This is your best opportunity to grasp what’s special without flying there and playing for yourself.

ESCAPE ROOM HORROR STORIES BeNeLux Edition

Created by Jana Erbes, ESCAPE ROOM HORROR STORIES BeNeLux Edition offers a deep dive into a few of the companies producing iconic horror games in the Netherlands and Belgium: Logic Locks, DarkPark, and Entered.

While this documentary dives deep into these games, it isn’t prohibitively spoilery.

Tragically DarkPark’s Stay in the Dark is closed, so this is by far the best way to understand that game, if you never had the chance to play it.

At 2 hours and 38 minutes, this is incredibly in-depth and long, so take your time enjoying it.

And thank you to Jana for asking us to be a part of it. We had so much fun recording with her and reminiscing about these incredible games. It was an honor and a privilege.

Dive Deeper

If you want more, we’ve interviewed all of these creators on REPOD.

Holistic Game Design: Alexander Gierholz, creator of Amsterdam Catacombs, Netherlands

Step Into the Darkverse – Gijs Geers, CEO and Head of Design at DarkPark

Epic & Engrossing: Jeroen van Hasselt, Co-Creator of Demise of the Gricers

You can also preview a Spoilers Club episode for Stay in the Dark. This episode is available to Room Escape Artist on Patreon at $15 per month (or above).

The post Looking To Get a Sense of Dutch & Belgian Escape Room Horror? Watch This Documentary (We’re in it!) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Hey there, friends! We’ve got an exciting surprise for you. We’re releasing a special bonus episode that’s normally reserved exclusively for our Patreon supporters. This one’s a real treat because we’re chatting with game design philosopher and wizard Alexander Gierholz. He’s the creator of the iconic escape room, The Amsterdam Catacombs and co-founder of the global escape room conference Up The Game.

If you haven’t already listened, we recommend you check out his main interview first. With a background in psychology and having taught both experience design and gamification, he takes a unique, holistic approach to game design that draws on different disciplines to create experiences that are meaningful for players.

REPOD Patreon supporters get access to these informative companion bonus episodes, featuring fun conversations with incredible escape room and experience designers like Alexander.

If you’re not a Patreon supporter yet, what are you waiting for? This special episode is just one of the many perks you’ll get by joining our little community. So come on, join the fam and let’s get nerdy about games together!

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are in between seasons right now, but we are thrilled to announce that Morty App will be back as a sponsor for the upcoming Season 5. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).

Leave us a voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Support REPOD

• Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content.
• Support Perplexor’s Puzzles and REPOD by using our affiliate code “REPOD” for 10% off purchases.
• Please rate and review our podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post Special Release: S4E4 Bonus Episode – Alexander Gierholz from Logic Locks appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

In Season 4, Episode 4, we head over to The Netherlands for a chat with Alexander Gierholz of Logic Locks, creator of The Amsterdam Catacombs, which has won numerous accolades including a Golden Lock Award and a TERPECA. In a country rich with globally top-rated escape rooms, The Catacombs stands out for its commitment to immersion, stunning location and incredible ending. The Netherlands has a vibrant escape room scene, due in part to Alexander’s efforts with events like Up The Game, a global escape room conference he co-founded in 2017.

Coming from a psychology background, and having taught experience design and gamification, Alexander approaches game design with a unique holistic philosophy. He thinks deeply about creating experiences that pull from different disciplines which resonate with the audience in a meaningful way. This conversation about escape rooms, gameplay, and creating a community changed the way I think about game design, and I know you’ll find it as fascinating as we did.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: Morty App, World Escape Room Championship (ER Champ), and Buzzshot. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).

World Escape Room Championship (ER Champ)

ER Champ is a global competition for escape room players.

Details:

• Held virtually this year
• Free Entry
• Elimination round on November 5, 2022
• Each member of the winning team will receive a Nintendo Switch Lite

Buzzshot

Buzzshot is ‘Customer Satisfaction Software’ for your escape room business. Streamline your marketing and grow your escape room business with pregame and postgame features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and integrated review management.

