Black Market Escape Rooms - Custom designed bloodshed at Murder Co.

Through the pane of safety glass, Juggernaut’s goggles locked onto each and every one of us, his disfigured mouth fixed in a permanent, horrific grin. Coated in a thick German accent, his voice reverberated through the speakers as he worked away, masterfully dissecting our own personal victim. “So, should I use the pliers next, or would you rather I use this drill?”

We found ourselves in Murder Co., a highly secretive black market company offering the opportunity to witness a live murder, right in front of your eyes. A masked host welcomed us as we entered their lavish salon, explaining the rules while we relaxed in comfortable leather couches by the fireplace. Priding themselves on their ability to customize the experience to all whims and wishes of their high-profile clientele, they offered us a choice of four different artists, each one with a highly specific skill set, the best at their unique brand of artistry. Oblivion, a masked, war-torn murderer. Sideshow, a chainsaw wielding clown. Maneater, a drag queen with darker things than lip syncs and sparkly makeup on her mind. And, after some debate, our pick of the night: Juggernaut, a malformed scientist, with a penchant for experiments that even the most jaded ethical committee would have issues with.

Located in Upland, CA, Murder Co. is the first experience by Black Market Escape Rooms, the brainchild of Jon Cooke, who earned his stripes as a maze designer at Knott’s Scary Farm. Born from a desire to push the boundaries beyond what was possible in the family-friendly confines of an amusement park, Cooke gathered a team and set out to create an R-rated escape experience, choosing to focus on blending immersive puzzles and narrative that enhanced the experience rather than leading to frustration with difficult ciphers.

And indeed, the moment we stepped through the doors, the experience began. Nothing is out of place, no one is out of character. We easily settled in our role of voyeuristic elite customers, hungry for blood, and soon, we came face to face with our artist of preference. Juggernaut and us, separated by a thin layer of glass, with a comm system allowing us to direct the blood-soaked mayhem our artist was creating in front of us. Not long after, however, things took a turn for the worse, and it seemed we were about to get way more than we bargained for. What followed was a frantic, chaotic race for survival, with us screaming and laughing, in hysterics the entire time, desperately trying to figure out a way to escape through piles of mutilated bodies.

As far as I am concerned, Murder Co. ticked every single one of the boxes of what they set out to create. Set in amazing, major theme park quality surroundings, our escape was a hilarious, adrenaline-fueled (and surprisingly meme-savvy) ride. The puzzles blended perfectly into the story and added to the immersion, without being infuriatingly difficult or insurmountable. And as for the R-rated content, rest assured, this isn’t the kind of experience where you’d want to include the kids. The story, sets and props are all viciously nasty and blood soaked, while a tongue-in-cheek vibe keeps the whole from becoming too bleak or dark. We never spent a minute where we didn’t burst into laughter, without the tense atmosphere ever being broken. I wouldn’t dare to spoil your experience by giving specific examples, but we’re quite certain the design team must have had a blast putting this experience together. A perfect mix of scares, gore and hilarity.

So, what are you waiting for? Apply to become one of the elite members of Murder Co. I for one cannot wait to see what gruesome delights their other artists have to offer.