Piwnica Quest – Midnight Killer MK II [Review]

Polish title: Midnight Killer MK II

Location: Wroclaw, Poland

Date played: October 26, 2017

Team size: 2-5; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 77 minutes

Price: 160 złoty per group (approximately $45)

Story & setting

A man who went by the pseudonym Midnight Killer was arrested in 2016, convicted of many murders, and sentenced to 25 years in prison. The man denied involvement in the killings, but all evidence pointed to him. The slayings have started once again, all following the same pattern established in the Midnight Killer murders. Is this a copycat? Did the killer have an accomplice? Or does he have some means of killing from behind bars? We had to investigate.

In-game: Skulls nested in one another beside a hammer within a fireplace.

Midnight Killer MK II had a large and intricate set; some of it was pretty intense. At the beginning our gamemaster split the team into captives and rescuers. The opening minutes of the escape room differed dramatically for the players depending upon their roles.

Puzzles

The puzzles within Midnight Killer MK II were rooted in the theme and narrative. Some of these puzzles tied in literally; others were more metaphorical.

Piwnica Quest integrated tangible puzzles into the set.

In-game: A street sign.

Standouts

Throughout Midnight Killer MK II, the themed puzzles represented both abstract and literal ideas.

The set design was carefully, deliberately, and cleanly executed.

Piwnica Quest included phenomenal, original illustrations in this escape room. We greatly appreciated this unnecessary detail.

Piwnica Quest implemented technology well in Midnight Killer MK II. The tech interactions facilitated the puzzles. They had purpose.

I’ll never forget one early moment when I looked upon a portion of the set… It was strange, a little messed up, and surprising.

The ending added a lot of depth to the experience. It was as fun as it was unexpected.

Shortcomings

The split beginning was too uneven. One group had a lot to do; the other could accomplish almost nothing until the group reunited.

Our gamemaster warned us before the game that a puzzle would “require patience.” They really understated how much patience we needed. This interaction took a silly amount of time.

The ending, cool as it was, went on for one too many interactions. Piwnica Quest added one final completely unnecessary step that killed the momentum of an otherwise brilliant and dramatic finish.

Should I play Piwnica Quest’s Midnight Killer MK II?

I loved Midnight Killer MK II. Piwnica Quest built this escape room with love and care.

The puzzles were designed with intention. The set was built well. The technology was interesting. The escape room was creative. But above all, the Midnight Killer MK II was fun.

I strongly recommend that experienced escape room players visit Midnight Killer MK II. If you haven’t played any escape rooms, play a few so that you can visit Piwnica Quest and truly enjoy Midnight Killer MK II. This escape room was fantastic.

Book your game with Piwnica Quest’s Midnight Killer MK II, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

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