14 hours ago5 min read

Masterpiece Escapes - "Ghastly Escapes - Ch. 1: The Bagman"

LOCATION:  Indian Trail, North Carolina, USA

Photo above is property of Masterpiece Escapes

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Ghastly Escapes - Ch. 1: The Bagman
📅 DATE PLAYED: September 26, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Interactive Horror
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins.
💰 PRICE: $49.00/ pp (Min. 3 ppl required)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

Ghastly Escapes was one of the first horror rooms in the area, known for creating immersive experiences that often blurred the lines between reality and fiction. A few years ago, a tragedy of unknown origin befell the original owner and his GM. They were found dead, with little evidence to suggest a cause of death or culprit. To this day, the case remains unsolved. Masterpiece Escapes knew their neighbor Felix well, and always held him in high regard. In order to honor their friends’ legacy, they have taken over the building and rights to their escape rooms, You will be playing one of Ghastly’s first rooms, about The Bagman - the precursor to the boogey man. Legend has it that he was a scarecrow who stalked carnival goers, taking people’s souls and imprisoning them for eternity. Good luck. You're gonna need it.

Alternate story?

It was a dark and stormy night in Indian Trail, NC. Krista and I had just finished up a number of wickedly fun and engaging rooms at Masterpiece Escapes. The affable owner Uriah had told us a bit about the sad history of their neighbor Felix and Ghastly Escapes, lamenting the fact that the once-legendary escape room was now defunct following the tragic, unsolved death of Felix and his general manager. We thanked Uriah for his hospitality and watched through the heavy rains of Tropical Storm Helene as he drove off into the night. Our Lyft promptly canceled on us, and the next driver wasn't due for an hour. We looked across the road to a pizza joint, only to see the Open sign wink off, mocking our plight. Searching desperately for refuge, we noticed the door to Ghastly was ajar, so we decided to take shelter from the storm and take a peek around the set to see if we could get a taste of the adventure that once enthralled escape artists such as ourselves.

To our surprise, the lights inside were still (more or less) operational. As we stood dripping in their flickering glow, we were greeted by a most unexpected "Who's there?" From around a corner came a young woman with round glasses. In a shaky voice, she said her name was Skye, and that she had been a key member of Felix's team. Upset about the rumors that still swirled about Felix' untimely demise, she spent her evenings searching the building for evidence that would restore his reputation. Our unannounced arrival had given her quite a fright, but she quickly composed herself and began regaling us with tales of the heyday of Ghastly Escapes.

As we chatted, we heard the sudden bang of the front door slamming shut, followed by the lights abruptly going out. We scrambled to find a place to hide as we heard Skye scream, followed by the sound of something being dragged away.

We waited for a breathless minute, until once again all was silent. We steeled ourselves against the terror that enveloped us and vowed we would not leave Skye in the clutches of whatever evil had come to life. We searched the maze-like interior of the abandoned warehouse until we finally found her, locked up with a bag over her head - scared but fortunately unharmed.

The three of us could barely contain our panic as we moved through…well, I was in such a state that it is nigh-impossible to recall all that we saw and experienced. I do remember we uncovered a variety of clues about the origins of the Bagman, who we now suspect was the true murderer. Working together, we did our best to avoid the Bagman's clutches as we exhausted our wits and used every last ounce of our courage searching for a way to escape this ghastly nightmare, without becoming victims ourselves.

Video above is property of Masterpiece Escapes

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

This is a fabulous experience for anybody who enjoys role play, haunted houses, and immersive horror. There is plenty of room within the story for improvisation by both participants and performers! Also, clear instructions are provided ahead of time as to the nature of the experience and what is and isn't acceptable. Participants are able to choose the level of interaction with which they are comfortable, so you can know you are safe while you are being scared to death!
It is a mix of dramatic horror and puzzle solving. The soundtrack alternates between mysterious and foreboding, helping delineate when it is time to think, and when it is time to panic.
The sets are marvelously creepy and diverse, with hiding places that provide scant hope of remaining unseen, fun activities to complete, and nowhere to run when things get dicey.
The space is large and varied enough that it can support a much larger multi-part story, all set in the same universe, with varying types and levels of horror, interaction, and mood.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

It is difficult to find any fault with this experience. The presentation of one clue was a bit ham-fisted, but truly this is an unimpeachable way to spend an hour testing your wisdom, wits, and wherewithal.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

No joke, this isn't for the faint of heart. It is more interactive than most haunted houses we've done, and the time domain is longer, too. The level of fear is well modulated, providing some less-heartpounding times to work on the puzzle aspects, but when it gets intense, hold on to… whatever you can find! This will be a fantastic experience for anyone who loves a good haunt and is willing to play along - we highly recommend checking your rational self at the door and letting yourselves be swept away by this unforgettable experience. It's far more than just a bunch of puzzles to solve - it's your chance to be front and center in a horror movie and see if you have what it takes to outwit the evil that lurks within Ghastly Escapes.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Masterpiece Escapes has free parking right in front of their location. There is a good-sized lobby with drinks available for purchase. They have bathrooms available and bins in each room to store any belongings. You will need to walk briefly outside after checking in to get to this experience.

Photos above are property of Masterpiece Escapes

Check out our YouTube video for a sneak peek of the location, an interview with the owner, the room(s) (no puzzle spoilers) and more:

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

BOOK NOW

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank Masterpiece Escapes for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.