Mystery Manila Review

*This is a spoiler free post - it contains references to what's in the themed rooms but limited to what's already available in their website.

After Breakout Philippines, we sought to try out the second (or first, depends on who you ask really) of the latest fad centering around live escape-the-room games currently taking Metro Manila by storm.

Enter Mystery Manila.

There are two "mysteries" available to try - Justice for Jamila and the Chained Chamber. Coming off our victory (read: dumb luck) from Breakout Philippines, I was determined to squeeze this in my schedule during my one week break from work. I think I got carried away though 'cause I booked both rooms in a span of less than a week. Oops.

Last Tuesday, me and my sisters braved the grueling heat to try out the "Justice for Jamila" room. Since I had a case of "north-o-phobia", I kept my eyes peeled for the Mystery Manila logo in the Eastwood surroundings. Although our cab driver dropped us off at IBM Plaza, it was relatively easy to spot the JW Plaza Bldg because of its telltale landmarks. Upon spotting the Mystery Manila banner on the 2nd floor, my excitement grew.

The premise for the "Justice for Jamila" room was to help Mr. Castillo solve the murder of his hired detective, Jamila Torres. Upon signing the waiver and being briefed, we were escorted to the room to start our "investigation" accompanied by the gamekeeper (who was there to give us clues if we asked for it but if provided will add extra minutes to our finishing time).

Needless to say, the effect of entering the "crime scene" was a bit underwhelming since we weren't blindfolded (like in Breakout Philippines). The clues hidden in the room were very hard to find and you really needed to use your noggin to make sense of the connections. After struggling with numerous dead-ends and bickering about whether or not we should ask for a clue, we ran out of time. Looking back, I'd say that the material in this room was overwhelming and strategy + teamwork are key to solving the case.

Today, me and my high school friends went back to try the other room - the Chained Chamber. Eerily similar to the first Saw movie concept (minus the sawing your foot off part), we were told that this room was harder than the other one I tried last Tuesday.

Wait, what? We barely scraped by in Justice for Jamila. Are we going to die in this room? :O

Unlike the other room, we were blindfolded before we entered and were subsequently handcuffed to opposite sides of the room. Now, the effect of this was more terrifying than the previous 2 rooms I've tried out. There's something about being chained that tricks your mind into helplessness and the feeling of being paralyzed. We bucked under pressure 3/4 into the game and asked for a clue from the gamekeeper.

Surprisingly, we broke out just in the nick of time (58 minutes) and were whooping in delight when the gamekeeper reminded us that we asked for a clue and our finishing time was now 62 minutes.

Drat.

But we escaped! (Yay!) and we're super proud of it :) Escaped 2 out of 3 times. Hmmm. Not bad :)

After trying out both their rooms, I commend the Mystery Manila team for creating something like this. It was mind-blowing and exhilarating on our part. I just wish they'd come up with more themed rooms in the future (I can hear my wallet crying already) and more locations closer to the South.

Life will be full of mysteries indeed :)

Mystery Manila - www.mysterymanila.com
JW Plaza Bldg. E Rodriguez Ave. Quezon City

Breakout Philippines: Dare to Enter (and Escape!)

This blog entry contains no spoilers, just general descriptions of the awesomeness that's coming your way when you sign up :)

Imagine yourself waking up in a strange room. There's no one there but you and a pair of your friends who seem disoriented as you are. Then you realize you're locked in and a big ol' digital clock is staring down at you, broadcasting how much time you have left to escape.

Welcome to Breakout Philippines. 

Sort of. (You're not going to be knocked out before being brought to the room :-P)

You won't be put in real danger of course but being in the room for the first time, you WILL be shocked and feel a bit panicked. It seems like there's a myriad of stuff that the room holds. It's up to you to figure out how to use 'em. And fast. With time running out and a whole lot to process, you feel pressure building up and you can't help but think that you have no chance in hell of escaping. Until you find the solution and it all clicks.

In our case, we spent a lot of time engrossed in stuff that weren't even remotely helpful. Just when time was about to run out, (by sheer stroke of dumb luck) we found our way out and had a buzzer beater finish.

Yup, WE ESCAPED :D

It's about time this type of role play genre made its way to the Philippines. I mean, we have no shortage of online games but the feeling of being physically there, seeing the panicked looks of your friends and seeing the daunting clock not to mention being able to work face-to-face with other people (an experience no online game will give you), gives you a different level of adrenaline rush.

And when you escape? Euphoria. Relief. And of course, bragging rights :)

Go try it out. It's worth it :)