Hidden deep within Hogwarts walls, beyond the reach of any student or teacher... lies the "MAGIC ON/OFF" lever.

overview

You're invited! Yes, you. Investigate the study of a once-legendary magician Viltore Madom. Your goal is to discover the secret of this mystical place... or at least as much of it as you can before time runs out.

The real story of this room is not really revealed until you actually arrive at the location. This magician has indeed died, but we are being sent in because he was hiding a dreadful secret. The world is in danger unless we can find out what was going on within these walls, and stop it.

The magician theme is conveyed throughout the entire game, and many of the moments in it are truly magic. This is a quieter mood from the action-packed games we often see.

quick stats

gameplay time: 60 minutes

recommended team size: 3-5 players

difficulty: 3/5

scare level: 1/5

location: Boston, MA

website: https://boxaroo.me/

considerations: -at least one player must crawl

scenery

Mystery of the Magician's Study took place within three rooms. The first, of course, is the study, large and lavish with towering bookshelves and birdcages. You'll find everything a magician might need in here.

The real wow factor is the lighting, which is used in clever ways, similarly to Trivium Games' Ghost Patrol, to slyly cue players to focus on one area of the room. It also makes for some great scenic design, making the room feel alive.

Later on in the adventure (with no spoilers, of course), you'll find that MAGIC ON/OFF switch that controls the true magic of the game - blacklights, completely changing the space and transforming it into a whole new game. You'll have to utilize this switch many times. To recreate the magician's actions, in some cases, you'll need no magic, while in others you'll need all the magic you can get.

It's a beautifully created parlour, but the thing that truly makes the game's scenery pop out is how much it will drastically change throughout the game.

puzzles

The puzzles in Mystery of the Magician's Study feel just as magical as the set. Throughout the course of the game, you'll find out what happened to this mysterious magician, and their [REDACTED] through audio recordings - the spirit of the magician? It doesn't make much sense. But in this world, does it have to?

The gameplay is flowed in a perfect non-linear way. You'll always have something to do on your own, but with other people if you need to, as well. Plus, all of the puzzles really feel magical - and in their own different ways. The first part contains more practical magic, such as one of my personal favorites, a suitcase that looked empty when you unlocked it, but actually had a false bottom. Later in the game, the puzzles get more magical magical, unexplainable magical. Be prepared to do stuff that you would never consider working in real life.

Mystery of the Magician's Study also contains some really good secret passages. I was half expecting the first one, as it was the generic kind, but the second one completely caught me off guard. And the best part? A lot of games have those puzzles where you have to pull on a book to open a door, which can easily be accidentally solved by pulling on random books. In Mystery of the Magician's Study, no book really stands out, and you need to find the correct four books to open a door, in the right order, thereby preventing accidental wins.

pros and cons

pro: really does feel, well, magical!

pro/con: you can't see the timer. If you want to know how much time you have left, this could be a problem. If you'd play without the stress of knowing you have 3 minutes, this is a bonus.

pro: puzzles are magical in their own different ways!

con: one of the rooms contains a single puzzle that likely can be solved by no more than 2 people.

pro: great soundtrack and story!

pro: pretty good finale!

pro: the space really transforms!

pro: secret passages are truly secret!

overall

Mystery of the Magician's Study is something different. First of all, Boston is full of small group games, which are fun and great, but we rarely see a big group game in this area. Second, this is one of the most magical experiences I've had. Compared to other magician themes, this one really takes the cake. It's decently large and has some moments that really make you feel clever. We hope this game never sets its MAGIC lever to off.

rating

9/10