Welcome back! It’s been a long time since I wrote an escape room review but, every so often, you play something that you just feel the need to talk about. The Taxidermist is one of those games.

Deep Inside is a company that revels in immersion. From the moment you arrive at the unassuming bookshop housing their experiences, you’re pulled out of the real world and brought into the City of Martyrs. Step by step, they take you from your everyday life through the alternate reality of the bookshop and ultimately into the city beneath the city. By the time your experience begins, what you’ve left behind is long since forgotten.

Having played and enjoyed both their previous games, we were excited to see what this installment would bring. This time around, we found ourselves in search of Adèle, the governor’s daughter, who had last been seen with the eponymous Taxidermist. Perhaps that slightly deeper storyline should have given us a hint but we soon came to realise that narrative was going to be central to this game.

Few games manage to convey an involved story as well as this one did. From the introduction, through the start of the game, right the way until the ending, they managed to develop an interesting story that kept me thoroughly engaged without the use of long video breaks. This was impressive enough in itself but what truly captivated me here was that the story managed to evoke genuine emotion. I can count on the fingers of one hand the games that have managed that.

Of course, stories aren’t just told with videos and text – the decoration and puzzles can help too. This game is beautifully designed with plenty to evoke the taxidermist theme and back up that storytelling. Players of their previous rooms will be unsurprised to hear that you’ll experience an extensive set after you pass through the bookshop. More than that, though, there’s a sense of worldbuilding. While the game centres on the taxidermist, there are plenty of references to the rest of the underground city that give a real sense of depth to the experience. And a tip, if you do play; pay attention to the notes in the email and use the phone whenever you see a phone number!

The story, the set and the worldbuilding wouldn’t matter, however, if there weren’t good puzzles to keep you engaged. Fortunately, Deep Inside also delivers on that front. I wouldn’t describe it as a puzzle-centric room but there was more than enough to keep me happily busy. Some of the puzzles fell more on the instructional side – perhaps interacting with an actor or being asked for specific pieces of information – but there was still plenty to engage us. And as you might expect with all I’ve said above, some of them even helped to move the narrative forward.

Looking back, I’d liken the overall experience in this room to theatre. You could think of each section of this game as an Act, responsible for pushing you forward in the show. And like all good theatre, there was a finale. I’m amazed at what they’ve managed to deliver here. A truly frantic ending to an experience that kept us fully engaged and challenged through both the stories and the puzzles.

Verdict –

I’ve played a lot of escape rooms over the years. Most recently, I’ve been focusing on playing the best experiences in Europe, including tens of TERPECA games – the top ranked games in the world. In spite of that, the Taxidermist still stood out. Rarely has a game delivered so well on so many fronts: story, set, worldbuilding and puzzles – they were all great.

We played this game as a three but anything between two and four would be fine with only a couple of crunch points where you’ll get a little in each other’s way. As for who should play it, there’s some scary imagery and significant references to death, so use your judgement if you’re taking children. Aside from that, I’d recommend this to anyone but especially those who like story-driven experiences over puzzle extravangazas. If you get half a chance, head over to Paris, descend into the City of Martyrs and see what escape rooms can truly be.