The Medusa Report

Sherlocked - Home Mysteries

Age: 12+ recommended

Players: 1-4

Play Time: 120 minutes

Difficulty: Hard

Awards: Golden Lock Award - Tabletop (2024)

Our second tabletop escape game on the Gold Coast was The Medusa Report by Home Mysteries, the tabletop label of the Amsterdam-based physical escape room outfit Sherlocked, best known for the TERPECA Top Room The Alchemist. It is the sequel to the popular Vandermist Dossier, which we have not played, though we understand this does not negatively affect the experience as it works as a standalone story.

The first thing that grabbed our attention was the gorgeous vintage-looking box and the materials inside, which look like authentic confidential government documents from the Cold War era. Rather than a bunch of physical 3D objects, the game is played through a series of files, folders, and envelopes that include things like photos, post-it notes, and paper-based materials.

In terms of difficulty, we found it more challenging than the DarkPark games. Coupled with a lack of time (it was getting late), we definitely had to rely on the clues more than we would have liked. There was plenty of decoding required to piece together the mystery, and while it felt like we lacked guidance at times, the solutions managed to deliver numerous "aha" moments.

For us, The Medusa Report was a slower-paced, more contemplative game with more depth and what felt like real investigative work as a spy or secret agent. Consequently, there was a lot more reading involved, something that the kids did not have as much patience for. While we had fun solving the puzzles and uncovering new secrets, I feel like we would have enjoyed it more had we had more time to really delve into the story and truly savour the experience.

Rank: A-