Maestro

Contrary to VeganGameGuy's review, this is 100% a horror room. If an actor reaches out from a hiding place to grab my leg at some point in the experience…that's an automatic qualifier. Maybe he means this: In "Maestro" we aren't being pursued by a traditional adversary: not a zombie, or a serial killer, or a demonic nun...but by the ghosts of our past. This room finds inspiration in the real-life horrors of World War II, and sets a new standard for historical storytelling in escape rooms. I still get chills thinking about the experience, and this room is easily in my top 3 of all time. The setting is an early-20th century music conservatory, and the set construction is gorgeous. It’s also huge, and there is a little bit of crawling too. It felt like being in a movie set, as we watched cinematic scenes unfold before us, sometimes in the same room and sometimes while peering through a window. The actors’ choreography and acting were flawless and authentic, and the well-timed pacing of the room gave us time to breathe and focus on puzzles in between scenes. The puzzles are some of the easier ones I've encountered recently, but they fit the theme perfectly and buttressed the narrative instead of interfering with it. My friend and I played as a group of 2, and she had only played one other escape room before. This was perfect. I could imagine a larger group of 4 hardcore puzzlers leaving a little underwhelmed by the low difficulty of Maestro. But this isn’t meant to be a “riddle room” as they call them in Athens. The puzzles are in service to the story, not the other way around. The story takes place in Vienna during WWII, so you can probably guess some of the thematic content. I felt that the room’s creator did a great job treating this subject matter tastefully, and with utmost respect. The whole experience was very moving, and I can’t wait to see what immersive experiences follow in Maestro’s footsteps.

This was the first game of my Athens trip, and it ended up being one of my favorites. Essentially, I would summer this experience up as an interactive, immersive, theatrical museum tour. It's an interesting twist on what is already going on in Athens. Instead of horror or puzzles, this experience is focused on telling a story around you. I also found this room one step higher in overall quality, especially the large detailed set combined with the cinematics and acting. I liked the puzzles as well, but keep in mind that they are very light!! So puzzle lovers won't be satisfied here. Yes, there are actors, there are unexpected appearances, the story gets dark, but I wouldn't call it horror. Therefore, I would recommend this game even to non-horror players / horror beginners. It's loud, earplugs are recommended.

This is a great nonhorror room that for some reason has a horror veneer. The constant horror-y elements, screams and scares are fun but detract from the story being told and are never quite explained or justified. Puzzles are mostly good though very easy. And the theme and setting are awesome. Where this room shines is in exploration of the space - the set is SUPERB - and in the storytelling, which (with the exception of the random horror-ness about it) is logical and unravels coherently. Not sure if this is just an Athens thing, but the audio was comically loud and melodramatic. When you start the intensity at 90% there's not much progression to 100. This would be much more coherent and enjoyable if it started, say, around 30% and built to a climax. Acting was excellent and I'd highly recommend this room!

Ended up with tears. LOVED it. I recommended to everyone, regardless you play horror, non-horror, escape rooms in general. Just live it.

The best escape room in Athens. Without a single doubt. Massive, full of puzzles, exceptional storyline, tremendously well-created cinematic cut-scenes, top atmosphere, with a great historical message to the players. This is ART at this point. Not just one more escape room. Do not miss it.

The best escape room in Athens! Incredible experience - intense emotional story, great puzzle flow and quantity, impressive acting sequences.

Leonard Bernstein believed that musical notes behaved like characters in a story. They want things. They resist. They reconcile. They’re in opposition. Maestro is built on opposition … love and horror, rage and regret, monsters and maestros. It has a beautiful set, masterful use of actors moving through space, straight forward puzzles, and one of the most powerful and affecting narratives in Athens.

Exceptional. MUST-VISIT.

‏This room is so much more than just a room—it is a true work of art. Every single element blends seamlessly into one breathtaking masterpiece. Honestly, words don't do it justice you just have to come and experience it for yourself.