Review: Alice’s Dream, Mind Twist Escape Experience, Las Vegas.
Fun Factor 8
Mind Twist Escape Experience
Fashion Show Mall, 3200 S Las Vegas Blvd #1835 Las Vegas NV 89109 USA
Date we played: June 9, 2025
Booking size 2 to 8 (we recommend 3 to 4)
Game time: 75 Minutes
Objective: You visit Cowley Manor, a bed and breakfast in the UK said to inspire Lewis Carrol who wrote Alice in Wonderland. You find that you just woke up – but you don’t remember falling asleep. Can you make your way through Alice’s dream before the innkeeper wakes you?
Horror Theme: No.
Difficulty: Intermediate+
We had a lot of fun playing Alice’s Dream and give it a solid Fun Factor of 8. What stood out most was the immersive set design, which captured the whimsical spirit of Alice in Wonderland more effectively than other rooms we’ve seen inspired by the same source. The narrative is clearly structured, and the puzzles are meaningfully tied to the story. And it had plenty of satisfying puzzle and exploration content for the 75 minute experince - the additional time is necessary but also allowed us to enjoy the journey and take I the details and features of the set.
The game unfolds across a series of distinct spaces that made us forget we were inside a shopping mall. The décor felt true to the dreamlike tone of the story, and puzzle integration with classic Alice motifs was clever and satisfying—though no prior knowledge of the book is needed, fans will appreciate the thematic nods throughout.
Puzzle-wise, the room offers a good mix of challenges. Most had clean logic and fair cluing, though a few required overly precise placement that needed a nudge from the game guide over the walkie-talkie. One puzzle introduced a mechanic we hadn’t seen before—both fun and slightly maddening…in the best way and certainly on theme! We were talking about it long after the game ended. Another late-game puzzle had a tactile, arts-and-crafts-like feel to it, which we enjoyed, although its reliance on precision caused a misread due to setup quirks which hopefully will be addressed. Still, the payoff was enjoyable.
This room is family-friendly, with plenty for kids to explore and discover—often spotting details and objects faster than adults! While we found that the puzzles are designed with adults in mind, we believe there are many moments where children can actively contribute and have fun doing so! Having said that the room’s overall level of difficulty is intermediate - but there are a couple of puzzles that have more advanced level of puzzle-solving difficulty - but help is there if needed!
Many rich details in the set - some decorative and some with clues. The 75 minute allowed us to savor the exploration.
The room is mostly linear, which informs our team size suggestion. It’s bookable for 2 to 8 players, but we think 3 or 4 is ideal, with 5 or 6 as a possible upper limit—larger groups may find the space and structure limiting.
Hints are delivered via walkie-talkie, and our game guide was friendly and helpful. That said, a more immersive hint delivery system could elevate the experience even further.
There’s a brief crawl sequence required to progress, so that physical movement should be taken into account when selecting the group.
Mind Twist is located in the Las Vegas Fashion Show Mall. This was our first visit to the mall, and the instructions provided in the booking confirmation were detailed and easy to follow:
“…look for the Macy’s Men’s on the ground floor. Once you’re in that area, you can find us right in between the Hello Kitty Cafe and the Urban Outfitters, just past the escalators and down the hall….”
We appreciated this level of clarity. One note: our game ended after the mall had closed, and the only available exit was at the far end—so your walk back to the car might be significantly longer than your walk in.
Not sure if we are invited to the tea party - but they saved us a seat.
We also played Steampunk Train on this visit and enjoyed it as well. While that review is still to come, Alice’s Dream was our favorite of the two.
If you're in Las Vegas, Alice’s Dream is worth checking out. And if you do visit, let the folks at Mind Twist know you saw our review—and drop us a note to share your thoughts. Most importantly, have fun!
