Secret City Adventures - "When Shadows Lie"

Matthew Lui
Aug 1
3 min read

LOCATION:  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Secret City Adventures - "When Shadows Lie"

Photo above is property of Secret City Adventures

Photos above are property of Secret City Adventures

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: When Shadows Lie
📅 DATE PLAYED: July 9, 2026
🎬 GENRE: Spooky, Thriller
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Groups of 4
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 90 Mins. (playtime), 105 Mins. (including intro & outro)
💰 PRICE: CAD $35/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Public
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

More than two centuries have passed since the curse on a small, humble village was believed to be vanquished. Now, Riley Wilde and Cameron Doyle, descendants connected to the original events, have opened an exhibit in the same location to share the story and history behind the curse. On opening night though, it becomes clear that the darkness may not have been fully destroyed. With the demon god Hastur awakened once again, your group must uncover the truth behind the original curse and find a way to stop them before it is too late.

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

The game had some fun, immersive acting to start and end the experience.
The experience was well designed and mostly non-linear. You could visit each location and either pick up the puzzle package or they may have multiple stations to work at. That way, you could either grab the package and solve elsewhere or if all the stations were full, simply move onto another puzzle.
The hints were well tiered and could be accessed by a QR code on the back of the map or by chatting with the characters roaming around.
The puzzles were solid and well thought out, doing a great job weaving the narrative together.
They offered two streams of puzzle play, one described as whimsical (Doyle) and one logical (Wilde) so you could come back and experience it a second time. When asked, they did say the Wilde stream was more difficult. I did enjoy how the story was designed to be split.
The performers added to the experience, popping up here and there to give us a scare while respecting our space. The Hastur costume was also fantastic.
There was a lot going on since the game was overlayed on the historic site of Fort Edmonton, but they did a great job ensuring there was no confusion about what was part of the game and what was not.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

The only issue we had was one puzzle that required us to listen to an audio clip for the next steps of the experience, we had trouble hearing it and only caught the ending.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Overall, "When Shadows Lie" was a fun sequel to the continuing story. The puzzles were enjoyable and were built into the narrative. The performers helped elevate this immersive experience. We did notice that the game felt a little shorter than their previous game, “Where Dark Things Dwell”, which allowed more teams to complete the game. We brought a group of four and had a great time navigating the puzzles, the story, and Hastur’s minions. It is definitely recommended for anyone looking for something that is a little more than a typical escape room.

Arriving at Fort Edmonton Park, we drove along the access road to the back entrance, passing the historic Selkirk Hotel on the way to our destination. Once there, we made our way to Kelly’s Saloon, where drinks and snacks were available to purchase while we waited for the game to start. A staff member then came around to check us in and ask which game track we wanted to play, whimsical or logical. From there, we hung out until the game was ready to begin.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

This is a sequel to Secret City Adventure’s game “Where Dark Things Dwell”. Though the stories are connected, you do not need any knowledge of the first game to play this.
This game typically only runs during June to September at Fort Edmonton (Edmonton, Alberta) and September to December at The Village at Black Creek (Toronto, Ontario).
Free Parking
Depending on which time you book, you will play either during sunset or dark
Ample areas to sit and rest your feet throughout the game if required
Drinks and snacks can be purchased before the game.
Groups of 3 to 4 are required so either book with friends or make new ones.