Review, The Surgery, The Puzzle Parlour, White Plains, NY
Fun Factor 7
The Puzzle Parlour
131 Court Street White Plains, New York 10601
Date we played: July 19, 2025
Booking size 2 to 8 (we recommend 2 to 4)
Game time: 60 Minutes
Objective: What begins as a dream vacation quickly takes a darker turn: you come to your senses in an unfamiliar medical setting with unsettling signs that all is not well. The clock is ticking, and the only way forward is to outthink whoever put you there before they come back!
Horror Theme: Yes – No jump scares and actively scary elements, but an unsettling theme with disturbing props and images. Consistent with a dark operating room escape scenario.
Difficulty: Intermediate
We had fun playing The Surgery at Puzzle Parlour in White Plains, NY, and can recommend it with a Fun Factor of 7. That rating comes from a satisfying mix of puzzles with clean, logical solutions and a creepy (but not nightmare-inducing) set that unfolds in a way that supports the story. We would call this a good room to keep on your Halloween escape room list – along with another room at the location – Vampire.
One minor correction to the venue’s description: their website suggests you wake up in a “dismal operating room.” Well… yes, eventually. But first, you’ll pass through a waiting room—because apparently, even in sinister medical scenarios, you have to wait your turn.
Puzzles & Flow
This is very much a puzzle-centric room, with challenges thoughtfully distributed across the different spaces. And readers of Fun Factor Escape Room Reviews will know that we love puzzles! The progression feels natural: each area opens in a way that moves the story forward, and clues often reward sharp observation (sometimes immediately, sometimes after you’ve tucked them away for later).
The room is quite linear, which makes it especially well-suited to smaller groups—2 to 4 players can keep busy without tripping over each other. Larger groups may feel underutilized at times. But there are opportunities for cooperation and coordination among the players. Difficulty-wise, we’d call it intermediate overall, with one or two puzzles that edge toward advanced.
Theme & Atmosphere
The theme—“operating room gone wrong”—isn’t new in the escape room world, but Puzzle Parlour executes it well. The lighting shifts as you progress: brighter in the waiting and office areas, then dimmer (and more unsettling) once you reach the operating room. The set design, with its grimy walls and macabre details, does enough to give you the chills without making you want to sleep with the lights on. We also appreciated a few touches that we found darkly humorous.
Practical Notes
Booking size: up to 8 players, but we are recommending group sizes of 2–4.
Physicality: minimal; no crawling, climbing, or heavy lifting.
Location perks: there’s a public parking lot nearby (keep an eye on the signs, since payment isn’t always required), and White Plains has plenty of restaurants within walking distance.
Staff: welcoming, enthusiastic, and clearly fans of escape rooms themselves—which always adds to the fun.
Final Thoughts
We enjoyed our time in The Surgery and recommend it for players looking for a puzzle-forward game with a creepy twist. If you play, please let The Puzzle Parlour know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review—and drop us a note too, because we always love hearing how others fared.
Have FUN!
