Soi

Literally driven into despair

As the description of the room states, this room apparently has already driven more than one person into despair, in my experience this was the case literally, as the experience was not really enjoyable. I have played many school of magic/Harry Potter themed rooms and this was the weakest I have ever encountered. The magic is completely missing from this room. The setting is not particularly well-achieved and there is not much magic involved in the puzzles. The real bummer was though to find a room with a deffect puzzle in it, which was lying there and was covered in red/white tape. If that was not enough, the room had several rests from riddles that apparently once belonged to the room and now do not anymore, so they decided to keep it either of lazyness or because they thought "red herrings" are a good idea. On top of that they mentioned not to touch something, which I was expecting to be more spectacular and at the end it was equally disappointing. Last but not least, some mechanisms barely worked, which was just the final drop of a rather unsatisfying game. The only thing I can say in favour of the room is that we played at 2 in the morning after a long day of playing and this certainly did not help. A bad room at the end of a long day easily turns into a nightmare. Honestly, I cannot really recommend this room.

A very nice room in Amsterdam

This escape room provides for a satisfying experience from the beginning till the end, with an original start and a nice finale it has also a good flow and has a variety of games, some which for experienced escapers will be well-known, while others are really original, something I personally appreciate.
The general idea of the room is very well implemented and shows how several aspects around the underlying topic were carefully taken into account. The game was fun and had a few nice challenges. I would advise though for experienced escapers against going in there with large numbers. While there is some room for multitasking, there are also some linear moments/bottle necks, that you will enjoy more not being too many. I think 3 was the perfect number. Depending on how much you have played, you will find some things more or less surprising, which is also an added value in any experience.
The Gallery is for me a perfect example, that even with limited budget but some original ideas, you can create a thoroughly enjoyable game. This room definitley enriches the Amsterdam scene.

A good place to go in Amsterdam

Quite a while ago I had played Judgement Day and Back to the USSR, and finally I got to play one of their newer games. With much more experience collected in these years, I was wondering how this room was going to be. In a few words, it ended up being a room much better than I had expected.
I liked the topic and the setting is nicely done, it includes many lovely technical gadgets and strikes as original, also in the way some of the puzzles are conceived. Overall, it was a very enjoyable game. We had a slow start, which for a moment, led to a little bit of frustration, but I guess that this had more to do with our group and too complicated thinking. After this hurdle was passed, the flow of the room is great and converges nicely to the end. it is very clear what you have to do and at the same time, it requires a different approach than classical puzzles, where you need to find out a number to input in a lock.
One thing that can be criticized is that the entrance of the venue is a "zero investment" place, and even though they have improved it slightly since I was there the last time, it is far from being a welcoming place, which is a pity given the quality of the rooms. Our gamemaster on the other hand was really friendly and motivated.

Great room for small groups

Escape Room Zandvoort had been on my list for a very long time. Several years ago, I remember that at least some of the rooms even made it in the Top 50 of escapetalk. Of course time passes and the scene has evolved a lot since then, nevertheless there are several elements in his room that make it quite unique and therefore recommendable to play.
First of all, the topic is quite original, even nowadays. There are not so many rooms to my knowledge with this topic, although I am aware of rooms that take place in real ships, both here in the country and abroad. The setting is well-achieved, it's not a megaproduction and that is noticeable in many different aspects, nevertheless it has at least one very well-done component, which stands out.
The type of room is rather classic with searching and puzzle solving, although it has a few technological elements built in. For those who like this kind of games it's great, but if you are a lazy searcher and enjoy more experiences, then you might risk being at least partially disappointed. The puzzles were rather classical, mostly based on elements any experienced player has encountered in the past. I found at least one puzzle not entirely clear (or working correctly) and some elements have a repetitive component, that could have been done in a different way. I believe I understand, why they did it that way, but a little bit more variery would have been better. We had also a resetting error and something that should have been closed was open and even though I asked loudly about it, no feedback came. We later realized, that indeed it should not have been open.
The service was friendly, although we had at leats a missunderstanding, because we intended to go to the bathroom before entering the room and the gamemaster opened the room for us and told us, oh sorry I have already started it. Additionally, it is worth noting that my companions were enthusiastic and wanting to play a second room after this one, but in spite of being a Friday the person in charge was not open to this. Although I can understand it, as it was not that early, I was a little bit surprised as generally it is not a common pratcice to refuse a costumer willing to aquire a service, unless there are very good reasons for it. Maybe I am also spoiled with owner run business that go the extra mile and are willing to adapt to the players in some cases. The advice is that if you plan to "eventually" play a second one, book both in advance, as you might find on the spot that it is not possible, even when there are no further bookings.
The game has a nice flow and an enjoyable ending, although we had a few technical glitches that confused us a little bit, and which is a pity, nevertheless I had fun in the room, I would recommend it and I definitely plan to come back for the other rooms. Given that many rooms in the Netherlands are paid by the hour, independently of the group size, the rooms in this venue are really optimal for small groups and offer a relatively good value for the money, and the pictures are great by the way.

A fun and challenging room

After a long time, I finally got to visit Wescape in Zoetermeer and we did it just in time, as later on everything closed for a while due to Corona restrictions. The venue is very welcoming with games to play and the personnel there was really friendly and we had a nice exchange.
The room has a nice combination of original ideas with some more commonly found elements. The space is nicely decorated and conveys really well the setting and provides in general an interesting space. The puzzles are all logical and some tasks are really nice. It allows to work in parallel in different instances, so it keeps very well a group busy. According to the website the escape rate is rather low, but I don't think there is anything unfair in the game, as a matter of fact we managed to make one of the topt times.
I must however mention that I consider that the current mark of the room (as I write it's 9.4) is way too high and might lead to the experienced players to go with too high expectations. Nevertheless, it was a really fun experience and I can recommend visiting this venue.

A bunker with a lot of teamwork

My first trip to play escape rooms outside of the Netherlands, in a time that now seems long ago, was to Antwerpen. A modest one day trip with 4 rooms on the schedule. At that time I had already seen some reviews of De Kraakfabriek, but their rooms were closed. Hundreds of rooms later I finally got the chance to play two of their games. I am glad to be able to say that I enjoyed both. The first one was The Bunker and being a recurrent theme in escape rooms my expectations were not particularly high. The story is simple, get in the bunker and reactivate the systems in there. Similarly the decoration is kept to a minimum, as it is usual in bunker themed rooms.
What I particularly liked about this game is that it involved a lot of collaborative efforts to be able to succeed. Contrary to rather linear rooms where 5 experienced escapers is usually way too much and some end up being spectators, in this room the puzzles were conceived to engage several people at a time. I believe this is one of the strongest points of this room. Furthermore the puzzles are really nice, with a nice balance between observation, more classical puzzles and "do puzzles". Some of these puzzles were really original.
Our gamemaster was friendly and in spite of not being an enthusiast himself he did a good job. I am particularly happy about the fact, that we were able to make an early start and play this additional game a little bit outside of the usual opening times. For me it was worth sleeping one hour less to play this game, which I can recommend, as I had a good share of fun playing it.

Disappointment :-(

This room had been on my list for a long time and the many good reviews had me expecting a top room. Unluckily, the game did not meet my expectations. The intro is correctly done, mxing a little bit reality with fantasy. To my taste a little bit too long, given that it is not done by a gamemaster in character. It is difficult to discuss certain aspects I did not like witout entering into the spoiler area, but honestly when the game started I expected to have a rather fast transition and this was not the case.
What are the aspects I did not enjoy of this game? Well, to start with there are not so many puzzles/riddles, and the difficulty of the room is mainly based on searching. As an experienced escaper I think that there is a very thin line between a decent amount of searching and going into the terrain of unfair searching. One can very easily hide something very well and artificially increase the difficulty by letting people search for it as opposed to creating either more content or more experience. This generates some frustration and eliminates any attempt of a flow right from the start. Of course a few aspects were original, and I am sure some enthusiasts will find them entertaining, but there was a moment when I almost disconnected from the game and there was not much to get me back into it.
The game has one particular highlight, which I really appreciated, original and nicely made. The problem is that it was quite disconnected from the rest of the game. As a matter of fact, there is little to none of a red thread in the game progression. There is no logic for the presence of some of the riddles and they have nothing to do with the underlying topic, at least not to me. It seems rather a collection of loose ideas put into a room.
I do not like to be very harsh in my reviews and I certainly value the work put into the room, paricularly in connection with a certain aspect of it, but the overall experience did not convince me. Maybe the high expectations did not help. It is an acceptable room with a few very good ideas, but not more than that. I am sure that if you do not go with high expectations you will enjoy it more.

A great self-made escape room!

As a part of our Belgium trip we visited The Box. It is a different room in many ways. It is a 90 minutes room to start with and for enthusiasts that is most of the times a plus. More time, more fun. The room is self-made and it's amazing the work put into it, there are several details/gadgets that are original and help rounding up the overall experience, including the famous box, which is a thing on its own. The setting is in a way typical, it is not a room that is fantastically decorated or that takes place in some exotic location. The difference maybe to other rooms with a similar setting is that this room goes for realism to the point, that everything you would find in real life it is there. I have seen many recreations of rooms, where you usually have only what is essential for puzzling plus some decoration. This room, contrary to that, sticks to reality.
The game is not an easy one, also in view of the additional bonus task. There are quite some things to do. There was only one riddle that was based on local knowledge, which is not ideal for international escapers, but the reason for the riddle is justified by the underlying topic and it was not a major problem, although some help was needed.
The more rooms I have played the less I am happy with giving a room a certain end note. You can barely compare this room to "blockbusters" like The Dome or other rooms with amazing settings, but in spite of that this room shines with its own light. It is a different room and when you have played a lot, you appreciate that, the same way you appreciate the effort put in it. Do not let the hype of the rating ruin your experience, go with an open mind and enjoy it!
In spite of our experience we barely made it, we solved everything, including the bonus, but we were a couple of minutes late. I enjoyed also the after game talk, so plan enough time after the official ending. Overall I can only recommend this game, which managed to make it in our Top 10 from Belgium.

Reactie door The Box

09 november 2020

I am so happy with this review. Thank you so much! Reactions from players like you really mean a lot to me. As you mentioned, it indeed took quite the effort to build the room myself with a smaller budget but still enough technology and surprises to compete with others. It's so nice that even experienced players like you appreciate the result! I'm definitly going to check your website for guidance whenever I'm looking for escape rooms across Europe!

Most likely best room in Belgium!

A room does not make it into the TERPECA by chance and even though it is still not so high in the Top 50 of this site, this has mainly to do with the little amount of reviews. Obviously expectations can have an adverse effect when you go into a room, and they were rather high, I must say, based on its ratings.
Luckily, expectations were met and this room has without any doubt made into my Top 10%. A great introduction, very professionally made, that brings you into the mood, followed by a great transition into the room. And what a room! A fantastic set! Definitely one of the strong points. The story is interesting and it is nice that it is loosely based on a local legend. While the focus, as the name already says, it's on the experience, the puzzles are really nicely integrated into the room, all are logical and entertaining and also convey the story behind the room. This is one of those rooms you keep on remembering and enjoying in your mind long after you have played them.
I believe that this room puts Mechelen in the map for travelling enthusiasts of the world, who should without any doubt make a stop here. Congratulations on the great experience and really looking forward into the next one!

Nice escape room with original topic

This was our second game at this venue. It is not a particularly outstanding game given that the puzzles are rather classical nature and the set is nicely made, but not extremely suprising, although it has, here and there, a few nice ideas. For someone who has played hundreds of escape rooms it is difficult not to have encountered those before, but really nice if you experience them for the first time. Nevertheless it is a really fun game, rather on the easier side of the spectrum, and therefore quite ideal for families. As experienced escapers I would advise against going in in large numbers, but I have to say that in spite of being 5 we had fun at the game, which does not necessarily happen in escape rooms one would a priori judge better. I liked that the puzzles were logical and that there was a variety of tasks. It is also remarkable, that it is a nice implementation of an original topic, connected to the "bande dessinée" tradition of the country, also very present in the city of Brussels. Compared to other rooms I had previously played in Brussels, I would definitely recommend to play the games at this venue.
Regarding the venue, you can read my other review, the only difference being that our game master was not paticularly friendly, and when we exited the room, the reception was rather cold, she even looked angry at the fact that we solved it so quickly (my impression).

Nice classical room

I have been to Brussels several time and Escape Prod had been on my list for quite some time. In the past I ended opting for other rooms, also due to price considerations for two players, but given the reviews on this site and other international sites I had been wanting to play the rooms on this venue. I cannot judge much about the implementation of the topic, as I am not familiar with the character the room is based on. It is a rather classical "detective office" escape rooms, but with some nice puzzles, which makes this room probably the hardest one in the venue. Puzzles are fun and logical, but we had something that did not work as it should have and the way we solved it was apparently also some kind of malfunction. There was also another minor technical issue as well, but which did not really affect the gameplay. It was a pity that a game element that was modified was not somehow adapted, as it conveys the impression of being a mistake as well, even when it is not.
The game has an interesting mechanism to generate tension. It has both positive and negative aspects, as it can imply having a much shorter game and not succeeding nevertheless. The positive aspect is that it acts as an equalizer and no matter if you are experienced or not, you will definitely feel the time pressure.
You realize it operates as a larger escape room company, used to handle many groups. The picture at the end in the photo booth is a really nice detail. The service was correct and the gamemaster was friendly and motivated, although the introduction was a little bit long for experienced escapers.

Unique in Benelux!

As part of our Belgium trip we visited Leuven, just to play this game and I am glad we did. I particularly enjoy longer rooms, but other than that the whole idea of an escape house is something that I had not encountered in Benelux and if only for that reason it is worth a visit. I like also the way the game begins, which is rather common in countries like Spain and Greece, but also very atypical/unique in the Benelux. and is probably one of the reasons that the website does not recommend it for absolute beginners.
The game has an interesting storyline and I believe it could have been developped better throughout the game. Other than this minor remark, it is a very enjoyable game, with quite a nice variety of riddles/tasks and a few surprises. Again, if something can be criticized is the fact that sometimes the tasks/riddles are a little bit disconnected from the whole story, or at least not connected in a clear way. But to be honest I did not care much, given that they were either interesting, surprising, challenging or just fun.
The atmosphere is nicely creepy and there are a few scary moments, which I think is good. I found these well implemented. I would have liked a little bit more tension overall using light, music and maybe some additional effects. I think it could be scarier, but I am not sure that that is the intention. We also suggested havig special editions with some acting. That would make it an even more impressive and more unique in the Benelux region. I liked how the ending is implemented and maybe some more tension is missing, to really finish it with flying colours.
I would like to remark that the critics come mainly from my personal experience in other countries, which are specialists in tension and horror and I believe this game can do more in that aspect. Nevertheless it is great to have these kind of games in our region, and I can fully recommend to experience it yourself.

Reactie door Escape House Emerantia

19 juli 2021

Bedankt!

One of the best in Belgium

I had read much about this room here in escapetalk and the expectations were naturally high. We were received in the venue that is tempting you with lot of boardgames to buy and after a classical introduction we headed for the room. It is one room, that starts on a low note, but improves over the course of the game. When I think about the start, there are still a couple of aspects that are not very clear to me about how they connect with the story and why they decided to make it like that.
One of the best aspect of this game is the fantastic ambiance. The puzzles are mostly fun, and engage the whole group, partially through parallell tasks, although at least one of the riddles appeared to be rather disconected from the underlying topic. Given that the game is based on mechanisms I felt that sometimes a clear feedback was missing that would improve the flow and confirm the resoultion of a task.
Overall the room caused me a really nice impression. We played at maximum capacity, probably 3-4 is better. In spite of the minor improvement points, the room is a must play particularly in view of the great set and surprising moments.

Definitely more of this!

