Heist TikiWay Out Escape RoomEscape roomIRLGame 17 of 17 of our Athens Tour - This game is closing at the end of the month, and may only be a shell of its former self. It’s a real shame, as the game is funny and HIGHLY creative. Best of luck to the owner of this game, please don’t forget the penguin when you go!
El Exorcista [The Exorcist]No Exit IlioupoliEscape roomIRLGame 15 of 18 of our Athens Tour - Wow! The actress is STUNNING. So many practical effects and so much physicality is present in her role. The set of the game is impressively realistic and unsettling in equal measure. The plot is easy to follow. The scares are AMAZING, and we’re not entirely sure multiple weeks later how some of them were done. It was excellent. The fact this game came out in 2020 when it holds up today is mind boggling.
Wanted: Dead or AliveNo Exit IlioupoliEscape roomIRLGame 14 of 17 of our Athens Tour - What fun! Lighthearted and hilarious gameplay with an actor that seemed to be having just as much fun as the rest of us. This game is aging and could use a facelift, but is still charming and whimsical as in its hay day. Puzzles were charming but ultimately nothing special or intricate. The game space was fairly large and varied, though entirely in world, and No Exit employed a great use of vertical movement to make it feel larger than it is. The actor was hilarious and varied in his roles. It was a joy to play with him.
Don't Take A BreathVerone Live Action Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLGame 16 of 17 of our Athens Tour - Really, really unique! I’ve never played a game that felt like this. Don’t come to this game expecting hard puzzles, it’s much more an experience than a puzzle room. Definitely among our favorites from the trip. The actor/owner and our GM played their roles perfectly, leaving us completely immersed in their massive, massive world. The set is immaculately detailed and full of much more polish than most any other game I’ve ever played. Thank you for sharing a corner of your mind, Verone. See you again in some years for Cocaina and 50 Shades of Pork ;)
The House on the HillLockhill - Nea IoniaEscape roomIRLGame 12 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - This is the single most complete game I’ve ever played. If a top tier escape room is meant to tell a story, this game pulls you through an absolutely tragic tale in a death grip. The acting is impeccable throughout, and the pacing never and I mean NEVER relents. There is heavy symbolism in every action you take, and every step, scream, scene, and puzzle has a clear place in its world. The set is so realistic I couldn’t make my brain believe it wasn’t real (only the second time in 100+ games). The puzzles ran simple, but the puzzles themselves aren’t the point of the game. Without saying too much, one segment of gameplay is something I’ve only heard of happening a few other places in the world, and one of the acting decisions made I don’t believe has ever been attempted anywhere else (and I doubt will be for some time). This game is impactful, moving, terrifying, and a must play for anyone who can stomach a fairly significant amount of fright.
GodslayerRoom 54Escape roomIRLGame 13 of 17 of our Athens Tour - D&D Fans Unite!! If a one-shot could be made into an escape room this would be that game. It is not the most polished or best put together game in Athens, but it extremely unique and VERY fun. If you’re someone who grew up rolling D20s around a kitchen table or in your parents’ basement, give this game a try. RPG Mode is a must.
Παρεκκλήσι & Κατακόμβες [Chapel & Catacombs]Lockhill - Nea IoniaEscape roomIRLGame 11 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - Where do I even begin? This game is GIGANTIC, with varying sets that morph and change and progress with you as you work on the story. The story is clear despite the chaos the actors make sure ensues around you. I have nothing but respect for everyone at Lockhill for this absolutely out of this world experience. Of the full horror games we’ve played in Athens so far this one was by FAR the most fun. The cinematic portions were gorgeous with payoffs WAY, WAY down the line. The other scares (of which I will be intentionally vague) were perfect and held their purpose perfectly. The puzzles were simple, and frankly not the point of this behemoth of an experience, but they solved cleanly when we were calm enough to put them together. This was my 100th game, and it easily ranks among my favorites from beginning to end. Thank you Lockhill for an unforgettable experience.
