LevelUp Escape Rooms: Mystery Manor (Shrewsbury)

Welcome to the scene, Level Up – Take a Bow

Shrewsbury Manor, once the pride of the enigmatic Vespar Mytton, stands cloaked in grandeur and shadow. Despite its dazzling past, the mansion is now infamous for unsettling rumours and unexplained events that have kept buyers at bay. Wander through opulent chambers and forgotten halls, each brimming with secrets just beyond your grasp. But beware – Shrewsbury Manor is not what it seems.

Strange lights flicker, unseen footsteps echo, and the air itself seems to hum with restless energy. Your mission: to sift through deception, interrogate suspects, and unravel the truth behind the haunting. Every clue brings you closer to the answer, but only by accusing the true culprit will you solve the mystery. Will you uncover the secrets of Shrewsbury Manor, or will its shadows claim you? The choice is yours – dare you enter?

We’re members of various escape room communities and for a while now we’ve heard murmurings of a venue in Shrewsbury that is supposedly ‘unmissable’. That venue was LevelUp Escape Rooms, a venue that seemingly (to us at least) came out of nowhere.

LevelUp are very easy to find as they are based in The Darwin Centre, a shopping mall right in the centre of Shrewsbury. We had a little time to kill before our game so we had a stroll around town to find a coffee and breakfast, and as it would turn out, Shrewsbury is actually really rather lovely!

Our day in Shrewsbury (and Telford) was a special one, as we’d teamed up once again with Amy from Brit of an Escape Habit. Amy, who is not a morning person, somehow managed to arrive before us and was ready and waiting in the reception area when we arrived.

When we arrived, not only were we greeted by a surprisingly awake Amy, but also by our host for Mystery Manor, Nye. The four of us had a wonderful chat about all things escape rooms, but then it was time to get down to business. We received the health and safety briefing, and outside the door to the Mystery Manor we received our mission briefing. The theming for the room overflowed a little into the hallway, so we were very excited to get down to business and see what mysteries this manor really held.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

I went into this game not expecting much, but first impressions were very good and it certainly had the feel of a Manor House. Once again my notes have failed me, but I seem to recall an extra intro/briefing on the screen in the room (all in character).

We played this game as a team of three and had plenty of space to move around, although it did get a little more cramped as the game progressed. But I’d imagine bigger teams still wouldn’t struggle too much.

This is one of those games that I would class as creepy, more than as a horror experience. If you’re a bit nervous and would prefer them to tone it down a bit, then I’m sure they’d accommodate that if you ask nicely. But from our experience, I’d definitely recommend going with the flow, as it was a lot of fun. It had the feels/scare level of a Scoody Doo mystery.

PUZZLES

If you’re new to escape rooms, or just want to have a bit of fun without totally breaking your brain, then Mystery Manor is a great choice. The puzzles are all fair, signposting is good, and there is a good variety of puzzles. That’s not to say some of the puzzles aren’t challenging, as they are, but you don’t need to be a member of MENSA to solve them.

We were a very experienced team of three, but still found some of the puzzles to be head scratchers. Searching (minor) observation, teamwork, decoding, and logic all made an appearance and we found there was something for everyone.

Solving the puzzles resulted in a combination for a padlock, or some tech was triggered. Once again, I was surprised by the level of tech in this room and not just the tech, but the theatrics too!

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

A game/venue is only as good as its games masters, and LevelUp excelled in that area. Our host, Nye, was wonderful. The briefing was good, with great humour, and the hosting throughout our experience was spot on.

Hints were delivered via a speaker system in the room by a disembodied voice. I can’t recall if we ever actually asked for a clue, but Nye was keeping a close eye on us so knew when to chime in to get us back on track.

Of course, in this game, being a games master was about more than just giving hints, and NYE once again did a great job and filled the manor with many wonderful surprises.

ANYTHING ELSE

The game that seems to have put LevelUp on the map is Shrewsbury Express (and rightly so). But all of the games at this venue are worth playing.

Mystery Manor is a fun game for families and enthusiasts alike and I think we’d be hearing a lot more praise for this venue as people start venturing to Shrewsbury.

Success / Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 3 players

Address: Unit SU33, Middle Level, Darwin Shopping Centre, Shrewsbury SY1 1BW

Website: https://levelupescapes.com