Apr 22, 20233 min read

Loading 实景探案馆 - "Qing Luan Residence (青鸾居)"

Updated: Apr 23

LOCATION:  GRiD, Selegie Road, Singapore

Photo above is property of Loading 实景探案馆

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Date Played: March 26, 2023

Genre: Chinese History, Murder Mystery, LARP

Difficulty (Based on 8 PPL): 8/10

Total # of Players: 5-8 PPL

Length of Time: 150 Minutes

Price: SGD68/PP ($20 deposit to book the game session)

Booking Type: Private

Escaped? Yes

📖 THE STORY

A merchant. A nobleman. A mysterious lady. A travelling journeyman. A goddess incarnate known only as the “Phoenix Saint”, and her servant. Two travelling detectives. And the Innkeeper of Qing Luan Residence. All of whom were at the Qing Luan Residence the night of a fire and the consequential death of Qing Luan, the inn’s owner. With each individual harbouring their own secrets, motives, and histories, even the deceased is not spared from the intrigue plaguing not only the inn and its inhabitants but the nation’s Court. Part LARP, part murder mystery, part puzzle experience - can your team solve Qing Luan’s murder before the authorities come the next morning?

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Costumes. Costumes, costumes, costumes. Each player is assigned a character with their own backstories, motives, and costume range at the beginning of the game. This immerses players further into the game and provides a plethora of photo opportunities before entering the room itself.
A highly immersive set. From a discussion room, to each character’s room in the inn, to a study that only opens in the middle of the game, your session will not feel out of place in a Tang dynasty period drama.
Game masters are present to guide the session from start to finish, posing as servants to one of the characters in this story. If the group gets caught in a stalemate or is running out of time, help is definitely nearby.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

While the rooms are marketed as bilingual, we realised a few errors in the English translation of the Chinese text. Due to the use of direct translation, the English scripts can read a little off.
Game masters also primarily communicated in Mandarin. It could be due to the fact that our group was conversationally fluent in Mandarin, but this can be an issue for players who do not communicate in Mandarin / Chinese.
Players have to read their backstories, remember their motives, act out scenes, find clues, fulfill their own objectives, unlock doors, and discuss the true string of happenings in 2.5 hours of gameplay. While the experience was exciting and immersive, it felt like I was required to do a little too much to fully understand and enjoy the session. For example, knowledge gaps during the murder mystery discuss segment would have gone smoother if there was a clearer communication line about the tools we had on hand and information we found - rather than only assigning tools to one or two characters.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

It may appear a little pricey and longer, but you can make it value for your money with a group that want nothing more than to immerse themselves in dynastic Chinese period dramas - think stories like Detective Dee and palace intrigue. The session itself is chock full of activity - script and backstory reading, role play, puzzle-solving to unlock doors, gathering evidence, and investigative discussion - with in-character game masters always ready to lend a hand. However, do note that fluency in Mandarin Chinese will go a long way here - mostly in answering questions and understanding the context of the game.

For this room, we would recommend an average of 5-6 people for this room, any more would result in more opportunities for miscommunication and confusion. Loading definitely has a lot to offer, though your mileage may vary with your group, and your enthusiasm in embodying your character and their environment.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Deposits (per player) are required in order to book your gaming session, especially with the longer than usual time frame for each game. Belongings (including your phones and other recording devices) will be kept away before you change into your costumes for the session. Costume change may vary depending on the character you are assigned before the game. And lastly, mobility accessibility will be an issue, given the narrow entrances and walking areas, and barriers, within the room itself.