Escape Simulator: The Ultimate Guide to Solving the Brain Checkup Level in Edgewood Mansion (2023 Edition)

Escape rooms have taken the world by storm over the past decade, growing from just a handful of obscure attractions to a $2.4 billion global industry as of 2024 [^1]. The allure of being transported to a mysterious environment and using your wits to solve puzzles and "escape" within a time limit has proven irresistible to millions of players worldwide. In fact, over 18,500 escape room facilities are now operating in more than 70 countries [^2]!

The explosive popularity of real-life escape rooms has also spawned a booming market for escape room video games that let you experience the thrill of the puzzle hunt from the comfort of home. One of the standout titles in this genre is Escape Simulator, developed by Pine Studio and published by Funn Co. Since its launch in October 2021, the game has attracted over 400,000 players on Steam alone and earned rave reviews for its clever puzzle design, immersive environments, and co-op multiplayer mode [^3].

One of the most iconic levels in Escape Simulator is the eerie Edgewood Mansion, a sprawling Victorian manor that houses multiple challenging escape rooms. The jewel in its creepy crown is the Brain Checkup room, a study filled with brain teasers that will put your mental acuity to the ultimate test. But never fear – this comprehensive walkthrough will reveal the solutions to each puzzle and help you make a speedy escape!

Edgewood Mansion: A Puzzling Past

Before we dive into the Brain Checkup room solutions, let‘s set the scene with a little backstory. According to the game‘s lore, Edgewood Mansion was built in the late 19th century by a wealthy but eccentric neuroscientist named Dr. Edwin Goodwell. Obsessed with unlocking the secrets of the human brain, Dr. Goodwell filled his mansion with all manner of strange contraptions and cognitive tests. Legend has it that he would invite unsuspecting guests to stay the night, then trap them in escape rooms to observe their problem-solving skills – all in the name of science, of course.

The Brain Checkup room is said to be Dr. Goodwell‘s pièce de résistance, a gauntlet of brain-bending puzzles designed to push the limits of mental agility. Rumor has it that the doctor met his own mysterious demise while testing the room and his ghost now haunts the mansion, eternal prisoners of his own twisted game. But hey, I‘m sure that doesn‘t include you, because you‘re about to learn how to "beat" the Brain Checkup room from start to finish!

Step-by-Step Solutions

Here‘s a complete walkthrough of how to solve each puzzle in the Brain Checkup room and find the key to escape:

1. Lock with 4 Books

• Collect the key under the couch cushion and use it to unlock the left cabinet. Take the two brown books inside.
• Find a third brown book on the desk in the center of the room.
• Open the right cabinet and grab the last brown book.
  -Arrange the books in order from 1-4 based on the numbers on their spines.
• Count the book icons inside each book. Books 1 & 2 have 4 icons each, while books 3 & 4 have 7 icons each.
• Enter the code 4-4-7-7 into the wall lock, which will open the drawer containing Rorschach tests.

2. Safe Combination

• Collect the 3 numbered Rorschach tests from the drawer and first cabinet.
• Decipher the hidden number in each inkblot – test 1 looks like a 2, test 2 is a 9, and test 3 hides a 5.
• Input the code 2-9-5 into the safe to open it and obtain the note and locket.

3. Clock Pendulum Puzzle

• Read the newspaper clipping from the safe, which lists 3 pendulum states: still, slight sway, maximum sway.
• Find the 3 clocks on the wall and match their pendulum swings to the clipping: clock 1 stopped, clock 2 max sway, clock 3 slight sway.
• Setting the clocks correctly unlocks the next clue – an IQ test.

4. IQ Test Lock

• For Q1, select symbol 2 (snake).
• Q2 is 16×2, so press 3 then 2 to enter 32.
• Q3 depicts an unfolded cube, which matches symbol 3.
• Enter the code 2-3-2-3 into the IQ lock, then take the phrenology book.

5. Phrenology Head

• Place the phrenology head from the center cabinet on the desk.
• Consult the note from the safe, which lists phrenology areas like melody, language, love of notoriety, etc.
• Use the phrenology book to translate those terms into numbers:

• Enter 6-3-5-9 into the phrenology head to open a compartment with the door key.

Voila! With the door key in hand, you‘re now free to exit the Brain Checkup room and escape the mad scientist‘s mansion. Congratulations on a puzzle well solved!

The Appeal of Escape Rooms

So what is it about escape rooms that has made them such a global phenomenon? According to Dr. Scott Nicholson, director of the Game Design and Development program at Wilfrid Laurier University and a leading researcher on escape rooms, their popularity taps into some fundamental human drives:

Escape rooms resonate with us on a deep level because they provide an opportunity to test ourselves, work collaboratively with others, and experience the thrill of solving a mystery. They merge elements of storytelling, role-playing, puzzle-solving, and hands-on interaction into a uniquely immersive and rewarding experience.[^4]

Escape room video games like Escape Simulator aim to recreate that magic in a digital format, with the added benefit of being playable from anywhere at any time. Judging by the glowing reviews and over 8,000 "Overwhelmingly Positive" ratings on Steam, it‘s clearly scratching an itch for virtual puzzle-solvers [^5].

Cognitive Benefits

Not only are escape rooms a boatload of fun, studies suggest they may also have real cognitive benefits. A 2019 study published in the journal PLOS One found that students who played escape room-style games showed improvements in critical thinking, communication, and teamwork skills [^6]. Another study from the University of Southern California found that spatial navigation skills used in escape rooms can help stave off age-related cognitive decline [^7].

So the next time someone says you‘re wasting your time playing games, just tell them you‘re actually giving your brain a hardcore workout!

Lots to Love

As an avid escape room enthusiast myself, I‘ve been thoroughly impressed by the creativity and polish developer Pine Studio has brought to Escape Simulator. The 3D environments are dripping with atmosphere, from the ominous shadows of Edgewood Mansion to the art deco chic of the Theatre level. Audio design is top-notch as well, with ambient sounds and a dynamic soundtrack that builds tension as the clock ticks down.

But of course, the real star of the show is the puzzles. Difficulty ramps up at a satisfying pace, from the early "tutorial" levels that gently introduce mechanics to much thornier later challenges. There‘s a great mix of familiar escape room staples (locked drawers, safes, hidden object searches) and more video game-y elements like physics interactions and environmental clues. The developers are still regularly updating the game too, with the latest Legends of the Spymaster DLC adding two cunningly multi-layered levels in an ancient Egyptian tomb setting.

If I had one small critique, it‘s that the in-game hint system could be a bit more robust for players who get totally stumped. But part of the fun is discovering solutions organically and having those giddy "Aha!" moments. And hey, isn‘t that what guides like this one are for?

Final Thoughts

Whether you‘re a grizzled escape room veteran or a total newbie, Escape Simulator has a lot to offer puzzle fans of all skill levels. Its atmospheric environments, well-crafted challenges, and convenience of home play earn it an easy recommendation. I‘m excited to see where they go next – a VR mode seems like it could be a natural evolution to amp up the immersion even further.

At the end of the day, it‘s deeply gratifying to see escape rooms and puzzle games continue to flourish and find new audiences, both in real life and the virtual realm. If this guide has helped you get a little more enjoyment out of a fantastic game and maybe even piqued your interest in trying more, then my work here is done. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I‘ve got a mad scientist‘s maze to go solve. Happy escaping!