The Magician’s Studio

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Step right up into the Mystery Motel and you will find yourself transported back into the early 1900s: engage in the unsolved conspiracy that has haunted Ottawa for a century!

The lobby is beautifully decorated with aged luggage and regal curtains lining the hallways. The waiting rooms are one too few, the corridors are a bit narrow, but the pre-game atmosphere is absolutely delightful nonetheless.

Once again, like the other Mystery Motel rooms, the Magician’s Studio centres around one of the characters that are central to the mysterious disappearance of Rose LaFleur and her family’s heirloom diamond. Players get to explore the backstory and favourite hobby of William Dank, the esteemed owner of the Mystery Manor (that is, before he also mysteriously disappeared) and can uncover one of the three final clues that are needed to find the location of the lost diamond.

The Magician’s Studio was very thematically appropriate: every object has its place in this backstage magic show. Whether it’s homages to great magicians or great acts, the room does a great job of setting the scene. Although this room isn’t for players who covet square footage, most of the decor was beautifully done, with a few improvements that could be made here or there. The unpacking of the room was whimsically magical, and the reveals only get better and better towards the end.

The atmosphere was definitely enhanced by the music and puzzles in the room. The room leads you through doing magic tricks yourself: pulling tricks out of sleeves, reading fortunes, and waving magic wands. Every puzzle has you feeling as if you were the magician, walking in the shoes of William Dank. Despite being the smallest of the three rooms, the Magician’s Studio had the most outstanding theme — sure, most hotels have Boudoirs and Parlours, but it’s not everyday you can find a magician’s workshop!

Of course, any team can likely complete all the puzzles, but one of the puzzles can be much trickier without dexterous hands. Bringing a child or a player with small nimble fingers is a highly recommended decision for the Magician’s Studio.

Our team was split over how much we liked the puzzles: some of us thought level of engagement and the level of challenge was perfect, but some of us thought the puzzles were fun but simple. Puzzle enthusiasts will not be blown out of the water by the Magician’s Studio’s puzzles, players seeking team building or a mystical, magical time will love the Magician’s Studio.