Special Discount for REPOD listeners:

Use our link when booking a demo for 20% off your first three months.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• David tells us that the postcard Alexander sent to Room Escape Artist was the inspiration for our mailbag episodes. [2:15]
• Alexander gives us a brief walkthrough of his immersive escape room, The Amsterdam Catacombs. [3:26]
• Alexander tells us a bit about how he was able to build a demonic-themed horror escape room under an old church. [4:55]
• David notes that in Europe, in general, many of their historic buildings are used for retail and other commercial uses. [7:05]
• Peih-Gee talks about how many of the escape rooms she played in Amsterdam were located in beautiful historic locations, including Sherlocked, which is located in a historic stock exchange building, and Rock City Escape, which is located in an old monastery. [7:41]
• Alexander tells us about how he started Logic Locks when an ex-girlfriend’s father let them plunder his attic full of curiosities. [8:19]
• We discuss The Secret of Eliza’s Heart, the first game that Alexander built, and he tells us that having unique props is great, but a bad idea when they need to be replaced. [9:29]
• Alexander talks about his journey in the escape room industry going from his first escape room to building The Amsterdam Catacombs, including building a 15 minute traveling freak show-themed escape room experience and producing Up the Game, an escape room convention. [10:46]

• Alexander talks about why they chose a horror theme for The Amsterdam Catacombs. [12:13]
• Alexander tells us about the live actor in the The Amsterdam Catacombs and why the character evolved over time from a nun to an academic. [12:40]
• Alexander talks about his background as a psychologist. [14:37]
• Alexander talks about Up The Game, an escape room conference that he cofounded and for which served as program manager. [17:43]
• Alexander tells us that there wasn’t much of an industry for immersive events in Europe back then and talks about some of the issues with trying to get the escape room industry off the ground. [20:02]
• David talks about the first time he and Lisa spoke at Up the Game and the care that Alexander put into making sure their talk was good. [20:42]
• Peih-Gee mentions that the premise of bringing creators of all different kinds of immersive experiences on Reality Escape Pod is inspired, in part, by Up the Game. [23:26]
• Alexander talks about Prison Escape, by Real Life Gaming, and how Up the Game was held in a former prison. Prison Escape is a massive and intense roleplaying game with 80 actors and a gigantic cast of players. [24:32]
• Alexander tells us that Prison Escape is held in a decommissioned prison and why prison locations in Amsterdam are available for commercial enterprise. [25:44]
• Alexander taught gamification for two years, and he discusses some of the controversies inherent in gamification. [26:29]
• Peih-Gee mentions some gamified apps she uses, and Alexander talks about gamifying in a way that helps connect with the actual activity instead of just distracting from a chore. [28:31]
• Alexander, Peih-Gee, and David discuss experiencing moments of “escapism dissonance” in their lives. [30:02]
• Alexander talks about how escape rooms can inspire more magic and curiosity about the real world. [32:14]
• Alexander talks about some of his favorite experiences, including Molly’s Game by Down the Hatch Escapes, and I Can Hear You and Demise of the Gricers (gricers are railway enthusiasts) by Entered in Belgium. (He also wants to recommend Illusionist by Epic Escape.)[35:41]
• Alexander talks about a possible collaboration with Marriot Hotels to create an immersive experience. [38:17]
• Alexander shares a story about a treasure hunt that went awry. [43:35]

Leave us a voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Logic Locks Escape Room
• Logic Locks REA reviews
  • The Amsterdam Catacombs
  • The Amsterdam Catacombs Online [Hivemind Review]
  • The Secret of Eliza’s Heart
  • The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart [Hivemind Review]
• REA Amsterdam escape room guide
• REA Review of the Marriott x TED experience, The Curiosity Room
• Facebook Logic Locks
• Instagram @logiclocks

About Alexander Gierholz

After working in a wide range of jobs, Alexander graduated with a Research Master in Social Psychology before he co-founded Logic Locks. He has been teaching Experience Design and the Science of Wellbeing, and he has been the creative lead in many Game & Experience Design Projects either within Logic Locks or for external clients.

• Email: Alexander@logiclocks.com
• Logic Locks Escape Room
• Personal Instagram @alexanderfly4
• Facebook

Support REPOD

• Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content.
• Support Perplexor’s Puzzles and REPOD by using our affiliate code “REPOD” for 10% off purchases.
• Please rate and review our podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post REPOD S4E4 – Holistic Game Design: Alexander Gierholz, creator of Amsterdam Catacombs, Netherlands appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update 10/25/22: If you enjoy The Verdict we hope you’ll check out our interview with creator Alexander Gierholz on The Reality Escape Pod.

