The Legend of the Skull Witch is one of the best games in Sacramento, CA. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in Sacramento.
The Wicked Witch of the West Coast
Location: Sacramento, California
Date Played: February 24, 2019
Team size: up to 6; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $35 per player
Ticketing: Public
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Few games open as strongly as The Legend of the Skull Witch. Enchambered’s cabin of magic and evil was fueled with strong puzzles and just enough frights to make it intense and exciting without feeling terrifying.
A couple of gameflow issues notwithstanding, this was an incredible game from a strong company. The Legend of the Skull Witch was a remarkable world to puzzle through.
We highly recommend The Legend of the Skull Witch. If you’re anywhere in the region, take a trip to play it. We did; we were thrilled with that decision.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Best for players with at least some experience
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- Magical interactions
- Detailed and immersive gamespace to explore
- Use of effects
Story
Legend had it that a vile witch lived in the swamps outside of New Orleans. The tale told of her luring bewildered partygoers away… a mistake that they paid for with their lives.
We hadn’t bought into the stories, but two of our friends had disappeared during Mardi Gras. We’d tracked them to a rundown cabin in the middle of the swamp.
Setting
The Legend of the Skull Witch made an immediate impression. The multi-level set, staggering volume of details, animations, and how it all came together were arresting. Normally when I enter an escape room I immediately look for where to start. In The Legend of the Skull Witch, I stood there and looked at what Enchambered had built, not to start solving, but simply to take it all in.
Enchambered maintained that level of detail throughout the entire experience. The Legend of the Skull Witch was a little scarier than Enchambered’s The Whispering Halls. That intensity carried through to some of their set design and effects choices.
Gameplay
Enchambered’s The Legend of the Skull Witch was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling.
Analysis
➕ The Legend of the Skull Witch began with an imposing projection. It set the tone beautifully.
➕ From the get-go, The Legend of the Skull Witch offered a lot of options for exploration, from the gamespace to the details.
➖ The Legend of the Skull Witch relied too heavily on explanation. There would be an opportunity to make the puzzles more immediately approachable, letting players discover how to work the mechanisms through play.
➕ In place of locks – combination or magnetic – Enchambered built other input mechanisms. These interactive inputs also felt magical, and appropriate for the space.
➖ Too many puzzles resolved to the same digit structure. While this was mitigated by interesting inputs, we spent a bit too much time trying the same combination in multiple different locks. Small variation in digit structure would have smoothed over the game flow.
➖ We struggled with one puzzle that combined a lot of disparate information. It seemed we activated components out of order. It was frustrating when we couldn’t re-trigger information.
➕ The puzzles generally solved cleanly and were tangible. Although one overstayed its welcome, we enjoyed its mechanic. Many of the puzzles encouraged teamwork.
➕ Enchambered built effects that helped us feel the story – the desperate plight of the witch’s victims – as we played. It was haunting and impressive.
➕/➖ We appreciate a thematic and integrated gameclock. This one was beautifully worked into the set. Unfortunately, we didn’t understand the gameclock for what it was until after we’d won the game. That may have been on us… I’m really not sure.
➕ We visited Enchambered while part of their facility was under construction. Due to construction regulations, they couldn’t allow players into the final gamespace for The Legend of the Skull Witch. They created an elegant workaround that enabled them to run our game through to the end despite this inconvenience. Although we would have loved a hands-on experience for this portion, we respect their concern for safety and regulations, and their ingenuity.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
- We recommend Thai Terrace for a meal before/after your game.
Book your hour with Enchambered’s The Legend of the Skull Witch, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Enchambered provided media discounted tickets for this game.
Would you say that the game is “scary.” We’re thinking of taking a trip to play but I’m not sure I can handle. I’m fine with ambiance – not OK with jump scares. Thanks!
It’s mostly ambiance. Skull Witch and Whispering Halls have intense and creepy vibes, but they never make you feel like you’re in serious peril.
I recall a jump scare In Whispering Halls, but it wasn’t brutal. I can recall something in Skull Witch that might read as a jump scare for some. Over the years my tolerance for this kind of stuff has grown… a lot.
Hi David,
I’m heading home for Christmas. Last year we did Whispering Halls and it was quite good. Skull Witch sounds like a good one for this year’s trip with the cousins, but do you know of any other good options to consider in the greater Sacramento area?
Honestly we don’t know the Sacramento area that well. We had heard a lot of great things about Enchambered from other players so we snuck up there to squeeze in a few games.
Send us a message on our contact form and we’ll see if we can get a few more recommendations.