This room had been of my list for quite some time. When it opened it was still not available in English and also due to the fact that it was for two players a visit in a larger group was not possible. This weekend however no more excuses and accompanied by a friend from our team we decided to apply for the job.
Needless to say, but we enjoyed the room a lot. First of all, it is great the fact that they built up on the hotel idea originally initiated with Kamer 237. I do not know if they had this already in mind back then, but I like when the company as a whole follows a certain line. I do not know if I did not pay attention last time, or if it's new, but even before you enter the venue there are nice details in connection with this. I could see also small details in the reception/waiting area, that I had not seen in my first visit.
Friendly personnel, really nice talk before and after the game. This is a very important aspect, and it is always a pity, when this is not the case. Also here, the fact that it is all connected with the hotel ideal makes it even more enjoyable.
About the room I do not want to say that much, because I went there with little idea of what to expect and it was better that way. What I can say it's that the puzzles are really well-balanced, creative and incorporate (as it can be expected in a two persons room) collaborative elements. The whole ambiance is well-achieved and the transitions are very well-made. You will laugh, you will be surprised and you will be challenged.
A really nice story, well-told and greatly incorporated in the room rounds up the whole thing. I cannot complain about anything and at this moment I prefer not to analyse too much and keep the great feeling after playing the room.
I like the fact that they designed this game for two players, it is not very common here in the Netherlands (according to our gamemaster, there are only two more). While it is expensive compared to playing in a larger group, it is also cheaper than playing a normal room with only two players. In any case, it was money well-invested and I am looking forward to their next room.

Top!!!

Probably I was not the only one waiting for this game. Since they announced it, I was constantly checking for more info, hoping for an opening and it was a long wait. Totally worth the wait in view of the result. Some call it their new favourite and I am sure we'll soon see this room rising to the top of the Top 50, the only reason is not there yet is because it needs more reviews. It is unfair a comparison with The Dome and it is funny that the taste among the Dutch enthusiasts and international players is not always the same. So I do not want to enter into the discussion whether this is my favourite game or not. What I can surely say is that it is one of the best rooms opening its doors in this extremely weird year.
As I wrote in another review of this room it catches the DNA of what makes Dutch escape rooms so good. A compelling story, where all the details are thought of and a good dosis of puzzles. Not to forget, obviously, the ability to surprise you in a repeatedly manner, and it is great after playing hundreds of rooms to be surprised like that.
Enough said, if you have not played it, what are you waiting for?

Another top room!

I played this room after their other room and at first I found some similarities in the general conception, it is a room that goes in a clear ascending path and while it starts quite "normal" to describe it somehow, it manages to surprise you in a way, that makes their placement among the best of the country well-desserved. I must say though that in order to avoid disappointments do not expect it to be THE number one in the Netherlands, there are many other great rooms in the country and it depends a lot on personal taste and experience. I can think of a couple of rooms that I would place before this one, but in any case it is a great experience.
The set is fantastic and there are really nice puzzles and while there are several things to do, I would advise against playing it with too many people. With 5 it was really the upper limit, in view both of the tasks and the physical space.
The only thing I can complain about, not connected to the room itself, is the service. While it was overall correct, I miss a lot the enthusiasm of the gamemaster, not only as opposed to when the owners are there directly, but also comparing to gamemasters in other places. Both the receptions and after-game is cold, distant and feels like a commercial transaction. I also did not like that there was no discussion at all after the game and it was not possible to make a short walktrough in the room. I think that more time should be planned for that, if it is a time issue, and if it is not a time issue, then it would be nice to get a "complete" experience. It is a pity, that after playing a great room, you get the feeling that they want to ged rid of you as fast as possible.

Interesting experience

I did not know what to expect about this escape room, which I reserved mainly because it was not far from home and had a special offer. At the end I had lots of fun with a couple that joined me in this game. Officially four is the minimum, but that has to do more with the difficulty. For experienced players, this should not be an issue, as we did a very good time as a team of three.
The idea of the escape room is to solve different cases, which results in an interesting quite original play dynamic. The puzzles were nicely conceived, and required different skills, related to the topic. For a beginner's group it can be quite challenging.
It is clear that it is a rather low budget room, but in spite of that, it was entertaining and challenging, the personnel was really friendly and we had a nice talk after the game. It is a nice project, what they have there, so I was really happy I played it.
You cannot expect much from the set, but in spite of that it had a few nice surpirising moments. I liked in particular that in the aspects mentioned above it was different than the usual game in a positive way.

Reactie door Escape Room Ter Aar

26 maart 2020

Thank you very much for the review!

Nice idea, but overall rather disappointing

I missed the chance to play the former room of Boom Chicago and when I read about their newest experience it sounded quite good. The reviews here were quite mixed, some more enthusiastic, some rather disappointed. After going there I belong rather to the second group.
Already from the very start the information of the emails and the website were confusing. The reservation stated a 90 minutes period, and said to be there 15 minutes before, but the experience was supposed to last 75 minutes. On top of that, the website says additionally to be there half an hour before and do some puzzling before the game. Rather unclear instructions. We arrived there at 20:30 and we did not get any envelope or puzzles to do before, we just waited half an hour there until the official starting time.
When we arrived where the game wass supposed to start the first impression was not very good I found a box on the floor with papers inside that someone left lying there (trash?), I am about to examine it, but I quickly realize that it does not belong there. The concept for the intro is nicely done and at that time I thought, nice this can be something, the beginning is quite ok, but then the mood is rapidly killed by some activities that lasted way too long and were not very funny in my view. I understand the idea behind, but noone in the group really enjoyed the fact that it took so long, not to mention that it had nothing to do with solving anything. Said activity is quite badly timed.
The "room" is a succession of disconnected elements, only connected by the underlying topic (going through the movies). The problem is that the transitions are just going from one place to the other, there is nothing special about them, the whole ambiance is missing. The puzzles are very simple and scarce. I have nothing against experiences, but then I expect them to keep me living something the whole time, this was clearly not the case, a flow was missing.
One can clearly see the idea behind it, and the idea is very good, there are a few really nice moments, funny things and some unexpected elements, but overall it was too diluted. The fact that it is done in a very particular space, probably reduces the possibilities of doing better in some aspects. But overall, there are some moments where it feels really cheap. It is a pity, as it has the potential to be much more.
The guy who accompanied our experience was really nice and friendly, he explained us that most of the groups struggle much more, and that we were rather quick, and I think he was a little bit disappointed at the fact that we were not really thrilled by the experience.
To be honest also the ending did not contribute much to that, I was expecting something and it ended up being something else, which was all the opposite of the climax they intended to create.
In any case, my review is not worse due to the many nice, original ideas, it is a pity though that the implementation is not equally good. As the opinions diverge, I guess the best thing is to try it out for yourself, but maybe go with low expectations.

Well-deserved top spot!

This room has been under my radar for a long time. If I remember correctly, the first time it was personally recommended to us, was when we played Seven Sins in Den Bosch two years ago. A couple from France were visiting the Netherlands for some escapes and I thought about some games to play together with them, that I had not already played, and as they were planning to play in Eindhoven, Erzsebet came immediately to my mind.
So in spite of only 5 hours of sleep, I departed home at 8 in the morning towards Belgium to finally play this room, and I am glad I did. There are rooms that might have been considered good in the past and with the developpment of the industry they did not withstand time, and then there are rooms like this one, that were and still are, plain and simply, great rooms.
Usually, when this is the case there is not so much to stay. For me it was a very solid room. A room, that you have to make quite some effort to find objections to it. Nice intro, nice story, great original puzzles and a very well achieved ambiance, all sprinkled with some nice moments.
To top it all a great and friendly service by Steven, who being an enthusiast himself provided for some nice exchange after the game. So, if you have not played it, do it. I am looking forward to your next room!

Another lovely room in Best

After playing The Conductor I had the opportunity of playing this room. I had this review pending for quite a while and finally I am at it. As usual the service was great, we were received in a very friendly manner. They had a technical issue, and we had to wait longer than usual to start playing, but they managed to solve it, which is also great in terms of service. I have encountered in different countries rooms, that when something is broken or non functioning it stays like that, much to the prejudice of the experience, so also a great service in that sense as well.
The room has a more classical nature, but I liked how nicely the story is implemented. The ambiance is lovely and the moment you cross the door the feeling of a cabin is wonderfully achieved. In general we enjoyed the puzzles and I cannot think of anything to object. I have to note that when the quality is good even rooms that have quite a few years on the market are still great to play. This is a perfect example of it.

Nice room to warm up for Catch me if you can

I played this room before their second and most popular one. I have to confess that I had higher expectations about it. It was a nice room, it had an interesting idea around the concept of crime solving that generates a slightly different playing dynamics compared to other escape rooms, but other than that I cannot highlight any aspect. The decoration is nicely done, but in view of the theme not excessively surprising, particularly from what is expected from rooms nowadays. The puzzles were ok, but partly due to the game dynamics, partly how the room is conceived there is a lot of searching involved and at some moments it felt more like working than having fun. It is a nice room, definitely above the average, but not a top room, particularly in comparison with Catch me if you can. If you are there worth playing before their other room, otherwise in comparison you might be disappointed. I was also not particularly fond of the service. While correct, it was cold and distant. I am used to have more enthusiastic game masters, particularly in the after-game phase.

Another good reason to go to Katwijk

I had just played Bella Ciao, when the next day I saw an offer for this room, and some visitors from France were playing Bella Ciao that day in Katwijk, so it looked as a sign from destiny to go and play this room, which was so nicely evaluated here in escapetalk.
In spite of the good evaluations, it was not one of these rooms you constantly hear of, so I was not sure what to expect. At the end, I enjoyed it a lot. They created a really original story, which is really well done, I did not expect some things at all, which is always good when you have played a lot of rooms. The story and the setting is really well-done and both are the strongest points, but the puzzles are really nice, more on the classical side, but quite original and overall satisfying.
I also would like to thank the owner, because there was a missundertsanding on the phone concerning the reservation, and in spite of that, he was able to accomodate us (our apologies to the group that had to start slightly later). I can really recommend this room, and it is interesting how the Leiden/Katwijk region has seen so many nice quality escape rooms opening in the last year.

A must for La casa de papel fans!

This room is one of those rooms that contribute to the overall high level of escape rooms in the Netherlands, which enthusiasts from all over the world appreciate. One of the reasons for it is in my opinion, that it is made by enthusiasts, which contribute to its originality and is made with a lot of attention to detail.
The venue, which can be tricky to find, has a nice reception, where I celebrated my birthday with a nice talk after the game with the friendly owner. About the room, well what can I say, if you have watched the series, you will recognize the whole idea in the room and I am sure you will love it.
The ambiance is well-achieved and there are really nice transitions that contribute to the flow, puzzles are nicely connected to the topic. We played at maximum capacity and being in a group of friends it was nice and we had lots of fun, there are some moments also where people can be busy with different things at the same time, but for experienced groups I would advise the magical number of 4.
Overall a perfectly round experience, that I can only recommend.

Speechless!

What to write about The Dome that has not been written before? The fame of this room had reached me long before I got to play it. Considered as number one, by many top players, I was waiting to play it with our friends and my expectations were really high. Since the moment I booked it, I was looking forward to the date I was finally going to enter The Dome.
After a slightly slow start, where I realized one of the aspects that might result frustrating for some people, the game started rolling in what it was going to be a huge emotional rollercoaster. Of course the purists and puzzle lovers, will find some things not to be the classical puzzles in an escape room, but that is also one of the reasons that make The Dome special. And to be honest, there were some really nicely elaborated puzzles, that thinking about them, while I am writing makes me smile.
But the puzzles (and activities) is just one aspect of the whole thing, you will feel the adrenaline invading your body and you will get surprised, one time after the other, and when you think that's it, they will get you to the point of extasis again. When you watch yourself playing after the game, I could see myself jumping from joy and excitement at a certain moment. They created some really original games and moments, that I have never experienced before and one really great thing about this game is also the teamwork that is needed.
I will be critical with one aspect, and one aspect only, but also an important one, which is the story. I cannot say what The Dome is really about, but the underlying idea has been used in other escape rooms in Europe, I have played at least two and they were great, and they solved it very easily, the underlying idea is the only theme, no story whatsoever. The Dome is better than those rooms that I have played, without any doubt, but it also made an attempt to put a context to that underlying idea and created a story (see for instance the trailer), the gamemaster told us a complicated story at the entrance and then you get some more pieces related to that inside of the room. The problem in my view is that the story, or some aspects of it are totally unnecessary, they do not really add to the concept and on the contrary it confuses instead of adding value. In a way it is necessary to explain a lot of what is going on inside, but somehow it does not add up, and leaves you with too many questions and probably not satisfactory answers.
Did it matter to me? Only in the analysis after the game. During the game I could not care less, as it is really a masterpiece, and the screams of some of my fellow players are the witnesses thereof. Without exaggerating The Dome has a well-desserved place among the very best of the world.

Designed to make you fail and still lots of fun

I had heard about this room a long time ago, back then when I played Casino Mysteria, and was really curious about the concept, but also about the fact that very few groups (I do not remeber now if 4 or 5) ever made it out. Normally, a room like that is a synonym of poor design or puzzles that take an enormous amount of time, but curiosity coupled with the good reviews on this site and a friend that wanted a "real challenge" finally brought us there.
The first aspect, that makes this room special is the idea, which is quite unique, ten doors, increasing difficulty, no decoration, no theme, just ten doors to open and succeed. In a market full of different ideas, this is a very original one and probably unique in the world. Already that makes it quite an experience.
The puzzles are nicely conceived, and yes, there are some things I would not like to find in a "normal" escape room, but in the context of this room it was great. We had lot of fun and wasted some valuable time in one of the rooms, but probably we would have never made it out in time, as the final puzzles are nearly impossible. That might be frustrating for some players, but in a way it is like playing the lottery, you know it is almost impossible but you play for the hope of beating the odds, and this room provides a similar experience. It will mess with you and if you are open to it, it will also provide you with an hour of fun.
The owner was friendly and that was also one of the reasons for having a lot of fun, both before and after the game. I have heard that the venue will close its doors, so if you can take the chance to play it, do it. There is a minor chance that you will hate it, but if you go with an open mind and aware of the fact that most likely you will fail, I am sure you will love it as much as I did.

Fantastic!

This room has been on my list, since I started playing escape rooms. Many international players kept on mentioning it, but for different reasons, long time passed before I could experience it on my own. The excuse to finally do it, was a visiting enthusiast from the United States, so I gathered some people and there we went.
To start with, the reception is fantastic, probably the best I have ever been, you could spend a whole day having fun. The personnel was also very friendly and I appreciated a lot viewing the footage after the game.
I am not sure how old this room is, but I know for sure it is much older than other popular top rooms, but as the saying goes: good things never die, and it was a fantastic experience. I was afraid the high expectations would ruin the experience for me, but it was not the case, I enjoyed a lot, even when we were playing at max. capacity.
One of the great things is the whole conception of a rather disturbing story (see trailer), and how this is implemented in the rooms, which are done in a very credible way. Great use of effects and surprising moments and really good puzzles.
There is not much to say, as the reputation of the room precedes it, but if you have not played yet, do not wait any longer, really worth it.

Great first VR experience!

This was my first VR experience, not only escape game, but VR in general. I was not sure, what to expect, but from the VR and the game, but I knew this was a famous experience in berlin years ago and had read good things about it.
I think my evaluation is not really comparable to a regular escape room. It is a new genre, and has very different aspects. There is one thing in common though, the great fun you have and playing as a team.
VR escape games take the experience to a whole new level in the sense that there are no physical boundaries and the virtual worlds are beautifuly done, and it is great the things you can do that would not be possible to implement in a real escape room.
The puzzles, are mainly based on interaction, but also communication and team tasks are really important. If normal escape rooms leave me time I will surely play further VR games, as I enjoyed it a lot.
I liked the new venue of AmazeVR, very centrally located and the personnel was very friendly and we had a nice talk with one of the owners. Overall I can really recommend to try it out, even if it is not your thing I am sure you will have a good time.

