Review: Red Door Escape Room

RATING: 3 Keys RESULT: Loss REMAINING: X:XX

Come live out your fantasy of running away to join the circus! But beware- sometimes the circus is not all the peanuts are cracked up to be…

Story

A mysterious circus has come to town and things are not what they seem. Step right up to the Tooth Toss, enter the funhouse, or catch a show. Use a combination of wit and whimsy to decipher the clues hidden within the fairgrounds. Determine what’s real or what’s just smoke and mirrors.

A traveling circus and carnival has set up shop, and you’re off to a fun-filled day at the fair! But something sinister has happened, and the fairgrounds are deserted, completely devoid of both patrons and performers. The games are all empty, waiting for you to come and play… if you dare.

What should be an enjoyable outing has turned into a veritable freak show, where the acrobats are AWOL and the ringmaster has vanished. The midway is vacant, but all of the lights are still on, beckoning you to venture in and uncover the mystery.

Scenic

Various carnival games are set up in a brick alleyway behind the fairgrounds, waiting for you to test your luck. Advertisements for the circus’ array of acts adorn the game booths. The air is filled with the cacophony of electronic games and scoreboards, making the space seem at times both lively and eerily empty.

The circus big-top itself is a lofty space, with red and yellow stripes of fabric draped above, as well as surrounding, the abandoned performance ring. Equipment has been left behind by the performers- the strongman’s weights, the hoop dancer’s hula hoops, even items used by the clowns. Concessions are available from a popcorn cart and a soda vending machine, which hides its own secrets.

Beyond the tent lies the bizarre neon world of the fun-house. Warped mirrors adorn the walls, while a mystic fortune-teller stands by, prepared to deliver your fated future. Horns frequently emit a loud honking sound, and multi-colored lights flash, leading to a sense of disorientation and confusion.

Puzzles

The puzzles range from simple locks to more tech-based challenges. An array of carnival games-of-chance are ready to be played, and help further the immersion in the storyworld.

You can test out different circus skills to see if you’re qualified enough to take over for the performers in their absence. With the exception of a few wordplay-based riddles, everything is fairly intuitive and ensures that the storyline progresses smoothly.

Despite the topsy-turvy nature of the fair, there are not any crazy logic leaps or truly confounding moments; all elements make sense and would conceivably be seen as commonplace within a real carnival or circus. All of the tasks are mentally stimulating, but not so difficult as to be overwhelming.

Overall

Fair Game does an excellent job of transporting you into an abandoned festival. There is an ominous air from the disappearance of the carnies and circus folk, with the feeling that as long as there is no clowning around, you can escape that fate.

Soar like the human cannonball out of the sideshow and into the center ring of your own circus adventure! Step right up, and become part of the greatest show on earth.