One Dark Night

3rd time visiting Troubled Puzzles in Grayslake and One Dark Night was our best experience. From what I read going in, I knew this room was going to be their best room, but I still only had mediocre expectations. The room is a Cabin-in-the-Woods theme, and they did a great job with it. The set, lighting, and overall environment was solid. The flow to the room was really good as it seemed like we always knew what we had to do next, and there were a bunch of puzzles which connected to one another, that made the reveals feel good. Getting into the 2nd room was a fun experience and I love when there are hidden puzzles. The room had some blood and cool props throughout, including getting to use a ratchet wrench, and getting to go “fishing”. There were many different types of puzzles to solve which kept everything fresh. There were a lot of locks and keys to use, but the context led you to the correct lock each time, and in this type of cabin environment, I didn’t mind having all these locks. Our GM, Owen, did a great job of giving us a nudge when we debated about something, and it allowed us to escape the cabin, just in time. Overall, we had a great time playing this room as we both contributed a lot, and needed to, as there are a lot of puzzles to get through. Fun room!

One Dark Night was one darn fun game. Excellent sets/decor and props that are fun to handle/use. It was so satisfying to work with/around the substantial set pieces. Many of the puzzles are multi-layered, which gives the players such a great 'ah-ha!' moment when the info all clicks and you know exactly what you need to do. Yes, there are multiple locks, and for good reason. It all makes sense in the story and in the setting. So while I would call the room "mechanical," I'm not using that as a critique at all. On the contrary, it feels perfect.

This was a fun room! The difficulty of puzzles ramped up smoothly and made us feel clever when we figured them out. Nothing too difficult - feasible for solo or small groups. Our GM was great!

Very solid cabin room! The flow is smooth. Although it may seem overwhelming with lots of locks, they were manageable. It’s dark and spooky and maybe not appropriate for younger children, but it’s not scary. We went to this location under the old management previously, and the new management is much better. It’s like night and day. I believe this is a newer room from the current owners, and it’s so far their best. I recommend spending one dark night here, if you dare.