L’incendie au Bar Morgan – Secteur 81

Played on May 21st 2024 by:

L’incendie au Bar Morgan was the first room we played that morning at Secteur 81. This company has a pretty unique concept: they base all their escape rooms on real-life crime stories. In this scenario, Richard Glass has escaped prison and is planning to burn down Bar Morgan to destroy all the evidence linking him to his crime. So our mission is clear—sneak into the bar, find the case file, and get out before it’s too late. I really appreciate the use of true crime as inspiration—it adds a layer of realism and depth to the story. This room had a clear objective with just enough narrative detail to keep us engaged.

The decor was decent, though it didn’t blow us away. It lacked some accessories and little touches that would’ve made the setting feel more authentic. With a few added props and details, it could easily become more immersive. That said, everything was well-built and in good condition, which is always a plus. We also liked the music playing during the game—it helped set the tone. The game master did a good job introducing the rules and backstory, and at the end, we had to physically run out of the room and press a button to stop the clock.

The puzzles were fun to solve and all tied into the storyline, but we thought that there weren’t enough of them. Since this is their easiest room, it makes sense that it’s lighter on content, but we were still hoping for a bit more to do. The room is entirely composed of traditional lock-based puzzles, which we actually don’t mind. I’d rather have solid locks than high-tech puzzles that don’t work or that are boring. It’s a linear experience with a beginner-friendly level of difficulty. Hints were given through a walkie-talkie.

Overall, we liked the room, but we were left wishing for more puzzles and more detailed decor. Despite the crime-themed story, the room itself isn’t scary and is totally family-friendly. It’s best suited for small groups of 2–3 people. We’re happy with our performance—we escaped quickly and only asked for one hint. We liked it, and we escaped!

: Yes

Andrea