Darkness surrounded me as my laptop hummed to life, showering me in bright light. I instinctively wiggled my fingers above the keyboard, as I had done earlier that day. But instead of preparing for another day of working from home, I was gearing up to dive into one of Terror DTLA’s Immersive Haunted Escapes: SON OF SAM.

SON OF SAM is classified as an Immersive Haunted Escape game: think of it as an online escape room meets immersive experience with horror elements! The premise is this:

You are trapped inside your home during a summer heatwave. A power blackout has blanketed your neighborhood in fear as a serial killer moves quietly through the darkness. You must work together to solve the mystery and survive the night. Could this terrifying copycat killer of the infamous 1977 Son of Sam murders be lurking now outside your own front door?

Solve puzzles, search rooms, complete challenges, battle evil forces, live the story, and survive the fear! Rated: M for mature. Gameplay Level: Easy. Players: 1-7. Requirements: PC or laptop, headphones, internet connection.

Upon reading the story and mentally comparing this game to an escape room filled with puzzles, I genuinely started to doubt myself. Puzzles and I are not friends. I am the absolute last person invited to escape rooms (pre-pandemic) due to my inability to be useful in getting out of a room in a timely manner. I tend to get distracted on irrelevant components of the story, like why is the serial killer coming after us? Did he have a rough home life growing up? Maybe he just needs a hug? All irrelevant to the storyline, yet I somehow found myself thinking about them while working my way through SON OF SAM.

With all those questions put aside, I was ready to become the cutthroat, world-hardened detective I was always meant to be! The game consists of point-and-click rooms, physical tasks, and video clips of characters that help guide the story along. The point-and-click portion of the show was straight forward, but you had to put in some effort to progress, which was appreciated. The physical tasks were a lovely addition that further immersed me into the game. Throughout the game portion, music played in the background, helping to raise both the stakes and the heart rates of those playing.

While the escape room-esque portion of SON OF SAM was fun, the video clips scattered throughout the experience were my favorite. SON OF SAM features a strong cast and they did not disappoint. All of the actors were committed to their roles and their performances were enthralling, adding more depth to the story. I felt especially connected to Abigail Hunt’s Amanda. Hunt’s performance was beautiful, and she managed to create a connection to the guest in a short amount of time. Overall, stakes were created through these interactions and added an element of intensity.

Terror DTLA created a captivating immersive experience that provided a much-needed break from the stresses of the real world. I enjoyed putting my skills as a top-notch detective to the test and felt quite proud when I finished the game. I highly recommend checking out SON OF SAM either alone or with others, whether it’s with people in your own household or even over a video call!

For more information, and to purchase SON OF SAM, visit them online at: https://sonofsamescape.com/lead-magnet1593805385212

To check out other Terror DTLA, please visit: https://terrordtla.com/