Witch please
Location: Québec City, Québec, Canada
Date Played: October 23, 2022
Team size: 3-8; we recommend 3-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $31.31 CAD per player
Ticketing: Private
Accessibility Consideration: All players need to crawl and climb a short ladder.
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
Wicca started off tediously, but became increasingly more interesting the further we got into the experience.
We started off by searching in the dark, which progressed to searching in a filthy crawl space. Needless to say, it was a lackluster opener.
By the end, however, the set and props were visually engaging. The layered puzzles were intriguing, challenging, and satisfying to solve. The escape game had a vibrancy that was missing from the earlier segments.
Additionally, while earlier puzzles had clearly suffered from wear, this last scene was in pretty good shape. The tragedy of Wicca was that the final scene offered a stellar experience, but I expect few players get to play through it.
Wicca was a challenging escape room. If you’re an experienced player in Québec City and this theme appeals to you, give it a go. For most players, we recommend Mission Gnome-Possible instead, where SOS Adventures nailed whimsy and the puzzles flowed more smoothly.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Players who enjoy a magical, witch-y theme
- Best for players with at least some experience
Why play?
- Interesting layered puzzles in the last scene
- One interaction felt especially magical
Story
We’d been captured and were about to be sacrificed by evil witches. We need to escape before they returned to start the ritual.
Setting
Wicca began in a dark, narrow set. As we solved, we entered more spaces in the witches’ lair. The sets were dim, worn, and dirty.
The final set was significantly more attractive than the others, and a lot less worn.
Gameplay
SOS Adventures’ Wicca was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.
Certain segments presented the added challenge of darkness or crawling.
Analysis
➖ The uncoated styrofoam set was a safety hazard. Styrofoam needs a hard coat.
➖ Wicca was heavily worn and dirty. One purchased puzzle had multiple broken pieces. Multiple props were rundown. The trap doors were poorly concealed due to wear.
➕ The wands were fun. A highlight was a wand interaction that felt especially magical.
➖ There was opportunity to better hide tech, especially in otherwise nifty props. Better housing would make the game more magical.
➖ The gameplay in Wicca suffered from overlocking, and key-for-key (where finding a key opens a lock, which just gives you another key.)
➕ The final act had interesting and challenging puzzles that relied on multiple skill sets and even different senses. This act flowed better than the earlier ones.
➕/➖ The last set was the most visually intriguing, least worn, and presented the most interesting puzzles. It offered a satisfying finale. Unfortunately, due to the earlier difficulty, we expect most teams don’t get to experience it.
➕/➖ The hints were in-world, which was fun. However, it’s frustrating to have to ask for a specific hint, as players may not understand why they are stalled.
❓ The game is called Wicca… which is a real and active religion.
Tips For Visiting
- There was a parking lot.
- We visited SOS Adventures’ Québec City location. This game is also available at their Saint-Jérôme location.
- Although the room was entirely playable in English, it helps to be able to read in French for one late-game puzzle sequence. (Otherwise, you can solve this sequence as pattern matching.)
Book your hour with SOS Adventures’ Wicca, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: SOS Adventures comped our tickets for this game.
