard with a shovel, it's probably owned by 5 Wits. 

pros and cons

pro: amazing set design!

pro/con: it's designed to tell a story, not to be hard. If you want a room where there's even a possibility you will lose, you're better off with either Espionage or some other room. 

pro: puzzles literally fit into the storyworld perfectly!

con: it's closed permanently :(

pro: fully replayable!

pro: fits into the original story!

pro: best finale I've ever seen from a game, ever!

overall

20,000 Leagues is a beast of a room. It might also contain one. Yes, because this room is closed forever, here's how it ended. (This will be deleted if 20,000 Leagues comes back in any way.)

You drain the escape pod and climb inside. The escape pod is built on a motion simulated floor. As you're rising, the giant squid attacks you. The whole pod shakes, water is sprayed, pipes burst, and you can see the squid outside your porthole windows. You must work together to electrocute the squid to finally rise to the surface to see the light of day. 

If a room has that, I don't think there's much more I have to say about it. 

rating

10/10