A grim gallery
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Date Played: March 11, 2022
Team size: 4-8; we recommend 5
Duration: 60 minutes
Price: $32.95 per player
Ticketing: Private
Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock
Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints
REA Reaction
We left The Painter’s Collection feeling conflicted and confused.
On one hand, the set was quite pretty, making excellent use of beautiful art coupled with some interesting interactions. There was a unique aesthetic. Someone had clearly put a lot of effort into The Painter’s Collection.
On the other hand, the gameplay felt fragmented and many of the puzzles were irritatingly under-clued. The amount of times we triggered/ solved something and didn’t know why our approach worked or took a hint which left us wondering “how were we ever supposed to know how to do that?” was disappointing.
Maybe it was too many cooks in the kitchen or too few… I don’t know… but this meal was undercooked.
The good news for Eludesions Escape Rooms is that The Painter’s Collection was 95% of the way to greatness… and it shouldn’t take much to get it there. However, that missing 5% was clue structure and playability, and that’s critical. I hope that Eludesions does the work to make this game as great as it ought to be. It’s too cool to be left in its current state.
Who is this for?
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Witchcraft fans
- Best for players with at least some experience
Why play?
- Great set and art direction
- Clever interactions
Story
When a painter was falsely accused of witchcraft, the townspeople raided his home and learned the terrible truth that his daughter was actually a witch. She preserved her father in a painting to keep him close… and then began luring townspeople to her home to trap their souls in her art.
The young witch intended for us to become her next victims.
