RATING: 4 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 7:49

Your grandfather is dead, and the question remains, “whodunit?” All of your family thinks “youdunit,” so prove you didn’t and avoid getting locked up!

You are Robert Montgomerie, the only remaining direct heir to the Kildermorie Estate and the Montgomerie family fortune. You’re attending a family gathering hosted by your Grandfather, Hugh ‘Monty’ Montgomerie, the 9th Earl of Kildermorie, to celebrate the dawn of the new Millennium. As the guests raise a toast, a scream fills the air…and your Grandfather is found dead in the library. It looks like MURDER, and as the direct heir, all fingers are now pointed at you! Will hidden clues reveal distant family secrets? With the police on their way, can you gather enough evidence and piece the story together to prove your innocence? And the biggest challenge of all: Is it even remotely possible to solve the mystery before the clock strikes 12?

You’ve been transported to the moors of Scotland at the turn of the 20th century. Your family party has gone extremely awry when your patriarch turns up rather dead. Clearly the estate has some… problems that must be worked out before you get wrongfully arrested and thrown into jail.

Your grandfather’s untimely demise has certainly thrown a kink into the festivities. Since everyone is blaming you, you now have to painstakingly go over the minute details to uncover the real culprit. Go through all of your relatives, the staff, and everyone else even remotely related to the Montgomerie household, and see what everyone is hiding.

An opulent parlor sits before you. Deep wood tones surround you, with the furniture and flooring giving off antique vibes. Intricately patterned wallpaper lines the chamber. Portraits of your relatives and your family tree adorn the walls, putting your ancestry on full display. Renderings of other familial crests  are present, indicating the influence and power of the Montgomerie family has over the region.

A crackling fireplace gives way to a cozy library, the shelves stacked high with assorted tomes. Ornate sconces provide a soft, comforting glow. The tasteful decorations hint at the family’s wealth without being over the top or gaudy.

The butler pantry lies just beyond, tucked out of sight from the parlor. The family’s call buttons are spread throughout, so the servants can be summoned at moment’s notice from anywhere in the mansion. The servants’ quarters are a stark contrast to the rest of the house- stone walls and dim lighting oppose the cheery warmth seen elsewhere.

While there are the standard lock puzzles, there are also a fair amount of tech-based challenges. They do range in difficulty throughout the mansion, hinting that both the house and its occupants have some secrets to be uncovered. Everything is presented non-linearly, so multiple things can be worked on at once.

Numerous senses are put to the test. Your listening skills are challenged with the piano and servants’ bells; even your sense of direction is questioned with various maps, charts, and even mazes. The physical decor of the manor even comes into play, as the connections between the artwork must be uncovered.

There is one particular riddle that kind of defies convention is the way it’s solved- it does involve doing some math on the helpfully provided whiteboard, but the universal Order of Operations/PEMDAS is completely disregarded. It’s possible that this is to AVOID requiring previous knowledge, which is something that is heavily frowned upon.

There is a strong reason why Escapology has made a name for itself as one of the most prominent entries in the genre. The games are beautifully designed with highly detailed sets that provide full immersion into the storyworld, the puzzles are logical and make sense, and the result is an hour of fun and entertainment.

Mansion Murder does a wonderful job of bringing us into the Scottish Highlands, where the mystical moors provide the perfect spooky backdrop for a murderous adventure. The game is memorable for the right reasons, and some of the puzzles truly stay with you for a extended period of time.

#Randi’s picture got murdered.

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Venue: Escapology

Location: North 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-$60 per person, depending on number of players.