Uncovering Clues in the Official ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Virtual Escape Room

Only Murders in the Building has become a unique pop culture phenomenon, with the first two seasons and the ongoing third season delivering viewers engaging tales of intrigue and comedy.

Starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as unlikely neighbors who come together to start a murder-mystery podcast, each season follows the trio as they unravel a murder case within their New York City apartment complex.

To celebrate the third season of the show, The Escape Game has teamed up with Only Murders in the Building to create a themed escape room for fans to enjoy. IGN Southeast Asia had the privilege of experiencing a session and had a fantastic time playing through it.

The Brazzos Experience

What made our experience unique is that we explored this escape room virtually, which means we didn’t physically visit it in the United States. Everything was conducted through Zoom, connecting us with The Escape Game in Los Angeles, California.

Like most escape rooms, the objective is to solve puzzles within a controlled environment within a set timeframe. In this instance, the escape room was set in an apartment within the Arconia complex from Only Murders in the Building.

From the very beginning, players find themselves in the Arconia hallway, adorned with paintings of the building’s tenants, which Selena Gomez’s character, Mabel, has been creating over the past two seasons.

Death Rattle Razzle

While the players in Southeast Asia were participating via a web call, an in-character detective named Jake was our on-site player, taking directions from us. There was also the game coordinator Brigid, who made sure everything went smoothly.

Honestly, this experience felt like a real-life episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, but with murder at the forefront. While Detective Jake explored the escape room, we, the players, had to shout out instructions and clues for him to inspect.

From spelling out words using matching paintbrushes to locating puzzle pieces within an office, coordinating with the on-site player for our escape was a blast. It felt like backseat gaming, especially for those of us familiar with playing single-player games alongside friends.

Bloody Mabel’s Best

Utilising a dedicated Zoom call with Detective Jake and a specially designed website for managing the player’s inventory, it resembled playing a mystery game on the Nintendo DS. The inventory system also proved to be a helpful way for virtual players to keep things organized despite not being physically present.

We won’t spoil the entire experience here, but immersing ourselves in the Arconia was an absolute delight. Particularly for fans, the escape room was filled with a plethora of easter eggs from all three seasons, cleverly hidden throughout its three main areas.

It is a concept that seamlessly aligns with the premise and setting of Only Murders in the Building, and we can even envision a video game adaptation emerging from this. All that’s left is for players to conclude their session with their very own podcast episode.