Mary’s Dolls

It had been quite a while since my last visit to C9H13NO3 Donors (yes, that is the chemical formula for adrenaline, how cool is that?). The first thing I was happy about is that the pâtisserie around the corner was still there selling the good old Greek pastries. Back then it was the only thing we had to eat, now there is even a pizza and burger place nearby as well. I know this has nothing to do with the room, but might be valuable information for a hungry enthusiast.

Anyway, the game we played is what the Greek call an event. We had done others before and essentially it is a game that runs for a certain limited amount of time, usually in the space of an existing escape room (sometimes even extending to more than one), but with a different story, acting and puzzles.

In this case the space was that of The House of Mary Shaw, an escape room I did not get the chance to play, and as it is clear from the name of the game, the topic is directly connected to that of the original escape room.

They are based on a movie called Dead Silence, which I had not seen, but I read the argument afterwards and recognized the many references. Clearly those that saw (and enjoyed) the movie, will be familiar with the story.

The start of the game is a little bit overwhelming. It is difficult to explain without spoiling, but you are confronted with lots of information at once in quite a large space. After you find the end of the thread and start pulling, the game turns into a very linear game, and I do not mean it in a bad sense. The signposting is very well done and it is clear the sense of progression to reach the objective of the game.

The riddles are classical and in general it is clear what needs to be done. The riddle we struggled the most had to do with our incompetence and not with the difficulty of the riddle. While you go from one riddle to the other you are confronted with scares (it is a horror room after all) and a few cinematics, that were convincingly executed and stand out in the game to convey aspects of the story.

I found it a very solid game from the beginning till the end and is certainly a must for those who loved the corresponding movie, but remember: “Beware the stare of Mary Shaw / She had no children, only dolls / And if you see her in your dreams / Be sure to never ever scream.”