Review: The Conundrum - The Attic of Abigail Falkirk

RATING: 4 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 4:27

Something terrifying and mysterious lurks up in the attic, and all signs point to imminent danger and certain death. Sounds perfectly safe, right?

Story

Something terrible has happened at the Falkirk Manor. Rumors of noises: the sounds of scratching fingernails against wood, distant screams pervade the estate. Nowhere are they stronger than the Attic. Can you find the truth before it finds you?

Well, here we are in another haunted attic. First of all, the sound of someone clawing at wood with their nails is way better than hearing finger-knives scraping on metal pipes in the boiler room any day! So, there’s something to be grateful for in this spooky situation we find ourselves in.

The Conundrum makes certain that you enjoy, feel and live the full experience of the story from start to finish. An actor with a well-written role to play is there as well to make it seem like you are in a movie unfolding before your very eyes. Many small details and nuances in The Attic of Abigail Falkirk makes for a scary good time!

Scenic

The Conundrum did an excellent job creating the hauntingly mysterious scenic world of Abigail’s attic, where our adventure takes place. The gamespace is generously large, surrounded by aged, rustic walls comprised of wood planks. The overall impression of the space is that this is definitely where someone’s Nana has compiled and stored away all her trinkets and keepsakes from over the years.

An additional element that is present throughout is the integration of a highly-skilled actor, fully dressed in butler attire and complete with just the right amount of quirky mannerisms and vocal projections.

Tucked away above head level, several small windows help convey a storm in progress outside. Random items from different periods in time are scattered all around the space. At first glance, they appear to be useless junk, but most – if not all – will have a very important role to play in the story that unfolds as the journey through the attic continues.

While the experience primarily takes place in this main area, the discovery of a small, adjacent corridor pushes players closer to resolution near the finale of the game. This narrow and darker space contains creepy visuals and serves a very important purpose in the adventure. Meanwhile, the lights begin to flicker with the mounting storm outside and at certain moments during the game, we could almost feel a small breeze blowing across our skin.

The aesthetic presentation of The Attic of Abigail Falkirk was hugely successful and believable. True to what we were expecting, the scenic influence around us during the adventure gave us a satisfying case of the creeps.

Puzzles

The puzzles proved to be a good balance of tech with locks and keys. As we progressed through the adventure, we found ourselves interacting with quite a few of the vintage items we found scattered about the attic setting. After solving one particular challenge, we had a wonderful, ghostly encounter which by itself was worth the experience.

As we ventured deeper into the loft, we were tested in our ability to work together and focus on the details to work out a solution for the challenges presented. Whenever we needed a little push in the right direction, we simply rang the bell to summon the eccentric butler. He would offer us help, but it was delivered in an unusual way due to his strange behavior. We actually enjoyed his highly entertaining acting so much that we rang the bell an extra time just to experience another interaction.

We eventually did find out what had happened in Abigail’s attic, but we won’t spoil that little tidbit for our readers.

Overall

Our team truly appreciated the lighthearted hint system used for this adventure. Ringing the bell to summon the butler was highly satisfying and amusing. Perhaps he had spent too much time at Falkirk Manor or had seen too much, but his quirky behavior provided a constant source of entertainment for us. This aspect really added another layer to our overall reaction to and experience in The Attic of Abigail Falkirk.

The Conundrum prides itself in being unique and it is certainly apparent that it is operated by a group of theatre performers. The lobby of the venue is a fully-functional speakeasy, where guests can enjoy a drink before or after the game if they so choose. There are also wine and beer tastings offered in the dark and presented in a humorous light. We enjoyed our entire experience there and look forward to visiting again when new offerings are added.