Captured LA: The Murder Room
Positives
Negatives
Bottom Line
A lot of potential with great puzzles and good ambiance for a nice spooky escape room. Unfortunately the craftsmanship was a let down.
Posted
December 3, 2015 by KC
Full Article
Okay, so “The Murder Room” isn’t the official name of the room we did. At the time I did this room it was the only one open so it didn’t have a name. The basic plot is that you find yourself in the lair of a serial killer and you have to unravel the murder mystery and escape the room before they return and kill you. A basic but effective premise!
The ambiance of the room was very dark, creepy and definitely gave off the vibe of a serial killers home base. It had some common tropes like pictures of victims and articles or murders on the wall, maps and that kind of thing, but it was well done enough to not feel too cliché. The puzzles themselves were pretty challenging and definitely required the team to talk to each other. I really liked how they combined a lot of finding and seeking things with actually puzzles to logic out.
So, if I liked the overall puzzles and room, why the low rating? Good question! It comes down to execution. We had several items malfunction on us, which cost us time and eventually led us to not beating the room. We were unlocking the box with the final key in it when the timer ran out.
The first thing that malfunctioned was one of their locks. It was hooked too tightly on the chains, which caused it to jam. This meant that even after we had the correct answer after about 5-10 minutes of puzzle solving the lock didn’t open, making us think that we had the wrong answer. It wasn’t until one of the staff members came in to give us a hint and tell us “You said the correct answer over 15 minutes ago” that we realized what had happened. And no, they wouldn’t give us any time back.
The second major malfunction were the dying batteries in the flashlights. The beam was so weak that we couldn’t see the markings where we needed to. It wasn’t until we knocked on the door and asked the staff for fresh batteries that we were able to use them properly and continue.
A trap door jammed on us so we couldn’t get into one of the additional spaces until once again a staff member came in to assist. It was really frustrating since so much time had already been eaten up by the previous problems.
Lastly, since having done this room, the company has changed locations. Their old location was in the heart of downtown LA in a building and area that felt very unsafe; there was no parking and no restroom to use before doing the room. I can’t speak to their new location but I’m hoping it’s better than their old place.
Overall, griping aside, there was SO MUCH potential here. I left a bit disappointed because I knew how absolutely amazing the room could be if it had been better built. The passion, the puzzles and the ambiance are there; they just need a little more preparedness. I’d go back and try another room now that ample time has passed in hopes they’re a little better organized and have worked out the kinks with their equipment.
Learn more about this and other rooms by Captured LA at their website: http://www.captured-la.com
Puzzle Types: WARNING POTENTIAL SPOILERS highlight the text in the black box below to view.
Lock and Key, Combination Locks (word and number), Hidden Objects, Map Puzzles, Black Light Messages, Jigsaws, Magnet Triggers, Decoding, Hidden Doors
