Deep Inside: The Taxidermist (Paris)

 A magnificent spectacle

Beneath Paris there is the City of Martyrs, an underground city full of secrets. It is in the heart of this city that Adèle, the governor’s daughter has mysteriously disappeared.

Seen a few days ago in the company of Martin Joly, better known as the taxidermist, no one has heard from her anymore, she has disappeared. The governor promises a reward to those who find his daughter.

Your mission will consist of going down 30 meters below Paris, in the City of Martyrs, in order to go to the Taxidermy shop and pass yourself off as buyers.

You will have to find a way to find yourself alone in the store to explore it thoroughly in the hope of solving the mysteries of this disappearance and finding Adèle.

The main reason we booked a trip to Paris wasn’t the beautiful buildings or the amazing food. No, it was because we’d been hearing nothing but great things about The Taxidermist at Deep Inside. Actually, we had been hearing great things about all of their games, but we were told that The Taxidermist was something special. So we booked The Taxidermist and The Full Experience, then hopped on a Eurostar, and in no time at all we were in Paris.

Often when we book trips we will try to end on what is supposed to be the best game, but due to availability we had no choice to start with The Taxidermist – no pressure there then! We had a lovely stroll from our hotel and easily found the venue in a building that I would say felt typically Parisian, and I mean that as a compliment. The building has a beautiful marble façade and the words ‘Librairie Deep Inside’ beautifully inlaid in it.

We rang the bell at our allotted time and we were greeted by our host, one of the workers from the building. Entering into the waiting area, it was clear that this place was something special, and did indeed look like a library – don’t forget to read the instructions in your email when you book, you’ll need to know what book you are there to collect.

We took a seat, locked away our possessions in the space provided and then the space turned into what felt more like a cinema, with a film that gave us some more information on the world we were going to be entering. Then, with a little bit of French magic, a doorway appeared and we were escorted to a lift to start our descent into the City of Martyrs.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

Everything about Deep Inside is created for full immersion, from the moment you step through the door, until the moment you leave. Stepping into the City of Martyrs and it would be easy to believe that you have just descended into the lower depths of Paris and entered a completely closed off subterranean world.

The briefing to ensure we behaved correctly in the City was done very well, and at a time where it had our full attention. It was clever, and didn’t break the immersion at all. We did then receive a secondary briefing once we were outside the entrance to The Taxidermist’s shop, and then with a little pizzazz we started the game.

I can see why this game is so popular, it’s fully immersive and has you so deeply involved in the story and the theatrics, that you kinda lose track of everything else that may be going on. The set was beautifully made and the further we explored, the deeper we were sucked into the story.

Being underground, I can’t comment on how accessible this game is, as there were definitely steps to get down to the actual entrance to the game. Once you’re there though, I believe it mostly takes place on a level surface, but it’s probably worth checking with the venue if you’re not overly mobile.

PUZZLES

For me, the puzzles were where this game was lacking, and I think that was by design. The Taxidermist was more live immersive theatre than full on puzzle fest, and that is where they focussed their attention. That’s not to say there weren’t puzzles, of course there were, just don’t go expecting to be fully engrossed in puzzles, as really you’re there to watch the story evolve before your eyes.

You’ll need to be comfortable with a little roleplay (I’m not, so thank god the rest of my team were actors!), as you need to interact with various characters throughout the game. Teamwork, observation, pattern recognition, communication, and generally ‘task-based’ challenges are all present. But immersive interactions are key in this experience.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

One thing about this game, which I probably could have covered elsewhere, is that this is a loud game, and at times it’s a really loud game which can make it harder to hear everything that’s going on. I think Liz had her ‘Loops’ earplugs in for this one and it made things much more comfortable for her.

The acting was spot on, and it worked perfectly in English. There were moments in the game where it was like we were just standing back to watch a cut scene play out, further adding to the story, and giving us time to take everything in. I can’t fault our gamesmasters or actors at all, they made this experience what it was.

With any world class escape room experience, the clue system is intertwined with the story and the world, and that was the case here. We could receive help through subtle means such as lighting cues, or more targeted help using other, more traditional methods.

ANYTHING ELSE

If you’re looking for a big puzzle fest, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for an epic immersive experience that is set in a beautiful world, AND has puzzles, then this is the game for you. I can see why this game is so well liked, and as the French would say it’s ‘tres magnifique’.

Success/Failed

Final Rating:

Team: 4 Players

Address: 7 Quai de la Seine, 75019 Paris, France

Website: https://deepinsideparis.fr