LetsXcape: Sacred (Newark)

We needed some divine intervention

SECRETS lie hidden within the dark depths and recesses of Kelham’s great monastic halls; whisperings between resident monks of dark deeds and strange noises cut short by an Abbot’s glare.

Something has certainly gone terribly wrong at Kelham Hall but for now you must put your fears to one side and answer Father Frederick’s call for help as one of his own has VANISHED!

Unseen for days young Novice Tobius is missing and the worst is feared. Father Frederick has asked you to search areas of the great monastery for clues to his whereabouts and bring back the truth.

He claims this is now your SACRED mission.

As you enter this ancient and holy site you can feel the darkness and dread that permeates the very air you breathe.

After successfully shutting down The Rig, we took a brief stroll around the stately grounds of Kelham Hall before it was time to return for Sacred. Like The Rig, Sacred has its basis in the real history of Kelham Hall, which served as a theological college from the early 20th century through to the 1970’s. Upon returning to our starting point, we found our monastic robes ready and waiting to begin. As we donned our robes, Nigel proceeded to tell us the story of how Novice Tobias went missing, and it was up to us to solve the mystery. Properly attired, we followed Nigel down the hall, and began our search for the young Novice.

Entering the dimly lit space, we proceeded to solve the clues to Tobias’ disappearance by the flickering candle light. As we progressed through the game, it became clear that not all is as it appears in Kelham Hall, with a drastic turn of events resulting in a surprisingly dramatic end to the game.

PUZZLES

Puzzles here were varied, and different. We found a number of interesting, and different tasks, some more physical, others mathematical, or logical, but many resulting in codes for combination padlocks – Gord’s favourite!

Gameplay was non-linear, so well suited to groups larger than two. In fact, the company’s website advises a minimum of three players for this game, and though we had no issues as a two, due to the amount of things to do, inexperienced teams may want to consider a group of 3-4. We did manage to completely bypass one task. I could see exactly what needed to be done, but couldn’t manage to do it. In theory, this was needed to release a piece for another puzzle, but as we had all other elements, we were able to guess what we needed and progress without getting too frustrated by our own stupidity.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

LetsXcape want players to truly be immersed in the story from the beginning, and start by providing props and costumes to start this. This is only enhanced by the attention paid to the details in the decoration and theming, which made the space feel very much like the early 20th century monastery it was supposed to be. The only place where this loses points from me is the modern padlocks – but I’m picky – and as these were plentiful, they weren’t jarring, and didn’t detract from the enjoyment.

The flow of the room took you on a journey, with each space effortlessly flowing from one to the next, with a climax that completely changed the feel of the room, and certainly upped the wow-factor.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Should you need a clue, you have but to ask for one from above, and your prayers will be answered. We did have a few nudges from the helpful spirits of Kelham Hall when we needed a little help to get back on track.

ANYTHING ELSE

It seems LetsXcape have big plans, with more rooms planned, but they’re also hosting some very cool immersive theatre events, like a Live Action Murder Mystery and a Zombie Maize Maze. I’m so sad we don’t live in the area and will miss out on these, but I’m very much looking forward to making the trek northwards again for their next escape game. I have a feeling it will be amazing if Sacred and The Rig are any indication.

Success / Failure

Final Rating:

Team: Two Players – escaped in 45:57 with a few clues

Address: Kelham Hall, Newark NG23 5QX

Website: https://www.letsxcape.co.uk