Instantly book on Morty
Mark as done to rate
The Second Chapter in the Paradox Cycle. As you enter, you know something is not right here– the building is aging unnaturally, and the staff hides secrets you cannot discern. But what truth will you uncover? Disowned children who seek their birthright? A soul that cries out from the hell it was trapped in? A Great War perpetuated by a creature of supernatural origin? Or perhaps an experimental breakthrough that perverts the nature of medicine itself. Only you can say for sure: the choices made in 1897 will continue into 1917, and the story and characters you interact with inside these walls is completely dependent on what came before. A collision of immersive theatre and escape room, Madness, 1917 will change drastically one each play through. But one thing is guaranteed: what happens inside the decaying halls of Hollow Grove will defy even your wildest expectations.
All ratings (177)
Overwhelmingly Positive
481 escape rooms
Here’s where the divergence starts to show. Story choices made in Heresy begin to affect the story in Madness. Not just subtle changes either, the whole dynamic and reasoning behind certain events are twisted. Beginning and ending in two completely separate place allow divergences to really shine through. Play each game twice, and be enlightened.
Yes
24 escape rooms
Superboosted
The game starts from the moment you walk in. Because we played the rooms in order, 1897 first, we were booked for a private experience, but we also brought a friend who was not in the first room and she was completely engrossed and didn’t miss a beat. There are two game hosts and they did an excellent job pulling us into the moment and offering help when requested. Everything is themed and all the puzzles are tied in. Things you don’t even recognize as clues are necessary and indispensable later through the game but fully on display at all times. There are also a ton of red herrings and set dressing that really drive the creepy factor.
Gameplay was so seamless it didn’t feel like an “escape room” it felt like an actual escape.
AMAZING! This is actually better than the 1897 room in our opinion and that room is one of the best we’ve ever done.
Couldn’t be more welcoming.
Yes
This is a very cooperative game and the hidden in plain sight clues are amazing. There aren’t many extremely high tech puzzles which makes this room even more fun.
This story is going to haunt us.
Medium
There were a few puzzles that stumped us but a clue or two got us back on the right track.
Mechanical
Magnets galore for the physical puzzles but others are written, oral, physical. Some milestones trigger videos or lights going on or off.
5-6
Scary
It’s set in a WWI hospital and there are rankings and blood spatter on the walls.
PG 13
No
Everything worked very well.
Yes
There are two live actors and each were completely dialed into their roles. They made the room.
Not at all
There was s limited reaching around corners. A puzzle or two are near the floor. We had no difficulties.
I am hard of hearing and there were some spots where I had difficulties hearing the actors and videos. There are parts where the lighting is low but can likely can be adjusted if noted directly before going into the room.
Yes
There is plenty of parking and the directions on the website are correct.
Easy
Yes
7 escape rooms
Truly a unique experience! We enjoy Heresy a lot but we’re more blown away by Madness. Excellent actors and an amazing use of space. While it is more story first, puzzle second, the puzzles are fun and flow nicely. Having to work with a split team takes a little time to get used to, but we’re excited to do this one again and try new choices. Cannot stress how amazing their actors are. The final moments were STRESSFUL. Highly suggest booking both in the same day.
Medium
165 escape rooms
We did 1897 and 1917 back to back. That was really neat because the story just extended, and we saw the outcomes of our choices from the first one. Would love to see what would happen had we picked other options.
K
359 escape rooms
Incredibly fun and would highly recommend playing!!
4
249 escape rooms
We played this right after Heresy. I love that our choices in the first game carried through to the second. We had some major struggles in this one too where things we thought we were doing wrong was because something didn’t work. At one point we had spent so much time on a puzzle they just let us move on to complete the story which was nice. We thought that we were going to acquire things as we went along but we ended up getting them at the very end. This could be an over the top amazing room if the little bumps are fixed.
Hard
4
Yes
Yes
The highlight of the game
Yes
88 escape rooms
We did 1897 and 1917 back to back. The atmosphere and performer interactions for both were very well done. 1917 had a few technical issues and puzzles that had some apparent design flaws, which ended up causing quite a bit of confusion and wasted time. There's also at least one puzzle that doesn't fit the atmosphere of the story, which our group struggled with. We ended up having to get assistance in moving forward so we could continue. While the overall concept and storytelling are great, the actual hands-on parts were very mixed and I'm not sure I'd recommend this.
V
608 escape rooms
Despite a broken panel on a puzzle, this game had fewer issues than the first one for us. This was more actor- and story-driven than Heresy and the actors were perfect. (We didn't even realize the panel was supposed to be on until afterwards because the actors had come up with an in-story reason why it wasn't working.) The puzzles by themselves were also good. This is the better acting experience by far, but at the same time the one I care about replaying least (there are more endings but it appears to all take place in the same room). The randomness of the collectibles is unsatisfying in some ways, but this was one had more of them, so somehow felt better than the first one on that front.
Yes
157 escape rooms
Superboosted
I highly recommend playing Heresy: 1987 first, before moving onto Madness: 1917 to get the full beauty and depth of the storyline and the magic that Doors has in store(s). Our second playthrough of both games the next day led to noticeably different puzzles, actor interactions, and outcomes, making the experience feel fresh rather than repeated. About 90% of the puzzles were unique each time we played. We really vibed with the storyline the second time around, and are thrilled with our outcome! Long live our queen [spoiler]! The actors are phenomenal and do far more than simply play a character, they make the entire world feel alive. One of the most enjoyable parts of replaying the experience was watching the same actors step into entirely different roles, each with their own goals, personalities, loyalties, and hidden agendas. We were especially impressed by the range Kat and Annmarie showed as their stories evolved in completely different directions across our playthroughs. We already know we'll be returning to the Paradox Bar. There are still many paths unexplored, too many choices unmade, and almost certainly more chaos waiting for us to quell/unleash.
Yes
High tech
Not scary
No
Yes
Not at all
Yes
Medium
Yes
118 escape rooms
I absolutely loved this experience, the actors were absolutely amazing and made this room great! I loved the choices that we made were really cool and felt very personal! 10/10 would absolutely recommend!
