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Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building has been giving us murders to solve for three seasons, and now as the fourth season debuts, it’s giving us one more mystery to solve—in person.
Hulu and The Escape Game, located in midtown, have partnered up to create The Only Murders in the Building Escape Game, which launched today, August 30.
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Last night, I got the chance to escape the new immersive game, which is set in the fourth season.
If you’ve missed the show, it’s about three friends and neighbors—played by Steve Martin (Charles Haden-Savage), Martin Short (Oliver Putnam), and Selena Gomez (Mabel Mora)—who investigate murders that occur, at first, in their Upper West Side apartment building. They create a podcast and engage in hilarious but also serious hijinks along the way. In season four, the trio wrestle with the shocking events at the end of season three surrounding Charles’ stunt double and friend, Sazz Pataki. Questioning whether Sazz or Charles was the intended victim, the investigation leads them all the way to Los Angeles where a Hollywood studio is readying a film about the “Only Murders” podcast. As the amateur sleuths race back to New York, they embark on an even more epic journey—traversing their building’s courtyard to delve into the twisted lives of the Arconia’s West Tower residents.
I am a fan of the show but haven’t seen the first episode of season 4 yet, so I was worried I’d be out of the loop. Fortunately, you don’t even need to know the show to enjoy the room and solve the case. It’s better though if you do because then you’ll understand all the references, character mentions and Easter eggs.
And while you don’t solve a murder, you’re on the case to find and secure a special item.
The escape game is actually played across a couple of rooms that have been outfitted to look like the Arconia hallway and Charles’ apartment. We began in the hallway, which is covered in framed paintings featuring many of the Arconia’s residents, and watched an introductory video featuring a cameo from Michael Cyril Creighton who plays the annoying-yet-adorable neighbor Howard Morris. Then, we had to find our way into Charles’ apartment to find and retrieve the special item.
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Without giving much away, my team of four swiftly worked together to unlock the door using numbers we gathered and go through a series of really cool puzzles, from gathering actual puzzle pieces hidden across the room to more technical brainteasers that used A/V equipment. You have 60 minutes to escape and if you need a clue, there’s a red button you can smash that plays a snippet from the theme song when you push it. Staffers then shell out an idea for you to try.
There also may have been hidden bookcase doorways, a laser and even a water feature puzzle.
The experience was a big reminder to me that escape rooms are still very much a fun thing to do in 2024. The Escape Game is one of my favorite venues for the activity because its production value is high and the puzzles are actually really smart and engaging, using props, the space and your wits rather than relying on lock boxes. While we found it challenging, it wasn’t too difficult. We only really got stuck once. In fact, we broke the current record with a little over 18 minutes left, which made us feel like geniuses—a real boost to the ego.
If you’ve heard of an Only Murders-themed pop-up in NYC before, you’re probably thinking about the interactive walk-through experience at the United Palace Theater (a.k.a. The Goosebury Theater) last year that drew long lines. Two years ago, another pop-up reimagined the show’s Third Arm Gallery.
So if you’re looking for a challenge to surmount with friends or family and you wanna be immersed in the OMITB universe, I recommend heading over to The Escape Game this weekend or for an after-work activity.
Time Out Tip: We thought four players was a great number to play with, giving everyone enough space to solve puzzles and help each other. That being said the room can play up to eight people.
The Escape Game is on Madison Avenue at East 41st Street and tickets are on sale here for $48.99.