Screaming Metal is one of the best escape rooms in Québec City, Québec, Canada. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in Québec City
Sacrifice for lady gasoline
Location: Québec City, Québec, Canada
Date Played: October 22, 2022
Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $32 CAD per player
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: At least one player needs to crawl. All players need to maneuver a little bit on uneven ground.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A] Pull To Release
REA Reaction
Cabinet Mysteriis took the Mad Max, apocalypse premise in their own direction with Screaming Metal.
By focusing our plight around our vehicle and a lack of gasoline, the scenario was narrow enough to have meaning. By introducing characters – those on our side and those who were not – we felt more connected to the world. By delivering show stopping moments in the form of set pieces and transitions, we could anchor to specific memories of the game.
While there was room to add polish to some aspects of the set and puzzles, the gameplay flowed well, and if it stalled, getting a hint could be just as fun as streamlined solving.
If you’re in Quebec, and you’re open to character interaction, you’ll want to visit Cabinet Mysteriis, and Screaming Metal should one of your stops.
Who is this for?
- Mad Max fans
- Adventure seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level
Why play?
- The opening sequence
- Strong set design… and an standout final set piece
- Fun transitions
Story
We were apocalypse survivors, roaming a desolate wasteland in search of gasoline. After we’d been ambushed and locked up, a diversion would give us cover to escape. It was our only hope to find our car and get away from this nightmare.
Setting
The set was intense. It was weathered wood and metal construction, with careful attention to the apocalyptic aesthetic. The decor was minimal, but the set made a statement itself.
Gameplay
Cabinet Mysteriis’ Screaming Metal was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.
Analysis
➕ We loved the artistic and ambiguous narrative decision in this escape game. And artistic ambiguity aside, the storyline and goals were clear.
➕ The opening act of Screaming Metal had a killer blend of theatricality and puzzle design. The puzzle type that Cabinet Mysteriis chose to underpin this scene rarely makes sense in an escape room… but in this game it had a certain poetry.
➖ Wear on an early search puzzle made it more frustrating that it needed to be.
➕ Cabinet Mysteriis leaned into the strange geometry of a small space with another strong collaborative sequence.
➕ The doors in Screaming Metal delivered stellar transitions, even the one that simply opened up an alternate route was designed, and belonged in this world.
➕ Everything was well themed, even minor props.
➖ While most components fit neatly into puzzles, in one instance there was an opportunity to do more than write numbers on props.
➖ One interaction seemed possibly hazardous, given its positioning and how it moved.
➖ We needed more feedback from one interaction. We stalled out, not realizing we’d triggered a solve.
➕/➖ The badass set piece in the last act stole the show. Furthermore, it was interactive. We were on board! That said, there was opportunity to craft a more cinematic ending around it. There was also an item belonging to Chekhov that could have played a role here.
➕/➖ The use of character integrated into the gameplay elevated the adventure. We had to interact with them to solve our way out. As this was the third game we played at Cabinet Mysteriis, we were expecting it, and we were delighted when we realized how to work a character to our advantage. There was opportunity to dramatically tie the beginning to the end.
➕ Cabinet Mysteriis had a clever approach to post-game photos for Screaming Metal.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
- This game is fully playable in English.
Book your hour with Cabinet Mysteriis’ Screaming Metal, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Cabinet Mysteriis comped our tickets for this game.
