Another day, another curse
Location: Orlando, FL
Date Played: November 17, 2019
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $32 per player
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
There’s a good game in Baldwin Manor, but it was hidden by a lot of sloppiness:
- It was too dark and our team was only given 1 flashlight.
- The tech was far too finicky to be trusted.
- There was so much wear and tear on a game that frankly wasn’t that old.
Escape Artist was playing with some fun concepts, and had they all worked as planned, this game would have had some great moments, but I felt like it undercut itself at every conceivable turn.
In some parts of the world, Baldwin Manor could stand out. In a fairly strong Orlando market, this game feels like it’s a few steps behind the upper crust. If you’re in the area and looking for an escape room fix, it will do the job… but I suspect that you’ll leave wondering why the execution wasn’t cleaner.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Any experience level
Why play?
- Some great moments
- An atmospheric environment
Story
Our family had suffered from a century of bad luck. Legend had it that our poor luck was the result of our great-great-great-aunt’s attempt at black magic. She had been trying to bestow herself with great luck… but had cursed herself instead.
We had recently inherited the family estate, the very property where the curse had originated. By chance or destiny, we’d arrived at the home on the exact anniversary of the spell. According to legend, this anniversary would be the one chance that we’d have to break the curse.
Setting
Baldwin Manor was a dimly lit, stately manor with odd dogs-dressed-as-humans art on the walls.
As the game progressed, it shifted from oddly cute to slightly grim and menacing. It never crossed into horror territory.
From a construction standpoint, the set was showing a lot more wear and tear than we’d expect from a fairly new game.
Gameplay
Escape Artists’ Baldwin Manor was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, puzzling, and navigating the lighting.
Analysis
➕ Baldwin Manor was a puzzle-focused escape game with a lot of nifty solves that revolved around typical escape room props. We especially liked the layered puzzles.
➖ We played Baldwin Manor in low light, with only one small flashlight for the group. This made gameplay more frustrating than it needed to be.
➖ The tolerance on the tech was too tight. All too often, we’d take the correct action, but fail to trigger the solve or the open. This made a lot of the gameplay feel untrustworthy.
➕ Escape Artists used misdirection well to set up a reveal.
➕/➖ In Baldwin Manor, it was too easy to leave the group out of any given moment. One crucial prop could only communicate with one individual at a time. Additionally, with the gameplay spread out in the late game, 75% of our team missed a shining moment.
➕ Escape Artists crafted one particularly exciting, memorable moment that was a true bright spot in Baldwin Manor.
➖This set was heavily worn. While the dark atmosphere obscured this somewhat, it was still apparent that Baldwin Manor had seen a lot of aspiring curse breakers.
Tips For Visiting
- There is street parking nearby.
- Baldwin Manor is located at Escape Artists’ Orlando location, not their Sanford location.
- Note that Baldwin Manor takes place in low light.
Book your hour with Escape Artists’ Baldwin Manor, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Escape Artists comped our tickets for this game.