The MaidVansa Escape RoomEscape roomIRLGame 10 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - This one is interesting for me, because I think it’s placement as coming after Paradox hurt it a little in my eyes. The game is EXCELLENT, very beautiful with perfect scenery and a good, if somewhat predictable story. The puzzles were variable for me. They were all well crafted, but some were so easy they felt more like time wasting activities than true puzzles. This is intentional by Vansa, as they want this to be a long puzzle game approachable for all (which they absolutely pull off well), but it leaves the game really wanting something that feels truly unique or truly layered compared to the games we played at Paradox Project immediately before it. I would recommend this game either early on a tour, or to less experienced players looking for a meatier than usual puzzle game. It was great by global standards, and just good compared to the rest of the market here in Athens.
Paradox Project 3: Το Ωδείον [The Music Academy]Paradox ProjectEscape roomIRLGame 8 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - Simply put, my new favorite puzzle game. This game does not have the wow factor of its predecessors, but it outdoes them both in flow and satisfaction. That’s not saying the game doesn’t have a few surprises in classic Paradox Project fashion ;). Dimitris was an absolutely incredible host, thank you for sharing your love of all your games, and most of all this one.
Paradox Project 2: Το Βιβλιοπωλείον [The Bookstore]Paradox ProjectEscape roomIRLGame 5 of 17 of our Athens Tour - WOW. This game takes everything that made the Mansion great and improves on it. The flow works better, the puzzles while still VERY challenging are a little more manageable, and the creativity in use of space is turned up to the max as we move throughout the various parts of the game. Incredibly well done Paradox Project.
Το Σανατόριο [The Sanatorium]Lockhill - MetaxourghioEscape roomIRLGame 9 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - #### that was intense. This is, in short, living a video game (Think Resident Evil or Silent Hill). The set is dingy, dark, and hard to see. It doesn’t need to be particularly large, as it makes use of every. Single. Inch perfectly. The puzzles are challenging but manageable (largely scaling in difficulty based on your perception of how scary the game is). Thomas, your guide in the town, is a kind and reassuring presence. The actors were terrifying and excellent in their timing and placement. This game is TERRIFYING, but is also very manageable if you approach it with the mindset of it being a video game with strict rules, as the rules WILL be followed by all involved. Thank you Lockhill, I never thought I’d be brave enough to escape this game. Thank you for giving me the chance to prove myself wrong.
Το Μαγαζί Βουντού [The Voodoo Shop]Lockhill - MetaxourghioEscape roomIRLGame 6 of 17 of our Athens Tour - A firmly middling introduction to Lockhill. Though there are some creative puzzles in it it has aged poorly, particularly in the larger context of Athens. One crawlspace was very uncomfortable. I would recommend sticking to their later games.
The Lockwood ManorLockhill - MetaxourghioEscape roomIRLGame 7 of 17 of our Athens tour - A decent, if old, story beat in the town of Lockhill. The game is good, but heavily worn down over time. Some renovations would make this game feel much more. In particular, one crawlspace is VERY uncomfortable to navigate. That said, the game is fun, short, and a good warm up for the craziness that is the rest of Lockhill.
Paradox Project 1: Η Έπαυλη [The Mansion]Paradox ProjectEscape roomIRLGame 3 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - The ultimate “classic” escape room. Insanely creative puzzles and use of space. Dimitris isn’t kidding when he says the game is all about thinking outside the box, he MEANS it. The puzzles are the star and the puzzles are layered, multistep, and VERY meaty. The playspace is large and varied, with no puzzles repeating. This game shows its age a little in the pure volume of searching required, but surprisingly not at any point in the wear on said props. The game is maintained EXTREMELY well for being 11 years old. Thank you Dimitris for the excellent experience, we’re VERY excited to come back for the Bookstore Tomorrow!
