23-05-2025
Murder mystery pop-up inspired by K-drama Nine Puzzles lets you take a shot at playing detective , Entertainment News
When it comes to dealing with logic and puzzle-solving, I like to think I'm not the most proficient — evidenced by how I've never successfully completed those tricky escape-room missions.
So when I got the invitation to go investigate a whole 'crime scene', I thought, "No way, the murder's going to go unsolved". But perhaps with teamwork, I might have a better shot at this 'detective' gig.
Today (May 23), my colleague Jeng Jee and I visited the free Nine Puzzles: Decoded pop-up experience located at Plaza Singapura, before it opens to the public, to solve a string of riddles that follows an intriguing crime storyline.
Inspired by Disney+'s new K-drama Nine Puzzles starring Kim Da-mi and Son Suk-ku, the 'investigation' begins when a 'murder' is discovered. Answer a series of questions and you'll receive the first puzzle piece. There are a total of nine zones where you'd have to scrutinise crime scene photos, look for clues, decipher codes and analyse the suspects.
Walking to the pop-up, we were greeted by an ominous red curtain that leads into a dark room with a TV playing video clips of the drama Nine Puzzles.
Jeng Jee and I were bathed in red light and could barely see each other, until we were handed nifty mini flashlights by the event crew. They also gave us a bulky case file each filled with papers of the puzzles we had to solve, along with a pen and puzzle frame. After solving each, we would be given a puzzle piece and there are eight to collect.
Thereafter, we were on our own.
In the zones, we were to complete tasks like spot the differences, memorise variables as fast as possible, match and organise cards, and shine UV torchlights on objects to look for fingerprints.
Our observation and memory skills were really put to the test, forcing me and Jeng Jee to put our answers together to get through some of the puzzles.
But what's a pop-up without a photo op? We were drawn to the section What Happens Next which was pretty crowded as it had a little TV set everyone was trying to peek at for clues and a dainty little chair to sit and take pictures on.
Anyway, if you're anything like me (bad at puzzles), you'll be pleased to know that this zone gives you a mental break and you don't actually need to decode anything to get your puzzle piece — just soak in the good acting on screen!
After getting all eight puzzle pieces, we submitted it to a crew member dressed in an officer jacket. Afterwards, he directed us to another 'officer' who instructed us to get our complimentary mugshot or profiler photo taken.
Overall, had it not been for my teamwork with Jeng Jee, I'm confident I would've given up halfway. I highly recommend you visit this pop-up with a friend and laugh at each other's intellectual blunders like we did and have an immersive taste of the detective life for the day.
To try your shot at being a sleuth, head down to the pop-up located at Plaza Singapura B2-17/18. It runs from May 24 to June 10, and is open from 3pm - 9pm on weekdays and 11am - 10pm on weekends.
Mystery thriller Nine Puzzles follows Yoon E-na (Da-mi), who discovers the body of her murdered uncle next to a single puzzle piece and is deemed the sole witness to the murder case. The case remains unsolved. A decade later, detective Kim Han-saem (Suk-ku) who had initially suspected E-na as the murderer, is surprised when she shows up as a criminal profiler in his unit.
Together, they try to uncover the secrets behind a series of murders.
Nine Puzzles, which also stars Kim Sung-kyun and Hyun Bong-sik, is now available for streaming exclusively on Disney+. It also features cameo appearances from Park Sung-woong, Lee Sung-min, Hwang Jung-min, Lee Hee-joon as well as Ji Jin-hee.
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