Der verschollene Hausmeister
Long since abandoned, the old custodian’s quarters still hold terrible secrets. Our curiosity brought us here, to discover the fate of the old man. All is not quiet though. What was meant to be an idle journey of discovery quickly becomes a terror-filled race to escape.
“The Lost Janitor” is a horror style game. And I don’t mean it has a horror theme. It’s a nice proper live action horror movie not intended for those with short nerves. The atmosphere here is spot-on. Over many rooms, it escalates from peaceful to terrifying.
Let’s put aside one room for a moment and talk about the positives. I appreciated a good selection of puzzles. I didn’t get confused or frustrated. Well spaced atmospheric elements, such as sounds, lights, and let’s say physical aspects, added a sense of urgency to our solutions.
The place was massive! There was no puzzle cramming with Each room having only a few things to do. Yet each boasted its own atmosphere and decor. It all felt real, like living through little snippets of a twisted life.
All great, except for that one room. The transition to this room is spectacular, so I won’t describe what it is exactly. The problem lies in the choice of the riddle. It was too difficult to solve given the environment. We needed tips and the room took too long. This made our interest dwindle, as well as reducing the terror factor.
Another issue may be the level of physical intervention. It’s definitely beyond an expected level for some players. If you’re uncertain, and without revealing too much, request that they do not restrain players. It’ll still create plenty of fear, if not increase it.
Nonetheless, “The Lost Janitor” is an excellent game. Except for those brief moments in one room, I felt exhilerated. I’m thrilled to have had this experience.