ZoeXII Divisions Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLGame 4 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - WOW. Highly impressive acting and wordless storytelling. The set and story were the point of the game, though the puzzles were (with one notable exception) well crafted and the scares were balanced VERY well by the staff. The game is designed to be “light horror” which I think would be a fair description. I would recommend this game for anyone who wants to try Athens horror from the States that wouldn’t know where to start. The sets are highly immersive, and the game has arguably the best guidance/hint system of any game I’ve played. Light is used with amazing levels of intention placed behind it to maximize its impact. The ending was INCREDIBLE, but I won’t spoil it here. This is the first game on this trip where I truly believe not playing it would mean you’ve “done Athens wrong.” This is a must play.
Dia de Los Muertos [Day of the Dead]Mystery Lab 2Escape roomIRLGame 2 of 17 on Our Athens Tour - WOW this game is criminally overlooked. Maybe the other games in Athens are just THAT fantastic, I acknowledge that could be the case, but this was excellent. Blending the border between puzzles (created in part by the acclaimed Paradox Project) and horror rooms in Athens, this game was a little bit of everything the city seems to have on offer. The spaces we moved through were creative and some were genuinely unique in my 91 games to date. The puzzles were on the simpler side but were overwhelmingly elegantly created. The actress did an excellent job of being scary but not overdoing it, and I could sing her praises all day. Our GM Nick was an excellent host, thank you again for our conversation after the game. If you’re coming from anywhere else in the world, come see this game. It is absolutely worth your time.
Cosmos 05 Death In SpaceEscapepolis GaziEscape roomIRLGame 1 of 17 on our Athens Tour - A good introduction to Athens, not a great one. While the game is fun and has very fun moments, some elements show a lack of polish. Games in Athens tend to be much louder than in the US, and we acknowledge this, while also insisting this game could have had speakers of a slightly better quality so all the louder audio was clear. The game makes use of its space EXCELLENTLY, and is incredibly dense and puzzly. Worth playing for the introduction alone, AT MAX 3 PLAYERS can fully experience it, so consider breaking teams up into smaller groups if you have >3 players.
The Time MachineDeadlocked Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThe Time Machine is a true gem of a game. It feels handcrafted and absolutely chock full of love in every aspect from set to puzzles and everything in between. Charlie our game host knows her game inside and out and knew exactly how to provide adequate hinting throughout without needing to be asked. The set is very much “low-budget”, using recognizable household items in inventive ways, but that is absolutely part of the game’s charm! It was an absolute joy to play this game.
Ruins: Forbidden TreasureThe Escape Game - TysonsEscape roomIRLThis game was an excellent romp through the jungle. The tech was impressive, especially when it worked as intended. If everything worked as intended this game could easily be world class. The puzzles were great and the staff were all excellent.
Cosmic CrisisThe Escape Game - TysonsEscape roomIRLThis game represented the most technologically advanced of TEG’s that I’ve played, and was also the most story heavy. The world was believable and extremely enjoyable to be in. That said, this game is prone to glitching, which should be resolved as soon as possible for the sake of future players and staff at the venue.
![El Exorcista [The Exorcist]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/f6c7b10d-2679-47f4-b95c-49e681349784.jpg)
![Παρεκκλήσι & Κατακόμβες [Chapel & Catacombs]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/0855dcf0-1ad4-496c-abdd-f8f4e681ba4a.jpeg)
![Paradox Project 3: Το Ωδείον [The Music Academy]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/407ac41a-f718-4125-820f-57f0f7666598.jpeg)
![Paradox Project 2: Το Βιβλιοπωλείον [The Bookstore]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/fba6d50a-40fb-440f-b277-db056d725725.jpeg)
![Το Σανατόριο [The Sanatorium]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/d9843aba-6707-4335-8cd2-4643dfc1f96c.jpeg)
![Το Μαγαζί Βουντού [The Voodoo Shop]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/a328e18d-1519-495f-b6f2-1aaaeb438f66.png)
![Paradox Project 1: Η Έπαυλη [The Mansion]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/d239b754-8fbb-4339-b795-42b74ae62385.jpeg)
![Dia de Los Muertos [Day of the Dead]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/23539931-bf41-478b-aa48-4fa8df080be9.jpeg)
