Review: Puppet Murder Files - Election Day, Appleseed Avenue. Santa Clarita, CA (Los Angeles)
Puppet Murder Files: Election Day
Appleseed Avenue - 23504 Lyons Ave #203b, Newhall, CA 91321 (Los Angeles County)
Fun Factor 8
Date we played: August 3, 2025
Booking size 4 to 8 (we recommend 4 to 6)
Game time: 100 Minutes
Objective: Answer a Job Posting at Appleseed Avenue – where humans and puppets peacefully coexist. The open positions are for Detectives and Medical Examiners. Your routine first day at work is anything but, as you started work on election day. Put your detective and medical skills to work on election day. Hopefully, puppet politics are calm and non-controversial.
Horror Theme: No.
Appropriate for Kids? From the company’s website, as we can’t say it any better. “Just in case you have missed the multiple mentions of murder, we will reiterate that here. The content is not suitable for children under 13.”
Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced
We had fun playing Puppet Murder Files: Election Day, and we recommend it with a Fun Factor of 8. The set is richly detailed and fun to explore, the puzzles are cleanly designed with a mix of solving styles, and the storyline ties everything together in a consistent and engaging way. Props are used creatively, and a unique game mechanic allows players to develop specialized skills as the game unfolds—a rare and exciting feature.
Just so you know, we only recommend rooms that we had fun playing.
Role Depth & Collaboration
According to Appleseed Avenue’s own description, players step into the roles of detectives and medical examiners who must work together to solve the mystery. Without giving anything away, the official description hints that detectives and medical examiners both have a part to play, so it wasn’t a shock to see that dynamic surface once we began. What makes this room distinctive is the depth those roles are given. The 100-minute format gives the designers the luxury of time to let players develop specialized skills and use unique equipment tied to their role.
The payoff comes when the roles combine, and collaboration isn’t just encouraged—it’s necessary. Clear communication, sharing discoveries, and blending expertise drive the game forward. Importantly, we never felt left out of what the other group was doing. Instead, it felt like one large team working toward the same goal, but with an added layer of organic role-playing that made the experience feel fresh and unlike other escape rooms we’ve played.
This design also works well across different group sizes. You will need at least four players to book this room and we agree that’s the right minimum to have fun. Larger groups (up to eight) are still supported – our general recommendation is to max out at 6, but the division of responsibilities means everyone gets a fair chance to engage with the props and puzzles. In fact, some tasks are enjoyable with two or three people collaborating closely, which keeps things balanced no matter your team size.
We did encounter a small hiccup on the detective side that slowed us down briefly due to unclear wording. It was frustrating in the moment but ultimately is easily fixable and didn’t overshadow the overall design once we got past it. Other teams, including the medical examiners we played with, didn’t run into the same problem. Once past that point, the role-based mechanics really shone, and the game flowed smoothly.
Storytelling & Puzzles
Where this room truly excels is storytelling. Appleseed Avenue has a reputation for weaving strong narratives, and Election Day continues that tradition. The plot feels organic, with events unfolding naturally as you progress. The puzzles support the story rather than distract from it, and many moments felt like they were happening in real time within the world of Appleseed Avenue.
Puzzle difficulty leans advanced with some intermediate elements, but the extended time and role depth keep the challenge accessible. Once our group got into the flow, the pacing was smooth, the teamwork requirements made sense, and we found ourselves caught up in the mystery.
Overall
Appleseed Avenue is an example of excellent escape room world-building – with clever mechanics, and strong narrative design where the puzzles support the story. Despite our brief frustration early on, the overall experience was excellent, and we left impressed by both the creativity and the ambition on display.
If you’re in Los Angeles County, we recommend playing Puppet Murder Files: Election Day at Appleseed Avenue. Please let them know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review—and also drop us a note and let us know what you think! HAVE FUN!
