RATING: 5 Keys          RESULT: Win           REMAINING: 19:03

An abandoned house – a stormy night – rumors of a killer clown – what could possibly go wrong?

A small town in the suburbs of Philadelphia. The community lives a peaceful and uneventful life. Suddenly terrible things start to happen.

In one month, 5 children disappeared. Realizing that the police cannot solve the mystery, players themselves begin an investigation. Your team discovered that the children were last seen near an abandoned house.

You decide to go in, see what inside and look for the missing children.
Who lives in that house? What happened? Where are the children? Are they still alive?

You will have to find out…

In a story straight out of a Stephen King novel (no, really, think scary clown that lives in the sewer system), a team of ragtag investigators must locate the five missing children and save their town from the nightmare it is currently in.

Rumor has it that a killer clown is the culprit of the recent disappearances, and it just happens that he will likely return to this abandoned house in one hour. If the children are not rescued in time, well then The Missing Five may just become The Missing Six… or Seven.. or Eight…

Immediately upon entering this abandoned house, an eerie atmosphere greets investigators. The first space is clearly a child’s bedroom that hasn’t been occupied in some time. Tattered window coverings, a well-worn mattress, and walls in need of some re-plastering greet the brave souls who enter the home.

There is plenty to explore in this decrepit bedroom, including a not so inviting glimpse deeper into the home. The scenic quality is maintained once access is gained beyond the child’s room. The house has a decidedly less playful atmosphere the deeper investigators dare to explore.

Dark crawl spaces, bugs infesting every corner, and giant vats of what very likely may be blood await those in search of the missing children.

The Missing Five utilizes the setting of a child’s bedroom to perfectly incorporate creative puzzles into the game. People trying to save the kids will be forced to play with creepy toys, search through an abundance of stuffed animals, and keep a close eye on possibly possessed dolls.

This leads to a very fun, albeit at times unsettling adventure.

Locked Up Philly has created unique challenges that lead to several satisfying “ah ha!” moments. It is always refreshing to come across a game that incorporates tasks we have not seen before, and that happened more than once in The Missing Five.

While there was one puzzle that required a very small leap in logic, the majority of the game flowed thoughtfully and smoothly. A nice balance between task based challenges and outside the box thinking creates an experience that will please all types of escape game players.

Locked Up Philly is a bit of a hidden gem, tucked away in the Philadelphia suburbs but well worth the trip to play their games. The Missing Five creates and maintains an eerie mood that elevates the puzzles and makes the goal of saving the children believably important. Unique tasks that are both challenging and quite fun help create a memorable game. Our group laughed more than once, and admittedly jumped more than twice.

The scenic quality takes players away from reality and drops them into this abandoned house. While the set is not quite on par with what may be found at one of the Hollywood budget produced games, it definitely works well for this game. The Missing Five falls slightly on the easier side as far as puzzling goes, but there is plenty that must be done in order to save the periled children. This leads to a game that is great for both escape game first timers and veterans alike.

Both games at Locked Up Philly left us talking for the entire ride home, making us excited to see what this venue has in store for future development!

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Venue: Locked Up Philly

Location: Huntingdon Valley, PA

Number of Games: 2

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 8 people

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

Cost: $30 per person / $200 for a private game of up to 8 people

We thank Locked Up Philly for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.