Room Escape Artist

The wicked witch of central Connecticut.

Location: Berlin, CT

Date played: December 12, 2016

Team size: up to 6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 per ticket

Story & setting

The Lost Book of Spells cast us as adventuring thieves in the late 1600s during the Connecticut Witch Trials (the lesser-known prequel to the considerably more popular Salem Witch Trials). We had spent the better part of a decade tracking a suspected witch of great power. She left her home and we had a brief window of time to break into her home and attempt to steal her spellbook.

The set was impressive. It was dark, dramatic, and detailed. Much like Team vs Time’s Gangster’s Gamble, The Lost Book of Spells leaned heavily on beautiful set design to build a fiction. However, unlike the more subtle Gangster’s Gamble, The Lost Book of Spells was incredibly flashy.

The story was straightforward: break in and steal the book.

Puzzles

Similar to Gangster’s Gamble, The Lost Book of Spells was not a puzzle-centric game. There were puzzles and these were fun to solve, but they weren’t overwhelmingly challenging or exceptional. They were, however, fairly well clued.

Standouts

The set was incredible. From the moment the game began through the very end, it felt like we were inhabiting another world. Highly fictionalized as it was, it felt surprisingly real.

The start of The Lost Book of Spells was exciting. We were led to the beginning of the experience as opposed to being ushered into the game, as in most room escapes. This was a surprisingly subtle but impactful difference.

Shortcomings

The set was so striking that any props that didn’t quite fit really stood out. The modern combination locks and door locks in particular screamed, “I don’t belong here!” A few of the puzzle components themselves felt too modern and utterly out of place in the environment.

While the set imbued The Lost Book of Spells with a lot of life, it didn’t pack the same urgency and drama of Gangster’s Gamble.

Should I play Team vs Time’s The Lost Book of Spells?

The Lost Book of Spells was a powerful adventure. The set was so strong that it carried the experience on that alone.

The puzzling had its ups and downs, but the game kept moving along because the environment was so believable. Those elements that felt out of place could be easily improved upon. Rare is the game whose least believable components are the locks.

The Lost Book of Spells is spooky, but not scary. So long as you don’t bring nightmare-prone children, everyone should comfortably be able to deal with the intensity.

The Lost Book of Spells is a solid choice for all skill-levels. It’s approachable, fun, and intense. Experienced players should sail through most of the puzzles, but there’s plenty of nuance to enjoy throughout.

Book your hour with Team vs Time’s The Lost Book of Spells, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Full disclosure: Team vs Time provided media discounted tickets for this game.