RATING: 3 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 5:41

Are you afraid of the dark? No? What about ancient Chinese relics that can damn you to eternal hell?

You’ve made a grave mistake by entering Ehrlich’s dimly lit home. The family has been cursed by his Uncle, who brought an ancient Chinese Relic into his house, damming anyone who enters.  Ehrlich can ONLY hold him back for an hour longer.  We beg of you, rid this Phantom from their home!

Exploring an old, haunted manor in search of an ancient relic that has damning capabilities sounds like a great idea… right?

Unfortunately for those motivated by narrative driven games, the overarching story is quickly lost once inside Ehrlich’s Manor. Soon after making our way inside, we forgot all about any Chinese Relics and evil spirits.

This particular scary mansion turns into a run of the mill “escape the creepy place”, lacking any storyworld connection to the cursed item.

Relic hunters enter Ehrlich’s Manor through… his staircase? The outside of this game has a nice, albeit cartoon-ish, painted mural of a grand foyer.

Upon opening the door, doomed artifact chasers walk through a small hall and open a black curtain before finding themselves in the first room. Ehrlich’s Manor is completed primarily in the dark, and this entry method helps to keep outside light from sneaking in.

The entire scenic is very dark. Pretty standard Haunted Manor style decor is found throughout the room; an old wood desk, a decrepit bookshelf, weathered paintings, etc.

There are two small flashlights to be discovered inside the game, and a few flickering “candles” on the walls to help guide the way. Explorers are allowed, and encouraged, to use their cell phone flashlights as well. The dim lighting is paired with a spooky soundtrack. Together they make for a really good atmosphere within the game.

The scenic quality is greatly hindered in a few places. Exposed wires can be seen running to certain props and locks, which truly took us out of the old haunted manor immersion. The well used nature of certain set pieces also lowered the overall quality of the game

Ehrlich’s Manor showcases some clever puzzles. The game is very linear, and the intuitive flow made it an enjoyable experience.

There are no big logic leaps needed to complete any of the tasks. That goes a long way in making this an approachable game for all levels of experience, especially keeping in mind that it is a primarily dark environment.

We hit a snag two times throughout our exploration of Ehrlich’s Manor thanks in part to the very well aged nature of the scenic.

Yes, this is supposed to be an old home. No, the symbols that need to be differentiated from one and other are not supposed to be so worn that they look nearly identical. A repainting of some of the puzzle elements found around the manor would make the game play significantly better.

Ehrlich’s Manor hits a few notes really well, but misses several by a good bit. The darkened environment and ominous soundtrack go a long way in setting a good atmosphere. The exposed wires, chipped paint, and overall signs of wear and tear throughout the set hold this game back from earning more than 3 Keys.

One nice touch that is found at this and other Amazing Escape Room venues is that customers’ gameplay experience starts while they are waiting for their escape room to begin. The lobby has a fun little trail of lock boxes and super easy puzzles that acquaint players with different types of locks they may encounter in the games. This is a great way for first timers and experienced escape room fans alike to warm up their brains or familiarize themselves with some light puzzle solving tasks before they jump into the full adventure.

Venue: Amazing Escape Room

Location: Cherry Hill, NJ

Number of Games: 6

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 10 people

Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.

Cost: $30 per person