At Home Esacpe Room Review – The Murderous Scallywag – FREE DOWNLOAD
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AD – This product was gifted for review, all opinions are my own
We love escape rooms here at Savvy In Somerset and when I was asked to review an at-home one recently I jumped at the chance.
If you follow me on social media, you’ll be well aware that I’m a big fan of quizzes and puzzles. I’ve been going to the same monthly pub quiz night for seven years now (we came second this month, hooray!) and I watch A LOT of T.V quiz shows, my favourites being House of Games and Only Connect.
I am also a big fan of escape rooms. I’ve done a fair few over the years, including one most recently for my brother’s 18th birthday.
To be honest, I’d probably have done a fair few more escape rooms if they weren’t so expensive. Live escape rooms cost around £20-£30 per person depending on the venue and how many of you are playing.
They usually last 1-2 hours making them quite an expensive hobby! Compare that to my pub quiz where I’m entertained for four hours with two drinks for £12 and there’s quite a difference in price.
What Is An At-Home Escape Room?
When doing a live escape room, you usually head to a venue where you are ‘locked’ in a room. You search for clues around the room, gradually piecing together various codes that unlock padlocks or reveal keys. There is usually a secret room or compartment that is revealed at some point during the escape and if you get stuck a member of staff can send clues via a screen or voiceover.
With an at home-escape room you like this one, all the puzzles are printed out ahead of time and given to you all at once (although if you wanted you could get a game master to hide them around a room for you to find).
If you need any help you can scan a QR code with your phone for a hint – this means no one can accidentally see a clue by mistake. Set a timer and tackle the puzzles in front of you until you have a final location and number.
Benefits of An At Home Escape Room
Budget-Friendly – An at-home escape room is much cheaper than a venue. So if you’re not sure if you’ll like it or you want a cheaper option than a physical escape room, this could be the right option for you.
Instant Download – At-home escape rooms are perfect for last-minute parties, simply purchase, download and print and you’re ready to play.
Everyone Can Join In – There are lots of reasons you might not want to try a live escape room, maybe you’re claustrophobic or think it might be too much for younger children. At home escape rooms allow you to try an escape room-style puzzle from the comfort of your own home.
No Time Limit – While most people like to do an escape room in sixty minutes, at home you can allow more time, or even unlimited time if you need it or want to make the game easier for younger or less experienced players.
The Murderous Scallywag – At Home Escape Room Review
The team at Epic Escapes sent me their at-home escape room ‘The Murderous Scallywag’ to try.
Don’t be put off by the word murder, it’s not gruesome and reminded of Cluedo!
‘The year is 1902. The city is awash with villainous gangs, pickpockets and thieves. All very small fry, as there is only one big fish you are after.
You and your team of detectives have finally arrested the notorious murderer David “Scallywag” Wallis. Word has it that he has committed around 20 murders.
With the hot glow of a bulb glaring in his eyes, sat in an interview room, you finally make Wallis spill the beans.
He tells you that all the evidence you need to pin the murders on him, is locked in a safe in a hidden location.
Can you find the location of the hidden safe and the code to open it before the murderer escapes justice?’
So, did we find the code and complete the escape room in one hour?
Erm….No.
Despite our best efforts we didn’t solve all the puzzles in time and ended up looking up the answers.
Which, honestly it pains me to admit!
We could have continued past the one-hour timer but we were getting really frustrated so after a break, we decided just to take a look at where we had been going wrong!
I think the problem for us is that we’ve been so used to doing more challenging escape rooms (the most recent one we completed had an escape rate of just 30%) that we were making things far more complicated than they needed to be and over-looking things because they seemed too simple or obvious.
We also found it difficult having no set order to work through the clues in while we were doing it but having seen the answers I do feel reassured that any order works and will lead to the correct final answer.
The fact that we didn’t compete ‘The Murderous Scallywag’ doesn’t mean that it’s a bad product. I think it’s a great introduction to escape rooms for younger players and would be a really different idea for a teenage birthday party or a fun after-dinner game for adults of all ages.
Plus there’s the fact it’s much cheaper than a physical escape room. You can play with up to six players making it just £2.50 per person when purchased at full price.
Want to try this escape room for free? Use the link below to download the Murderous Scallywag for free for a limited period.
Full details of ‘The Murderous Scallywag’ below
Time To Escape: 1 hour
Number of Players: 1-6
Suitable for Single Player: Yes
Gamemaster: Optional / Not Required