The Verdict is an audiovisual immersive experience akin to a larp, created by Logic Locks in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Format

Style of Play: audio-visual immersive experience… of jury duty, literally.

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 12 people. You can book a single ticket into a public-ticketed event or you can book for a larger group all together.

Play Time: 2 hours, but allow an extra 30 minutes for a post-game debrief

Price: €21.50 per person

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

The Verdict was an immersive experience akin to a larp. We were essentially serving digital jury duty. We needed to have a large, diverse jury to investigate and deliberate.

Hivemind Review Scale

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Matthew Stein’s Reaction

The acting in The Verdict is utterly spectacular and brought me to tears at multiple points throughout the experience. In particular, the actress who played the defendant in our show, Ardine Sollie, put on a breathtakingly human, award-worthy performance. Yet this is not a game, and I hesitate to even call it a theatrical experience; rather, it’s a reality-adjacent immersive exploration of life, death, love, societal morality, and communal responsibility. Structurally, The Verdict is brilliantly conceived to lead participants on a journey of their choosing, with an intentionality of design on par with that of intricate puzzle games, but without anything to “solve” because, well, there is no one correct solution when deciding the fate of another human being. While the foci of discussion are open ended, the experience’s rigid timing and gated “evidence” releases support a clear narrative trajectory and nuanced character development.

The experience is kicked off with the disclaimer that this should not be approached with the mindset or lightness of a game. My only real critique of the experience is that even more explicit world-building upfront – describing more precisely how the justice system works in this 2022 future – could keep potentially disparate and contentious audience groups more on the same page from the start, as we all had the tendency to compare the presented situation to known real-world precedents (e.g. “this trial isn’t fair because the defendant has no adequate legal representation,” when that was an intentional constraint of the experience).

I reserve the phrase “must-play” for games which contain meaningfully unique elements that have the potential to shape trends in the escape room industry. The Verdict is not something you “play” but is an immersive experience I very highly recommend because, simply put, it’s a beautiful work of art. What makes it beautiful is not that you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, or even happiness, at the end, but that you will have been expertly guided to explore deeper and often darker emotions. This, of course, comes with the disclaimer that if you’re looking for a lighthearted, family-friendly, or puzzle-filled game, or dislike “recreationally” broaching more serious themes, this experience is probably not for you.

Tammy McLeod’s Reaction

I knew going in that this was not an escape game. The crux of the experience is in navigating the facts of the case, opinions of the jurors, and the fundamental nature of justice. It is a complex and possibly intense experience. There is no real puzzle element, only some light detective work to piece together the truth. A player’s experience will vary wildly depending on the composition of the jury. I found that I got a lot more out of the experience when I stopped treating the case like a mystery to be solved or a question to be answered, but instead used the available facts in order to fairly determine a just outcome.

Theresa W’s Reaction

I’ve played 8 escape rooms back-to-back in one day and nothing can compare to how mentally exhausted I was from The Verdict. No, this is not a bad thing by any means, quite the opposite. The Verdict was an emotional journey through the eyes of an incredibly tough jury duty summons that I hope to never deal with outside of a fictional setting. This can’t really be described as a game as it’s much more of an immersive, thought-provoking experience with no puzzles. If you’re expecting something escape room or puzzle-y, this definitely will not be your game. If you’re comfortable with the topics mentioned in their booking information (death, disease, murder, strong language) and want a truly unique experience, The Verdict is a great choice. Don’t go in assuming this game is similar to Jury Duty (an immersive experience by Exit Productions), as they are two separate experiences unlike each other (and The Verdict does not have information overload.)

