Arbreville

We visited Arbreville today and were genuinely impressed. The experience actually starts before you even arrive, as you receive an email beforehand that immediately makes you curious about what is waiting for you. We parked in the car park recommended by the provider as an affordable option. Everything worked perfectly and the location was easy to reach from there. When you first enter, everything still feels like a fairly traditional escape room venue. The reception area is quite simple, but it is a nice place to arrive, sit down and take everything in. Although this part is not yet directly connected to the actual story, the acting already starts to slowly prepare you for what is about to come. We were then taken to our “accommodation”, and from that moment on, the experience just kept getting better and better. The rooms are incredibly elaborate. I honestly think Arbreville is one of the most impressive and ambitious experiences we have played so far. At times, you really wonder how much time and effort must have gone into creating all of this. Apparently, they had quite a bit of time during Covid. 😅 Beforehand, we really had no idea what to expect from the story. We mainly decided to visit because of the excellent reviews and feedback from other players. That made the experience even more surprising. The story gradually unfolds and the whole experience keeps building as you progress. We especially liked the fact that, in a way, the immersion already begins before you have even arrived at the location. We played as a team of two and had a great time despite the scale of the experience. That said, we would probably recommend playing with around four people. Considering the size of the rooms and the amount there is to take in, that seems like a very good group size for most teams. During the debrief, we found out that a few smaller puzzles had been skipped during our game. Apparently, the experience is adjusted depending on the group and how quickly they progress. Faster or larger groups may be given some additional smaller puzzles to keep the flow and overall playing time balanced. These are not essential puzzles, though, and at no point did we feel that we had missed anything important. We also want to give special credit to our two game masters/actors. Unfortunately, we forgot to write down their names. Both of them played their roles extremely well and contributed a lot to the overall atmosphere. We also really appreciated being allowed to continue until the very end, even though we eventually finished around 20 minutes beyond the official game time. During the debrief, we were told that our time was actually pretty good for a team of two. That surprised us a little at first, but it also suggests that not every group necessarily finishes within the official time limit. We therefore appreciated it even more that we were able to experience the complete game without being stopped before the end. One of our game masters also took the time afterwards to answer all of our questions in detail. Considering that we had already gone well over the scheduled time, this was certainly not something we took for granted and it was a really nice way to finish the experience. Overall, we can recommend Arbreville without hesitation. The incredibly elaborate set design, the way the experience continuously builds, and the acting all make it something truly special. For us, it was definitely one of the most impressive escape room experiences we have played so far.

Great start, creative puzzles, and lots of variety. The room is really well made, spacious, and full of details. The storyline is creative and far from standard. We were two people and got through it well. A game I’ll remember for a long time — highly recommended!

A wonderful experience, and such a fun introduction. A lot of attention to detail was used in creating the word of Arbreville, and it was quite beautiful. The puzzles were in theme and a lot of fun as well. We had a small audio issue that they said was due to the heat wave, but it didn’t distract too much from the narrative.

The decor was amazing and what I would expect from our other experiences with De Gouden Kooi this was definitely their largest room yet. However we felt that the puzzles while on theme and matching decor and storyline were not very well thought out or complex. Every puzzle we saw was something that you see in every other room. De Gouden Kooi spent an incredible amount of time designing and building this room but seem to have given little thought to the actual puzzles. Some of this feedback is based on the expectations of their other rooms and that they are going for a top rated room for Europe. However other side of the very well done decor and room size there really wasn't anything special here at all. The puzzles were simple and more of just something to slow you down for a minute to look around.

A 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.

Another amazing game from this design team! Beautiful scenery, good story, creative puzzles. Loved the pre-game build up of emails and video. Type of game that every new space makes you pause to take it all in. Very different direction than Hans Revenge and St R, but even more elaborate. I won’t spoil the fun, just go ahead and book this fantastic game.