Really nice experience!

We have a lot of great games still to play, but for logistic reasons, we decided to play in Rotterdam, and I am happy that we chose this room, as it had some really nice original aspects. Even though it was not a high budget room, the experience they managed to create is really good, in particular due to the fact that there are several things to do and there is a lot of team work involved. I did not know beforehand, why 4 was the minimum, but that is something you will understand really quickly.
They make a nice use of media to guide you through the room and provide the story. This was a very original element (but not the only one) and I found it really well done. Puzzles were very good and logical. Maybe some aspects of the story and the ending could have been solved a little bit better, but other than that it was an overall very good experience. This is definitely a very good option in Rotterdam, also due to the very friendly service.

Worth the trip

Normally I do not play rooms far away from home (more than one hour drive away) during the working week, but I did not want to miss this room, so I convinced some people to join me, and there we went.
I am happy we did, as it was a really nice room. The world war "bunker-like" ambiance is really well-achieved, maybe because of the thematic the set was not extremely surprising, but indeed very´´´´´´´´´´´´ well-made.
The puzzles were logic and fun, although one of them required minor "outside knowledge" and another was based on it, although easily solvable without, which in spite of being theme related and maybe even obvious for Dutch people, should be used carefully when integrated into an escape room. I think there should be additional elements or pointers related to these puzzles.
Also critical was one central element of the room, which was not very authentic, which is a pity given all the effort put into the rest of the rooms and props.
In terms of service, we had a very nice game master, with whom we talked after the game. Again being critic, the reception is not so good and the bathroom lacked handtowels and soap.
Anyway, besides the critic points, it is a really solid room, with a very nice flow, nicely doable as a team of 4. A pity it is closing, but maybe it will open again somewhere else at some point.
A strong improvement point, which I would, like would be a real acting performance of the gamemaster as a start of the game, this would really improve the overall experience.

First generation room, nice for puzzling

Quite weekend, not much planned, wanting to play an escape room, decided to check what was available on a short notice not so far from home and with a reasonable price for two and I found this game.
Of course there are a lot of rooms much better than this one, and in a way one would be tempted to say that this room is not anymore, what one expects from an escape room nowadays, concerning effects, room size, and overall experience, nevertheless I am happy I played this one.
One of the reasons was the enthusiastic owner, that was very friendly and that in my opinion did a good job with this room. Another reason, was that I still enjoy old school escape room. I still love the thrill of search and puzzling, and this one was very good for that. Also due to the fact, that we played only as a team of two, made it more interesting, as there was lot of stuff to do, making it quite challenging.
The set-up and general ambiance was correctly done, I guess that with more budget, more things could be added concerning technology and/or effects, but it was done in a sufficient way, that matched the idea behind the room.
The strong part was definitely the puzzles, I enjoyed them a lot, and thanks to the very correctly timed remarks of the gamemaste we made it out barely on time. I have to say, that the numbers I am giving in the reviews are more based on a general feeling and not necessarily on a measurable objective criteria. I prefer to describe what was my impression.
If I compare it with other low budget rooms I have played or turn-key rooms, which are considerable more expensive and have much less content, this room was much more enjoyable and therefore I can advise to play it. If you are looking for something surprising, a cinematographic experience or and adventure, this is not your room, but if you still enjoy the concept that made escape rooms so popular, then definitely try it out.

Nice room for a couple

This was my first time playing a room from Escape Hunt. As it is a company present worldwide I did not expect a top room, but it ended up being quite a nice room.
In particular I want to highlight the fact, that the appearance is really professional, a very nice, large and comfortable lounge, and you get a drink served after the game. All the personnel was really friendly and professional, which is not always necessarily the case in these chains. The only thing I can criticize in terms of service is the introduction of the game in the room itself, that takes out the magic of the discovery and is something I dislike every single time. Also the explanation of particular items. I believe a room should be dessigned, without having to get an explanation like please do not move this part, or be careful with this thing. Even some really good rooms have this flaw sometimes. I appreciated though the fact that there is an after game discussion, and not like in other places, where after you are out, that's it.
The room, as I said, was better than expected, the ambience is good, it was a "no locks" room. All in all a solid room, with logical puzzles and all of them related to the theme. Maybe here and there a few confusing aspects, but after analysing the details afterwards, one could see that it was all nicely conceived. There were some collaborative elements and the room also had a little nice twist, that I am sure enthusiasts will apreciate. Unluckily it is done in a way, that loses a little bit the intended effect, but nevertheless the idea is good.
All in all, I appreciated the room, I would advice against playing it with more than three, in particular if you are experienced players. Considering that they have a very friendly two person's price I can recommend it for couples as the price/quality ratio is acceptable.

Better than expected!

Escape Factory expanded to Amterdams city centre with these rooms, that operated in the past under other name. I was a little bit afraid of encountering an awful experience like the room in Amsterdam of Fundustry (see my 1 review), but luckily it was not the case.
To sum up the room in a few words, there is not much content and in an inspired day a group could get out really quickly and be disapppointed. In a way I am happy we struggled, as it took us almost the entire time to complete the objective.
The difficulty in the room lies more within the fact, that there is no real order or logic or common thread connecting anything. You have to complete a certain amount of puzzles, which lead you to the final one, and there is no hint or anything how this puzzles work or what to look at. The puzzles are actually quite simple once you find them or find the way they work. The good thing is that the puzzles are all logical and clear, only one had not a clear unique solution and without a hint it becomes a little bit of trial and error. The rest was nicely done, nothing surprising, but decent.
The ambiance of a bar is nicely done, and it is located on top of a real bar, that is actually quite nice, the decoration is ok, like you see in the pictures, but nothing extraordinary, what you see when going in is what you get.
The guy that received us was really friendly and professional, only criticism is that they forgot to offer to take us a picture. With the Groupon you even get a portion of bitterballen in the bar downstairs. It is not a particularly good room, but acceptable. I would not pay the full price though. They could do much more with the space and also create some kind of history and have the puzzles relate to it. Currently, it does not make much sense.
I cannot recommend it, as there are way too many better options out there, even in Amsterdam, but the truth is that despite its weak points we managed to have fun.

Long live Escape Room Rijswijk! ;-)

Expectations were high, pretty much since the moment the room was announced and high expectations are sometimes the worst enemy to enjoying a room. Luckily, this was not the case here, as I enjoyed a lot the newest experience of the Rijswijk team.
When the room is really good, it is very difficult to discuss without spoiling anything, but it is a room that has it all in a good balance, including surprising moments. The flow is really good and it follows a clear line, which accompanies the whole story/objective. The puzzles are nicely integrated into a well achieved ambiance. Cool start, cool ending, what else is there to say? Ah yes, the friendly service, as usual. Nothing beats taliking with other enthusiasts ;-) One of the best achievements though is to take a recurrent topic (a prison) and make a great experience out of it. A huge kudos for that! I can only hope, that the waiting time for the next one is not very long.

Highly recommended!

This room has been on the radar for a while and I finally got the chance to play it. After a friendly welcome and the little first adventure of going to the toilettes, we got an introduction into the story. I liked the story and found it to be really original. The reception area does not tell you much, so it is really nice impression, when you finally enter the room. I found the set was really nicely done. The decoration, the ambiance, all really believable and with attention to detail. The puzzles were entertaining and original and most revolved around the underlying topic. Four is a really good number of people for this room, which combines search and classical puzzles in a balanced way, and has a few really nice mechanisms. All in all a really solid room, that combines nicely a good story, great decoration and clever puzzles.

Nice classical room

We decided to play spontaneously a room, not so far from home, and we ended up playing this one. I was not expecting a top room based on the reviews, but I was not sure what to expect. At the end I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Playing as a team of two was quite a challenge, as there are many locks, several puzzles and a lot of search involved, so we really squeezed the maximum out of the 60 minutes.
I think this room captures perfectly the spirit of the first escape rooms, that is a room with adequate thematic decoration, background slightly theme-related music, searching and good puzzles. You will not get special effects or incredible surprises. The industry evolved a lot and I think that sets the expectations of players high, but the truth is that I enjoy diversity. I still like a lot "old-school" rooms with lot of classical puzzling involved. The puzzles were logical and maybe one could object a couple of things, which are also typical of these kind of rooms, and other than the fact, that there were not so many elements I would say were new to me, I enjoyed a lot this room. The puzzles are mostly theme related, although there were here and there some isolated things, which did not have much to do with the theme and/or the setting. In any case, if you are not into classical rooms, where searching and typical puzzles is what you get, then this is not the room for you. If you on the other hand enjoy such rooms, then go for it.
Concerning the service, personnel was nice, we had some issue with one or two things, probably due to language misunderstanding, but in general all was ok. I am not so used to ask for hints via walkie talkie, instead of having the gamemaster managing that, but I think I managed quite ok and the gamemaster as well. Our gamemaster forgot to take our picture, but then we asked for it and another lady working there did in a really friendly fashion. You cannot expect the service of an owner/enthusiast run business, and there is not a real discussion after the game, but all in all it was correct and friendly.

A first great experience in Leiden

Many escape rooms have recently opened in the Leiden area and made it quickly into the Top 50. A friend proposed to play this one, and I obviously could not say no. We went in with a group of 6. For the most part of the room, it was fine, as there were different things to keep us busy, but at the beginning 6 felt like a little bit too much. But this is something, which happens in many rooms.
The service is great, I loved arriving there and being offered something to drink and some cookies and in general before and after the game really friendly. The introduction is correct, and they have a nice transition from the reality into Wonderland.
The spaces are nicely decorated in conexion with the topic, I think that it is really well-achieved. The puzzles are nicely integrated and linked to the different spaces. The fact that it can be worked at different stuff at the same time was something I liked, in particular since we were at maximum capacity. The puzzles are all really logical, but some had aspects, that I am certain not everybody will enjoy. I do like this kind of puzzles, but I felt that some do not go well with the idea of Wonderland, which I associate more with fantasy and not necessarily with logic and mathematical operations, and therefore introduced something that does not really go along with the whole idea.
What I missed the most in this room was a red thread, a storyline, a goal. They tell you a story at the beginning of the room, but after exiting I felt I was missing something and it was mainly a story, a progress through the room. There is on the other hand a progress given by the spaces, and if you are vaguely familiar with the original story, you can recognize the idea behind, but I wish more had been done in connexion with a story in the room. Although, I acknowledge, that this is difficult to do in 60 minutes, when the focus lies on the puzzles.
In spite of the critical points, this is a great room that enriches the region and that we enjoyed a lot and can only recommend to try it out, prefreably with a slightly smaller group.

Really nice escape room in historical location

This was the last room we were missing in Delft and it turned out to be a really nice one. The historical location makes it very unique location, and they have made a very nice use of the space. The owner was kind enough to change our reservation due to the heat wave, I am glad we did otherwise the experience would not have been as enjoyable as it was. The game is challenging, rather of classical nature, but with some nice audion and video elements. In general the puzzles were logical and theme related, although one particular puzzle, although fun and original had in my opinion little to do with the general setting and topic. Neverthless I found some clever mechanisms, that I had not seen before. The game has a nice flow, and we failed mainly due our already classical poor searching ability. I think the gamemaste could have intervened, as obviously we had the puzzle figured it out, but could not possibly complete, due to the missing element, in any case, this did not tarn our experience, which was a really good one. One of the things I enjoyed a lot was the original theme based on local history, that stands out, given that many escape roos opt for classical topics. The connection to real history makes it interesting for visitors and all in alll turns the whole experience also in an educative one, without compromising the fun. This definitely is another nice escape room in the South Holland well worth a visit.

Top experience!!!

I was looking forward to play Catacombs for quite a while and I finally got the chance. In a few words it was a fantastic experience. It does not only add a top experience to Amsterdam, but also represents a unique experience for the Netherlands. The fact, that it is horror themed and that it incoporates actors definitely enriches the scene,
I enjoyed a lot the great introduction to the game, and the use of the space was fantastic. The riddles were good and connected to the topic. One of the greatest things is the mechanism, by which there are many possible outcomes of your mission, which makes it interestingly challenging even for experienced groups.
Without any doubt Catacombs makes it into my list of top games.

Nice for beginners!

As I have reviewed for the other rooms of this venue. The location is very nice. A nice place to have a drink, and ideally for larger groups and enterprises, as they offer several battle rooms. The personnel is very friendly, but obviously lacks the passion of a place run by the owners or enthusiasts. We played in battle modus in two groups of 4 and this modality is quite fun, I had experienced it with Wild Joe before.
I think that the same general comments apply than for the other rooms, it is a low budget room, but ideal for people starting escape rooms, as it has a moderate to easy level of difficulty and it is acceptable in terms of puzzle and ambiance. The one or the other puzzle lacked a little bit of a clear logic, but in general it was ok, with some variety of rather classical puzzles. The "interactive" part is a nice touch, again specially for beginners. All in all I have to say, that in spite of being a rather average room, we had fun and that is the most important part. Do not go there with high expectations and you will be fine. As a seasoned escape, there are many other better options. On the other hand the fact, that they regularly offer Groupon discounts is a nice opportunity to try it out. I would not pay the full price though.

Great room with a few "buts"

The expectations were high for this room, in view of its position in the ranking in this site. While the reception of the game master adds a lot to the experience and the acting was really good, the moment we came in was a little bit weird, as no one was there to receive us. In general our group was a little bit annoyed by that, as it took a while until someone showed up. I have played in other countries games, where nobody is there, but then there is really nobody there in the whole process prior to the game. Maybe the gamemaster was busy resetting the room or something like that. In any case, the whole introduction to the game is really well-done and the venue adds really something to it. The reception room is also nicely arranged.
The room makes a nice use of effects and has quite nice start with multiple things catching the attention and good for keeping a group busy. As in many rooms the initial multiple tasking converges into linearity. My feeling (and also the one of several members of the team) is that from this moment on the room looses its initial momentum. Logical puzzles give place to skilled based puzzles, which can only entertain one or two people at the time and this generates an anticlimax towards the end. Maybe in our case one of these puzzles took too long compared to other groups, but it was a low point in the whole flow. For me it was a great introduction was a great first part and a disappointing second part and an ending, which I did not enjoy at all. Very dififcult to discuss the details, wothout going into a spoiler, but I felt there was a random component, that led us to spend the last part of our time bored and frustrated. I expect much more of the ending of an escape room.
In spite of the criticized aspects, I have to acknowledge that this room has a well-desserved spot among the top of the country, specially thanks to its great introduction and ambiance.

Darkpark does it again!

Our team, this time without the ladies, was celebrating "the end" of the bachelor time of one of our members. With a little bit of luck, we got a spot for playing the newest room of Darkpark. We were really curious about the newest experience, as we had played their other 4 games, and we were really looking forward to find out what it was going to be like.
We were spared the whole standard talk and we went straight for the game, which has a really strong start. There were really funny, bizarre and surprising moments throughout the game. An amazing experience with great acting that for the Netherlands is rather uncommon.
All is accompanied by an engaging, quite crazy story. After the game I started wondering about some aspects, but it was too late to make questions. I can imagine everything is well-thought, but there were a couple of things, that I am not sure, where the relationship was to the story.
The puzzles were interesting and theme related, but I felt it was the weakest point, I guess specially compared to other rooms of Dark Park. When the game finished (in a fantastic manner by the way) I was left wanting a little bit more, specially in terms of puzzles. I think the whole experience would profit from a longer experience with some more content, but that is only me being critical.
To sum up, it is a fantastic room that follows the new tendencies in the industry and adds a new jewel to the crown of Darkpark.

Keep away! Do not go there!