Cara Mandel’s Reaction

I’ll start by commending the designers of this experience (I’m hesitant to label it as a “game”) on their thoughtful consideration and approach to delicate subject matter. Having reviewed their website, I can see that there are multiple areas that clarify the tone of the game and warn of difficult thematic elements. To quote the website, “The game deals realistically with emotionally heavy themes.” They even provided an emotional aftercare session of sorts for the participants. While I do appreciate that, I wish there had been some manner of content warning provided to me on specifically what the difficult subject matter would be. I might not have opted to join for this one in light of recent events in my personal life. And in my opinion, that should be an informed choice each participant makes. That said, if you’re interested in delving into deep discussion with friends or strangers about ethical and moral decisions, the legal system, justice, and personal choice, then this might interest you. If, however, you’re looking for lighter fare, I’d recommend passing on this one.

David Spira’s Reaction

The Verdict wasn’t a puzzle game… it wasn’t really even a mystery. It was a clever jury duty larp. The players make the experience, and the more seriously and honestly we approached the situation, the more we got out of it.

The performer was astonishingly talented. The story asked us to consider deep, heavy questions.

If I could have improved anything, it would have been distribution of evidence.

I love analyzing evidence, questioning, and generally improvising with actors, so I was about as at home as I get in games while playing The Verdict. I also respected how the experience made lots of room for people who were less comfortable thinking and speaking on their feet. It never forced anyone into taking on more than they could. That level of care was clear throughout the experience.

Disclosure: Logic Locks provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.

The post Logic Locks – The Verdict [Hivemind Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update 10/25/22: If you enjoy The Amsterdam Catacombs Online we hope you’ll check out our interview with creator Alexander Gierholz on The Reality Escape Pod.

The Amsterdam Catacombs Online is a real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar, created by Logic Locks in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Room Escape Artist has a review of The Amsterdam Catacombs in its original format from June 2018. It won a 2018 Golden Lock Award.

This is a review of the digital adaptation of the same game.

Format

Style of Play: real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-5

Play Time: 90 minutes

Price: €140 per team ($165)

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

You’re helping out a journalist who has read a lot about the catacombs beneath this one church. He wants to see it for himself, but locked doors hinder him. You help him out via stream, but then you figure out the demonic secrets of those catacombs.

Hivemind Review Scale

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Joel Smileypeacefun Reaction

Being one of the top 20 ranked escape rooms worldwide, I was confident going into this that I was going to have a good time. I sure did!

At its best, the story and puzzles were fantastic. The unique set design makes this game a must-play. If you’re a sucker for special props, which suddenly open up, this is the game for you.

At its worst, while the internet connection was surprisingly stable (considering the game is located in the basement of an old church), the video quality was concerningly bad. A very pixelated, low light, shaky, and blurry stream made it hard to take in the great set design and see important puzzle details.

If you don’t live around the corner or can’t play it because of the current health situation, you’ll have a ton of fun here. The only case where I wouldn’t suggest doing the online version would be if you plan on playing this in real life someday.

Sarah Mendez’s Reaction

What a spectacular experience. The set was enthralling, the puzzles were purposeful, and the avatar was on point. Ultimately, though, the magic was in how seamlessly these elements merged into a cohesive narrative. I was awestruck by some of the theatrical constructs this game used to make the story come to life. If I didn’t know better, I might actually have believed we cracked open another world. The way the story unfolds and interrelates with your own experience is elegant and intense, convincing you that stakes are high. Indeed, you might well complete the game but fail your quest, so take it seriously and pay attention! It’s really quite the masterpiece.

It should be noted that Catacombs is a huge game, an order of magnitude more complex than Logic Locks’ other game, The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart. Although the size of the game is part of its majesty, it also produced a nagging concern that we might overlook something significant (and lo, we did!), and it put a palpable burden on the avatar to orient the experience, pace the game, and focus attention. Our avatar, Dr. Fimblewood, navigated these tasks adeptly, but I honestly couldn’t tell whether we should be driving the experience more ourselves. In retrospect, I can’t imagine playing some parts of the game without the avatar’s guidance, but in the moment this wasn’t so apparent. If you go in with these expectations, you might avoid similar anxieties.

For sure, this game would be absolutely wild in person, but I’m so glad there’s an online version that seems to do it justice. Those of us who are more homebound even outside pandemic times are truly grateful.

