Room Escape Artist

The Magic Cottage: Sister’s Curse is one of the best games in Anaheim, CA. Here are our other recommendations for great escape rooms in the Anaheim area.

Crystals and wands and bubotuberpus, oh my

Location:  Fullerton, CA

Date Played: March 6, 2022

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from $108 per team for teams of 2 players to $216 per team for teams of 6 players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: not recommended for anyone with arachnophobia

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse was beautiful (and just so cool!) with a gorgeous set and magical moments. Infinity Escape truly did some incredible things in this game.

Throughout The Magic Cottage we found ourselves vacillating between love and frustration. We loved the set and the interactive props. However, we struggled against low lighting or limited space.

There is a ton to love in the beautiful, magical world in The Magic Cottage, and it is beloved by a lot of folks for good reasons. From my perspective, the greatness was evident throughout the game. All of its issues are fixable, and I hope that Infinity Escape takes a second look at them.

The Magic Cottage is a worthy game. If you’re in Southern California, it’s well worth checking out. The moments you’ll remember from this escape game are fantastic.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Magic & wizardry fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Beautiful set
• Wonderful interactions
• Solid puzzle content
• Wands!

Story

Back in the 14th century, we were on a mission to break the magic on “the most haunted cottage in all of Britain.” Two sister witches had engaged in magical battle with one another and they had both lost, trapping themselves within their cottage.

We had to break the curses and determine which witch to assist.

Setting

The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse was a compact game, with a gorgeous set. Details abounded in the main gamespace; everywhere we looked in this space, there was a nuanced detail to take in.

Additionally, there were a number of effects that Infinity Escape did an impressive job of constructing.

When we pushed deep into the game, we found a segment that was considerably less designed, but the bulk of the game took place in this magnificent environment.

Gameplay

Infinity Escape’s The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse was a standard escape room with a higher level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, listening, making connections, solving puzzles, and casting spells.

Analysis

➕ The experience opened with a punch. It was impressive and exciting.

➕ The set was a wonder. It was handcrafted from floor to ceiling and exceptionally detailed. We could tell that a lot of love (and skill!) went into the design of each prop.

➖ The second act lacked the visual appeal and detailed design we loved in the first act.

➕ The puzzles were varied, from dexterity to logic to observation. In all instances, the puzzles focused us on a prop or a part of the set.

➖ The Magic Cottage was almost entirely linear (which made sense narratively). Because many of the puzzles were up against a wall, or lodged in a corner, at most 2 teammates could participate. We consistently felt crowded.

➖ The set was dark and the audio clues were hard to comprehend. Together, these made the puzzle solving a bit more frustrating than it should have been. Spot lighting and better speakers would have gone a long way.

➕ The sister witches were characters in our experience. Their presentation was magical. These short interludes added depth to the story.

➖ In the second act, the gameplay changed. We needed to explore more, but we interpreted the funny, in-character hinting as telling us not to do so. Infinity Escape could further refine these fun character interactions or modify the gameplay to avoid conflict.

➕ /➖ Throughout The Magic Cottage we were casting spells with wands. As we unlocked a new wand, we could cast new spells. We enjoyed this interactive, magical mechanic. That said, it quickly became repetitive. There was opportunity for the puzzle aspect of spellcasting to become increasingly complex so that, as players, we could build mastery.

➕ We made a decision as to how the narrative would unfold that determined the outcome of our experience. This delivered a strong conclusion to a linear game that told a story through character interaction.

➕ Infinity Escape created some exceptional effects within this experience. The scene transition was especially phenomenal.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking and a nearby parking lot.

Book your hour with Infinity Escape’s The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Infinity Escape comped our tickets for this game.