RATING: 6 Keys          RESULT: Win          REMAINING: *Not Timed

“Always tread carefully when dabbling in the occult, lest you wish to become a dark entity’s newest puppet.”

– Sacred Fortune Teller Rule #2 (probably.)

Madam Ruby has invited you and a few guests to reach beyond the veil and communicate with the spirits. But who or what will be waiting for you on the other side?

Perhaps the greatest question of life itself is just what awaits beyond it. Is there an afterlife? Is it some sort of spirit realm full of lost souls with things still left to be accomplished? Is it a happy place? Does true evil cloud its light? And if it all actually is real, could there be a way for the living to bridge the gap between these worlds – to communicate?

For the sake of eloquent writing, we’d prefer to be able to tell you that there are many schools of thought on the matter. But there aren’t. This is a rather hot or cold subject that essentially comes down to two schools of thought: Yes, there is life after death, and our loved ones are waiting to communicate with us again – or – this is all absolute nonsense.

Although we’d prefer to remain optimistic, in our experience on the topic, we seem to encounter far more of those – ahem – less-inclined mediums. The ones who utilize literal smoke and mirrors to embellish their otherwise non-existent psychic abilities. In short, we’ve met our fair share of total frauds.

Enter Madam Ruby.

From the moment hopeful spiritualists gather around her table, hands joined in an effort to contact their lost loved ones, it becomes instantly apparent that Madam Ruby’s experience may have been a bit… misstated. But, as often seems to be the case, desperation holds precedence over qualification – and with the help of her believers seated around the circle, Madam Ruby makes contact with a lost loved one of her own: her sister. And she’s in a very dark place – one she’s about to take Madam Ruby and those eight unsuspecting mortal souls down into.

Whether they’re ready or not.

The Séance takes place primarily in a single room of the mortal realm. Its setting is a modest one – a fairly small space dominated by a large table, around which sit nine high-backed chairs. Dusty boxes and random miscellanea surround the perimeter, evoking the flavor of a forgotten attic entirely befitting of this shows real-world setting.

The scene is almost mundane – and that, in itself, acts as the first bit of world-building credibility that brings The Séance to life. With nothing truly out of the ordinary present at first glance, it becomes easy to find oneself wondering just how powerful this Madam Ruby could possibly be.

Echo-y sounds soon bring wispy spirits to life as they take physical form, magically causing objects around the room to move on their own. But that’s just first contact. The darkest of entities have yet to arrive.

Nothing will prepare those eight mortal on-lookers – nor Madam Ruby herself – for the sinister transformation that takes a malevolent hold over The Séance. Madam Ruby’s once drab attic becomes an ethereal nightmare realm – opening mystical portals to the spirit world, allowing those dark entities to materialize from the fog, dancing like nightmarish puppets who come far too close for comfort.

From the moment guests are seated around Madam Ruby’s table, The Séance turns a laser focus toward interactivity. Although things begin slowly, with introductions and personalized readings for each of the eight participants, it all builds toward a grander unveiling.

And while at first glance this may sound like a bad thing, it ultimately fosters a sense of authenticity for its narrative, and builds toward more personalized character reveals to come for each guest’s determined personality type. It quickly becomes clear that nothing in this storyworld could progress without the involvement of those eight mortal souls seated – with hands joined – around our otherwise mediocre medium.

It is that group of willing souls that make it possible to bridge the gap between realms, giving Madam Ruby the power to finally contact the great beyond. And although much of this experience occurs seated around that table, there are times when spiritual sympathizers might be asked to wander the room, searching for clues or vital objects that will ultimately strengthen the connection to the other side.

It should come as no surprise given Cross Roads Escape Games’ impressive resume that at several points in this interaction, puzzles will materialize as supernatural roadblocks. Some call for very specific interactions with characters (whether one may want to or not) while others are much more escape game-flavored, albeit of a lighter difficulty to keep the focus here more on immersive theater.

That constant attention to interactivity will transport Madam Ruby and her guests from a sham séance to a successful one, which quickly fills with sinister peril. The sense of consequence is palpable, with actions becoming more geared toward a group strategy for survival than their initial silly parlor tricks. One brave soul may even be tasked to take on their darkest fears, face to face, in order to save the rest.

Cross Roads Escape Games, as their branding clearly implies, is a venue that has made quite the name for themselves within the escape game genre. However, this mom and pop team has roots stemming back to early involvement in some of Southern California’s most well known haunted attractions and immersive theater. As such, The Séance is simply a logical extension of their established skill sets.

And just as The Hex Room and the Psych Ward reinvent the wheel for their respective genres, The Séance stands tall as a chilling blend of escape game teamwork and immersive theater intimacy. Although this production has quite the limited run (despite already extending several weeks until November 23, 2019 just to meet demand) we genuinely believe this is the type of experience that could stand on its own as a more permanent year-round attraction.

The Séance offers something familiar yet different, with elements that somehow manage to be both entirely expected yet completely surprising at the same time. What results is an hour on of creepy curiosities, in a world where all bets are off, and even remaining safely seated around the table no longer offers that desperate guarantee of sanctuary.

Show your support for Escape Authority and get social with us:

Venue:  Cross Roads Escape Games

Location: Anaheim, California

Number of Games: 3

GAME SPECIFIC INFORMATION:

Duration: 60 minutes

Capacity: 8 people

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

Cost: $45 per person, with a limited run through November 23, 2019.

We thank Cross Roads Escape Games for inviting us to experience this attraction. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, that in no way impacts the opinion included within this review.