Zoltar Spreekt [Zoltar Speaks]

Imagine being immersed into a combination of Big and the tales of Scheherazade…this experience nailed it! Great GM, great plot, great props…loved it!

Myself and a few other Escape Game owners travelled from Scotland to The Netherlands to play some of the top games in the world, as well as some of the rising stars. Zoltar Speaks was the penultimate stop on the tour. As Escape Room builders, we tend to approach games we play from a position of analysis, constantly reviewing what the game is presenting and how it all ties together. Once in a while, a game comes along that reminds us to truly have fun. And Zoltar did this in spades. Ranking the game in hindsight, it made it to the top spot for 2 out of the 5 players, and the other three players put it in 2nd place (myself included). Beating out games that ranked 50+ places higher than it on the TERPECA rankings. The spoilers ahead will discuss some core aspects of the game. And I believe wholeheartedly that this game inspired so much glee, so much joy, that players who are in any way serious about the best this industry has to offer should be closing Morty, and opening up a travel site that will get you to Hilversum to play this. ---- SPOILERS AHEAD ---- Ok, you were warned. Seriously... Stop reading. This game is amazing and should be experienced. Alright! The flow of the game is a series of escalations that increase the fun and tension. Starting in a traditional style escape room, it sets a tone. It lured us into a false sense of expectation. We were playing it saying "yes this room has great decor but what was everyone going on about?" So when we moved to room two, we realised this was not your typical game. Now unsure of where the game would go, we ended up in a much more open space, but still felt more like a traditional escape room. But then, we got to the final escalation. Suddenly, the game becomes a heist... But a heist in the way that every Escape Room that has "heist" in the name wants to be. We arranged a plan. Two members would distract the actual guard, while the rest of us snuck into an area and did our own thing. We agreed that once my stage of the plan was complete, I would make a bird call so the others knew to drop the distraction. The plan started off perfect. But after finishing my role, I watched the other members from a safe distance act out their incredible distraction with the actor, a heavily armoured guard armed with a large scimitar. Realising I had not made a bird call, I suddenly blurted it out and the guard immediately turned around and started running in my direction. What ensued was the most chaotic, funniest, Scooby-Doo-esque reenactment, as a guard chased us around a sultan's palace while we tried to revive a rebellion. Pure theatre. Immense fun and what we all agreed on was perhaps the most fun we've had in a game. We build games with live actors, and Zoltar Speaks showed us the new gold standard.

A really fun and adrenaline inducing game. Loved the theming and the layout is really cool. There aren’t many puzzles but we easily filled almost the whole 75 minutes.

I’m not sure why this is listed as a spooky room; it has a more fantasy/historical spin but regardless it is a world class room with amazing puzzles, unique story, and even a video game like aspect to it. Dennis was an amazing game master

So I was told that the owner built this room after only experiencing three escape rooms themselves. This is unbelievable. It does not initially feel like a high-tech room with some first generation locks and puzzles. But as the game escalates so does the immersion and the fun. There are definitely some adrenaline filled moments. I would schedule some time afterwards to have some drinks with the staff. Interestingly, they built a bar and are escape enthusiasts as well. 8.5/10

Zoltar Speaks! A game we heard rumblings about when we were booking our trip, and I am so glad we did. In a country with almost only darker escape rooms, it was refreshing to play a brighter game with a completely different theme. The game was fun from the beginning to the end, and it changed so much during that time. It was surprise after surprise, and the game does a few things I have never seen before. Would highly recommend this game!

This game was so much fun. I appreciated the owners opening a time slot for us to play while we were in the area. The game is full of surprises. It zigs and zags in layers of new adventures and the end was a heartstopping race to the finish. We loved this experience, the theatricality, and the set, that was fun to interact with.

it's a game that's inventive, energetic, and aware that consequential choices are just as important as being clever. The one small disappointment was that there wasn't an actual Zoltar machine. For a game built around a cultural icon, this felt like a missed opportunity, and there are some fun things that its presence would have made possible. Still, this is an extraordinarily fun game that is less about doing what the designer intended, and more about deciding how you, as a team, want to play. We slotted this into our schedule late, and only did so because of the excellent review by Matthew Stein. Read it here (https://roomescapeartist.com/.../escape-cafe-zoltar.../). He articulates the numerous strengths better than I can.

Wow! The most fun we’ve ever had in a room. We laughed for hours after. I wish all rooms were like this! ❤️