LumiNarrative - "Horrors Untold"

Photo above is property of LumiNarrative

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Company: LumiNarrative

Game: Horrors Untold

Country: USA 🇺🇸

Language: English

Type of Game: Tabletop Games 📬

Genre: Horror

Date Played: June 16, 2025

Difficulty (based on 1 player): 4/10

Size of Team: 1

Time: ~20 Hrs..

Price: $69.95

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It all begins on a fateful day when a mysterious narrator introduces us to the tragic and disturbing death of Hunter Spivey. Hunter was a well-known haunted house blogger who gained popularity for his deep dives into the world of immersive horror. But his life came to a grisly end—his body discovered mutilated under unexplained and horrifying circumstances.

At the time of his death, Hunter had been working on an ambitious project: compiling a comprehensive history of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights—the globally celebrated Halloween event produced by Universal Studios in multiple countries. Renowned as one of the most iconic and immersive haunted house experiences in the world, it draws in thousands of thrill-seekers every year. But Hunter believed there was more to the story—something hidden beneath the surface.

The narrator also begins drawing unsettling parallels between Hunter and another central figure: Marjorie Holden, a college professor with a controversial academic focus on the occult. Marjorie’s radical theories and conspiratorial views have made her a pariah in the academic world and have taken a toll on her personal life. Most troubling of all—she has recently disappeared without a trace.

The narrator believes these two individuals are connected. But how? And why?

Now it’s your turn to uncover the truth.

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🆃🅷🅴 🅶🅰🅼🅴 🅿🅻🅰🆈

"Horrors Untold" is, first and foremost, a book—and a narrative experience above all else. If we were to break it down, it’s roughly 40% original story, 40% Halloween Horror Nights lore, and 20% puzzles. The driving force here is the storytelling, blending fictional mystery with real-world Halloween Horror Nights history in a way that feels both immersive and oddly plausible.

As you journey through its pages, you’ll encounter puzzles, cryptic hints, and interactive elements seamlessly woven into the narrative. This isn’t a book you merely read—it’s one you engage with physically. Throughout the experience, you’ll be prompted to cut, tear, fold, tape, and mark up the pages themselves. These aren’t destructive acts—they’re part of the design, pulling you deeper into the mystery and making you feel like an active participant in the investigation.

At over 300 pages, the book is impressively crafted. It features full-color artwork, visually striking layouts, unique orientations, and thought-provoking footnotes. The presentation keeps you on your toes—you never quite know what’s coming next. But whatever it is, it’s going to look fantastic.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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There are three main narrators scattered throughout Horror’s Untold, and each one provides their own set of puzzles. While each narrator brings a distinct puzzle style to the table, they’re all ultimately guiding you toward the same goal. You’ll need to solve all of them to reach the book’s final answers.

• The first narrator uses a very unique prop—one that you'll need to manipulate in order to uncover the information you need. While the core mechanic of this puzzle makes sense (especially to experienced puzzlers), it took me until about halfway through the book to fully grasp what I was supposed to do. At first, I found it a bit frustrating, but once I understood the logic, everything flowed much more smoothly.

• The second narrator's puzzles were, hands down, some of my favorites. Without spoiling too much, the ever-evolving search-and-find style of this section kept things fresh. These puzzles were extremely creative and consistently surprised me with how cleverly they were hidden or integrated into the story.

• The third narrator comes across as the most neurotic of the three—and their puzzles reflect that chaos. There’s a wide variety here, ranging from callbacks to earlier parts of the book to completely new challenges. These moments were a nice break from reading and kept the experience lively and unpredictable.

One of the best design choices in the entire book is the puzzle index found on the final page. It lists every single puzzle along with its reference location, which was a lifesaver when I reached the end and needed to backtrack. Having this reference made tying everything together a lot more satisfying and approachable—especially for a book this dense with content.

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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"Horrors Untold" is a love letter to Halloween Horror Nights—a book created by true enthusiasts who clearly understand and celebrate what makes the event so special. As someone who tries to attend HHN every year, I found this book to be a thrilling and thoughtful tribute. That said, for those who haven’t been able to make the trek to Orlando, FL (or the other international locations), this book might just be the spark that gets you hooked.

While "Horrors Untold" works as a casual read for someone curious about HHN, it really shines for haunt fans, theme park lovers, and puzzle solvers looking for a unique and immersive experience. The first half of the book is more exploratory—you're still learning about the story and characters, but the real joy came from the blog entries written in Hunter Spivey’s voice. These articles are dripping with Halloween spirit, diving into HHN lore, immersive horror experiences, and the world of haunted attractions in general.

As the story progresses, especially in the last 50 pages or so, the plot tightens and the pieces start falling into place. What at first felt like a wandering mix of plot and unrelated Halloween Horror Nights facts slowly becomes a mystery worth solving. As a fan of both immersive narratives and Halloween Horror Nights, I didn’t mind the meandering—but I can see how readers unfamiliar with HHN might find the early pacing a bit slow.

The puzzles throughout the book are fun, clever, and (thankfully) approachable. I never found myself not enjoying a puzzle, and they tend to be on the easier side, making them accessible even for those who don’t regularly solve puzzles. One standout design feature is how the book teaches puzzle mechanics gradually—you’ll start with simple examples before building up to more challenging solves. It’s excellent pacing that encourages learning by doing.

The puzzle index at the back was a brilliant inclusion and really elevated the experience, especially when tying everything together near the end. My only wish? That the book included a hidden link or secret site where you could check your answers or get a hint if you got stuck.

In the end, "Horrors Untold" is a unique and ambitious experience—a blend of haunt history, mystery, and interactivity presented in a way that feels fresh and immersive. The phrase “See you in the fog,” a well-known slogan from Halloween Horror Nights, perfectly captures the atmosphere this book evokes. It’s the fog of the unknown, the fog of mystery, the lingering haze that surrounds a world just out of reach—inviting you to step deeper into the story and the secrets it holds.

If you’re a fan of Halloween Horror Nights, immersive storytelling, or just want to spend a few hours uncovering secrets in a book that asks you to cut, fold, and explore—it’s absolutely worth your time. You can tell a lot of passion went into this project… and it paid off beautifully.

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(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank LumiNarrative for providing us with a sample of their game. Although a complimentary experience was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.

#MikeSchnurr #AtHomeGames #TabletopGames #PuzzlesByMail #PuzzleBook #LumiNarrative #HorrorsUntold #Horror #USA