老宅 | Old House

This physical-set game seems unique to Maze Escape Room.

Played at: Maze Escape Room (Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia)
6 characters (2 female, 4 male)

This physical-set game is only available in Chinese — which is a shame, as it’s a solid case within a set that’s full of fun surprises. Definitely worth the trip up to Selangor. Note that while the stated duration is 150 minutes, that’s just for gameplay and doesn’t include some ~45 minutes of preparation beforehand.

Case: The case is beginner-friendly but not trivial, with some clever threads of logic. There are various fun relevations, some more predictable than others. A significant sideplot adds further interest to the experience, not least with the inclusion of escape room-style puzzles.

Suspects: All characters have secrets of their own and personal mysteries to solve. While a couple of characters might have slightly thinner scripts, the sideplot should ensure that no one gets bored.

Structure: Old House has a great dramatic opening that sets it apart. New areas of the set are unlocked after the first evidence search, which is always fun. The debrief is satisfyingly comprehensive.

Setting: The set is a major strength of Old House. The dramatic entrance helps players get immersed from the start; the set itself has lots of cool surprises. Perhaps the only complaint is that there are signs of wear and tear, including clues with faded text (though the DM can help with reading those).

Facilitation: The case includes a detective played by the DM, allowing for narrative-integrated facilitation. Our DM did nudge us quite a bit, but we probably needed it.

Try if you like: Dramatic sets; NPC interaction (in the opening); discoveries and surprises; physical-set jubensha in general.

Not recommended for: Players (especially murderer-players) who dislike being nudged by the DM. But otherwise I’d recommend this case for anyone.