Game Over brings its escape rooms to Clearwater

Spooky season is over. Haunted houses will disappear in the coming days if they haven't already.

• But that's OK. Axios' escape room aficionado is here to help.

What's happening: Game Over Escape Rooms recently opened a location in Clearwater, joining its other Bay area sites in Tampa, Brandon and Plant City.

• The Clearwater location includes four scenarios, two of which are horror-themed: a "nightmare" hotel and the murder-mystery classic, the Orient Express.

How it works: Players are confined to a room or two — each with a distinct design akin to a movie set. They are then given an hour to find clues and solve riddles to escape the scenario.

• There are secret doors, rattling furniture, and jump scares.
• Reservations typically cost around $40 each; some escape rooms require at least four people.

Zoom in: My girlfriend, Maya, and I gave the new spot a try. Here are a few of our impressions:

• The production quality is an immediate stand-out. There are touch-screen monitors on the walls that serve as mediums for scene-setting and instructions. The hotel even includes an elevator simulator.
• You won't break your brain trying to escape. Neither of the horror-themed scenarios is particularly difficult. At least one person escaped in less than 20 minutes, per a leaderboard in the lobby. We got out in 40.
• It's not too puzzle-oriented. Logic and intuition are at the forefront of these rooms, which make for a much more entertaining time.