If you see my reviews for the rooms in the Netherlands, I tend to be positive. I do not hesitate to give a 10 for a suberb experience, and an average room gets usually something around 7.5. I would never have thought to experience something like this room, which is the only time I have given a 1 in the score. This is without any doubt the worst room I have played, and I think it is very difficult to beat.
I would like to rescue something positive, but there is nothing at all, except the fact that I did not have to pay the full price thanks to a Groupon. In general I had really good experiences with Groupon, as long as I avoided rooms, which were clearly bad according to this website, but there were no reviews of this room here and I thought to take the risk, specially after the good experiences in Dordrecht, which operate under the same company (Fundustry). The review of the other room came only a few days ago, but it was anyway too late by then, so I hope to save a couple of readers from going into this "experience".
The e-mail asked to be there half an hour before, but as experiences players we knew 15 minutes was more than enough. In any case, when we got there no one was there, just 10 minutes before the starting time someone appeared. The venue has not toilets of their own and you need to go to a pub/restaurant next door to make use of the toilets before the game. After waiting for a while, while the employee was getting everything prepared, we had a few bizarre experiences. The first one was that apparently the thing we are supposed to find in the room is not there, because some interns took it away with them. Independently if it is true or not (blaim the intern sounds like an excuse), if that happened hours ago (because the venue was closed) or the day before, they should have sorted it out, or have spare parts. Anyway, because of that she gave us the option of playing the other room, or play the same room, but without finding what we were supposed to find. As this option meant that the rest of the room would be playable normally we opted to play the originally booked room. In the waiting room at some point she said, please turn around/close your eyes for a minute because I need to do something related to the room. Really? The clues came with a 2 minutes penalty, and you had to type them in a keyboard, everytime we had to wait long before getting any answer and to be honest the gamemaster did not have any clue on how to give a hint, and that had little to do with the language in my opinion. The only reason I do not give a one in service is because she was nice and obviously had no clue about how bad the place is, where she is working.
What can I say about the room? Well if I'd have to guess the rent of the property in the inner city of Amsterdam is probably more expensive than the investment in the room. I quickly realized that what you see is what you get, and honestly it is simply not enough.
But the worst part was the "puzzles" although calling puzzles to the 5 things you had to do is an overstatement. Random, illogical actions were expected. I never experienced a room, where I was practically 60 minutes without doing anything. And it is not because the others solved everything, there was practically nothing to solve.
To sum up, I strongly advise not to try it out, not even with the Groupon. A complete waste of time and money, that does not deserve to be in the same page with the rooms from Dordrecht.

Fantastic room with great ambiance!

Bussum had been on my list for quite some time, in particular because it was recommended by other owners. The expectations were obviously high. It was a last minute decission, and luckily I managed to assemble an investigator team to find out what happened with the train.
The service was friendly, there was a slight confussion regarding the language we were going to play, that was quickly solved. The gamemaster waited for us patiently (in spite of me arriving slightly delayed due to rush hour traffic) and was friendly and motivated. He spared us the rather general stuff and introduced us into the subject of the room. One great thing about the service, which deserves a special mention is the "video analysis" after the game. This is the first time I encounter something like that, and it is highly unusual, as it takes extra time and normally the time between slots is optimized for reseting and so on. I found it to be a fantastic idea.
One highlight about this room is definitely the ambiance, you do not feel to be on a train, you are on a train. There is a nice use of effects including lights and sound. It is really nice how they recreated some typical things you could find on a train and how this was integrated into the puzzles.
If I have to be critical about something in this room, it is in connection with the puzzles. Do not get me wrong! I liked in general the puzzles. There was a nice variety of them and many were directly related to the topic and/or story, but I found that a couple of them a little bit out of place or not entirely convincing. That thing said, I really apreciated that in spite of the space constraints and the fact that we were playing at maximum capacity, it felt like there were many things to do and several moments we were doing things in parallel. There were some linear moments, like in every game, where indeed you do not need so many people, but in general it felt good. I think 3 people is probably the optimal team size.
I also enjoyed the flow of the room and the connection to the story. with a clear and strong beginning and ending.
Based on how I enjoyed this room, I can say for sure, that I will come to play their second room, when it opens to the public.

Great Escape Experience!!! ;-)

I was looking forward to play this room, since they announced it, as I had enjoyed their previous room a lot. My expectations were not only met, but exceeded. So first of all congratulations for this new room. It is indeed great!
It had been a while since we were last there, but it is great what they did with the reception room, larger, more comfortable, more professional.
I enjoyed the puzzles related to the announcement of the room, it is a nice warm up, and introduces to the story behind the room in a fun manner. I like when escape rooms, create stories and/or another elements which accompany the whole experience beyond the room itself, as they contribute to an overall memorable experience.
When you are approaching your 100th room, you tend to be more critical with different aspects of an escape room, nevertheless this room easily deserves to be considered a Top Room.
From the very beginning you feel in the facility, this sensation is supported by a nice range of light and sound effects, with some particularly nice moments.
There is a large variety of puzzles, involving different skills, and many collaborative tasks. In comparison with their previous room, this room has a lot of non-linear instances, which is great for larger groups (we played at maximum capacity and enjoyed it fully). The puzzles are logic and clear, and nevertheless they have all their challenging component. Maybe the one or the other purist will object some puzzle, but I found they were all nicely integrated into the setting, and not less important they were fun to do. When you have done several puzzles, it is also nice to find original puzzles, as was the case in this room, includig some unique elements I had never encountered before.
Other than the reception room, I would like to acknowledge the good disposition of Kevin, to let us celebrate the birthdays of some of our team members at the venue after the escape, doing "after hours" just for us. That goes far beyond, what one can expect.
To sum it up, I love escape rooms like this, where the owners are there, when you can discuss the game afterwards, and where you can experience all the work and thought put into the room.

Original concept with a great story

When I booked this room, I was not sure what to expect. I saw the name shortly after they opened and found some positive first reviews and decided to go for it.
The first great point about this room is all the "after booking" e-mails and introduction to the story. Other than one famous Amsterdam room, which does something similar, I believe there are not so many escape rooms using that concept and I always enjoy it, as it gets you in the mood long before you actually get to play it.
Also the moment you arrive is very nice. I saw one weak point, which was related to the transition between these mentioned instances (e-mails and arrival) and playing the room, concerning the reception I gave this feedback personally after the game, and I believe the fact that we played in English had also to do with how it went, but I think that if they followed my suggestion (which is what they had in mind anyway, I believe) this can improve the experience greatly.
The room builds on all the previous information and brings in my opinion a whole new concept into play, namely a "story-based" room. The role of the story in escape rooms has evolved from being a mere excuse, to be a defining aspect in the themes and puzzles, and even the flow of the game, a beginning and an ending is expected and this is what you usually find in top rooms. In this room the story is the main aspect of the room. This is indeed a double-edged sword, because it implies a lot of narrative elements (including quite some reading), and also the complex storyline might be difficult for some to follow given the time constraints, and for the one or the other it might not fulfill their expectations as it goes against another tendency in escape rooms related to more active doing, but in my view it is great and I am glad the owners placed a bet on the story to create this experience. I think that in terms of storyline, this is one of the best (if not THE best) room I have played so far. I enjoy reading and films and this room manages to put you as the protagonist of a complex story, with depth, tension and twists.
But what about the ambiance and the puzzles. Well, the ambiance is functional to the story, therefore even though there is a nice use of different effects, it is maybe not the strongest point, as it serves mainly the story. But do not get me wrong, it is very neatly done and it serves the purpose of the story. The puzzles are nice and challenging. I have to say that some of the puzzles were types of puzzles I have encountered before (in some cases several times), so obviously something that was surprising and great for my team colleagues (one newbie and someone a little bit more experienced) was rather not so much for me. Nevertheless the puzzles were logic, challenging and interesting, and obviously related to the story.
The service was great, it was nice to discuss with the owners, how they developped this idea, future plans, comment on the room and about their expectations. It took a long time for me to write this review (long holidays), but I am glad to see you made it into the Top 50, which is really well desserved.
I can wholeheartedly recommend this room. I found the concept great and different than other rooms, in a very good way.

Reactie door Sky High escape rooms

22 maart 2019

Thank you, for this very nice review, and good feedback! we will work on this! We want to give the best experience for everyone!

Cheap but acceptable first generation room

Originally we had booked another room, as this room is said to require a minimum of three players After playing another room, they told us the room we had booked was too easy and only suitable for beginners, so they kindly allowed us to change it for this room. The first remark is that the minimum of 3 is absolute ficticious. We did it with two and the main objective was accomplished with 15 minutes to spare. Therefore, the theoritically high difficulty is clearly an overstatement.
The ambiance is really minimalistic and anything but credible, the only thing giving the ambiance is the fact that it is a basement and the darkness, which at the beginning gives a little bit of extra difficulty. I can imagine, that at the moment they opened it could be considered quite ok, but it does not live up to the expectaions of an escape room nowadays.
The puzzels were okay, but mostly not very original, with the exception of one. One of the puzzles had a design issue, which complicates its resolution. This could and should be made better. The main critic is that the puzzles are not even remotely related to the topic or the story. I think, that not even one single puzzle is theme related.
All in all it was ok, we had fun as a couples activity and doing some puzzle solving, but the room is clearly below the average. Apparently it is a room that has been open for quite a while, it may have been acceptable at that time, but nowadays not really worth going there for the experienced escapers, and also in this case the price/value relationship is not acceptable, when there are so many rooms out there.
Again in this case, the personnel was really friendly, and I am thankful that they allow us the change, as at least this second room was acceptable, but also in this venue the control room is also the reception, which is also not very professional.

Meh...worst room played so far

We were having a weekend in Brussels and decided to give it a go at some rooms there, suitable for two players. Based on availability and costs, we ended up reserving two rooms in Quarantine. I had asked the opinion of someone, who had played the room before and I expected to be acceptable at least.
The first impression was already not very good, they had two groups at the same time for the two rooms of the venue and only one gamemaster, there was barely place for accomodating two groups at the same time (and we were only two people in our group!!!). Obviously, after the first group entered, we got the explanations, that means also that durinng that time the gamemaster was not monitoring at all the other group. In general I believe that there should be one gamemaster per room or at least to have a staggered begin.
Furthermore, the reception is also the control room, without any kind of separation, already a folding screen would make a difference. The distribution of the rooms is not very practical and does neither help to ´get you into the mood, nor to finish the game.
The first disappointment was entering the room. Minimalistic decoration, with some distracting elements. Minimalistic is an euphemism for cheap. A couple of IKEA furniture and a few elements, that do not make much sense, in an attempt to put something related to the underlying topic. I hoped that something better would come later, but no, in any case what comes later is even worse, but I will not "spoil" it here.
While the story is clear and some aspects are found in the room, the objectives do not match at all the flow in the room. The story is rather superficial and there is practically no progression connected to the story. I believe this was the first room, where I never got into the mood in the whole time there. I was rather hoping to finish it soon and get out of there.
The lack of flow refelects in the puzzles, some do not make sense at all, at least one had some issue, maybe product of the wear, or just poorly done. I never fet the thrill of accomplishment or the "aha" sensation of puzzle solving. Some ideas are repeated and are rather confusing, instead of contributing to a coherent whole.
To top it all, after a while of playing, the message of room accomplished appeared on the screen and the clock stopped, which left us wondering what had happened. Later on, there was again a technical difficulty with the clock.
To be honest, the only positive things I can say about the rooms, was the friendly personnel, the disposition to get feedback (and hopefully implement some of it) and the kindness of letting us change the game we had for the nex day, in order not to play the beginners room in the other venue around the corner.
The truth is that is not worth investing the money in playing this room, when obviously the investment made in it is really poor. Little budget and space limitations can be compensated with creative or interetsing puzzles, which is clearly not the case here. Several adjustments should be made in the flow and puzzles, in order to have at least an acceptable room.

Fantastic room!!!

This was the last room we were missing from Escape Challenge, and what a room it was!!! In my opinion the best begin of all four rooms! Great ambientation, interesting and fun puzzles and a few not so usual elements round up a great experience. Maybe it is worth remarking, specially for experienced groups, to stick to the recommended number of players (or less). It is also worth noting the improvement (since we were there last to play the Dentist) of the reception area, which is now similar to the one in Zoetermeer. We are eagerly awaiting a new room!

What a great birthday experience!

A number is very relative, sometimes the escape rooms are very different and difficult to compare, but at the end the most important part is the nature of the time spent in the room, that is, how the overall experience was. My experience might be biased by being surrounded with people I love in my birthday, but in spite of this I will objectively review the different aspects and explain why I am giving a 10 for MY experience.
The ambiance is really well achieved. A very nice use of the space, and a realistic and thorough decoration, consistent with the underlying storyline. It has to be said, that not so many escape rooms in the Netherlands have understood the importance of getting the players into the mood from the very beginning, that is before the game, and this is a fundamental part of the ambiance. In spite of not having the best conditions for doing so, the owners are well aware of this and make use of a resource that in my opinion should be used more (in this or other ways).
The puzzles are fun, logic, varied and theme related, although it has to be said that the type of puzzles is rather typical for an escape room. There is though, a very original aspect that the experienced player in the Netherlands will enjoy and that shows on one hand the enthusiastic owners but also their creativity. As some people mentioned in other reviews, there are many locks, I do not know whether it has to do with budgetary constraints or a conscious choice. In any case, as I have mentioned in many other reviews it does not affect at all the experience.
Those things said, one of the reasons I had a superb experience was the comittment of the owners. They really went above and beyond, contributing to an unforgettable birthday experience. I do not want to reval the details, but they really incorporated my birthday celebration into the room throughout the game.
We played with 6, as we are a group of friends, but for experienced players, I think 4 would be a more appropriate number.
Just to sum up, birthday or not, this is a very good room, which I can wholeheartedly recomend.

A great game for small groups

I had seen the very good reviews of this game and was looking forward to play it. At the end we ended up being just two, and that was probably for the best. I noticed that some of the not so positive reviews are from people that played in large groups, when the website recommends a smaller number (3-4). Honestly, I believe that for experienced players even 4 is too much. I would advise playing it with two, maximum three players.
Already before entering, the gamemaster told us to expect a linear room. Due to this, playing with more than 2-3 does not make much sense.
The atmosphere of the room and effects used is nicely done, As it usually happens, a "bunker themed" room does not involve much decoration, in spite of this, this room has gone beyond the usual empty bunker and created a nice space, matching the nature of the puzzles, which involves a lot of "do puzzles". The focus of this room (also due to the linear nature) is more oriented to the overall experience, which involves playing a role in a story, which is well-achieved. For this reason this room clearly differentiates itself, from escape rooms, in which the story is merely the background for puzzle solving. Also because of this, the puzzles are kept rather simple, although some were quite interesting and involved doing things not usual in an average room.
The gamemaster was nice before and after the game. The reception area is kept quite simple, probably also due to the space constraints, I guess this aspect could be improved, given that the reception is the first impression someone has of the venue.
To sum up, it is a great experience to do in a small group (or for larger groups of first timers). Maybe not the best room when looking for mental challenges, but definitely one great experience.

Really good room and great service

I have been wanting to play this room for a while now, and it fulfilled my expectations based on the good reviews. As we had been to this venue before, we knew to expect a great service, which was the case again. Always nice to talk with enthusiastic owners and I love the souvenir picture.
From the two rooms in this venue, this is definitely the best. The atmosphere of the cafe is really well achieved. There was a nice variety of puzzles and a combination of locks and technical elements. The puzzles were all logic and theme related. Maybe in terms of puzzles there was nothing really unexpected, but all in all it was well balanced.
The flow in the rooms was really nice, and it matched also a nice storyline, with a couple of surprise elements and a really cool finale. As they will be closing this venue at the end of the year, do not miss the opoortunity to play it if you can. I would not recommend it to play it with lot of people though. The maximum capacity is way too much, specially for experienced groups, I would say 5 is the maximum.
We are looking forward to playing the new room(s) in the new venue.

