Escape Reviewer

Design: ✭✭✭✭✩ 4.0

     Idea: 4.0

     Details: 4.0

     Features: 4.0

Creativity: ✭✭✭✬✩ 3.7

     Novel: 3.5

     Comprehension: 4.0

     Surprises: 3.5

Puzzles: ✭✭✭✭✬ 4.5

     Challenge: 5.0

     Logic: 3.5

     Abstract: 5.0

Dracula’s Library puts you in the role of investigative journalists attempting to track down and expose vampire activity in New Orleans, circa 1862. However, the hunters have become the hunted. Drugged, you and your team awaken in the library of a mysterious mansion, with one locked door and a mysterious set of letters that explain your fate: in one hour the master of the house will return, and he’s not coming back to be friendly.

 

Launched alongside Charlotte as one of Captive’s two original games, Dracula’s Library is incredibly well-designed for a low-tech escape. There are no fancy electronics here, and the narrative isn’t so much a focus as in Charlotte, but priority is placed on quality props, effective set dressing, and well-considered challenges. The experience flows super-smoothly from puzzle to puzzle and from room to room, with just enough clever transitions and surprises to keep things exciting. The difficulty level makes the game accessible without being too basic – it’s an awesome room for beginners, as everything plays sequentially without feeling overly linear, while the puzzles themselves are varied, fair and even-handed. We had one minor issue with the final puzzle in the climax, but made simple recommendations for a tweak.

 

The game doesn’t do much to shock or innovate, but veterans will likely appreciate the execution. Puzzles that appear as if they might be prone to dangerous meddling or disruption are actually quite secure. Smaller spaces in the game are used to clever effect, and much like Charlotte, inherent qualities of the building are woven into the game to benefit the experience. It all feels tremendously solid and satisfying. While Dracula’s Library may not be as ambitious as Charlotte or some of the bigger second generation escape games that have debuted in 2015, the whole thing just feels very smooth and well tested. The result is a deeply entertaining 45-minute game.

 

Straight up, I wish that I’d started my escape game hobby with Dracula’s Library. Veteran escapers will have fun with it, but as an ambassador example of the genre I can’t imagine a better first experience! If you want to introduce some of your friends to escape games I highly recommend bringing them to this one. With a great balance of searching and puzzles, an approachable level of difficulty, great pacing and a solid level of immersion, it shows off the appeal of the escape hobby and builds a foundation for future experiences. Awesome stuff!

Reviewed by Jason on July 18, 2015