Baker Street Mystery
by Social Escape Rooms

Review
Disclaimer: We were invited for a complimentary play-through of this room to provide feedback.

We played this room with a group of 4, and escaped with almost six minutes to spare and minimal hints (they were mainly 'search better!' clues). 

We weren't sure what to expect when we first entered the lobby, but we'd seen gorgeous images of the room online and were really looking forward to it! After talking shop with Mark for a while, he let us into the room, where he briefed us. We were detectives following a series of clues left for us by a defector of the infamous Baker Street Five gang, and our goal was to identify the members of the gang based on information from our snitch. This would get us to the final lock to stop the timer!

There was a lot in the room, and our initial search revealed quite a few clues, so we split up to work on them. The puzzles were logical and intuitive, and there was a wide variety of them that all fit well with the theme. One clue in particular gave lexi an exclamation-worthy 'Ah-hah!' moment, and that was followed by a number of similar ones as the game progressed. It was a very smart conceit!

Given the sheer amount of items and clues (lexi says: The game master side of me shudders at the thought of resetting that particular room!) we had to be very organised and ensure we stored used and unused clues separately, as well as communicated clearly about what we'd found and used (or not). 

Although there were multiple puzzle strands to be solved at any one time, they all came together in the end for the final puzzle. And what a solution! To our shame, we will admit that we brute-forced it... then worked out why this was the solution in the MOST BRILLIANT 'Ah-hah!' moment of all a few seconds after the timer stopped. 

That pretty much sums up the room. Full of elegantly crafted moments of inspiration that came together perfectly in the end. And it didn't need technology to achieve this. We loved it to bits.
And when you leave, it's not only with a printed photo, but a graph showing how you performed. It was right up the alley for a software engineer like pyko! We can't recommend this room more - it's one of our favourites in Sydney now. 

Hint system
You are watched at all times by a dedicated games master, who provides hints through a speaker system. We were given hints exactly when we needed them (and in our defence, they were all of a 'search better' nature!). 

Difficulty
Above average, because there are a number of puzzle strands going on at the same time. Part of the challenge is working out which clues go together, and which lock they're for!

Skills
None required. 

What we liked
One puzzle that revealed the code in a very unique, yet elegantly simple and low-tech way.
-pyko

I have no idea how to express this without giving a key component away. Let's just say there's one puzzle that gets added to over time, brings everything together, and you WILL laugh out loud when you get it.
-lexi

Our recommendation
This room is definitely one of our top ones in Sydney now. Play it. That is all.

At a glance
A well themed room with incredibly unique puzzles and great 'Ah-hah!' moments that had us laughing.

Recommended?
Yes

Pros

• The theming. Wow!
• The creativity of a number of the puzzles and how they came together in the end (lexi says: I'm still laughing about the final solution now!)
• A large number of 'Ah-hah!' moments, with no overly tedious puzzles

Cons

• One puzzle that could possibly (and this is nitpicking) have players thinking they'd made a mistake

You will like this if...

• You like complex puzzles that require you to piece together clues
• You like being able to split up your group to work on separate puzzles
• You want an ending that will have you laughing (yes, we're still harping on that ending!)

You might not like this if...

• You like your escape rooms linear and straightforward

​Recommended numberThree to five players. There are so many puzzles, you would probably struggle a bit with two. But on the flip side, any more than five and we could see communication starting to become a problem given the sheer number of clues and locks you'll find.

http://www.escaperoomreviews.org/review/baker-street-mystery