Nice average room

To start with I want to thank the girl working there, that was very friendly and waited for us, when we got severely stuck in traffic on our way there from the other side of the Netherlands. Throughout our stay there she was very polite.
The room is an average room, and I mean in it in a positive way. There is nothing outstanding about it, neither the puzzles, nor the atmosphere, but on the other hand all of these components are nicely done, in relationship to the theme, which usually involves rather minimalistic decoration. On the other hand there were a couple of props, that were very nice. The puzzles were logic and were theme related, and involved also some doing with a decent amount of technic.
Very critical points in my opinion are the fact, that the gamemaster enters with you and explains you that some object is only decoration, if it weren't for the really friendly way, in other reviews I would have been harsher. Also the explanation that the door is open sometimes kills the mood a little bit, although given the nature of the topic, it was completely irrelevant. Rather than an escape room, mission room would probably be a better denomination. There was a small technical issue, that the gamemaster solved promptly. Again, in this case it did not bother that much that she had to enter the room, but, in general, things like that in other escape rooms could be a big deal breaker.
I have to say also, that this was the first time I play a room in the Netherlands, only with a second person, and that actually made the experience really fun. We manage to escape well in time without hints, so in spite of the issues mentioned above it was a great experience.
The room is good for beginners and for experienced players I would recommend to keep it to a minimum amount of players. All in all it is a room which does not have practically suprising elements, both in terms of general flow of the game and puzzles, but that on the other hand allows you to have a nice time, as you save the world ;-)

Great room with physical elements!

After a struggling a little bit to find the place (the access is via a little road paralllel to the main road), I arrived to encounter a cozy lobby with a bar and lot of different games. A great place for larger groups as they have many rooms and a good waiting area.
As the place is a little bit isolated and not close to my place, one of the reasons I dediced to go for it was the reviews here and I was not dissapointed, on the contrary I was rather surprised to find such great rooms there.
The start of this room is really nice, in our case unluckily there was a technical glitch at the beginning, which took off a little bit of the emotion, but in spite of it, it is really well done. I love when escape rooms have kind of a preamble to the game itself. In my case I had experienced the same idea in at least two other rooms, but it is fun every single time, and in this case it was particularly enjoyable in view of the topic of the escape room.
For me it was the first time I encounter a room with this sort of physical elements. I guess they changed the aspect deemed by one reviewer as dangerous, because I did not encounter anything, which might be considerd like that (october 2018). It has to be said that obviously this room is not doable for people with reduced mobility, but it is also not physically challenging, after all it is an escape room. In any case, I enjoyed these elements, they give an extra something, as opposed to the more classic escape rooms, where the transitions are from one room to another through a door for instance.
The puzzles were original, logical and theme related and good to keep different people busy at the same time.
The hints were given at the right moments and the staff was friendly before and after the game.
There was a minor aspect of the final puzzle, which I found a little bit confusing, that in my opinion could be easily solved with a small change.
As it is stated in the recommended amount of people, 4 is fine. We played with 5 and there were a couple of moments when it was too much.

Really good room!

This is the second room I played in this venue, which as I mentioned in the other review is very nice and has friendly staff.
This room is the first one I have played with an Egyptian theme. I think it was well achieved. The puzzles were logical and theme related, some typically found in other escape rooms, but also some original ones, and there were several things to keep a group busy.
Based on the rooms I have played I can only say that this venue is really worth a visit.

A must in Antwerpen!

This was the last game of a little trip to the city of Antwerpen! If I compare the games we played there to, for instance, the high quality games around the area where I live in the Netherlands, Antwerpen is probably not a bastion for escape room enthusiasts. Nevertheless I consider this room as a little jewel in Antwerpen and worth visiting if you are in the area.
In the first place just because of the overall experience. The host, which I believe it's the owner as well, played a fantastic role, contributing to this experience. In the many escape rooms I have played this is the exception, rather than the norm, so it is always nice to encounter this, and I strongly believe it is an added value.
In the second place, the room is nicely done. The atmosphere matching the topic, nice use of effects, overall there is little to complain about, except some minor things, which are difficult to describe without giving away spoilers.
Concerning the puzzles, one has to bear in mind that the nature of the room is a Popup room, nowadays there is a tendency to use technology and refrain from locks, so obviously people with an allergy to locks might find this apect of this room not so good. As I said in many other reviews I do not believe locks are a problem as such. On the other hand there is always the question of the relationship between the presence of locks and the topic, and also the puzzles in relationship to the locks and topic. I think this could be improved. In particular concerning the nature of the puzzles. Many of them do not appear to be related to the story or the setting, as it is done in many of the Escape Rooms I have played where an hotel room was involved.
We got quite a few hints, I am really surprised because this was a constant in all of the rooms we played in Antwerpen (see other reviews). I am wondering if this had to do with our team or the daily shape of our team, or was a rather general issue. I have done some quite hard (in terms of escape rates) rooms in the Netherlands and in none of them I have got half of the hints I got in each of the rooms played in Antwerpen. In the particular case of this room, I am wondering if maybe some aspects of the puzzle design could be better to avoid hints and to make the puzzles clearer. There was for instance one particular thing that it was done in such a way that was a little bit confusing.
The biggest issue was the final task, which was mentioned by the other reviewers of this site. While I do not care so much about time, I want to succeed in escaping. We had quite a some time for the final task, but it did not work out. Now, that I see the other reviews here, we were not the only ones, so I wonder what is the percentage of success of the people of this room, in particular concerning the final task. Without knowing said percentage it is difficult to judge, but it appears very difficult to be done, in particular also with the room conditions making a difficult task even more difficult. It felt a little bit frustrating as we spent quite some time on it, and it is an individual task. On top of that the host was not able to make it work, while he showed us the general principle and that it should work, the item concerned did not work in spite of various attempts of the host. I tend to be very critical with malfunctions, because they can really ruin the experience. In this case however, even the failure was an experience and therefore it compensated a little bit the fact that we did not manage to escape.
To sum up, in spite of the technical issue/high level of difficulty with the final thing, the experience was really good and I could appreciate the overall concept, taht is why I consider this as a very good room. So, if you have the chance before they move to a new location, go for it!

Reactie door The Room Antwerp

21 oktober 2018

Hello Soi, thank you for your review. We use the comments to make our next game better. Our current succes rate is 41% with a record time of 53 minutes. I think that, because you guys tried a lot to get the final lock open, the pins were shifted a bit, making it more difficult to get the final task to succeed. We're sorry for that, we replaced the lock after your group and are now checking your lock for damages or parts that aren't working properly because most groups need between 1 and 3 minutes to open the final lock. We'll also take this in our "to-do-list" and will test the lock more often. Nevertheless, I thank you for your visit and hope you liked the room and our concept. Greetings, Tim

Mixed feelings...

This was the first of some games played in a trip to Antwerpen. Already from the beginning you realize you are dealing with a rather commercial venue. Not really made for spending time there (even the confirmation e-mail said to be 5-10 minutes before the game the earliest), but just to process the groups (they have quite a number of rooms there). The girl that accompanied us to the room was very friendly, but it felt just as a regular professional service. There is no discussion after the room, and other than the picture (with nice props) that is pretty much it.
The area of the rooms looks just like an office building, only when you enter the room you are supposed to get into the the theme. In this case we were accompanied into the room, which for me is sometimes a deal breaker, we got some things explained and then the game began.
My first impression was of a rather empty room with some things related to the theme. On the other hand there were a few nice things related to the room later on the game, which compensated for that first impression. In any case it is not a place, where you get in the mood just by entering. While the progress to through the room was clear, some aspects did not make much sense in relationship to the story.
The puzzles were in general good and theme related, but there was one puzzle that should in my opinion never be in an escape room. It is a puzzle you do sitting on a train, in the toilet, but certainly not in an escape room, at least in my opinion. I never encountered such a puzzle before and I think for a good reason. In many cases there was not really a clear logic between the puzzles and the locks. Figuring some things out was in some cases rather a wild guess than a logical process.
Another issue was the hint giving. Sometimes the hints were ok, both in content and timing, but in other cases we were just starting on one puzzle and we got immediately hints with no time to think at all, and in other cases we got directly an answer instead of a hint. Some hints were probably necessary, due to missing logic mentioned above.
All in all, it was a room that, with a few nice exceptions, for all of the reasons mentioned above felt more like working than enjoying. Compared to the rooms I have played mainly in the Netherlands I would rate it as a (slightly below) average room.

Very nice room! Probably the best in the city of Antwerpen

This was the second room of the four played in Antwerpen and in my opinion it was the best of those four. We were friendly received by the owner. It was interesting to hear after the game that he was doing everything on his own, which must be acknowledged given the great result. He also asked for feedback after the game (not something that you hear very often) and was interested in game recommendations from the Netherlands.
The venue is very spacious and while some things are still "work in progress", there is nothing to object and it has some really nice details.
Among the things that are still being worked on is the area, where the entrance of the room is located. I am sure, once finished it will be great. The props for the pictures is a nice detail.
The room is really nicely done. As a scientist I enjoyed to find a topic related to science, which I have not found that often in Escape rooms, it is also nice how the puzzles and the story are connected to that. All in all a really solid room. It is maybe not a room that I would put in my top list, but it is definitely a very good room that is worth a visit. Nice decor, nice puzzles. Some elements I have found repeatedly in other escape rooms, but it had also some elements that I had never seen before and that I found really nice. While there are not many surprise moments, there are certain elements, that I found were really nicely done where one thinks that something will happen and something else did. The puzzles were all logical and challenging.
If I happen to be in Antwerpen again, I will surely visit the venue for the new room(s)!

Disappointing experience

This was the second room we played in this venue, as a part of the little escape trip to Antwerpen. When we played the first room, one of the thing we did not like a lot was the way of immediately giving clues, usually with the solution. Someone from the team, asked therefore to do not give clues right away. This was a terrible idea, because at a certain point we got stuck and they did not help at all, even when we asked for it (maybe they do not even have a microphone???). The service in general, as I said in the previous review, was friendly but rather commercial, not much dedication and after we exited the room, they did not even bother to take a second picture or asks us if we wanted one, which on top of what had happened in the room left me with an even larger disappointment about this venue.
The room started nicely, because as the name says it has to do with with breaking in a bank. Already the beginning is done much better in Dutch rooms like The Heist in Rotterdam, but all in all it started ok and logical.
At a certain point they told us via the monitor to split the group and then they locked us in that way. This is absolutely the worst game flow management I have seen in an escape room. It has nothing to do do with the story or logical behaviour connected to the story. From then on it was a struggle. Yes, on one hand our own incapacity, there is no doubt about that, but also several issues on top of that. The lack of hints, specially on the right moments, a very simple hint at the correct point in time would have been enought to change the experience. There was no connection whatsoever between the tasks to be solved and the idea of the room, as many elements and their placement made no sense in the context of the bank. Similar puzzles, which added confusion and a lot of places to input numbers including lock out safes, Puzzles that were extremely repetitive and that on top of that involved a trial and error component, which does not add difficullty to the puzzle as such but only increases the time needed for it.
There were a few nice elements in the room, one of them quite original, that we saw after they explained us the room afterwards, but as we missed it all during the playing of the game.
The decoration of the bank is ok, although very minimalistic, and also not done accordingly to what one would expect from a real configuration.
All in all the room is quite ok and challenging, as there are lots of things to do, but our experience was unluckily not very good. As a facit, many companies in Antwerpen are rather commercial ones and not of the high quality, I am more used from the rooms in Netherlands, which to a big extent are made by enthusiasts, in terms of puzzles, atmosphere and service.

Fantastic experience!

As this is the second time we play in Zoetermeer and the third time a room from Escape Challenge, there is not much to add to some of my previous reviews, in short: nice waiting area and great service.
The room was, as all the other rooms, of great quality. The atmosphere is great, the puzzles were really nice and logic and there was also a nice flow.
I can only recommend Escape Challenge. It is nice to have escape rooms of such a good quality in the region.

Great room!

After playing The submarine I was looking forward to play the new room. I was not disappointed as it was again a very good room. The room has a clear progression, with a clear story, although sometimes I wondered a little bit about the conection between the puzzles and the story. The atmosphere is well achieved. There are a lot of great elements related to the story that I enjoyed a lot, specially the puzzles. There were a few things I had not seen before. I think we got only two hints related to some things that were maybe not very clear, therefore I am a little bit surprised that othe reviewers commented that there were many hints necessary. All in all, the puzzles were logical and fun, and it was nice that several involved collaborative work.
You lose the feeling of the time spent in there, like The submarine, this is a 90 minutes room, but in both rooms we escaped way ahead the 90 minutes, so I can imagine that with an experienced group you should not expect to spend that much time.
Maybe a little minus was that we did not get a picture after the game. I do not know if the gamemaster forgot, or they do not do it anymore, but when one is used to it, it feels like something is missing.

What an experience!!!

I was looking forward to play this room for a while and finally I got the opportunity. I have to say my expectations were very high. After hearing about it so much, I needed to experience it myself and I was not dissapointed.
The experience is amazing. There is not much to say without revealing too much, but I do not think that there many escape rooms that have such a great concept and such a great overall experience, including the role of the host and even the confirmation e-mails.
In terms of the atmosphere, there is an authenticity in the room, that it is difficult to imitate.
The puzzles are nice, but rather lineal and not so many. It is clear that the focus is on the experience. I missed a little bit the thrill of puzzle solving from more classic escape rooms.
It is funny because along the many things I had heard about this room, one of it was the difficulty to escape, which the host confirmed, so when we exited I was still quite surprised that we had done it, in a way I was expecting more challenges.
We received a nice little souvenir, but on the other hand there was no picture. I do not know if it is because of the experience, but there was not a place to sit , have a drink and/or discuss the game after finishing. While the host played a really nice role, I missed the personal touch of the people (usually owners) of some other rooms after the game.
Because of the experience, this is a must play room in the Netherlands.

Classic escape room at its best

I wil start this review by simply stating: What a great room! From the rather classic rooms I have played, I believed this one was one of the best. Maybe the decoration is rather minimalistic, but I think it serves the purpose of the atmosphere of the room, which makes a good use of light and sound effects. Without revealing anything, it is indeed a room, which has lot of locks, but as I have mentioned in many reviews before, in spite of the tendencies in the escape room industry, locks is not a synonym of boring or a simple room. On the contrary, this room is challenging and has a large variety of puzzles, and they are linked around a certain topic, so the room is not a mere collection of dissimilar puzzles but is connected throught the underlying topic. Furthermore, there is a clear progression in the room. It is also nice that it keeps everyone quit busy, with the exception of converging moments, we were split several times in two groups of people working on different things, which is probably the only way of making it out on time. The fact that there is a bonus puzzle at the end makes it even more fun, even though we had the key to freedom with a little bit over 5 minutes to go, we stayed until the last seconds trying to solve the final bonus puzzle. Apparently not many groups manage to make it, we did not, but at least we escaped, which apparently not so many groups do either (8% is supposed to be the escape rate). Therefore I think this room is great for groups looking for a challenge.
¨In my second visit to this venue, I found the service very friendly both before and after the game. It was nice to talk to the owner (¨?) who is also an enthusiast and share some experiences and recomendations.

Nice room, specially for beginners

It is the third time I visit a room in this venue. The reception area is very nice, quite big and with the possibility of some snacks and having a drink before or after the game. The service is friendly, but it is obviously a more commercially oriented service, which obviously makes a difference with the rooms where you can talk about the game with the owner/creator of the room.
I had played other rooms and this is the first time I played one of their rooms as a battle room. It is quite nice to follow your progress and the progress of the other team. We were considerably faster than the other team, but I can imagine that if you have two very competittive teams it can be even more fun. The room is nicely ambiented and the puzzles and decoration is theme related. It is also nice that they have these cowboy costumes to play the room.
Something common to the rooms of this venue is that they a little bit simple in terms of space distribution, the difficulty of the puzzles is limited and the progress is linear (in a way necessary for the progressive comparison with the other team). It is not a room, where you will be amazed, but it is nice for having fun. For experienced escapers do not play it with too many people!
All in all it was a fun experience. It is ideal for beginners and casual players, and because the venue offers a plurality of different battle rooms and the reception area is big and comfortable it is an ideal venue for big groups.

