Room Escape Artist

No laws on the CLAWS

Location: at home

Date Played: April 25, 2026

Team Size: 1

Duration: 45-60 minutes

Price: about $47

https://youtube.com/shorts/4-it42XHUWg

REA Reaction

In the age of texting and social media, few things are as terrifying a getting a phone call. But what if true evil lurked somewhere on the other line? That’s the conceit of Candle House Collective’s “telephonic thriller” CLAWS.

Since 2020, CLAWS has explored the weighty topics of nightmares, familial trauma, and regret with callers one-at-a-time. Through a talented actor and an evocative script, CLAWS developed a deep sense of unease and dread using merely a phone. The experience demanded curiosity, interaction, and introspection from me in order to progress the story.

However, I was no mere passive audience member: The experience demanded more. CLAWS challenged me to solve in-world problems, make connections between my life and its story, and pay attention to nuanced details. All while solving a meta-puzzle of a potentially unreliable narrator.

At its best, CLAWS guided me through a labyrinth of tension, anxiety, empathy, regret, and fear. I felt like the unwitting protagonist in a horror movie. The agency granted to me came at a cost, though. The more puzzle-centric bits occasionally took the scenic route, undercutting the otherwise deftly-designed adrenaline mapping.

Over a month later, I remain haunted by this hour of my life. I keep turning over the information I received and how I should have interpreted it. I think about the aspects of my personal life I explored and if I’m repeating the mistakes of the story’s protagonist. I replay on the final minutes. Gripping, shocking, and audacious, CLAWS may only hold you for an hour, but the psychological scars will remain long after.

Who is this for?

• Horror fans
• Story seekers
• Any experience level
• People who actually like using their phone as a phone

Why play?

• The feeling of being in a Stephen King tale
• A novel use of the medium
• A horror story that is nuanced and thoughtful
• An evocative ending

Story

I volunteered for The Etcetera Helpline, a service that offers assistance for any miscellaneous need or issue. My caller Danny found himself in a peculiar and disturbing predicament: There was a monster in his closet. As my call progressed, though, my certainty of where the real monster dwelled diminished.

Setup

After booking my scheduled CLAWS call, an onboarding email immediately pulled me into the magic circle. The pre-recorded orientation for helpline representatives outlined how to interact, where to take the call, and what safety features existed if the call proved too intense. A charged phone and a quiet, dimly-lit space are all that’s needed to embark on this solo experience. Headphones and/ or a change of pants are recommended but not necessary.

Gameplay

Candle House Collective’s CLAWS was an interactive telephonic story with a moderate level of interaction required.

The experience demanded active listening, personal reflection, and creative problem solving. While CLAWS is not billed as an escape room, several scenes felt akin to a social deduction puzzle or roleplaying game.

Analysis

➕ Most escape room experiences rely on visuals to establish mood. CLAWS and many other Candle House Collective works (i.e. Lennox Mutual — review coming soon) eschew all senses but sound. The experience was immersive, intimate, and mimetic. This is a criminally underutilized creative space.

🥴 Those who have extensive experience with Candle House Collective’s productions (especially Lennox Mutual) will likely approach CLAWS markedly differently than newbies. This is not an issue per se, but it could leave some with regrets about how they interfaced with this call outside the context of the narrative. Lennox Mutual‘s goals are distinctly personal and reflective, whereas CLAWS’ objective is — at least on its surface — to assist the embattled Danny.

➕ The simple-yet-elegant onboarding drew me into the world immediately after booking. It was creative, funny, and concise — a true exemplar of how to acclimate participants to the rules of the world. Best of all? It cast me in a role I could easily play: myself.

➕ CLAWS offered several opportunities for me to think outside the box. I felt challenged and empowered to devise solutions, sparking dopamine rushes much like the best escape room puzzles do.

➖ Those same creative moments brought the call’s frenetic, urgent pace to an unnatural standstill. The juxtaposition between the frantic immediacy of the opening scene and the first major puzzle of the call felt jarring and out of place. While I relished in my hero moments, they felt overlong within the context of the story.

❓The call’s dramatic and inevitable climax relied on my answer to a binary question: Who do I trust? While I believe the question is more important than the answer, others may feel frustrated or disappointed if they got “the wrong answer.”

💩👖CLAWS‘ interactivity allowed for several possible endings. From my personal experience and discussion with others, each ending proved chilling and capable of sparking a spontaneous fecal event within your trousers.

➕ The actor was phenomenal. Throughout the call, they embodied a scared, vulnerable, frustrated, anxious, frustrated youngster with conviction. They responded quickly and naturally to me, demonstrating strong improvisational skills.

➕ The booking website and confirmation email warned that the experience could prove intense or personal. A safe phrase was available to immediately end the experience. While I didn’t utilize the phrase, an FAQ section on Candle House Collective’s website explains, “Use of the safe phrase will be followed by a brief (10-20 second) check-in, as well as the option to decompress with a representative of Candle House Collective ‘out of world.’” Candle House Collective is also very open to addressing questions about potentially triggering material via email. This is a very responsible way to handle horror by offering content-specific spoilers and putting audience wellbeing first.

❓CLAWS placed a tremendous amount of responsibility on its audience. The heart of the experience depended on my creativity and willingness to be vulnerable about a sensitive, personal topic. Those who are shy or reserved may find this experience uncomfortable. Gregarious, outgoing people will likely relish such opportunities.

➕ CLAWS pulled me into the story in ways that strengthened immersion and engagement. In its final moments, my choices and my experiences coalesced into an unforgettable conclusion.

Tips For Players

• Space Requirements: a quiet, dimly-lit room when you can be alone
• Required Gear: a working phone that can accept unknown callers, headphones

Book your call to experience Candle House Collective’s CLAWS, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.