Immersive Rumours received complimentary tickets to this experience and as such, are
disclosing this information before our review of Sherlock: The Official Live Game.
The producers have had no input in the below and all thoughts are our own.
Photo: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
Few London escape rooms have garnered as much hype and anticipation as Sherlock: The Official Live Game did when it was first announced in June 2018. While a large part of this had to do with the country's collective love of the BBC series, with nearly 10 million people tuning into the show's final three episodes, escape room enthusiasts had even more reason to be excited... It was the follow-up to TimeRun.
Running from April 2015 for three years in London Fields, TimeRun was widely regarded as the best escape room in London. Created and designed by Nick Moran (now best known for Phantom Peak) and Dean Rogers (who had previously helped launch The Crystal Maze Live Experience), it raised the bar for what escape rooms could be at the time and was praised for its lavish sets and theming, engaging story, and innovative puzzles. Naturally, the big question leading up to the launch of the TimeRun team's new project - then known as Sherlock: The Game Is Now - was whether it could live up to its predecessor.
With a script penned by Steven Moffat, Mark Gattis, and Nick Moran, and original video/audio content from the cast of the BBC series, including Martin Freeman, Mark Gattis, Andrew Scott, Louise Brealey, and Benedict Cumberbatch, it was clear that Sherlock: The Official Live Game was aiming to be as close to a blockbuster as an escape room could get.
Photo: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
The overall experience of Sherlock: The Official Live Game has immersive theatre elements in the lead-up to its main escape room section, and draws visitors into the story immediately upon arriving at the venue. Tucked away at the back of Shepherd Bush's W12 Shopping Centre, the venue's exterior is designed to resemble an opticians office. There are walls lined with dozens of glasses, staff in white lab coats (all called Stamford), and posters advertising the businesses' services - it’s so convincing unsuspecting passersby may mistake it for a real store. To enter, visitors buzz an intercom and provide a coded message.
Unlike most other escape rooms in London, which introduce visitors to the stories world verbally during a pre-experience briefing, Sherlock: The Official Live Game immerses them from the very start with this environment, signalling that this is an escape room that's gone above and beyond the norm.
The story of Sherlock: The Official Live Game has guests take on the role of new recruits at The Network, a fictional organisation headed up by Mycroft Holmes. With Sherlock out of the country, they are drafted in to help with an investigation as part of an assessment before being assigned official roles within the organisation.
After a health and safety briefing delivered in-character via a pre-recorded video by John Watson (Martin Freeman), guests leave the optician's and enter a recreation of 221B Baker Street - the home of Sherlock. They're invited to look around the flat at their leisure before disaster strikes, and Moriarty (Andrew Scott) delivers a message from beyond the grave. With Mycroft having been kidnapped, a call from Sherlock instructs guests to follow Moriarty's instructions while he devises a solution, kicking off the escape room portion of the experience. There’s some neat practical effects at use in this room, which again elevates the pre-show experience above the norm.
Overall the extended pre-show, which also includes a photo opportunity within the flat, does a solid job of setting up the main storyline for the experience. Visitors understand the story and stakes of the escape room before stepping into the room, and seeing familiar characters appear on screen - speaking directly to the audience - is a thrill for fans of the BBC series, who will relish the chance to dive back into the world years after the show’s conclusion.
Photo: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
The game's first room, which is set inside a lab at St. Barts Hospital, offers players their best opportunity to 'become' Sherlock. A dead body lies in the centre of the room, covered by a sheet. Its face and body are largely obscured, and guests need to make a series of deductions about the person based on what little clues are available, including their occupation, marital status, and where their body was discovered. Other puzzles in this first room rely mainly on logical or lateral thinking, which matches the hospital setting.
Subsequent rooms include the office of the currently missing Mycroft Holmes, which continues the need for lateral thinking and teamwork, and the Holborn Operating Theatre Museum, where the game reaches its climax. In this final room, the puzzles shift from mental to physical, requiring patience and dexterity, which can be challenging as the clock ticks down to its final moments.
The difficulty of each room increases as groups progress, with the last room being far and away the toughest to complete. There’s also an added layer of tension for players as they enter the final room as there’s no clock or indication of how long they have left before their allotted hour is up anywhere in the experience.
When it comes to the in-world audio and video content from the cast, Andrew Scott’s performance as Moriarty is the clear highlight. His intense portrayal of the series antagonist ramps up the urgency to solve each puzzle quickly, especially in the final room. Unfortunately, Benedict Cumberbatch's contribution is limited to audio only, which may disappoint fans expecting more from the experience's titular character.
After saving the world and freeing Mycroft (if all the puzzles are completed in time..), guests are welcome to visit the venue's other main attraction, The Mind Palace bar. With an impressively large drinks menu and additional experiences on offer, including Afternoon Tea and The Poisoned Chalice—an immersive cocktail experience that sees guests solving a test set by Sebastian Moran, Moriarty’s right-hand man—it's a well-themed venue to debrief after completing the main experience.
The Poisoned Chalice Cocktail Experience. Photo: Nic Crilly-Hargrave
So does Sherlock: The Official Live Game manage to live up to TimeRun? It's a close one. It's certainly one of the best escape rooms we've done in London, and the high production values make it the city's must-try experience for enthusiasts and fans of the series. Compared to other escape rooms in London, it goes above and beyond with its extended pre-show and the addition of an on-site bar elevates it from a brisk 60-minute experience to something you could spend the better half of an afternoon experiencing.
7.5/10
Sherlock: The Official Live Game runs at Doyle's Opticians in Shepherds Bush daily. Tickets start at £44 per person, and can be booked via thegameisnow.com
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