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Invited by Reflecto the Resplendent, prove your magical prowess by completing a series of trials for initiation to the elite magicians’ group, the Masters of Magic. You’ll perform tricks and master common illusions before gaining entry into the Realm of Illusions, a mystical venue known as the “other side of magic” where truly powerful magic takes place and the actual trials begin. Unlock the secrets of the realm and earn your status as a true magician, or forever be just another generic stage performer. All aspiring magicians have heard the rumors of a secret society of illusionists with access to an ethereal world where real magic exists. The Realm of Illusions is the “other side of magic,” a place where miracles happen and the ordinary is extraordinary. This secret society known as the Masters of Magic only extends invitations to truly powerful magicians that have exhibited unparalleled abilities. Today, you have been invited by Reflecto the Resplendent, president of the Masters of Magic, to participate in the trials of initiation. Prove your magical prowess by performing an array of magic tricks and illusions. Begin in Reflecto’s dressing room, then progress throughout the backstage areas of a historic performance theater. If talented enough, you'll eventually gain access into the secret Realm of Illusions. Can you conquer these unbelievable feats and become one of the Masters of Magic? Unlock the secrets of the realm and earn your status as a true magician, or forever be just another generic stage performer.
- 2-8
- 60 mins
- Not scary
Awards
- Nominee (2024) - TERPECA
- Nominee (2023) - TERPECA
- Best of Morty (2022) - Morty
- Nominee (2022) - TERPECA
All ratings (125)
Very positive
Gameplay
Very positive
Atmosphere
Very positive
Customer service
Very positive
Reviews
icough444
26 escape rooms
The theming, atmosphere and props were all fantastic (and the redeeming quality that allowed me to give this place a fairly positive review). The puzzles were good, and the interactive elements were really fun and themed well. The staff experience was quite bad (see comments specifically about that). What was a well crafted room was spoiled by a very chatty GM that wasn’t at all congratulatory or celebratory on our escape.
Gameplay
Atmosphere
Customer service
We initially arrived at their main location and booked the Masters of Magic, and only after we booked and paid for it did they tell us that the room was actually at a different location down the strip (~5 min walk). It wasn’t that big of a deal, but it that is just something you should tell a customer *before* buying tickets. The GM was *constantly* giving hints we did not ask for. There were a few of the “magical” elements that were spoiled because the GM told us about them before they happened. There were several times that once we found and object they GM just immediately told us what to do with it instead of letting us figure it out on our own. One member of our group had never done an escape room before and halfway through the game she said to the GM “you can let us struggle a little bit”. Even she felt like it was too much hand holding. It really did ruin much of the experience for us, in what would otherwise have been a really great room based on the atmosphere and staging. Also, when we finished… there was no celebration. No congratulations. They didn’t even stop the clock (it was still ticking as we walked out). No offer for a photo. It was a disappointing end, especially for our friend who completed her first ever escape room.
Difficulty
Hard
Roan
196 escape rooms
A combination of questionable GM directions, worn-out props, and unsatisfying solves made this a less than stellar experience. We were given a tip early on in the game to bring certain items with us to avoid return trips to the starting room, which led us to assume that we would not need to backtrack. That assumption was incorrect. When asked about how he were supposed to solve the final puzzle, we were basically told it was "guess and check" when in reality it's more likely the props were just too faded to read. We were audibly walked through multiple parts of the game as well, perhaps due to past technical failures or guests not doing the tricks correctly. All of this completely ruined the magic. Hopefully the Pigeon Forge location's updated version fares better!
BenFloyd1
64 escape rooms
An excellent room in busy Gatlinburg. Several surprises along the way and some unique puzzles. Great theme - fun time with the family!
Gameplay
One bottleneck on a logic puzzle...
Atmosphere
Customer service
Particularly interesting or different
Yes
Story
Difficulty
Medium
Game tech
High tech
Ideal number of players
4
Got a little bit tight with 6 in some sections.
Scary
Not scary
Minimum age
13
Was anything broken?
No
Live actors
No
Physically active
Not at all
Climb some stairs
Easy to find location
Yes
Pay to park nearby.
Parking
Limited
Pay to park nearby.
MIGNathan
8 escape rooms
Extremely satisfying game with a lot of great puzzles, impressive tech implementation, and well-crafted sound design elevating the atmosphere.