Nice room with an comitted owner

After playing a lot of rooms in the region, it was the turn of Missionroom in Voorburg. It was nice to be welcomed by the owner, and it was great having a chat after the game, about other escape rooms and his future projects. It is really an integral part of having a good time, how you are received and treated before and after the game. Little details, such as charging cables for the phones in the locker or the souvenir picture afterwards round up a ten points service in my view.
The room as such was also a very good experience. If I have to sum it up I would describe it as how to make a very good experience with limited resources. Obviously some topics allow more or less creativity, and in this case you have a girl's bedroom, which is also what you get, but also nicely matching the underlying topic of the room, A functional and nice use of effects and a variety of puzzles round up the experience. I can imagine a couple of things that could be different, but all in all we enjoyed and that is the most important thing. I am looking forward to play the other room in the venue (and the new one(s) once they open).

Really nice room!

This was my first time in Dordrecht and I was pleasantly surprised. The guy working there was friendly, introduced us nicely into the game and we had a nice chat afterwards. The contact via mail, when reserving, before and after the game was really professional. It was also cool that they had in-game pictures. The room is supposed to be the second hardest one of the venue, and indeed we got challenged in a mixed group with two more experienced people and two first timers, That made it quite nice, as we escaped with little time on the clock.
I enjoyed the room a lot, and I know everyone on the team did as well, lots of things happening, really nice flow, decoration according to the theme and puzzles that were theme related. I also foun that the concept was quite original and involved interaction in a rather unconventional way. I can only recomend this room and I am looking forward to playing the other rooms of the venue.

How to ruin a room with poor service

This is probably the most challenging review to write, because I liked the room, I think even more than the other room of the venue, but the service failed in all lines and when this affects gameplay, the review cannot be very positive.
Nevertheless I will start with the good aspects. I found the theme original, the room, the story, the puzzles all theme related. I found elements that I had not seen in other escape rooms. One of these elements maybe not so great, but definitely original. There were a lot of nice elements in this room.
The first half an hour of the game run normally, and then we came to a puzzle, which apparently was activated externally. After figuring out what had to be done, we realized we had not got the information, so we needed the thing to be activated again. Otherwise it was impossible to move forward. According to the host, they could hear us in the room, we asked for it to be run again, repeatedly and we stood there without being able to do anything for a while until it was reactivated. That was the first service flaw. Without revealing what the puzzle was about (the idea was actually nice), the mistake is equivalent for instance to have a room with morse code (not the case here), play it once and if not decoded in time preventing the group from progressing.
I do not know how long we waited for it to be activated but after it was done and we gathered the information, we struggled with what to do with the information, as there was not in my opinion a clear logic, as how it should be solved, the first hint was rather useless and after a while we got a hint that allowed us to finally know how the problem was to be solved. It had two components, one was quickly solved but we got stuck on the other. In any case, 1/3 of the room's time was spent stuck on that puzzle. The gamemaster did not run the puzzle again, in spite of the fact we asked aloud for it, the hint giving was mostly useless, partially repeating things we had figured out already, and not helping with the second part for a long time again in spite of asking for it. I do not know if this was because he was following a parallel room, he was not paying attention, or he decided he would let us fail on it, but none of the reasons is valid and none of the reasons contributes to a good experience, given that to spend one third of the time on one thing is far from being fun, which is the objective of playing an escape room.
To make things worse, even though there was no group after us, he did neither allow us to finish the room, nor showed us the last puzzle and resolution, there was no discussion with him, no comments, he even "complained" of having helped a lot (which was not the case, because until that puzzles no hints were needed) and only because we asked he said something about the final puzzle. In general the communication by e-mail had nothing to do with the communication in person. Not only not interested in the experience we had, but also a rather unfriendly attitude. There was no picture taken, I had to ask to take us a picture with my phone, there were no drinks offered, well, a failure of service in all possible items.
So, all in all, it was a nice room I had fun playing it, with the exception mentioned above. I think good service costs nothing and can make a huge difference in an experience. The fact that it affected gameplay was the worst part of it.

Probably the best room of the venue

I had played some time ago Water Flood and Zombie Apocalypse in Save Amsterdam. After having played a lot more rooms after that, my initials impresison are confirmed. The personnel was friendly and gave us a nice introduction. But the after game service could be substantially improved, for instance discussing the room, selling drinks, etc. In most of the other venues I have played, usually we are the last group and the owners or gamemasters have a lot of patience and engage in nice talks after the game and/or do a walktrough the room. In this venue I always felt the guys were in a rush, and in a way I understand it, because it is a business after all, but as I said it is a huge difference in terms of service to many other rooms.
Concerning the room, they told us this was built by a different person than the other two, but I believe the main aspects I have reviewed for the other rooms apply also here. The atmosphere is not completely accomplished. It is far away from the top rooms of the country, but on the other hand they use sound and light effects and have all kind of decorations. The story and the relationship story puzzles is not always clear, to the point that some puzzles are really nice and have nice effects, but there is no sense of the puzzle connected to the story or theme of the game. On the other hand the topic of most of the puzzles relate somehow to the topic of the game, which I found good.
I think the strongest point of this room, as well as of the other rooms, is that many puzzles have this home made feeling, which even though it can go against the atmosphere, they are really original. Lot of puzzles and resources I have not seen in any other room. The puzzles are good and all in all they make a challenging and fun experience, which is in the end the most important thing in an escape room. I think beginners and more experienced players can be challenged by this room. We played with 4 people in a mixed team and evereyone enjoyed it.

A must play room

My escape room number 40 in the Netherlands could not have been better. We had played the Dentist in Delft and I was looking forward to play the other games of Escape Challenge. It was the turn of The Orphanage, the latest Escape Room from them.

The gamemaster in Zoetermeer was great and confirmed the good experience we had in Delft. Not only before the game, but also after the game, extremely friendly. The venue is also nice and has an spacious waiting room, where you can have a drink.

About the room, there is not much to say other that it belongs in my opinion to the top rooms in the Netherlands. A game with a great flow, an amazing ambientation and use of effects and last but not least a variety of great theme related puzzles, several involving collaborative work.

This room has everything you want in a room and more.

A minor improvement point is related to the language. Even though it is playable in English there were a couple of Dutch only things that for visitors from other countries with no Dutch knowledge could be a problem. Maybe this could be improved for the future. In our case it did not alter the experience, as we had one native speaker (for one of the things really necessary) in our group.

As our gamemaster said, people that experience the rooms of Escape Challenge come back for more, and so we will!

Nice concept and fun experience

I did not know exactly what to expect from this room, but I liked the description in the website and decided to try it out. We did the room with 5 and it was fine, but I agree with the recommended number of 4, although by experiences escapers also less people could even be better. The venue is easily reachable and it is nicely arranged. We were received in a friendly manner by our gamemaster. He took a lot of time after the game to discuss the game, which I always like.
The story is nice and I liked also the concept of breaking in, instead of escaping. The interesting thing was that unlike other escape rooms, which you have to break in, but also escape within a certain time, it does not matter what you do in the room. in this case there is a point based system, so the time you need (as long as it is below an hour) does not matter. The important thing is how you complete the tasks and trying to get the maximum points by doing so.
After playing quite some games, I liked the different concept. We had a great time.
As the whole thing consist of robbing a bank, you cannot expect any spectacular set, I think it was nicely done, in a realistic way. Obviously it is not as impressive as when the escape room has a very special setting, but in spite of being simple it is very nicely done, so you get the feeling of being in a real small bank office somewhere.
A similar thing can be said about the puzzles, there were no puzzles particularly surprising for an experienced escapers, but in the context of the escape they were ok.
The hint system was original, and also related to the topic, so all in all I can only recommend this room.

We had to go back to the Island!

Almost exactly two years ago we played Down the Hatch and after playing The Cooper Case, we had high expectations on this room and we were looking to play it since it opened. Again the guys from Down the Hatch managed to pull out a great room. It was great to see what they did with the waiting room, since our last time there. It looks really nice and professional. The hosts were extremely friendly and took a lot of time for us after the game. The room has everything you want from a room, nice use of technology (nice is an understatement), great puzzles, related to the topic and following a nice storyline, and teamwork. The only thing I can find as a minor critic point is that for certain moments 6 people is a little bit much. I think 4 people is ideal, although I have to say that in spite of being 6 we struggled and manage to escape in the last couple of minutes. In any case if you have not being in Down the Hatch, you are missing something!

Nice room

It is not the first time I have been to this venue. The venue is really nice signalized, and gives a very professional impression. The girl who was our game master was very friendly and contributed to the nice experience. While it is clearly not a top game, neither in terms of challenge or atmosphere, it is a nice solid room, with a nice beginning and a good flow. Logic puzzles, not many suprising things, but fun to play nevertheless. I think these rooms are in particular great for beginners or escapers with not so much experience. We played in a team of 4, with one beginner and we escaped well ahead of time.

Nice room, specially for beginners!

I had played Espionage in this venue, that was my second room, now I went there again with much more experience to try out another room, in spite of some issues the first time. In a way I am happy I did, because it is a nice room. The girl at the reception was very friendly and that makes always a difference. One critic point is that the walls are quite thin, so you hear noises of what is going on in the other room. Another aspect is that the room is a little bit too minimalistic decorated, that is a huge difference whith top quality rooms out there.
It must also be said, that we played with three players and that was more than enough. 8 is insane, and even the recommended amount of 6 is much in relationship to the difficulty of the room.
More on the positive side, it is a room with a nice flow, logic and fun puzzles, and which makes use of some nice effects. The puzzles are rather on the easy side for experienced players, that is also why it should not be played but too many. In any case it is a very nice room for beginners and even as experienced players we had lots of fun.

Not an escape room but AMAZING experience!

To start with: This is not an escape room! People expecting a giant escape room will be most likely be disappointed, as there are no puzzles as such. The only thing in common with an Escape Room is the objective of escaping the place. That is the reason why I gave such a low score under puzzles. In my case I did not do anything that could be seen as puzzle, even though there are things you have to figure out. If I have to place it under a denomination I would calll it a Live action role playing game. I went with two other people, but you do not play as a team, so also the number or people is irrelevant, in this occasion there were aprox. 150 players, and there are multiple ways of succeding in escaping. In principle you have to interact with lot of characters (the many actors) in order to achieve the objective.
For me it was the first time doing somehting like this, so I was a little bit clueless at moments and overwhelmed by the large amount of people, but after a while you get the idea and play along. The atmosphere is fantastic, and it feels like a prison, because it is a real prison and the characters are really well-played. From the beginning till the end a thrilling experience. I loved the work of the actors, but obviously in a game like this lot of the fun comes also from the players. If you see the total price per person it could be seen as expensive, but the experience last three hours, so it is not more expensive than an escape room related to the number of hours.
Normally the game is in Dutch, but the actors speak English so you could theortically play it as well. In my case I played a special edition, which was completely in English. I had a blast, so I can only recommend it.

Nice, classical room

I was not sure how to review this room, because it is a very nice room, but on the other hand I had very high expectations.
Concerning the service, there are both very positive and not so positive points. While the room can be played in English, not everything is in that language. There were many things that probably would take 30 minutes in total to translate them into English and then have a complete all in English experience. I found a pity that the owners did not make that little effort, which would enhance considerably the experience. On the other hand the girl who was there that day said it was the first time they had an all English no Dutch group, so it was really good that she accomapnied us during the game in English (she said she could not speak that well, but she did). So big thump up for the game master, and not so much for the owner, although I understand that in that area maybe the non Dutch speaking population is not that big.
The room is nicely done, and there are a couple of interesting effects. The room is more a classical room, in the sense that you have many puzzles and many combination locks. For the people that are not much into numbers and locks, maybe it is not the best, but for people who enjoy puzzling then go for it. I think there is a nice line in the puzzle build up and there are some puzzles which involve teamwork, which is always a plus in my view.

Thrilling!

When I booked this room I trusted mostly the ranking in this website, as it appeared to be one of the best rooms in Rotterdam, but I did not really know what to expect. When I arrived to the site I was surprised first to encounter a really professional place, with a large and comfortable lounge with a bar and friendly staff. I have to say I was also a little bit concerned as most of the great games I had, were rooms "from enthiusiast, for enthusiasts", instead of commercial enterprises. When I entered the room and without revealing anything my first impression, was not the best, but that quickly changed and all in all it ended up being a really fun experience.
Nice effects, nice atmosphere, and specially nice storyline and flow. The puzzles were in general nice, some of them not so much, but other really elaborated. I can only recommend!

Reactie door Live Escape

13 april 2018

Thanks for your review!! The appreciation from someone who played that many rooms is extra valuable for us!!

Not to be missed

What a great experience! Friendly personnel, nice lounge, really great done, including the whole decoration in the venue leading to the room. Perfect introduction into the game. Great room with interesting puzzles, challenging, fun, surprising. What else can I add! I had great expectations as this room was ranked as number one here and my expectations were fully met.

Finally, a visit to the dentist that is a great experience ;-)

This is the first I play room I play from this venue and had some expectations due to the good ranking of all of their rooms. I have to say that I was not dissapointed by this room. One of the high points was the overall experience. Our game master was great and it is always nice when the game master is not only someone working there that gives you the standard talk. Before and after the game a really good experience. It is also nice how the game is introduced, I will not say anything to avoid spoilers but the build up prior to the actual game is really great.
The room is a nicely accomplished room, perhaps a little bit minimalistic but matching the theme and also the puzzles are related to the topic. I found some similarities in this room to a few other nice rooms I have played, and by that I mean that even though it is mainly classic in the general build up (meaning locks and numbers) it uses also other elements and really nice visual and sound effects, which give the room a great atmpshere and contribute to the overall experience. Like in other rooms the locks and numbers are not a problem (in my opinion), when the story is solid, the puzzles are logical and mostly related to the theme. A few puzzles perhaps had not to do much with the atmoshere or topic of the room, but all in all it was a very good experience, also because the vast majority of the puzzles were really nicely thought and/or built. Perhaps there were moments of linearity, but even though we played at maximum capacity, I believe nobody felt bored or not challenged and kept us busy the whole time we were in there. Of course it is recomended to play with less players, in particular for experienced groups. We are looking forward to play the other rooms!

Nice game with classic topic

I was not sure what to expect about this room, but my first impresion was not that good, but tha changed quickly in the game. We were friendly received and introduced to the story by a friendly gamemaster. I like when they tell the story with real engagement.
In terms of service, the place (which is actually an indoor climbing center) has a nice reception area, but the entrance to the actual room is outside, which is not that great if it is cold or raining. I personally do not like that you can enter with all your things into the room, but honestly after getting into the game I quickly forgot about all that.
When I entered the room I was not entirely convinced but then the game started and it was a real nice flow. A nice storyline and interesting puzzles. Perhaps the atmosphere is a little bit minimalistic (bunker) but matching the theme, and there are lot of things from older times, also as part of the puzzles, which makes it very nice.
All in all, it was a nice Escape Room. We managed to do it quite well, due to being an experienced group, but it can pose a challenge to a not so experienced group,.
While clearly not a top escape room, it is nice to combine with other activities or to visit if in the area. I definitely had a good time.

Fun room, ideal for 2, rather easy for experienced players

I have to say that I was expecting more from this particular room, in particular due to its ranking here. I knew it was a classic Escape Room, but the fact that in principle the game consist of solving a series of puzzles, without much of a progression along a story or development in the room(s). The topic is nice and how they linked the individual puzzles to the topic. Many of the puzzles are fun, but in general not very difficult. The atmosphere is rather simple, but matching the topic. I would recommend a visit if you are playing the other room, or if you have only a team of two. It was recommended to us to play also the other rooms with not so many players (3), so if you are a bigger group it is much better to split and play both games in parallel. The service was friendly and it was nice the discussion and the above mentioned recommendation.

