“I’ve been a watching you.”
Location: Athens, Greece
Date Played: March 2, 2020
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: from €26 per player for teams of 2 to €16 per player for teams of 6
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: We’re unsure what fire escape measures there were, if any. More Info.
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
When Mrs. Rose’s House was strong, it was fantastic. When it wasn’t… it wasn’t bad, but it fell flat.
The opening sequence, the early scares, and the final puzzle were wonderful.
So much of the gameplay – and the middle of the game in general – was amorphous, repetitious, and barely memorable. While we enjoyed the final puzzle, the concluding sequence left a lot to be desired… because Mrs. Rose’s House didn’t have a conclusion; it just ended. When it was over, I initially didn’t believe that we were finished.
Knowing the context around this game, I can appreciate that it was a pioneer in the Athens horror escape room scene. It had some features that we loved and had never seen before. But compared it to some of the other top-tier horror escape games in Athens, it didn’t hold up. We enjoyed playing it, but if you’re only looking to play the top of the market, Mrs. Rose’s House was one rung down.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Scenery snobs
- Horror fans
- Any experience level
Why play?
- The opening sequence was phenomenal
- An atmospheric set
- The final puzzle
Story
It was 1777 and our village outside of London had been cursed. A decade earlier a woman had lost her son. Stricken with grief, she had turned to dark magic and bound her son’s soul to a doll… or so she thought. The malevolent entity that she believed was her son’s soul haunted the village and used the grieving woman to draw in new souls to feed on…
Setting
We found ourselves exploring a foggy “outdoor” set at night. Mrs. Rose’s House made a powerful first impression.
As the adventure progressed, we explored the house (as the title suggests). From there, the set was solid, but never came close to rivaling the opening sequence.
Gameplay
The Darkwood Village’s Mrs. Rose’s House was a standard escape room with a low level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and keeping fear in check.
Analysis
➕ The ominous introduction to Mrs. Rose’s House set the right tone. After we watched a foreboding video, we ventured into the unknown. This was one of the strongest starts that we’ve ever experienced.
➖ The set had aged poorly. We encountered a lot of wear on set pieces and props.
➕ We enjoyed a magically expressive interaction.
❓The gameplay relied heavily on searching and moving between dark spaces. The experience centered more around haunting than game mechanics.
➖ As the game progressed, we became comfortable with the gamespace. Although the gameplay forced us to traverse the different sets, as the novelty of the spaces wore off, moving between them couldn’t heighten our anxiety enough for the scares to keep landing.
➕ Mrs. Rose’s House included some startling jump scares. In these moments, Mrs. Rose’s House was at its best.
➖ The gamespace was haunted by actors, but they didn’t come and go with enough subtlety to fully shock us. We almost always knew when they were around. At first this built tension, but later it diminished it.
➖ The audio cues were way too repetitious. Way too repetitious.
➕ The final puzzle in Mrs. Rose’s House was a novel implementation, well executed, and beautifully clued.
➖ Mrs. Rose’s House ended abruptly and without resolution.
Tips For Visiting
- You need to be able to crawl to play this game.
- This game is available in Greek or English.
- Review our tips for playing escape rooms with actors.
Book your hour with The Darkwood Village’s Mrs. Rose’s House, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
