The Freak Show

Our search for a missing person has led us to the local circus. Surely this big red tent is full of fun and games, though the entrance is dark. I think something is here. And it definitely wants to play with us.

With a bit on an intense start, I thought the Freak Show might be a horror room, but it toned down and became more of an adventure room. Just one that comes with a few frightening extras.

The room is about the adventure of the circus, where we look for the missing person. The decorations are basic, so you don’t get a true circus feeling, but certain characters enrich our experience. One of them chases us, and the other adds comic relief. It was our interactions with the latter that made us laugh. It was a great balance to the frights… at least until… well, I won’t spoil it.

The designers based the layout around physical challenges, offering obstacles while being chased, and creating corners to get trapped in. I’m not sure they had much to do with a circus, yet they served their purpose. There’s some running, or fast walking as we prefer, as well as a bit of crawling and climbing over stuff.

A few thematic thinking puzzles interweaved with our adventure. We got hung up on one, but I think it was our fault. They had a decent flow. And of course there were cookies. Were they a treat? Well, let’s say they were quite distinct, leaving little room to wonder what flavour they were.

I’m not a fan of the tablet as a hint system. It’s quite theme breaking and not a great interface.

I had a lot of fun playing The Freak Show. And to the bear, “You stole my duck, so I stole your key.”