Pray

This was a fantastic start on our Netherland marathon! From the eerie beginning to the great finale, this game delivers on all fronts. The decor and acting was my favorite parts, but the puzzles were also good. One of the better rooms I have played!

We absolutely loved this room! We were lucky enough to even meet one of the owners as our GM. The puzzles were just challenging enough for us who have played more than our fair share of rooms. The love and detail that went into this room is really remarkable. I can’t say enough good things about this room.

Loved the drama! This was a beautiful set with an interesting navigation path that lended itself to exploration of cool new spaces and the unfolding of a narrative. I really enjoyed the addition of theatrical immersion to some very solid puzzles.

Very modern and good. Good visuals and making use of lighting and smell. Unique puzzles. Beautifully decorated.

although there are many of the familiar tropes of horror here (the iconography, ritual, etc.), it's a game that doesn't settle for imitation and instead crafts them into something that feels genuine, a narrative world of texture and history. Sometimes in horror games, puzzles can feel like obligatory speed bumps, a way to slow down progress rather than deepen it. Here they are precise and intentional, all rooted in the world, not simple stapled onto it. Some of my teammates ranked it lower and I get why. The tone is deliberate, the pacing thoughtful. It has a narrative patience that not everyone loves. But for me, the story worked. It cared enough to give us a reason to be there.

Boy was absolutely phenomenal. He did an incredible job making us feel on edge while creating a predictable pattern in his acting to allow us to puzzle with a clear mind. There are many things I could say about this game that would all be the highest of marks but for me the standout element for me is their audio design. The paced intensity of the soundtrack, audio queues, puzzle based sound effects, etc were all arguably the best I’ve ever seen. I completely understand why this game is 13 on the TERPECA list.

First thing's first: this room is overrated. While Pray certainly deserved a spot on TERPECA, it is ranked #13 on the 2024 TERPECA list. This made everyone in our group come into the room with high expectations, and it missed the bar. If this was ranked lower on the list, I don't think I would have been as underwhelmed. However, Pray really represents the type of escape rooms that Dutch players are looking for right now, and live actors are a relatively new element in the games in the area, so this probably bolstered the reviews and rankings for this game. Pray is a room that embraces a religious horror but subverts your expectations in unique ways. This made for a very unique story that stands out from others. Pray uses its set and atmosphere extremely well to build suspense throughout the game, but because of this, the ending felt very theatrical but emotionally and narratively fell flat. There are effects that don't actually make any sense, but are just there for the sake of making something visually dramatic. Signposting issues left our group feeling very scattered-brained before the finale, which also made the ending less impactful. This room has an extremely strong smell because of the funerary service setting/theme. Because of this, I wore a mask the whole time.

Everyone needs to do this room! It is wonderfully made, and the puzzles make sense and are well integrated into the story. The amount of tension is just right, with light jump scares, but nothing too horror-y. I love it when a room can balance a great environment, a clear story, and amazing puzzles, and Pray does that perfectly.

Amazing top 5 favorites ever