Room Escape Artist

Tracking down the truth

Location:  Paris, France

Date Played: March 19, 2024

Team Size: 2-5; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: €140 – €165 per team, depending on number of players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: There are steps; one player will need to use a ladder

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push To Exit

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

There’s an old urban legend about a passenger train in Italy that entered a tunnel on it’s way to Milan, and simply vanished – along with everyone on board. To this day, no one knows what happened to the train or its 104 passengers. The Disappearance of the Zanetti Train immersed us in this mystery by sending us back in time to investigate, putting a refreshing spin on a familiar escape room theme.

Entering the space, it was hard to ignore the life-size train car, partially visible in the shadows of the tunnel. Realistic set pieces and interesting design touches fit the time period and were used for some pretty creative puzzles. One puzzle in particular used a number of props for some silly fun. Others were challenging in unexpected ways; one early puzzle appeared straightforward and simple yet made us get fairly creative to solve it. The teamwork tasks were especially enjoyable. Audio and special effects enhanced immersion and provided impressive wow moments, putting us at the center of the narrative all the way to the exciting conclusion. 

We may never know the real story of the Zanetti train, but we certainly enjoyed discovering Secrets Hunters’ interpretation of events, real or imagined. If you are in Paris, stop by and take a ride on the Zanetti train, wherever it may lead.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Unique story
• Immersive set
• To solve a mystery
• Because it’s not your typical train theme

Story

Rome, 1911: A train with 104 passengers on their way to Milan, entered a tunnel and was never seen again. Our team was sent back in time to investigate and determine what had happened to the train and its passengers.

Setting

The game started in a tunnel, dimly lit by a few lanterns. A large, darkened train car sat a few feet away beyond a locked iron gate.

Gameplay

Secrets Hunters’ The Disappearance of the Zanetti Train was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observation, searching, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

➕ The urban legend surrounding the missing Zanetti train set the stage for unique gameplay; story beats unfolded as we puzzled, bringing us closer to discovering details about the passengers and the mystery of their disappearance. There was more to the story than we expected.

➕ Props placed intentionally around the space encouraged investigation and added to overall immersion; many were secured such that we avoided wasting time manipulating these items unnecessarily.

➕ One familiar escape room puzzle was done in a unique way; it integrated well with the set and story and was fun to discover.

➖ We encountered a puzzle with a mechanism that would not release, and assumed it was too early to solve. When we finally revisited the puzzle and got it to work, the information was no longer needed, as we’d intuited it from other in-game cluing.

➕ Several puzzles were modifiable to better accommodate different team sizes, making for smoother gameplay. 

➖ One prop had misleading markings that led us to misinterpret the information.

➕/➖ The method of getting hints integrated nicely with the narrative and did not break immersion. However, this same method was also used to relay story points that were necessary to gameplay. This caused a problem as we ignored it at first, assuming we were being nudged, when in fact, we were being given key information.

Tips For Visiting

• Recommend taking public transport (RER A or Metro 1, 2, 6, 9 – Nation stop, exit no. 5 Taillebourg)
• Restaurants: We enjoyed Le Piston Pélican, a bistro at 15 Rue de Bagnolet.
• Sightseeing: Nearby is the Pére-Lachaise cemetery, known for the many famous artists, writers and musicians buried there, including Edith Piaf, Frédéric Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison of the Doors.

Book your hour with Secrets Hunters’ The Disappearance of the Zanetti Train, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.