OH MY GOD, YES!
LIVE YOUR SLASHER MOVIE IN FIRST PERSON
Slasher Party is an Escape Room that remembers and honors all those Slasher movies from the 80’s. A medley of movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, etc… That will make you live a unique experience, with Open Mind Room Escape .
Join the Party!
Welcome to Crystal Rock Forest. A cabin party awaits you in the middle of nature, with no one around to complain, with a clear sky – without a doubt, the perfect place for a night of wildness.
Your friend Joe seemed more excited than ever to invite you, which surprised you a little at first since he is aware of the bad reputation that the cabin and its owner, his uncle Fred, have.
What comes to mind is what gossip has it about Fred, a poacher who never goes to town and whose mental health is… unstable. A shiver runs down your spine but you quickly push those thoughts away, after all the party is being held because he is not there and he has no intention of coming back… right?
Horror films are one of my favourite genres, particularly the subgenre of Slasher Films – especially the slasher films of the Eighties, Nineties, and Noughties. Don’t ask me why, but something about these films just brings me so much joy, and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. (I never said I was normal, okay?) So when we were looking for a game to fill a free evening on our recent trip to Barcelona and we discovered Slasher Party, there was no hesitation in my answer: Yes.
We had already had a reasonably busy day of escaping, beginning with District 111, and continuing on to play Catalepsia, The Brewery, and NW6 Bunker, but since Slasher Party was only a five minute walk from the location of our dinner reservation, and they had the last minute availability to fit us in, it was absolutely a no-brainer to make it happen.
And this is how we found ourselves, full of tapas and chicken wings, standing outside the darkened entrance to what looked like the Forbidden Forest, right in the middle of Barcelona. Right on time the gate swung open and we were greeted by “Joe,” our party host. Joe was a little odd, to be fair, but definitely thrilled we were there, and we were ready to party. Of course, it wouldn’t have been a “Slasher” party, if things didn’t take a darker turn, which, *Spoiler Alert*, they did…
IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN
Like many of the films in the genre that Slasher Party draws its inspiration from, this game doesn’t take itself too seriously. In fact, Slasher Party has an almost whimsical and playful vibe. The game combines traditional escape room design and structure with the “tension room” format Spain is so good at – creating the perfect atmosphere to have some fun, but enough threat to feel the pressure to escape your tormentor. And also like the slasher films on which Slasher Party is based, there are plenty of twists, and turns throughout the narrative, perpetually flipping the game on its head, and keeping us guessing throughout.
The set build is impressive, and it was very easy to imagine we really had stumbled upon a remote cabin in the woods. The air felt heavy, like a forest, the lighting mimicked the moon through the trees, and then of course, there was the cabin itself. Chunky and tactile set pieces, and an ominous atmosphere combined with the dark humour of the narrative brought the story to life as we made our way through the game, followed by the taunts of an unseen killer.
PUZZLES
Slasher Party felt very much like a typical escape room, at least in terms of puzzle design and structure. As such, the puzzles had a very classic and familiar escape room styling and elements to them. Observation, logic, team work, communication, not to mention some more physical and tactile challenges were all present. The slightly open game design in certain sections did give us the opportunity to divide and conquer, making this a decent choice for larger teams.
But unlike the diegetic puzzles many of the games in Barcelona seem to be fond of, the puzzles in Slasher Party were very clearly “puzzles.” Whatever the style, however, the puzzles fit comfortably in their theming, and the telegraphing was clear, but subtle enough to give us some really satisfying “Ah ha!” moments with each solve. In other words, the puzzles were extremely satisfying to solve from an escape room enthusiast point of view.
GM/CLUE SYSTEM
“Joe’s” energy during our introduction was so fun and infectious that it set the tone for the entire game, lending an element of playfulness to the otherwise tense atmosphere. And later, as the narrative progressed, the creepy voice of the slasher that tormented us from behind a door or over the airwaves with off-colour humour and taunts was everything I could have wanted from a game called “Slasher Party.”
Of course, following our final escape from the cabin in the woods, it was revealed that “Joe” was actually Jonatan, our host and GM, and his enthusiasm out of character was just as infectious as it was when he was in character. We spent over half an hour following the game just talking about everything escape room related: all the games we’ve played around the world, the games we had played or would be playing in Barcelona and even got a few recommendations for games we hadn’t added to our trip, like Whitechapel. He clearly loves the industry, and loves his job, which was clear from his performance, both as an actor and as a GM.
ANYTHING ELSE
We booked Slasher Party on a whim, but it turned out to be my favourite game that we played in Barcelona. It’s not as flashy as many of the other games in the city, but the nostalgia, the tension, and the sheer joy I felt while playing made this game everything I didn’t know I wanted from a game, and one that I would recommend without hesitation or reservation.
Success / Failure
Final Rating:
| Operation | |
| Puzzles | |
| Room Design | |
| GM/Clues | |
| Excitement |
Team: 3 players
Address: Calle de la Diputació, 152, 08011 Barcelona
Website: https://openmindroomescape.es
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