Sixty years ago, five students lost their lives during the homecoming dance in the barn at Cormier Parish. Now, years later, it is time for your class to reunite and remember all the good times you’ve had. But…something isn’t right. Who are those ghostly voices you hear overheard? And why can’t you leave? Will you be able to follow the clues and solve the mystery before you trapped forever?

As it turns out, the spirits are restless in Red Lantern Escape Rooms’ first game Midnight on the Bayou. Set amongst the swamps of Louisiana, this carnival themed high school reunion has much more up its sleeve than you probably expected.

The very first thing you’ll notice when you enter Midnight on the Bayou is how large it is…I’m talking BIG. While some places lock you inside rooms, and expect you to work your way out, Red Lantern wisely opens up their space, and makes you actually feel like you’re wandering the bayou.

In fact, the set decoration all around was very well done. This was obviously very carefully planned out, and every bit of space was used to the best of its ability. The most immediate comparison I can think of is the Blue Bayou restaurant at Disneyland. You’ll find the area has a very similar look and feel to that, and it is awfully impressive.

Midnight on the Bayou does a great job of setting the tone before you even walk in the door, though, carefully laying the ground work for the story as you wait in the lobby. The name tags, much like a real high school reunion, are a nice touch. And then, when you do finally walk into the reunion itself, the story continues to flesh out more before the clock even starts. Magic and mysticism are abound, and when the clock hits 11PM, the pressure is on to figure out what to do. Of course, you have until the struck of midnight to do so. But…do you have what it takes to face the past?

Midnight on the Bayou also featured some brand new puzzles that I haven’t seen in other rooms before. I was actually surprised at how clever some of them were. Even some of the simplest things were impressive, showing that you can teach us some new tricks! Heck, there were some puzzles I didn’t even get to see, because I was busy working on one while my friends were working on others.

And that’s the good thing; the room is NOT linear. So, you can work on one ‘story’ while someone else works on another. Sometimes, these paths intersect, and you work together to figure something out. But every ‘path’ has its own unique puzzles, and it was nice to see the character’s back stories come into play. Adding in the fact that the room IS so big, you can all split up and get things done faster.

Some puzzles were pretty easy to figure out their solution, but others really had us working together to see what could be done. This puts some of the greatest minds to the test, so make sure to exercise your mind power before this reunion.

While most rooms offer in-room hint systems when you get stumped, Midnight on the Bayou offered you another way to receive hints: more puzzles. You needed to solve a brain teaser in order to get a clue, if needed. While clever and commendable for this new way of doing things, when we desperately needed a clue, the brain teaser was so difficult; most of us gave up on it. My son kept at it, though, and while we worked throughout the rest of the puzzles, he remained vigilant. Eventually, he solved it just as we hit the final puzzle, so if you are REALLY stuck on something, you may be putting your brain to the test before you get any help. 

Overall, Midnight on the Bayou was a fun game, and had some great new tricks for escape room masters. It is clear that it was a labor of love for the owners, and you can tell how much they put into it. Roy Davis, our game master (and birthday party magician!) was a wonderful in-room host, and a great personality overall.

If you’re looking for a fun new room, we definitely recommend this one. Great design, great puzzles, and run by some wonderfully personable people.

For more information on Red Lantern Escape Rooms and to visit the bayou for yourself, visit them online at: https://www.redlanternescaperooms.com/