The Lone Puzzler’s Reaction

This game is immense – it struggles a bit (especially at the beginning) with its cameras – I expect that will get fixed. The story is great – would be better in person, but I doubt I am getting to The Netherlands anytime soon and the online version was quite engaging. It is a creepy game that would be horror in person, but a little less so online. The game flowed well with interesting challenges and a very realistic set and props. The avatar setup worked well and the avatar gave a great performance in-character the whole way. A great online experience – I would recommend it in person if you can go, but if not online is worth it.

David Spira’s Reaction

The Amsterdam Catacombs is among my very favorite real life escape rooms… but how well did it translate online? In some ways, it was phenomenal, but in one critical way, it was a failure for me. The good news is that it is easily fixable.

From a pure gameplay adaptation standpoint, The Amsterdam Catacombs was one of my favorite digital adaptations of a real-life escape room. The story, setting, and puzzles were well implemented in an alternate medium. I especially loved the added theatrical flair to help build the world.

That said, in its current state, I really struggled to enjoy the game because of the choppy handheld camera work. I was terribly motion sick from the opening moments and it never improved. This game needs a steady cam. It is unacceptable that a game of this caliber has such weak camera infrastructure. The only reason that I made it through this game was because I took a 5-minute break, walked away from the game, and lay down. I hope that Logic Locks fixes this, because they did so much so well.

All that being said, if you think you’re going to get to Amsterdam, I still would not play this one. As strong as it is online, it is truly special in real life.

Disclosure: Logic Locks provided the Hivemind reviewers with a discounted play.

The post Logic Locks – The Amsterdam Catacombs Online [Hivemind Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update 10/25/22: If you enjoy The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart we hope you’ll check out our interview with creator Alexander Gierholz on The Reality Escape Pod.

Room Escape Artist has a review of The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart in its original format from June 2017. This is a review of the digital adaptation of the same game.

Format

Style of Play: real-life escape room livestreamed through an avatar

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection, pen and paper could also be helpful

There was no inventory system other than taking notes by hand yourself, and this actually worked just fine.

Recommended Team Size: 2-4

Play Time: The game itself lasts up to 80 minutes, but they recommend you reserve up to 120 minutes for the entire experience.

Price: between €18,75 – €37,50 per person ($21 – $42)

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

One reviewer notes: Our game was generously provided at 3:00 AM Amsterdam time and our host remained and chatted with us long after the game was over. Excellent customer service.

Description

This game consists entirely of the livestream of an in-character avatar exploring a real room on your behalf. You tell the avatar what to do, but unlike some avatar games, they have a mind of their own, so you might have to negotiate with them to accomplish what you want.

Hivemind Review Scale

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Sarah Mendez’s Reaction

Of all the online games I’ve played, The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart is the richest blend of storytelling, setting, puzzles, and overall immersion. Everything just works. Unlike my other favorite online rooms, this game is conducted only over video, but the beauty of the experience is that it doesn’t need any extra accoutrement. The set is vivid enough to render 360-degree views unnecessary. The discovered objects are memorable enough to forego an inventory tracking system. The in-character avatar glues the whole experience together by playing their role to a fault (even in the pre-game chatroom!), fully embodying the persona of a teammate who truly fears for their life (which provides a challenge in its own right). The result is an artistic achievement that allows you to truly imagine that you are there, soothing the sting of not actually being there. My only criticism involves a couple instances of questionable imagery that arguably fit the story but seem unnecessary. In terms of gameplay, though, this is a satisfying experience that stands out among the crowd.

Michelle Calabro’s Reaction

Games are art, and good art makes you feel something — anything — because to feel is to remember our own humanity. It is with a heavy heart that I write my review of this game, and it takes considerable restraint to write with the same level of care that I hope to receive from reviewers of games that I’ve designed.

So I will start with the obvious strengths, for they should not be understated. It was inspiring to experience the high level of creativity and technical execution evidenced in this work. The story explored societal and emotional themes that are relatable (and timely) yet relatively rare in the escape room world. The plot took a turn that played with my expectations. The puzzles drew upon a variety of intelligences, advanced the action of the story, and changed thematically with the plot. The set was beautiful and clever. The lighting guided players’ attention effectively. The sound effectively evoked the emotions of each scene. The actor who brought the experience to life was endearing and funny. It takes quite a bit of imagination, talent and taste to be able to produce an experience of this sophistication.

