Review: Board to Death, The Quandary Escape Rooms, Chicago
Fun Factor 8
The Quandary
3205 N Clark Street, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60657
Date we played: October 18, 2025
Booking size 2 to 6 (we recommend 4 to 6)
Game time: 60 Minutes
Objective: You’re invited to an awards night at the Board Game Hall of Fame, hosted inside a stately mansion filled with familiar rooms and classic board-game flair. Before the celebration begins, one guest has been taken out of play. A taunting message challenges your team to uncover the who, the where, and the how—and solve the mystery before the mansion claims another victim.
Horror Theme: No.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Our Experience
We had a lot of fun playing Board to Death at The Quandary in Chicago and highly recommend it with a Fun Factor of 8. That score reflects an absolutely delightful, board-game-inspired explosion of puzzles and content. This room doesn’t simply replicate familiar board-game elements, and while no prior board-game knowledge is required, players who dolove board games will catch plenty of clever references along the way.
Rather than copying any single game, The Quandary smartly repurposes the spirit of classic board games into a well-structured escape room built around solving the who, the where, and the how. That structure may feel familiar for good reason—but I’ll give you a clue and say it works extremely well here. We’ve played other escape rooms that pay homage to board games, and this one stands out for both the sheer amount of content and how effectively it challenges players.
The website mentions that teams may need to “split up,” and while the room’s physical footprint isn’t large, that advice makes sense given how much is packed into the space. There are multiple non-linear puzzle tracks that lend themselves nicely to dividing tasks—less Battleship (“you sunk my time”) and more efficient divide-and-conquer. As a duo, we found the volume of content genuinely challenging, which is why we strongly recommend a team of 4 to 6 players so you can regroup, collaborate, and keep things moving without passing “Go” or being sent to jail too many times.
Puzzle-wise, this room delivers exactly what we look for in a Fun Factor experience: a wide variety of puzzle types, clean and elegant solutions, tactile interactions, and difficulty that ranges from straightforward to more layered and multi-step. There are even some cooperative moments that benefit from multiple players working together. Be prepared for a fair amount of scavenging for details—more eyes definitely help here (and yes, this is a skill we are famously… still developing).
Set & Atmosphere
The set is not opulent, but it is thoughtfully designed and clearly cared for. The Quandary uses its decorating budget wisely—custom details appear where they matter most, while existing props and board-game elements are repurposed effectively to establish mood and theme. This is not a lavish, big-budget production, but it never felt lacking. Instead, it feels intentional, functional, and genuinely fun to play in—exactly what an independent escape room should aim for.
The limited footprint means the room is rich with details, making careful observation an important skill. When we played, the room was relatively new, and we offered a couple of small flow suggestions that were warmly received—always a good sign that a business cares deeply about player experience.
Final Thoughts
If your idea of a great escape room is one packed with puzzles, varied mechanics, tactile interactions, and clever design—especially with a clear love letter to board games baked in—Board to Death should absolutely be on your list. We chose this room specifically because of our love of board games, and it delivered.
We’d happily return to Chicago to play more rooms at The Quandary. If you give Board to Death a try, let them know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review—and please drop us a note too. We’d love to hear what you think.
As always: keep escaping, trust no one’s alibi too quickly, keep track of your pieces—and have fun. 🎲
“If you give Board to Death a try, let them know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review—and please drop us a note too. We’d love to hear what you think.”