Category Archives: Amsterdam

Escape010: Book of Mystery

Rotterdam, Apr 2024

I instantly liked Book of Mystery, and found little to change that first impression. From the moment of entry there’s a multitude of interesting or cool things to catch your eye; this is the opposite of stripped down minimalism.

The plot is the bit … (more)

Escape World: The Golden Ticket

Amsterdam, Apr 2024

My first impression of Escape World was of a rather chaotic venue, but I think that was the fault of the hen group who were on their way out. Once they’d gone and the staff emerged from hiding, it was a lot calmer.

The Golden Ticket takes inspiratio… (more)

Sherlocked: The Alchemist

Amsterdam, Apr 2024

The top rooms in the Netherlands tend to sell out weeks or months in advance, and even booking six weeks ahead of time we were very fortunate to be able to grab a weekend slot for The Alchemist. Because although it wasn’t the game for which we’d deci… (more)

LogicLocks: Amsterdam Catacombs

Amsterdam, Jan 2020

If you’re going to build a horror game, doing so in an ancient crypt beneath a church is a pretty good start. Catacombs invites you to its location with an in-character email, where (after arriving on the dot, not before or after your designated time… (more)

Xitroom: Crack the Safe

Amsterdam, Aug 2016

The room starts in the dark with a hunt for the lightswitch – which I feel didn’t really add much to the game itself. However, we had that done after a minute or so, and could get stuck into the puzzles.

The puzzles were varied – and had very few lo… (more)

Questomatica: Arcade Invasion

Amsterdam, Aug 2016

The theme and decor are an absolute treat to anyone who grew up playing 80s arcade games. Like Claustrophobia’s other games, it eschews padlocks and goes for creative, on-theme puzzles. They make fantastic use of lighting and effects to sign-post whe… (more)

Questomatica: WakeUp!

Amsterdam, Aug 2016

I’ve played a few games themed as being in someone’s mind or dreams, but this one is definitely the most successful at creating a dream-like experience. Instead of finding codes to padlocks, you progress with an increasing feel for the dream-logic of… (more)