However, if you’re able to create a game of this sophistication, you should be using that talent to communicate responsibly. In the case of this game, a central theme — feminism — was communicated inaccurately and therefore irresponsibly. The game seemed to equate feminism with man-hating and frame it as a scornful reaction to a man’s untrustworthy action. Feminism is not reactionary and it is not hateful; to portray it as such is to further oppress women and men. I cannot recommend this game because to recommend it would be to further this oppression.

Cara Mandel’s Reaction

The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart looked like a really fun game to play in person. In its avatar-based form, it was still enjoyable but it left me wishing I had been there in person. However, since this game is located far from me in Amsterdam, this online format affords more teams the opportunity to play it. Our host was enthusiastic and highly committed to his character, the intrepid explorer. At times, we spent more time coaxing our terrified guide than solving the puzzles themselves, giving the game a perhaps unintended added level of difficulty! All in all, we had a fun time and enjoyed the story, game mechanisms, and production design.

Richard Burns’ Reaction

This was a standard avatar-led remote-play of an older escape room. The scenic was great and the puzzles were familiar. The story was solid and interesting. The highlight of the game for me was the avatar interaction.

R. Fimblewood was a character created just for the remote play version and our actor worked hard to bring it to life. The avatar gauged our experience level and deployed some stalling techniques to ensure we got near the 90 minutes of scheduled play time. At times this was frustrating, but it also created a lot of laughs and even another layer of game play.

Mr. Fimblewood was an individual with emotions (mostly fear) and questions for us about the story and the motives and feelings of the other characters. We had to discuss ideas and theories, then comfort, console, encourage, command and control our avatar.

Learning to handle our remote teammate added an interesting interactive puzzle to a somewhat ordinary room. This turned it into an experience. I learned and appreciated more about the story from talking with the avatar than I ever would have playing the room in real life.

This game reinforced a feeling in me that remote play escape rooms have the opportunity to offer something that most real-life versions do not. With careful use of a quality avatar, a layer of character and story depth can be delivered to the players that would often be missed or skimmed over during the rush of an in-person playthrough.

The post Logic Locks – The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart [Hivemind Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Puzzle Trunk Time Machine

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands (portable)

Date Played: May 9, 2018

Team size: 9-18; we recommend 9-10

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: It’s complicated. Contact Logic Locks. The game is also available for resale.

Ticketing: Private

REA Reaction

Time Crimes was the third game we’ve played from Logic Locks and the first portable game designed primarily for corporate groups that we’ve played in Europe.

Portable corporate games are a different beast from standard escape rooms. With no set, they rely exclusively on a collection of props, puzzles, and game flow. These all came together in Time Crimes. There were tons of puzzles, the props looked good, and the game generally flowed well. While Time Crimes had a lot of content, we think any teams approaching the 18 player maximum, wouldn’t get to appreciate the experience Logic Locks has created.

I’m not sure how broadly available Time Crimes will be for the general player base, but if you like puzzle- driven games, this one is worth checking out.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Time travelers
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Large volume of challenging puzzles
• Humor
• It comes to you

Story

A rogue time-traveling agent had lured us into his plot to change history. It was up to our crew to jump through time and unravel his plans.

Setup

Time Crimes came in three large packages that we were instructed to spread out across different tables, with a computer projecting the remaining content. The game was overseen by an in-character gamemaster who was eager to engage with us… even when one of our teammates humorously yet aggressively pushed the boundaries of standard player/ gamemaster interaction.

The boxes contained a wide variety of props representing items acquired from different eras in the past, present, and future. These props looked good when compared with other portable escape games.

In our case, we played in a hotel meeting room, but this thing could be played anywhere that you can comfortably fit the props.

Gameplay

Logic Locks’ Time Crimes was a standard portable escape room with a bit of added technology and a high level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

+ Time Crimes began with a more dramatic introduction than we’ve seen from most portable escape rooms. There was more to it than opening a trunk or two.

+ Time Crimes contained tons of puzzles. We had just about the most intense team that I could imagine and Time Crimes kept us busy far longer than anyone had expected.

+ Compared to most portable escape rooms, the puzzles in Time Crimes were more challenging.

