Room Escape Artist

This company is closed.

It’s a dream within a dream within an escape room.

Location: Sydney, Australia

Date played: April 5, 2016

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Price: Prices range from 31 – 39 AUD per person, and vary based on the number of players.

Theme & story

As psychic doctors, we stepped into the mind of a coma patient. Our goal was to navigate her memories to find the one that would wake her up.

It was basically medical Inception in an escape room.

The game space took us through various “memories” that were varying degrees of abstract.

The story that unfolded was incredibly sweet. No nightmares. No ugliness.

Blindfolded beginning

To begin the game, we were blindfolded and led into the first room of the game.

The blindfolds were completely unnecessary. The first room contained interesting challenges, but wasn’t visually spectacular. There wasn’t a staggering reveal, it was just a room.

Blindfolds gross me out. Once I saw how unnecessary this one was, I was indignant that I had had to wear one.

Navigating the mind

Making In Memoriam a game within a dream was brilliant. It allowed the designer to present a story through abstract puzzles. Instead of the puzzles feeling out of place (which frequently happens in escape rooms that attempt to tell a story). The abstractness made the game feel more like a dream.

Geeky easter eggs

There was a handful of geeky Easter eggs hidden within the game for attentive, pop-culture aware nerds… keep your eyes open for them. I spotted half of of them and completely missed the others.

Construction & puzzles

In Memoriam used a lot of very common closures and locks and also peppered in some more unusual tech. The puzzles were fun and the interactions were entertaining.

Surprisingly emotional

I saw the conclusion of the story coming, but I still found it far more emotionally impactful than I was anticipating.

Escape rooms have made me feel like I was on an adventure. They have made me feel afraid. They have made me feel brilliant and they have made me feel pretty dumb.

This was the first room that made me feel the warm fuzzies.

A proofreader please!

In Memoriam is a beautiful game that tells a great story, but it needs an editor. There were written passages that had typos, duplicated words, and clunky language.
Everyone needs a proofreader; we have one (Thanks, Eva!).

Busted blacklight

There was a blacklight within In Memoriam and it was used quite nicely. It would have been great if it had worked properly.

These things need to be tested regularly and replaced at the first sign of failure.

Should I play The Enigma Room’s In Memoriam?

In Memoriam is a beautiful game with a tender story. It stands out in an escape room world filled with thrills, espionage, and frights as an unusual and welcome deviation from the norm.

The puzzles were great and the game was fun. A finicky UV light and some grammar notwithstanding, In Memoriam is a must play.

Bring your wits and your empathy with you because you’re in for a truly special treat.

Book your hour with The Enigma Room’s In Memoriam, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Essa of Intervirals

We enjoyed In Memoriam with the brilliant and incredibly kind Essa of the Aussie Escape Room blog, Intervirals.

Intervirals was one of the earliest escape room sites out there, and one that we’ve held in high regard for years. Essa showed us some very warm Australian hospitality. Lisa and I are so appreciative and pleased that we finally had a chance to meet Essa in person.

Full disclosure: The Enigma Room provided media discounted tickets for this game.