Lot of fun, a must for classic video game lovers

Most of the comments I did when reviewing Wake Up, apply also for this room. Tidy reception with cookies and friendly enthusiastic service.
Similar to Wake Up, a thing I liked a lot is that the room involved a lot of doing instead of classical mental work. For those looking for challenging mental puzzles it is probably not the best, but if you want an unusual and original room with a nice theme, then go for it. I would not recomend a big group. I played with three and it was fine. For a big group with a lot of people, in particular experienced people can get a little bit boring, because it is rather lineal and it does not need so many people for the puzzles. I think 2 or 3 is an ideal number.
But again, in spite of this warning, it is really worth doing, because in the first place it is an original theme, and the atmosphere, including sound and light effect is really nicely done. All the puzzles are completely integrated into the room and the topic, so that is also a strong point.
In general I think it was a great room, a small critic is that there was a technical glitch with one of the puzzles, but luckily the gamemaster could solve it remotely, so no harm done. As I said for WakeUp this room is also ideal for families, given the topic of the room and the type of puzzles involved.

Mindblowing! Absolutely must-play room!

Probably this will be my shortest review, because this room is so great that every word will not make justice to it.
As usual the service in Escape Room Rijswijk is great, they took a lot of time to discuss the room with us afterwards and this is always in my opinion an integral part of a great experience.
The atmosphere of the room is fantastic, every detail nicely done, and the puzzles are nicely integrated and match the whole storyline. In these great rooms you always miss some of the detail, because you are focus on the puzzles and getting out in time, but when you think about it and discuss it with the creators you realize the amount of effort and thought put into it.
The puzzles are great, they cover a lot of different kinds of puzzles and there are several, which involve collaborative work.
If you have not played this room, you have to. Really!

Idea good, but too easy

I had heard about this new venue and had a really nice exchange with one of the owners, the website looked also promising, so I wanted to try it out. Originally we wanted to split in two groups of five, but as several people cancelled, we ended up being 6 in one room, which unless you are in a top room it ends up being too many people, which was the case here.
The reception area is large and comfortable and the service was friendly, but not particularly enthusiastic.
The atmosphere in the room was rather simple, but fine, there were sound and light effects, but all in all the story was rather not very consistent.
Somehow it was a nice room and the puzzles were also ok, but all in all not so many puzzles arranged in a linear way and relatively simple to solve. We were all but one more or less experienced players and we exited in about half an hour.
Because of the not so clear story and how the room is done (and also the fact that we did it so quickly), the ending is rather disappointing.
I can imagine that if you you play this room as an absolute beginner it would be a really nice experience that could hook you up, but for really experienced players is probably way too simple.
Another thing that I did not like is that no picture was taken.
I will nevertheless try to play the other rooms, in a smaller group, hoping that the experience that way is better.

Reactie door Backspace Escape Rooms

28 december 2017

Hi Soi, Thanks a lot for your review. It gives us a change to improve our escape rooms and the experience. Normally we do take a picture afterwards. Apologies that it did not happen this time. Hope to see you again soon and give you an excellent escape experience!

A different and at the same time great room

I got to play this room via MeetUp, as one of the organizers of the group works there. I decided to do it in the last minute and I was happy I did. The people working there were friendly and both before and after the game there was the opportunity to sit, have some cookies and have a chat.
The atmosphere of the room is great and it is nice how the puzzles match into the theme. I think one of the stronger points of the room other than it is really nicely done is that it does not involve the classic "puzzle solving, code in lock" dynamics. It is actually exactly the opposite, for two reasons, practically no locks and the puzzles involve rather physical objects and activities. For me that was refreshing and at the same surprising after having done several rooms. I was in a certain way happy to have newcomers to escape rooms in the group, which brought a fresh view on several of the puzzles.
As less positive aspect is that the room is quite linear, so in principle most of the time everyone is occupied with the same thing. Another small critic, that was noted by one of the members in our group (in spite of being a newcomer) is that the last puzzle (even though I found it quite nice) did not match that well into the rest of the room, even when there is a clear reason for being like it is.
In general I think it was a great room. I enjoyed the feeling of doing other kind of puzzles, and I believe all of them were clear and logical. This room is also ideal for families, given the topic of the room and the type of puzzles involved. I think it is good for both beginners and experienced groups alike, although eventually it could be on the rather easy scale for really experienced people,. I did it with three newcomers (two of them zero experience, but both really sharp ;-) ) and we managed to escape well ahead of time.
All in all I can only recommend it and I am looking forward to play the other room.

Really challenging and great room!

This room confirms my experience so far, namely that the rooms that are created and managed by escape room enthusiasts provide the greatest experience. Not only in the room, but also before and after and having talks that range from the discussion about the room to exchanging experiences and getting recommendations for further rooms. It makes a huge difference. A group was playing the same room than us directly after we did and we could watch them play via the cameras. That was pretty cool and gives a whole new perspective about how the gamemaster sees the game. A 10 for describing the service in these cases is not enough ;-)
The atmosphere of the room is amazing....a huge amount of work was put into it and it really payed off. The use of effects is great and the fact that is based on the movie makes it really cool.
The puzzles are all connected to the theme. This integration is really nicely done. It has to be said, that this is the hardest escape room I have played so far, and even when afterwards everything has a logic and an explanantion, during the game it ends up being quite challenging. This is the only room I have encountered so far, where the best escape time is in the less than 10 minutes left range, so the risk of not escaping like us :-( is higher (also one of the lowest escape rates we have encountered so far). So, for those experienced players looking for a great room and at the same challenging this room is perfect.

Nice theme, nice room. Can only recommend!

When I booked this room I had some e-mail exchange with the owner (?) and I always received a prompt and friendly answer. I was surprised in a postive way, as there were a couple of reviews really negative about the experience with this venue. Luckily for us, this was not the case, we were received in a friendly manner, and also had some time to discuss the game afterwards. If I have to criticize one thing from the service is that no picture was taken, I do not know if that is always like that there or it just happened to us, but I thought about it only after being on my way back home.
The atmosphere of the room was great, I thnk it was really well-done. The decoration matched the theme in a perfect manner, and there was a nice use of visual and auditive elements. The puzzles were nicely integrated in the theme as well and they were logic. The puzzles were quite balanced, and in spite that perhaps individually they were not so difficult, the whole thing was challenging till the end, and we escaped with little more than 3 minutes on the clock. I think there was a nice combinations of mental and physical puzzles and also colaborative element, which I always enjoy a lot. A slightly negative aspect (in my view) is when the connection between locks and puzzle is not clear and you have several options. I mentioned this to the gamemaster, but for instance one of the team member says that she enjoyed trying the combinations in different lock, so I guess for everyone is different. In any case I think these things do not alter greatly the experience in any case.
I think it is a pity that apparently several groups had problems with the venue, because I found the room really good. I did not know what to expect and I was pleasantly surprised. People enjoying a little bit of a creepy atmosphere will enjoy this room a lot. I will for sure try the other room in the future based on my experience.

Great atmosphere and neat location

One and a half year later I returned to where it all started and I had played my very first game. I had not played the old version of this room but given that they completely renewed the room I can imagine this version is much better than the former one.
One thing that still aplies is the very nice reception area and as a matter of fact they improved it, with neat designs of the rooms logos among other things. It is a nice place to wait before the game or spend after the game. While for many this is not an important factor I found it a real plus in the service. The personnel was friendly and they spared us the classical introduction talk. Also they took the time afterwards to discuss the game.
The atmosphere of the room was really great, every detail in the room was consistent with the topic, you felt like really being in a doctors clinic. It was also great that the puzzles were all related to the topic and the story. There was a nice use of effects and there were some really cool puzzles and things to do. The puzzles were logically structured and perhaps the only negative aspect was that the flow was quite linear, so that if you play with too many, it is not that good. We went in with 4 and I think that is fine. The puzzles were not very difficult and actually it took us much more time to escape because we got stuck with something.
In terms of service that was pretty much the only problem, namely that we we got stuck a very simple hint would have sufficed and we kept on getting hints that were unluckily not useful, until finally the solution had to be given. On one hand because the game master can not hear what is happening in the room, but also because he was not able to realize what we were missing.
Other than that I think is a very good room, which for a really experienced escaper should be relatively easy. On the other hand the room is so nicely built that I can recommend it, and I am sure I will try out the renovated KGB and the other rooms.

Technical mistake ruined the experience

The venue has a spacious reception, where we waited comfortably playing Jenga until we could enter the room. The personnel was friendly and given that we were an experienced group, there was almost no explanation given (classical talk before), which I found good.
There was a kind of funny intro video and the room had a nice start. In general the room had some atmosphere, but it was rather minimlaistic, a topic like Matrix has a lot of potential, and I saw that not entirely exploited in the room, neither by the story nor by the atmosphere of the room.
The puzzles were nice, even though sometimes the connection with the topic was rather non existing, nevertheless they were logic and there were quite a few interesting things I had not seen before, one of them particularly nice, which involved collaborative work. The puzzle flow was rather linear, and lacked of twists or unexpected things.
The worst part of the experience was that one puzzle failed, I cannot enter into details in order not to spoil, but it failed to an extent that it was impossible to solve, the game master kept on giving tips (more than 4), but it was to no use because the thing was malfunctioning. After a while he realized that and asked from the outside and ended up entering the room to solve the isssue, and he needed like three attempts until it finally worked. As this was kind of the middle of the game it had an awful cool down effect. In my experience so far, my worst experiences were the ones where the gamemaster had to enter the room due to something malfunctioning, as it ruins the flow of the game, which is one, if not the main reason that makes playing an escape room special.
Another not so major thing is that after completing the objective the end is rather unspectacular, we exited the room, nobody was there, we entered again, until at some point the game master came. So, all in all it was not a very satisfying experience.
I will give a try nevertheless to the other rooms given that the room as such was ok, and hoping that this experience is rather the exception and not the norm.

A solid and good classical room!

Once again we visited Escape Room Rijswijk, after managing to get out just in time in The Hangover, we were expecting a challenging room given that the escape rate is considerably lower (30% vs 50%), luckily we managed to escape well in time, with the help of our nice game master who was friendly and helpful before, during and after the game. In terms of service it is always nice to visit this venue.
This room is quite different that The Hangover, this is actually nice for people looking for different experiences in the same venue, as it is a more classical rooms (yes, that means also a substantial amount of locks ;-) ). Nevertheless it is a nicely balanced room in terms of searching and puzzling.
The theme is nicely introduced and in general the puzzles and atmosphere of the room are related to the story. There is also a background music, which fits really well into the theme and contributes to the atmosphere. The main critic I can make concerning the atmosphere and the room in general is that I guess due to the location of the room (in the building) there are parts of the room which are somewhat accessible that are not part of the room (game). Of course you ignore that during the game as you are focussed on solving the puzzles, but it is something that for me plays a role also in terms of the feeling of autenthicity being in a certain room.
All in all I believe this is a nice and challenging room both for the beginning or experienced escaper and can only recommend a visit, as we had lots of fun. We are looking forward to playing the last room of this venue!

Too simple but good for beginners or family with kids

We were enthusiastically received by a girl. The reception area was way too small, there was no place to sit there, and there were no lockers, so you could take your things (phone, wallet, etc) into the room. She said we could use the calculator of the phone if we wanted to. I prefere the policy of the vast majority of the rooms, where nothing is allowed, if something is needed it is in the room. Using the calculator in a cell phone in a MEDIEVAL room, kind of kills the mood. She gave us something to wear on top of our clothes (medieval costume) and accompanied us into the room, where she explained things. In my opinion the game master should not enter the room. If the explanations are given while you are already discovering the room with your eyes, it ruins that surprise effect you get when you enter on your own. Due to the nature of the puzzles there were locks with no touch stickers on it, while it is good to know that they do not form part of the game, that also does not contribute to the feeling in the room.
The room as such had some nice decoration elements, that matched the theme, even though the finishing of many of the puzzles (the appearance) was missing the touch to make them credible, but all in all the atmosphere is nice.
This was the easiest room I have done so far (number 19), one reason for it, it that the puzzles were quite linear. We did it with 4 people, gladly we were not 5, which is the maximum number of people. The puzzles as such were quite nice, not very difficult, more of the interactive kind and with collaborative elements. I liked many of the puzzles used in the room and found some of them original. It was very clear what to do.
Even though I escaped other rooms with quite some time of the clock, this was not only the fastest but also had a little bit a feelin of "That was it?". I think also because there were not really surprises or twists during the whole game. To sum it up, it is not a bad room, but not for the escape room enthusiasts with several escapes on the back. I think for families with kids, it is quite ideal as many puzzles involve doing rather than solving mental puzzles, also the costumes and the decoration would made also a nice experience for kids. I think also that if this would have been my first escape room I would have liked many of the things and would have been surprised, so I think also for beginners it is a good chamber.

A great surprise! Great classical room!

I did not know what to expect about this room, because there were not many reviews. I have to say I am happy I chose this room.
To start with the owner was an extremely nice person that welcome us enthusiastically, and presented the story in the same way. After the game he shared stories fro many other groups in the room, so that rounded up a great experience. On top of that, even though we were the last group of the day he let us stay to play a board game after escaping! I saw a review mentioning the older place. Now, you can have different drinks and snacks and there is a selection of board games. I have to say that even though the reception is nothing fancy, the human warmth and enthusiasm more than compensates that, and deserves a clear 10 in service.
The room as such can be described as a very good classical room, I enjoyed it from the beginning till the end. The atmosphere and the puzzles matched the story. Perhaps a warning should be issued for those allergic to numbers, yes there are puzzles with numbers, but it is a Casino. What else can you expect? ;-) I enjoyed the flow of the game, and I believe it is a nicely designed and well thought room.
In short it is a nice classical room, which can be challenging (apparently the escape rate is not that high), we worked well in am mixed team having some experienced players but also first timers. I can only recommend to try this one out! I will surely come back again for the other rooms!

Mmmm....could and should be better

This room is described as a difficult room for minimum four, and there is a reason for that: lot of puzzles! I enjoyed the puzzles, there was a variety of them, but of course many are known to the experienced escaper. But I will get back to that later.
While the guy who received us was nice and friendly I did not feel an enthusiastic reception, which is what I have encountered in most of the rooms so far. Some general talk about escape rooms, and too little about the story, it is nice, when the story is told in such a way, that you want to play it. I missed that completely. The reception was way too simple, no place to gather really before or after the game. Also, the start of the game should be improved. A simply "you start here" is not enough. The major flaws were though, that something that should have happened did not, the gamemaster had to enter, while entering the thing was finally triggered. Kind of a waiting moment, because everything was solved but the thing that did not work. And there was an issue in the final puzzles, where something was open, that apparently should not have opened. It was not very clear, but part of the team was busy with that and did not realize that the game was completed.
Even not considering that, because mistakes happen, I lived some minor ones in other escape rooms, there were several things that did not meet my expectations. The setup is quite simple, to call it somehow, and the not touch stickers do not contribute at all in the atmosphere, which per se is not that good. There were some parts, which were incomplete to name it somehow, and there was even some defect prop lying there. These are no go`s in my opinion. Als,o the quality of some objects was not that good.
I missed the flow of the game, there were lots of puzzles that could be solved independently, but there was practically no interconnection and the feeling of progress was limited. There were elements related with the topic in the room, but also some, which had not much to do with it, the same applies to some of the puzzles.
To discuss the more postive aspects, there was a large variety of puzzles, and I liked that in this big amount everything was clear, namely which puzzle solved what, in some rooms this is not that clear. The puzzles were as such not that difficult, and many as I said before should be known to an experienced escaper. I think the room is good for gaining some experience into puzzles, eventually for getting an idea of what an escape room is about. There is certainly room for improvement.