– Some of the challenge came from detailed searching of the game items. If we missed a crucial detail, it would be impossible to solve the puzzle correctly. Sometimes we knew we were searching-failing. Other times we had no idea why a solution didn’t work.

+/- Time Crimes opened up into 3 separate puzzle tracks. Our gamemaster encouraged us to lay these out such that we wouldn’t confuse the tracks. With a large group, it would be possible – even natural, I’d think – for one player to play through one puzzle track and never see the others.

– There was a lot of content in Time Crimes, but 18 people seems like entirely too many players.

+ There was a tech-driven series of interactions in Time Crimes. This was unusual for a portable escape room. It brought the entire group together for interactions that everyone could experience together.

– It was challenging to follow the story because we spent the majority of our time with individual puzzles, most of which were thematic, but did not carry the narrative. We had to have retained enough story details as they had been presented to make meaningful decisions at the end.

+ There were some genuinely funny moments in Time Crimes. This is the kind of game where you should puzzle hard, but don’t take yourself too seriously.

+ Logic Locks took some splendid in-game photos. I don’t know if they do this for every team, but they should. It was good fun.

Tips for Playing

• Time Crimes needed to be set up in a relatively large space. It worked well in a hotel meeting room, where we played it. (We wouldn’t have been able to play it comfortably in our one-bedroom apartment.)

Book your session with Logic Locks’ Time Crimes and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Logic Locks comped our tickets for this game.

The post Logic Locks – Time Crimes [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update 10/25/22: If you enjoy Catacombs we hope you’ll check out our interview with creator Alexander Gierholz on The Reality Escape Pod.

Update 1/19/2024: If you want to hear more about Amsterdam Catacombs, back us on Patreon at the “Search Win!” level to get access to a Spoilers Club Episode about this game. Reality Escape Pod co-hosts David and Peih-Gee talk all about it with the creators, spoilers and all.

Say your prayers.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Date Played: May 6, 2018

Team size: 3-6; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: ranging from €24.83 per ticket to €49.67 per ticket depending on team size

Ticketing: Private

REA Reaction

Since we had enjoyed Logic Lock’s first game, we booked their latest creation The Catacombs without doing much research… We were surprised when we arrived at a beautiful old church and even more surprised when we descended into the church’s basement. Then we were utterly stunned by the size, detail, and quality of The Catacombs. It was epic, dark, scary, funny, and intense with a great set of puzzles that felt natural in their otherworldly space.

We spent most of Up The Game telling everyone we met to play The Catacombs. If you’re anywhere near Amsterdam, please go play The Catacombs. It’s scary, but it’s not over-the-top.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level
• Players who are fine with a theme that mixes religion and the supernatural
• Players who are comfortable with a more intense experience

Why play?

• The legit setting
• Beautiful sets
• Interesting puzzles
• The solo moment
• The cinematic conclusion

Story

Something evil had awakened the in catacombs of Posthoorn Church at Haarlemmerstraat and we’d been summoned by the priest to determine what manner of wickedness had taken root beneath the church and exorcise it.

Setting

Catacombs was set in the basement beneath the Posthoorn Church at Haarlemmerstraat. While not technically catacombs, it was the next best thing. The building was beautiful and the basement was dark and creepy.

We began our adventure in an exhibit about the church. Things rapidly escalated from there.

Everything was detailed and felt like it belonged in the game’s grim world.

Gameplay

Logic Locks’ Catacombs mixed escape room gameplay with elements of immersive theater. It had a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, and engaging.

Analysis

+ Catacombs took place under a former church that was no longer operational for religious purposes. The setting added its own drama to the adventure.

+ Logic Locks worked with the constraints of their space to introduce the experience lightly and then ramp up its intensity.

+ The set looked great. As we moved through the gamespaces, they had different looks and feels, but remained part of a cohesive experience. As the narrative became more intense, so did the environment. It worked really well.

+ We met a character who helped guide our experience through Catacombs. The role was crafted to deliver hints and narrative transitions. The actress in our playthrough brought an incredible intensity to the role, which upped the excitement of the entire experience. It was impressive.

+ Our actress delivered her captivating and intense performance in her second language, which we really admire.

