RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 3:11
Break free from the twisted web of lies and murder, before you fall victim to the Black Widow bride.
Dare to step into the Black Widow’s lair… but will you escape before you become her next victim? You and your team of detectives have just broken into the gothic mansion of the infamous Camilla Deville, the beautiful yet deadly widow who’s known for making her husbands vanish without a trace. Now, you must uncover the dark secrets behind her most recent husband’s mysterious disappearance before time runs out. You have just 60 minutes before she returns—and if you’re not careful, you’ll be her next target.
The investigation unfolds in Camilla’s haunting boudoir, where black walls, pink velvet chairs, and an eerie collection of “dead things” set the stage. Will you solve the twisted mystery before it’s too late? The clock is ticking…
Enter the worlds of The Architect, a mysterious figure who brings stories to life. One of his most harrowing creations is that of the Black Widow, a woman who has a rather different view of holy matrimony.
Camilla Deville is not one to take her marriage vows lightly. In fact, she adheres so strongly to the concept of “till death do we part” that she likes to… hasten things along, over and over again. She fancies herself as a beloved bride, when in reality she is something far more nefarious.
Not only is she murderous, she’s also a narcissistic egomaniac, which is never a good combination, even in the best of times. Her fascination with mortality is apparent as her numerous spouses’ lives are continually cut short.
We have to figure out why her husbands all seem to meet untimely ends, and ensure that we escape a similar grisly fate, lest we find ourselves ensnared in the Black Widow’s web.
Step into the lushly, if somewhat morbidly, decorated dressing room that Camilla has so helpfully temporarily vacated. She clearly has a dark, gothic aesthetic, as everything has an almost-creepy air to it.
The chamber is split into two portions, one showing off Camilla’s sweet and charming side, with the other revealing her sinister, twisted nature. A large portrait of Camilla herself dominates over the space, as if she can’t go a single moment without being able to see herself. Her vanity table is highlighted by the ornate gilded mirrors, resting alongside marble statues and antique curio cabinets. Her twisted nature is revealed through her choice of wall adornments, with visages of death and decay amongst vibrant florals.
A pair of black wrought-iron chandeliers, dripping with crystals, cast an eerie glow over the peeling wallpaper, hinting at the cracks in the Black Widow’s facade of perfection. A raven acts as a not-so-silent sentry, occasionally emitting a low caw from its perch in a wooden cage, swaying above a large antique dollhouse. Ominous music is heard throughout, making the whole chamber have an unsettling and disquieting atmosphere.
For the most part, the challenges found throughout Camilla’s boudoir present a logical insight into her inner psyche, as malevolent as it may be. There is some extremely clever prop usage throughout the experience, and everything flows together to make the mysteries of her mind be just a little less murky.
The only detriment is that one puzzle can only be solved through the use of math equations. Granted, it’s primarily addition, and a writing tablet is helpfully provided for ease of solving, but having to stop to literally do calculations does break the immersion of the game world.
The rest of the riddles can be answered non-linearly, and can have multiple people working on them simultaneously. Despite the fact that everything is more on the low-tech side, some of the tasks are actually quite challenging to complete, as the clues can be difficult to decipher. This just leads to a greater sense of satisfaction on finding the solutions, though, as Camilla’s web of mysteries unravels.
We actually found ourselves overthinking with some of the features throughout the game. We kept coming up with more and more outlandish scenarios (particularly involving one of the mirrors in the sitting room), so it was actually almost comical to find that the needed answers were far more simple than what we we expecting.
Black Widow provides a spooky good time without delving into outright horror, so nothing is truly scary or frightening. It’s visually highly detailed, and an intriguing look into the mind of a mad woman.
There are certain elements present that none of us had ever encountered in a game before, namely the interaction with The Architect, which enhances both the atmosphere and the depth of the storyworld. The novelty of this experience adds a different dimension of enjoyment, and helps create a truly immersive environment.
Every moment spent within the confines of Camilla Deville’s private chambers makes for a compelling, exciting adventure, trying to ensure that we don’t end up like her multitude of spouses. Break free from her web, or die trying.
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Venue: Encrypted Escape Room
Location: Bethesda, Maryland
Number of Games: 4
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 10 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $45 per person
We thank Encrypted Escape Room for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.