Fantastic experience

While I have been doing several Escape Rooms in Amsterdam, this was the first official excursion with the team. I am happy I chose this room, as it was a fantastic experience.
In terms of service, this is probably one of the best I have encountered so far, a really nice lounge, the detail of the pictures covered with the groups that played is great, also the wall of fame, with the best times and 0 hints (which we were faaaaar away from reaching). Also the fact that we received a printed version of the pictures goes beyond the average. Friendly staff, before and after the games, including recommendations of other escape rooms. Above 10!
We encountered a room, which was realistically decorated (except for a couple of anachronisms, for the really obsessed with details), and there was some nice use of effects. The puzzles were really nice, I have found several concepts I encountered for the first time (this was my game number 16). It was also nice that in spite of being 6 the room kept us really busy. Perhaps the (very little) downside is a relatively large number of locks (topic of discussion in the forum), but not because of the locks as such, they did not alter the great time I had, but when you have several locks of the same type and no indication which solution corresponds to which lock, there is some try out involved that could be avoided. Other than that there was an issue with a puzzle, that was elegantly solved.
While I mention some details, it has to be said that all of them are minor compared to the overall experience. I can only recommend and I hope to be able to try out the other room soon!

Reactie door One Hour Lockup

19 oktober 2017

Thanks for the great review! Please come again soon for our other room: Illuminati Headquarters, I'm sure you will like that one even more.

First mobile escape room! Niceeeeee!

This was my 15th experience and it was both the first time I play a mobile Escape Room and the first time I did not manage to get out in time (just a couple of minutes missing) even though I cannot reveal the reason both because of the spoilers and the shame, haha). It is difficult to write a review, because a comparison with a fixed escape room is not fair, giving the constraints involved in such a mobile room.
In terms of service, everything was fine, a friendly reception, and a nice talk after the game explaining the concept of the game and some background related to this. There was only one thing with an audio, that was only in Dutch, I do not know if that was a mistake or if it is only in Dutch, which is a pity given that the whole game is in both languages.
I liked the puzzles a lot, as they were related to the story. Even when some were not particularly difficult, one has to bear in mind that the time available is only 45 minutes.
The weakest point, which is kind of obvious is the atmosphere. Given that it is mobile, it is very difficult to creat an espace, which makes you feel in a particular place. People that look for an immersive experience in the sense of room decoration and mulltiple/larger rooms will not find it here. In my case I was so focussed on the puzzles anyway that it did not matter. On the other hand the objects in the room are authentic archeological funds, which is very original.
Given the size of the room, I would definitely advise against going in with 6 or 7 people, that is too much, more so for an experienced group, 5 is the very maximum I find advisable, and probably 4 is even better.
So, all in all it is a recommendable experience, more so if you want to visit the museum housing the escape room.

A nice room with some with improvement potential

After playing Water Flood some time ago, I wanted to know the other rooms, which are supposedly more difficult. Similar to the other room I found it both challenging and fun. Also this time there were some interesting puzzles and original elements.
Also here the focus is on the puzzles. While most of the puzzles or part of them were quite logic, there were some where there was no clear logic. And the resolution of them involved rather speculative guessing than logical skills. I prefer puzzles where the solution is clear, unique and there is the aha moment, when you know that is the only possible solution. Unluckily that was missing in some of the puzzles. The relationship between puzzles and the argument of the room is lacking also in many of the puzzles.
The atmosphere is relatively simple, but there are quite some nice effects, which make the experience really enjoyable.
The game master was really nice and friendly. An introduction about escape rooms (a little bit too long for the experienced players, but we had lot of first timers) and a funny way of telling the story was a good start. It was also appreciated the discussion afterwards about what went well and not so well in the room. I liked it much more than last time. An improvement point, would be for instance, as many escape rooms do, to have the possibility of dwelling in the lobby and have a drink. While it is understandable that this takes extra time I believe it seriously improves the experience if you can chill out in the location and are not expected to leave immediatly (of course not if there is another group coming directly afterwards).
Also here care should be taken with the maximum group size, we were 5 with 2 first timers and one second timer and that was more than fine. More than 5 is definitely not recomended.

Lots of fun!!!

I live in Rijswijk, so I have been always wanted to play the rooms in this venue, and finally I managed to play this first room (my number 13). To start with, the guys there were really fiendly, I had a really nice exchange with one of them. The room was nicely done and matching the theme. There were some nice surprise element and it is nice how the room progress and puzzles match the story. For us it ended up beeing really challenging, not so much due to the puzzles but more due to search issues. The puzzles were fun and they involved some elements I had not encountered so far in other rooms. There were also some nice collaborative elements, which I always find great. We had great fun and we will be back for more (the next one is already booked ;-) )

Top experience!

This was my number 12 and probably the more rooms you play, the more you look into details. I thought very hard any reason not to give a 10, and well I could not find any.
To start with, the service was great, a comfortable but simple kept reception area and very welcoming owners. This is a huge difference with other, let's say more commercial escape rooms. When the owners and designers are also your hosts, that have put a big effort into it and a lot of love, it really shows. The exchange both before and after the game is great, and the fact that they take time for it makes also the experience very enjoyable.
The atmosphere is very well-achieved, from the beginning till the end, supported by the proper amount of effects, and with an interestimg story.
The puzzles are nicely integrated into the rooms. I encountered many things for the first time, this is always refreshing and challenging at the same time, especially after you have played some escape rooms. They had the right amount of a variety of different elements, all contributing to a memorable experience. Definitely belongs to the top of the region.

Great service! Nice rooms!

While perhaps for many it is not the most important thing, this venue offers a great service, they have a very large area with a bar, where you can have something to drink and snacks. I want to highlight this, because this was my escape room number 10 and most of the other places I have been do not provide such a service or even have a quite poor reception area. This venue is quite good also for large groups (many rooms and all can be played as competition). The service was also great before, during and after the game, including e-mail exchange.
The room itself was nice, for me there was one element which was the first time, which I found interesting, and in general there were some interesting puzzles. The decoration as such was perhaps a little bit minimalistic, but it matched the theme. A more classical type of escape room (lock based) but given that it is prison related it is ok. We were 4 with two guys having their first time. I think it is indeed a very good room for experiencing an escape room for the first time. Even though some of the things described can indeed be seen as weak points- Other weak points were that sometimes the relationship puzzle lock was not very clear and some red herrings, which in one particular puzzle I found a little bit excessive.
On the other hand even being the most experienced of the group I enjoyed it a lot, which speaks good about the room. I think a team of really experienced escapers would be challenged perhaps to break the record, and not that much by the room itself.
All in all an enjoyable experience and I will surely try out the rooms I have not played yet.

Great service! Nice rooms!

This venue offers a great service, as I do not want to repeat the same, see my review of the other room: Infiltrate.
I remembered now an additional nice point about both rooms, namely the intro videos. I found them really nicely done.
In terms of puzzles this room was slightly better than Infiltrate and the atmoshpere was similar in the sense that even when it was kept simple it was credible in view of the theme. Perhaps there were too many linear moments, where everyone was on the same puzzle. In general terms other comments I have made for Infiltrate apply to this room. I enjoyed it and I will be back for more!

Much better than expected, looking forward to the other rooms!

Among the many escape rooms in Amsterdam, I came across Save Amsterdam in Internet several times. There were only two reviews before me about this room of the venue, and based on the numbers my expectations were not that high. Nevertheless I was happily surprised, as I found a challenging and fun room, which I enjoyed a lot. After having played some rooms, there are some elements, which you know how to use, but if it is the first time you encounter them, they add value to the whole experience. On top of that, there were some really original elements, which I found cleverly done. If you do not enjoy searching, this is a room for you, as the focus is clearly on the puzzles. It was also nice that teamwork was needed. Unluckily, there were some minor issues, for instance one element that should be removed of the room, as it serves no purpose, and at least one puzzle with a guessing component, which should be improved. All in all I found the puzzles really good.
I think there was some effort made in order to incorporate in the rooms a lot of elements related with the theme, but contrary to other rooms, the story (other than the objective) does not play a role and despite the use of a lot of thematic related elements, it does not creat the atmosphere of being in a pumping station. While this might be important for many, and I personally enjoy it as well, in this room we were so busy with the puzzles and constantly challenged, that it did not negatively influence my experience.
While the personnel was friendly and the hint giving system and timing of the hints was good, there were some minor issues with the service, which I would like to point out. When we finished the room, as we were the last, we came to the lobby upstairs and found the light off, later while we were opening the lockers a guy turned it on again. Even when I understand that the people working want to go home after a long day, this is a service point it should definitely be improved. I have played other rooms, where in spite of being the last group the owners stayed a while talking with us as we discussed the game afterwards. I do not expect that, but at least not to get the sensation, you are done, get out of here quickly. Also the whole reception area would benefit from some decoration or similar, although in other places with great rooms quite regularly the reception is not a very strong point. On a more positive note, both by email and phone were really helpful and provided quick answers.
All in all, I recommend this room, I enjoyed it a lot, and the issues I mentioned in this review are rather minor compared to the fun I had. I will surely try the other rooms, which are supposed to be more challenging. A final note concerning the number of players. Apparently it can be played with 10 (!) players, but their own website mentions that 6 is recommended. In my experience with a group of unknown people, all with escape room experience 4-5 is a good number for this room.

A really nice experience from the beginning till the end

I will start with one aspect, which was something that made this room stand out from the other I have played so far (this is number 8). In general I had really good experiences with the service, but normally it is not related to the game. Here every detail is connected to the game, from the confirmation e-mails, to the reception room, the way to the room, and many more details I won't reveal here. All greatly done by the host Coby, making also the whole part before entering the room part of the experience. Ah and there is a bonus at the end, which I think it is a great detail, that I won´'t reveal either. I liked the hint giving system as well, the only critic I have, and also one of the team expressed the same is that we got some hints we probably would not have needed (we escaped anyway well ahead of time), I think that should be improved, I guess we would have figured out most of the things we got hints for by ourselves, specially considering the amount of time we had left. Nevertheless it is indeed a nice and original presentation of the hints. The room itself is nicely decorated but other than the room itself, a big percentage of my positive opinion concerning the atmosphere is related to the whole details mentioned before. In many rooms the lobby is quite a neutral enviroment, this is clearly not the case here.
I enjoyed also the puzzles, some of them were in my view really original and well achieved. I think that for more experienced players playing with less people is better. We were a nice mixed group of first timers and some with a little bit more experienced.

Nice room with some improvement points

This is my number 7 and after having played an asolutely fantastic escape room the week before, it is always harder the judgment in comparison, so I'll try to keep as objective as possible.
The service was very good and friendly, both before, during and after the game. Nice integration of the hint giving system. The reception area could be improved, but they are investing the energy in building a second room (Yeah!).
The atmosphere of the room is very well-achieved. For those who give a lot of importance to the story, there a couple of things both in the gameplay and concerning the story that are perhaps not that coherent or clear. Nevertheless, the set up of the room and the puzzles match very well with each other.
Concerning the puzzles, I believe there were too many linear moments, that is that the whole group was occupied with the same thing, and where there was a clear sucession of puzzles, without any surprise or unexpected turn. I found there were too many things not contributing to the puzzles (from what I have learned, the so called red herrings), to the extent that sometimes the dfficulty was discerning what was important from what is not. Some puzzles not connected to each other generated some confusion. I liked that the puzzles were related to the story and there were some really nice conceived ones.
In our case we managed to escape well ahead time (little bit less than an hour) with two hints (playtime is 90 minutes). My advice is that you are an experienced group, do not play it with that many people (better 3-4), because of the linearity of the puzzles, for unexperienced players it should not change much the experience.

Absolutely amazing!

We played Down the Hatch and we knew right away that this was going to be great room. Well...it was even better than that, if Down The Hatch was a 10, this room has to be a 10+. As in the other game, the service was great, before, during and after the game. Like in the other room great integration of hint giving system in the room. The atmosphere was amazing!!! From the beginning till the end an unbelievable experience. Great use of technology. The puzzles were great, again a healthy combination of all what makes an escape room good. One of our team members said immediatly after getting out "I want to play it again". I think that sums it up pretty well. Definitely a must do! Looking forward to playing the new room!!!

What a great experience!!!!!

To start with you have 80 minutes for this room (lucky for us!). If all the rooms were as good as this, I wish they would all last 80 minutes! You do not feel the difference due to the longer time, more time, more fun!
The service was perfect, friendly reception and nice discussion after the game in a comfortably large reception. The hint giving system was nicely integrated into the room and was used always at the right moments (would never have made it out in time without it).
The room atmosphere matched the theme, and for the fans of "Lost" this room is a must. The room was great, because it had a bit of everything in a well-balanced way, locks, technology, searching, cooperative work. I enjoyed the puzzles a lot.

Challenging and refreshing

This was my fourth escape room. For me it was a really nice experience because contrary to the games played so far, there were practically no classic locks/combination locks, and therefore it was refreshing to see a variety of other mechanisms. Also it was refreshing that some other skills were needed (sorry, I cannot explain further without spoliing).
As a consequence of this I liked the puzzles, it is possible that the one or the other had a small logical gap, but in general they were fine. It was quite challenging, as a matter of fact we managed to escape with some luck, apparently the escape rate is quite low in this room, it is definitely the most challenging one of this venue.
Perhaps the weakest points were the setting of the room and the storyline, but in general the ambiance was ok and credible.
The location of the venue in a basement matches the theme of the room, and as a matter of fact, all the way leading to the room already gives you that feeling. Perhaps the reception could be improved a little bit, on the other hand being located below a restaurant/bar gives you the possibility of gathering both before and after the game very comfortably. The personnel was friendly, and it is nice that they give you one printed copy of the picture.

Great!

I enjoyed the room a lot. The reception is a nice little room, where there are board games, free coffee and tea. The service was friendly, a nice introduction about the game and the objective, and also the opportunity of discussing the game afterwards with the guy who is the owner and also designed the room.
I found the puzzles really well achieved, for a group consisting of newbies it was challenging enough. There were only two minor issues, but it did not affect the whole experience.
The ambiance was great with good accompanying music and monitor based hinting. I liked that the intervention in hinting was reduced to a minimum,
Of the theree I have played so far, it was the best.

Nice room, but...

First of all, I had a really good time in this game. It was my second experience and it was enough for making me addicted to escaping, but there were a lot of issues.
The first one is that the reception is not very confortable, there is not much space, and the floor is shared with a gym, so people are passing by, for instance when you are about to enter the room. The place where to sit is anything but cosy, in general with the exception of a single wall, no major investment was made into the "lounge", to call it somehow. The service was on the other hand friendly.
There were a couple of things I did not like at all, the first one, that he said the door was actually open, the second one that the guy entered the room with the group and gave some explanations there, that ruins a little bit the inmersion. But the worst part was later, there was a problem with a puzzle, which to a big extent was due to my teammates, but I guess they should clarify or design the thing so that it does not happen. In any case it lead us to us getting stuck, and as the hints via walkie talkie did not seem to work. A guy entered the room to help out with the puzzle. I think that should never happen in an escape room.
Other issue was that we were in the last puzzle about to open the door and the guy came in from the other side, so perhaps we overdid a couple of minutes, but that was not clear, there was only one clock in one of the rooms, so there was no way to control the remaining time and there was no signal or whatever when the time ran up.
The room was good, I think the atmosphere was fine, and it was only spoiled by the situation mentioned above. This is supposed to be (based on the webpage) the hardest room of the venue. I think it was challenging enough, there were some nice puzzles, but there were a couple of issues, the one I mentioned above, but also a minor one, which I cannot describe to avoid spoilers,
There is definitely room for improvement but the experience was enjoyable nevertheless.

The first of hopefully many great experiences

This was my first escape room! As I have not played that many yet it is difficult to compare and give absolute numbers. We went with a group of work colleagues and the reception was very good, the place was also nicely arranged, very spacious.

The atmops´here in the room was well achieved I think matching the theme very well. The puzzles were fine, I do not remember now any puzzle particularly clever or difficult. We got stuck once, and the hint giving system worked well. I think for experienced escapers probably not that difficult, considering that we were a group of people without any experience and we managed to escape well ahead of time.

All in all it was a great first experience!