RATING: 5 Keys RESULT: Win REMAINING: 47:46
“He had preserved the best part of her and made it his own: the principle of her scent.”
– Perfume by Patrick Suskind
In 18th century France, the world’s greatest perfumer has finally been caught and executed. After years of slaying young women, it was discovered that he used them to extract their scents to create – the perfect perfume. You and your fellow perfumers have the opportunity to sneak into his perfumery and complete his life goal. Do you have the nerve, the nose to achieve the glory and power of the perfect scent? Perfumer is a dark, historic, fictional adventure; involving all the senses. Where you will need to have a person in your party with a good sense of smell, in order to investigate and solve the mystery.
As up-and-coming perfumers arrive at the doorway of the fragrance boutique, a fierce sense of urgency is immediately apparent. With the execution of the serial murdering Perfumer, authorities are in transit to that very location to confiscate all that remains of his work.
If they are unable to uncover the mysteries that lie deep within this establishment, the detailed recipe would be lost forever to the depths of the police investigative archives. This mission is clear: retrieve the secret concoction, forged in the blood of his victims, to present to the world the life’s work of a madman. The perfect perfume.
One step into the perfumery instantly becomes 1700s France. Gilded lanterns line the walls as delicate essence vials fill the glass-encased cupboards. Large wooden doors guard the areas yet to be discovered in the Perfumer’s lair. This truly is a trek down the rabbit-hole of the hidden maze.
Apprentice perfumers will forage through multiple rooms that all perfectly intertwine like a twisted map inside the brain of the killer himself. They may even come into contact with a sympathetic boy locked in the attic, who will help decipher clues along the way (a unique hint system and a breath of fresh air from the all-too-common walkie-talkie or “Hey game master, can we have a clue?”). Investigators will discover the dusty and dreary cellar in which the Perfumer performed acts most unspeakable, as well as multiple other workspaces where he developed his fragrances.
Along the journey, hidden passageways reveal themselves, bringing the story to life while granting access through the Perfumer’s secret chambers. Considering this was the quarters of an aroma-obsessed serial killer, it should come as no surprise to find several instances where things aren’t exactly as they seem upon entering a particular room.
Each section of the Perfumer’s labyrinth feels unique from the one before it, truly opening up the world of the experience like the turning pages of a great novel. Various textures on the walls and cabinets, every light source, and even the flooring are all appropriate to what one would expect from 18th century France. The props and furniture pieces perfectly fit the time period, even down to the smallest details in the perfume bottles. All elements of the scenery combine to form an extremely authentic experience.
As one would imagine, traversing the Perfumer‘s den is like moving through a series of bizarre mind games. Not surprisingly, a strong sense of smell is put to the test, along with keen observation and deductive reasoning.
Quest Room’s Perfumer integrates puzzles of all kinds in a very creative way that is able to sustain the overall feeling of immersion. It requires minimal imagination to truly feel like the late Perfumer had meticulously laid out these puzzles himself.
While none of the puzzles in Perfumer are ground-breaking or industry-changing, the execution of each individually is well above par. Several are unique in their structure and design, making them memorable even weeks later.
This escape game also does a great job of requiring groups to use all parts of the brain. There are riddles in this space for every kind of player; no matter the preference of puzzle type, odds are Perfumer contains something that will scratch that itch.
Quest Room has long been an industry standard bearer across each of their experiences, and that streak continues with Perfumer. This escape game immerses its players in an elaborate investigation that keeps to its unique theme.
Perfumer combines visually pleasing scenery with entertaining puzzles, and a story that is rather unique for the genre. It takes some guts to try out a theme like Perfumer, and we feel very strongly that this risk paid off.
What makes this venue so wonderful is how incredibly unique of an experience any group can have between the different escape game options. Perfumer really continued to showcase the strengths that can be seen in each of the other adventures they have to offer. Quest Room touts themselves as having “the most immersive escape rooms,” and after conquering Perfumer, we might have a hard time arguing against them.
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Venue: Quest Room
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Number of Games: 3
GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
Duration: 90 minutes
Capacity: 6 people
Group Type: Private / You will not be paired with strangers.
Cost: $99 for two people (prices vary depending on group size)
We thank Quest Room for inviting us to play this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.