RATING: 2 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 18:47
You’ll be dying to get out… and not just because of the murders.
Past the edge of town, and through the heavily wooded forest. You will come across a small dirt path. Follow this to the end and there you will find the old Greyside Manor. Though it has been long forgotten, the horror that resides there still remains alive as ever.
What was once a beautiful manor is now engulfed in vines, rotting away with the smell of death and decay. Traces of the family that had inhabited the home and the remnants of what resulted in their grisly fate are all that is left.
Can you uncover the secrets that led to this family’s demise? Can you survive a night in Greyside Manor?
The mystery of the Greyside Manor has gone unsolved for years, though the property itself stands as a reminder of the horrors that went on there. One by one, all of the members of the Greyside family encountered untimely and unexpected deaths. As investigators, the goal is to find out exactly what happened to the Greyside clan.
Nonetheless, The Escape Company did establish a story that was fairly compelling through the intro video and some additional story elements (mostly text) encountered as the adventure progressed. Though this narrative never achieves engrossing the players in their mission, it is clear what the investigators must accomplish in A Night in Greyside Manor.
The set design is generally in-line with what one may expect from a dilapidated mansion with a dark history- though don’t expect Disney-level attention to detail here.
In progressing into and through the diminutive manor, the gamemaster periodically spews a list of reminders of what not to do in each room. The sense of having an overbearing babysitter while simultaneously exploring a supposedly abandoned mansion is a strange juxtaposition and detracts from what little immersion is produced from the set design. Furthermore, this list of “don’t touch this until this happens” telegraphs any potential “wow” moments in the room, as the investigators know exactly what will happen before even entering the space.
Though some tech is thrown into the mix, A Night in Greyside Manor relies heavily on combination locks. Besides not fitting with the theme of an old decrepit mansion, this is a problem because with any given combination, investigators must attempt to input it into multiple different places. This issue could be fairly easily resolved with some cluing linking each combination to its respective lock or varying the lock types themselves.
As mentioned earlier, the presence of the puzzle with the broken tech is a flagrant off-point of the experience, especially since what seems to be a permanent replacement (albeit, a poor one) has already been implemented. This failing puzzle seems to be one of the better interactions in the game, so it is a disappointment that solving it no longer triggers anything. In any case, this situation can be improved by removing the unnecessary components of the broken puzzle so the investigators do not waste time solving it with no purpose.
The age of A Night in Greyside manor is apparent, as much of the game shows heavy wear. This damage to the set and components detracts from the authenticity of the experience, as well as ruins the surprise of what otherwise may be exciting moments during the exploration of the decayed property.
Unfortunately, A Night in Greyside Manor is unable to build any sense of immersion. From start to finish, the gamemaster – at least during the time of our visit – provided unwelcomed, constant reminders that the investigator is in an escape room with many fragile components, not exploring a deteriorating mansion. Furthermore, though A Night in Greyside Manor does have cameras within the game, upon asking for hints, the gamemaster has the investigators describe all the things they have done and what they need help with via the provided walkie-talkie. For this reason, asking for a hint becomes more of a chore than easily obtaining a gentle nudge in the right direction. It’s hard to imagine this would be difficult to solve by simply putting mics in the game or having a gamemaster monitor the players more closely.
With a little upkeep of the existing components and set, fixing or removing the aforementioned broken puzzle, and adjusting the behavior of the gamemasters, A Night in Greyside Manor could have potentially seen a slightly higher rating. However, as it stands currently, this game seems like the fabled Greyside Manor itself, “long forgotten” and “rotting away”.
Of note, The Escape Company does serve drinks, including beer and cocktails, at their Hideaway Lounge. This bar area is a nice place to hang out before or after your booking and has numerous board games available to play.
Show your support for Escape Authority and get social with us:
Venue: The Escape Company
Location: Savannah, GA
Number of Games: 3
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 60 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Public / You may be paired with strangers.
Cost: $32 per person