Lucardo Rawtenstall – Treason

Lucardo Rawtenstall – Treason
Location: Rawtenstall
Game Date: 03/02/2022
Team: Amy & Ian
Duration: 60 Minutes

Theme:
“The year is 1605 – Robert Catesby has summoned you to the duck and drake in London. The date is the 5th day of the 11th month – King James I resides on the throne. Catesby has gathered a following of disgruntled Catholics, all of whom do not like the way the Church of England are treating the Catholic people. His plan is to reduce the Houses of Parliament to rubble whilst King James is inside. Over the past weeks barrels of gunpowder have been secretly placed under the key pillar of the Parliament building. You and your team have been tasked with the detonation. Find the explosives, plant the dynamite and blow the King sky high. Can you re-write the history books?”

Treason looked great, and with the addition of the story being delivered in character, the room really set the mood and tone.
An immersive room, with good attention to detail in the set, which felt just right for the theming, the use of the downstairs area was great, and the space lends itself perfectly for a gunpowder plot!
There were no red-herrings or distractions in the game, everything was there for its reason, to be used & observed.
The space was large enough with atmospheric lighting, this didn’t impact on game play as lanterns were provided when needed.
The most impressive fact with Treason is that Simon and his family have built it all themselves, a true family effort, and the effort shows and it is a room he should really be proud of!
Treason has a few surprise moments, that I won’t spoil, but it really added to the fun theatric nature of the game!

Game Play:
A fairly open game with a brilliant assortment of puzzles, teamwork, roleplay, word, logic, observation, code-breaking, searching and light physical.
Each and every puzzle was exemplary in its design, with wonderful ah-ha moments, which delighted us during every solve. Simon and Molly have a wealth of experience both playing and designing rooms, they know what works and what doesn’t, and this was apparent in the design of the puzzles in Treason. The equisite nature of the puzzles just shone through and made this game an absolute joy to play.
The puzzles were all well on theme, portraying the world well, and expanding and supplementing the story, feeling as if they came from the room and world itself, rather than being “puzzles overlaid on a theme”
There was a good sense of discovery through the game.
Signposting was excellent, subtle but so cohesive and clever.
Flow was wonderful, with the excellent signposting only adding to the smooth, quick flow of the game. Yes we made our way through the game quickly, but this was not down to a lack of content but more a testiment to how cleverly designed the puzzles were and the precise design of the game flow.
An incredibly fun game, that took us on a journey, with slick puzzles that will please enthusiasts and newbies alike. Infact, I think Treason is a perfect starter room, It’s not easy, but it’s so elegant in its design that it is going to teach new players how to play an escape room and hopefully will get them hooked!

Clue System:
Clues were delivered via a screen (but we didn’t use any!)

Game Host:
Simon and Molly were our game hosts, and delivered a great pre-game brief and set the story of the room dramatically! It’s clear they both have a passion for their rooms and the escape industry!

Did we escape?
Yes, in 30 minutes!

Website: https://lucardo.com/rawtenstall
Price:
2 Players £50
3 Players £75
4 Players £80
5 Players £100
6 Players £120