– The otherwise excellent acting started out too intense. Our character grabbed our attention, but we had trouble figuring out how we were supposed to relate to her. Because she started out so high, she didn’t have all that much room to escalate tension (but she did find ways to do so).

+ Catacombs used levity to temper horror, which is fairly common of horror movies as well. For players apprehensive about horror, the comedic angle softens the experience.

+ We enjoyed the puzzles in Catacombs. By combining locks with tech-driven opens, solves felt both ancient and magical.

– One puzzle was ambiguous; it was difficult to read at face value.

– Late in the game we uncovered a journal. It supported multiple puzzles that ran in parallel, across different spaces, and different levels of light. This became a bottleneck.

+ There was a well-designed solo moment with consequences.

+/- Catacombs built to a conclusion that arrived unexpectedly, in an unorthodox manner. For players used to traditional escape rooms, know that Logic Locks used the actor to control the experience and you cannot simply input your way to victory. Go in prepared for this so as not to be frustrated searching for something you won’t find. When the actor is present, give them all of your attention.

+ The culminating scene delivered a dramatic ending. It made us the stars of our own saga. Logic Locks has designed two conclusions; win or lose, the adventure would build to an epic finale.

Tips for Visiting

• Catacombs is a long walk or quick taxi/ Uber from the city center.
• Note that Catacombs is in a different location from Eliza’s Heart.
• At least one player needs to be able to crawl through a tight space.
• At least one player needs to be comfortable alone in a tight, enclosed space.
• There are live actors in this escape room. Review our tips for playing with actors.
• Note that if you aren’t comfortable with a theme about religion and the supernatural, this escape room isn’t for you.

Book your hour with Logic Locks’ Catacombs, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Logic Locks comped our tickets for this game.

The post Logic Locks – Catacombs [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Blurred reality.

Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Date played: May 7, 2017

Team size: 2-7; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 63 minutes

Price: €19,50 – 39,50 per person depending upon team size

Story & setting

The descendants of Elizabeth van Leeuwenhart, the renowned 19th century Dutch world adventurer, have opened her private study up to the public for 63 minutes at a time. Could we be the first to find her unimaginably valuable gold necklace, the “Lionheart?”

Logic Locks created a creepy atmosphere that felt strangely believable. From the character of Elizabeth van Leeuwenhart, to the Willy Wonka-esque gamemaster, to the set itself, the scenario felt bizarrely real.

Puzzles

Puzzle-driven, Eliza’s Heart felt like a traditional escape room. What made these puzzles stand out was Logic Locks’ prop selection. Everything felt like it belonged in this strange escape room.

Standouts

Logic Locks went to great lengths to make their character and story feel real. Going in, I knew that the experience was fiction, but I could feel my brain desperately wanting to accept everything I saw as truth.

The puzzling in Eliza’s Heart was strong and satisfying.

Logic Locks made brilliant use of Amsterdam’s most abundant resource: used bicycle chains.

Our creepy Willy Wonka-esque gamemaster took his time and sold the fiction. It was tough to tell if he was acting or was truly this strange individual.

Shortcomings

Some of the antique furniture and props were heavily worn. In one instance, we spent a long time failing to open an antique lock with the correct key because the mechanism was in rough shape.

While the puzzles were enjoyable, Eliza’s Heart would have been all the more impressive if each and every puzzle carried a little more narrative.

There was a puzzle that required outside knowledge. It left us wondering whether the knowledge that we needed to apply was from the current era or Elizabeth van Leeuwenhart’s era.

Should I play Logic Locks’ Eliza’s Heart?

Eliza’s Heart was a beautiful execution of the traditional escape room format. It was an analog puzzle game in an elegant set. The story was so compelling that I wanted to believe that it was true, even when I knew that it was fiction.

If you discovered escape rooms because you love adventure puzzling, then you will likely love Eliza’s Heart.

Beginners can play Eliza’s Heart, but they are going to have to communicate well, as this was not the most simple of escape rooms.

Experienced players will likely enjoy all of the detail, love, and careful attention to experience that Logic Locks poured into Eliza’s Heart.

Book your hour with Logic Locks’ Eliza’s Heart, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Full disclosure: Logic Locks comped our tickets for this game.

The post Logic Locks – Eliza’s Heart [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.