Hollywood Whodunit
Location: Arvada, CO
Date Played: November 6, 2022
Team size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $30 per player
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
I’m of two minds with The Hollywood Mystery: A Room Noir.
On one hand, the game world was delightfully enchanting with an undeniable old Hollywood allure. I mean, just peek through this door:
On the other hand, The Hollywood Mystery was the most traditional and classic escape room that I have played at Conundrum and from a gameplay perspective, this game felt like it could exist at any escape room company.
For me, Conundrum’s signature style is the novelty that they bring to their game design. I feel it in the set in The Hollywood Mystery, but less so in the gameplay. That’s not to say that this game is bad; it would be the best escape room in many escape room facilities. It was cleanly executed. It just didn’t have the same spark of crafty novelty that I’ve come to expect from Conundrum. I wanted this game to build on that tradition.
Play this one if the concept appeals to you, or if you’re craving something classic. You will absolutely have a great time.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Any experience level
- Fans of noir
- Fans of detective fiction
Why play?
- A detective mystery escape room
- Fun starlet dressing room environment
- Intent antique props
Story
A famous Hollywood starlet had hired our private detective agency to look into a stalker. Then she went missing and we had a new job: find her.
Setting
We stepped into a starlet’s dressing room. It had the right glitz. It felt lived in in a way escape room sets normally don’t. Later in the game, the set lost a little of its focus.
Gameplay
Conundrum’s The Hollywood Mystery: A Room Noir was a whodunit escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, puzzling, and solving a mystery.
Analysis
➕ The performative intro and outro of The Hollywood Mystery did great job of pulling us into the world and then extracting us from it.
➕/➖ The puzzles and gameplay were traditional. It was well-crafted escape room gameplay, but it seemed like there was an opportunity to take this game to a more interesting place.
➕/➖ The whodunit portion of the game was cleanly executed, but lacked excitement.
➕ I’m a sucker for a good diorama.
➖ One antique interaction was clued, but not clearly enough to overcome our reluctance to apply a tiny bit of pressure.
➕ Conundrum built a simple yet effective set for The Hollywood Mystery. The use of antique furniture, hardware, props, and clothes made us feel like we stepped back through time.
Tips For Visiting
- There is a parking lot.
- This game is at the Arvada location.
Book your hour with Conundrum’s The Hollywood Mystery: A Room Noir, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Conundrum comped our tickets for this game.
