You’ve seen the movie CLUE, right? Or even if not, you’ve at least played the board game? Or just even heard of it? Well, imagine playing the game in real life; being able to investigate a home, interview suspects, and find the murder weapon. Oh, and it’s also set in the 1980s. Put all that together, and you’ll get SUSPICION, the latest immersive game experience from our friends at THE REALITY X.
We last saw them after with their fantastic and terrifying horror experience, WELCOME HOME. I loved the live action escape room elements of that game and having the added threat of “strangers” stalking you. It was one of the highlights of my Halloween season. So, when HorrorBuzz received an email inviting us to play test their latest game, the murder-mystery SUSPICION, we jumped at the chance.
The story seems simple at first, but is more layered than you believe at a glance. You, and a team of others, are brought in to solve the infamous murder of Alex Wagner. Did we also mention that you’re a time-traveling criminal from the future, whom is given the chance at redemption if you are the first to solve the crime? In an interesting twist, you are sent back in time to inhabit the body of a suspect, and are given a role to play. You have secrets that no one else knows…but everyone else has secrets, too. Who can you trust? Who can you reveal your mysteries to? And who is lying? Well, it’s up to you to figure it out, and try to find the murderer before time runs out.
The game takes place entirely within an actual house. While you are confined to the living room and kitchen for the beginning section, once the game begins, you are set free to roam and explore as you wish. Pretty much nothing is off-limits here, as you can wander from room to room to find clues and talk to others. There is nothing quite like being allowed free reign of a location, and really being able to immerse yourself in the world.
The house is littered with clues and information for you to uncover, and being able to discover those carefully hidden details was pretty great. Crime scene tags are abound, allowing you to find possible murder weapons and locations, but also providing an interesting backstory behind Alex’s death. It was fun to find a detail, which lead to another, which lead to a whole other side of the story that wasn’t available on the surface. Fortune favors the bold here, and putting on your detective hat is definitely needed.
SUSPICION is the type of game that encourages heavy interaction. While there are actors (which we will get to in a moment), you must talk to the other players in order to achieve your goals. Just like in CLUE, everyone has a bit of information that you might not have yet, and you must do your best to get it out of them. Now, whether or not they are telling the truth is up to you to determine, but that’s part of the fun.
Each player is given a suitcase filled with information about who they are: a name tag, an information sheet, additional clues, and a paper that allows you to write your notes and eliminate the red herrings. I love playing CLUE, so being able to talk to my fellow players, trying to sniff out clues, or even just exchanging information and working together to find the solution, was a lot of fun.
In addition to the house itself, there are also actors helping you along your journey. The deceased’s significant other, Michael, was on hand, along with Shannon, her sister, and the maid. Each has a special connection to Alex Wagner, which may take some sleuthing to figure out. I had a lot of fun speaking to these characters and watching how they would react to my inquiries was great. Each had their own unique characteristics and finding out how to approach the situation with each was interesting. I found out an interesting tidbit about the maid, and when I pressed her on it, watching her façade crumble was fascinating, and allowed me to get a bit more information from her. I felt like a real detective (side note: I am not).
Though we only saw a play test of the show, it was still a LOT of fun. The Reality X team has created yet another fun show with SUSPICION, and one that true crime fans will enjoy immensely. I’ve said it a bunch of times already, but if living in a game of CLUE for two hours is your idea of a good time, this is definitely for you.
SUSPICION is now open for business and tickets are already going fast! Grab yours today at: https://www.therealityx.com/suspicion
