Metropolis 2099Dream LabsEscape roomIRLThe concept behind Dreamlabs is phenomenal. From the very beginning, the fantastic game hosts completely pull you into the experience, making everything feel just right. In terms of set design, this is one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever seen. It is packed with details, and it’s clear that everything has been thought through down to the very last detail. I was also completely blown away by the special effects. The puzzles were fun. They were still fairly linear, but there was already more room for teamwork than in Pirates. There were also some very original puzzles among them. My biggest “problem” — and the reason why this room doesn’t get a heart from me — is the ending. As you can tell from the rest of my review, I have a lot of praise for this room. The story, puzzles, and atmosphere completely draw you in, and everything builds up beautifully. Until it suddenly stops. The ending felt so abrupt to me that I genuinely thought we were going to go back and that this was just a fake ending. In my opinion, this is currently an important area for improvement. I was left so confused and slightly disappointed afterwards that it actually overshadowed, for a moment, how good the rest of the experience had been. And that’s especially unfortunate, because with a stronger ending, this could have been a truly fantastic overall experience. If they manage to find a good solution for the ending, I genuinely believe this could become one of the absolute top escape rooms in Germany. Hopefully this is something that can still be improved in the future!
LostDream LabsEscape roomIRLThis is genuinely one of the most beautiful rooms I have ever played. And that is quite something to say, considering I was absolutely terrified for most of the experience. Besides being one of the most beautiful, it is without a doubt also one of the scariest rooms I have ever played. Let’s start with the set design and story. Wow. I honestly don’t have the words for this. Every single detail has been carefully considered, and while playing, I genuinely felt like everything around me was real. That naturally made the danger feel all the more real as well. The sound, lighting, set design, and story come together perfectly and create what is perhaps the most beautiful experience Dreamlabs has to offer. The level of scariness was a real surprise. We’re fairly experienced with horror rooms by now, but this one genuinely got to me. I think especially because we didn’t expect it to become this intense, which made us genuinely jump a few times. The horror is never overly aggressive or actually dangerous, but it really gets into your head and stays with you. Personally, it became a little too much for me at one point. Luckily, we were able to communicate this to the team, and they handled it in a very good way, allowing us to continue the experience comfortably. And thankfully they did, because I absolutely wanted to see everything this room had to offer! The game hosts also deserve a special mention. What an acting performance. The Dreamlabs concept is used brilliantly to start your adventure, and this is largely thanks to the fantastic acting talent of the game hosts. At times, it was so convincing that I genuinely found myself wondering whether something was part of the room or was actually happening. That is a huge compliment. I do have one small point of criticism regarding the lack of space once the game starts. You are told to run and hide when you encounter “something”, but there is so little space at that point that you can easily end up panicking and bumping into each other or the walls. This may partly be down to the way we personally react to fear, but I don’t think we’re the only team whose instinct is to get as far away from the “danger” as quickly as possible. This made the fear even more intense and made the beginning somewhat frustrating at times because of constantly running into walls and teammates. Other than that, this is absolutely a must-play, but be prepared: this room is genuinely scary. I would love to play it again now that I know what to expect, so I can appreciate everything the room has to offer even more without being quite so terrified the entire time.
Molly's GameUntold Stories Experiences [prev. Down the Hatch]Escape roomIRLI can see why this room is the number one on so many peoples lists. At his time, this room certainly set the stage for the next generation of escaperooms. The story was much more prominent, the puzzles were aazingly integrated and everything inside just felt bigger. From the momentt you step in you are teleported to another world. They want you to forget your own life for a moment and escape totally in this game and they certainly succeed in that mission. Right now you see more rooms of this grandure and idea. But this one set the stage. I would reccomend this to everyone who loves escaperooms.
De Wraak Van Han [Han’s Revenge]De Gouden KooiEscape roomIRLThis was the biggest escaperoom I played at the time. The story is a bit weird but that doesn’t really matter. From the moment you go in the decorations will blow you away. Everything is very realistic. The puzzles are very wel thought out. There is a good variation in logic, the puzzles are nit too difficult or too easy. The room has some twists I have never seen before. I would recommend this room to everyone, but surely not as your first. It wil set the bar very high for the rooms you will play after.
The Dark ForestHorror StoriesEscape roomIRLI loved the atmosphere of this room. I thought it was very scary! The actors did a really good job! The decor looked very good. The only thing I thought fcould be better is that I sometimes didn’t understand why I was doung the things I was doing. If they can make this clearer in the story, the room would be even better!
The Toy FactoryTales of Torchdale [prev. Escaperoom Antwerp]Escape roomIRLThis is a very good room. The story and atmosphere were amazing and something you don’t see often in escaperooms. Some special effects blew me away! (Pun intended.) the puzzles worked perfectly with the atmosphere and were not linear. Working together with your team was much needed. I am looking forward to the next room this company is going to building, both rooms they have already are a big hit!
Botanist ManorEscape RushEscape roomIRLThis room was amazing. The puzzles just kept on coming and were very intersting. I loved the idea and executions and was very suprised by all the effects they used in the room. I highly reccomend playing this room. This is the best room escape rush has to offer. All their ideas combine and work together gloriously in this one. For the other rooms, a lot of things felt lackluster for me. This was not at all the case in this room. Go try it!
ArbrevilleDe Gouden KooiEscape roomIRLA truly beautiful room. De Gouden Kooi has surpassed itself with this one. In my opinion, this is currently the best room they have to offer. The puzzles, story, atmosphere, and set design come together perfectly. I had an amazing time, and the room is accessible for both newer and more experienced players. The story is built up beautifully and completely drew me in. In fact, it genuinely moved me on a personal level. The stunning set design, thoughtful lighting, and use of music all contribute greatly to that experience. What impressed me most is that, despite the grand scale of the experience, the puzzles remain an important part of the game. In many story-driven rooms, puzzles can sometimes fade into the background, but here they remain an essential part of the overall experience. In short: absolutely worth playing.
Het TestamentBaron BeeckmanEscape roomIRLThis was an amazing escaperoom and is immediatly in my top rooms ever played. The room feels extremely authentic. The gamehost was lovely and did an amazing job in her room briefing. The owners have a lot of passion and know how they want to build their rooms. Their vision of using a lot of real mechanics becomes very clear in this one. The puzzles were logical but still challanging, the room looked beautufull and Gertrude was an amazing extra guest. I highly recommend this room. But know that it’s sadly only palyable in Dutch. If at least one player in your group can translate it should be doable!
Lost and FoundHotel Veloria [prev. Kamer 237]Escape roomIRLThis was a room of very high quality in every aspect. The puzzles, the set design, and the story were all excellent. Throughout the game, I truly felt like I was exploring the hotel’s old attic. A few nice effects made the experience even better, and especially at the beginning I really appreciated how effectively the lighting was used. Personally, I thought 237 was the stronger room at Hotel Veloria. In Lost & Found, the puzzles suited me slightly less, but that’s purely a matter of personal taste. If you’re in the area, this room is definitely a must-play so you can form your own opinion. All three rooms at this location are high quality, and I’m really looking forward to their next creation.