Cousins Unite!
Location: St. Louis, MO
Date Played: March 22, 2019
Team size: up to 8; we recommend 4-6
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $27.50 per player
Ticketing: Public
Emergency Exit Rating: [B] Emergency Code
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
The Deadly Inheritance was our favorite escape room from our 2019 trip to St Louis.
This was a heavily puzzle-centric escape game with a quirky setup. It was a bit old school, but it was well-executed for what it was.
The set was worn, however. If you’re the type of player who values set design, narrative, and adventure… it was a little light on those elements. Instead it delivered strong gameplay, great puzzle flow, and some interesting interactions.
If you’re looking for a traditional escape room with a funny setup and solid execution, then this is a fantastic option and we absolutely recommend it if you’re in St Louis.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Any experience level
- Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle
Why play?
- Strong puzzle-centric gameplay
- A quirky, funny setup
Story
We’d received a letter from an attorney representing the estate of our recently deceased Uncle Martin. Our mysterious uncle, whom we had never met, nor heard of, was a pirate and had left his fortune to his nieces and nephews… if we could find it.
Setting
The Deadly Inheritance was a puzzle room in a quirky nautical set. The room was showing its age. Its focus was on the puzzles rather than the set design. That said, there were some interesting elements to take in.
Gameplay
Red Herring Escape Rooms’ The Deadly Inheritance was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching and puzzling.
Analysis
➕ The Deadly Inheritance started with a hilarious intro video. It set the tone for a fun escape room experience that didn’t take itself or its ridiculous scenario too seriously.
➕ The Deadly Inheritance had a weird aesthetic that we enjoyed. It was clearly built on a budget, but built with care. It all came together to create our strange uncle’s abode. When your main character is an eccentric millionaire, you have a creative license to cobble together something interesting… and that’s exactly what Red Herring Escape Rooms did.
➖ The room was worn. Some of the locks needed to be replaced. One of the input mechanisms was finicky.
➕ The puzzles were delightful. They were varied and made use of interesting and unexpected props. Our Uncle had quite the collection of oddities! We solved some layered puzzles and other more straight forward ones.
➖ Most of the puzzles were built into props, but not into the set itself. There was opportunity to use the gamespace to create exciting, memorable moments.
➕ There was a lot of gameplay packed into this escape room. The game flowed well, encouraging us to start certain puzzles early, for example, and funneling us away from potential bottlenecks.
❓The Deadly Inheritance offered a particular style of puzzle-focused gameplay. While the puzzles flowed well, the gameplay felt like solving many unconnected puzzles in an eclectic space rather than solving through a cohesive adventure. Your appreciation and enjoyment of this escape room will depend heavily on your style preferences.
Tips For Visiting
- It looks like there is street parking.
- Red Herring Escape Rooms has a gorgeous lobby. It’s a comfortable place to hang out.
Book your hour with Red Herring Escape Rooms’ The Deadly Inheritance, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