Gameplay
Utterly fantastic. Good puzzles with creative execution. There's at least one puzzle in this room where I was genuinely uncertain how they managed the tech implementation for it.
Atmosphere
They really knocked it out of the park with this room's production quality. I believe only one puzzle involved padlocks, and it was for a puzzle where they were thematically appropriate. Also, people frequently underestimate the importance of sound design in creating a satisfying room. The designers behind Masters of Magic did not do so -- my partner and I both commented on how much the excellent sound design contributed to the game.
Customer service
Nick is the kind of gamemaster every escape room owner hopes to find. He was sharp, funny, attentive, and struck the perfect balance of helpfulness. He helped keep us from getting discouraged or overly distracted, without spoiling any puzzle solutions or tricks for us. One specific note of praise for him: My partner is blind -- still has enough vision to struggle with things like flickering lights, but not much else -- and she commented on how well Nick did at making the game accessible for her, despite (according to him) never having had a blind player in his games before. That's a rare talent to encounter, according to her.
Story
The plot is satisfying without getting too complex. It nicely provides a non-escape motivation for the game's time limit, which is always nice to see.
Difficulty
Medium
Game tech
High tech
Honestly a nice mix of tech and physical interaction.
Scary
Not scary
Was anything broken?
No
Live actors
No
Physically active
Somewhat
Players need to be comfortable moving up and down a staircase a few times.
Accessibility
1. Due (presumably) to constraints of the building, playing this game requires players to be able to easily navigate a full flight of stairs. I didn't see any backup elevator or ramp -- although I didn't ask, because it wasn't an issue for any of our players. This is not indicated on the booking site, as far as I can tell. 2. There were at least two instances I recall where we were hindered from acquiring necessary props by the fact that they were simply hidden in shadow, rather than by having them locked behind any kind of puzzle. This appears to be an intentional design decision, with large sections of the game being dimly lit. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for someone with low vision/a visual impairment, it could sour the experience. My vision's pretty good, and I struggled with finding some of the props in question. 3. When we played, the main light in one chamber was flickering pretty badly. Not quite a strobe effect, but it was bad enough that my partner had to avoid opening her eyes in that room because it was triggering a migraine. The gamemaster confirmed this was not an intentional element of the set design that he could control -- just a temporary equipment failure. These things happen, of course. I only mention it to encourage the business to prioritize fixing issues like this, or at least put a notice on their site if they can't/won't fix it.
Easy to find location
Yes
Bruisewayne
66 escape rooms
One of the more enjoyable games I’ve played. Good puzzles and a good atmosphere. I also like the little shop it is located in.
Gameplay
Very fun
Atmosphere
Great job with the sets
Customer service
CurtJ
465 escape rooms
This was a great game. I can’t give it a love since Gatlin Escape Games are all public rooms. We made sure to book the first time slot on a weekday to lessen the chances of playing with others. Thankfully, it worked. The game play and puzzles were really good. We’ll, until the last puzzle (more like a task, that bruised the arms of my partner). Other than that, we really enjoyed this room. There are stairs, so this is not a handicap accessible game.
scmoonshine
101 escape rooms
Fun room. I would say the minimum number of players for this room would be 3. A couple puzzles were very fun.
Gameplay
Atmosphere
Customer service
Particularly interesting or different
Yes
It was magical
Story
Difficulty
Hard
Game tech
High tech
Ideal number of players
6
Scary
Not scary
Minimum age
10
Was anything broken?
No
Live actors
No
Physically active
Somewhat
Accessibility
Not very accessible
Easy to find location
Yes
Parking
Medium
TheGhost
76 escape rooms
This is a great room and maybe among the best in Gatlinburg.
Gameplay
Atmosphere
Game tech
Mechanical
EscapeDude96
5 escape rooms
Wow! Is all I can say about this room. Such time and mechanical skill is what this room consisted of. I really felt like I was in the world of stage magic in an old theater. The level of detail and immersion with each puzzle/room was exactly what I was looking for. If you love Magic and next level rooms, then look no further!
Gameplay
Game play was amazing. Maybe a bit tough to cover ground with smaller groups but the Game Masters are very accommodating for puzzles that may flow better with extra hands.
Atmosphere
Top notch very realistic immersion
Customer service
Excellent personality, humorous, and in Character which is a big plus on a personal level
Was anything broken?
No
This location had just opened so at the time of play nothing was broken or not reset properly.