The House on the Hill

This is an ESCAPE room in literally every sense of the word, yet unlike anything and everything I've ever experienced. I ran this (as well as all 4 previous Lockhill rooms) solo separate from my normal friend group during a 13 room trip to Athens, and this is by far the best I experienced on the trip, and honestly is in such a league of its own I cannot even compare it to any other escape room I've completed. The star of this room is the story and the acting, making me feel part of this world in a way I've never felt in an escape room before. The puzzles are smart and directly connected to the plot. The scares were timed perfectly and played well on expectations. The cinematic cutscenes were beautifully jaw dropping. The help system fit the room narratively and provided much needed comfort. The final challenge will forever be burned into my skull. I wept after the story concluded. House on the Hill takes everything that makes the Horror genre (across any medium) so powerful, and expertly crafts it into an experience like no other. If your strictly looking for the most challenging puzzles, this might not be the room for you. If you're simply looking for mindless jump scares, find something else. If you're looking for the ultimate escape experience that will shake the foundation of your soul and leave you changed forever, then this IS the room for you.

A phenomenal, near-perfect escape room experience. With the exception of overbearing audio (I recommend ear plugs), this is nearly flawless: moving, emotional, terrifying and, at once, inspiring. This is THE reason to make an Athens escape trip and readily the best here I've played.

I really don't want to add to the hype and everybody's expectations around this game. Let's just say it's my new favorite escape room and move on. It is unique. It has a beautiful set and lighting with a specific aesthetic, including the costumes. Great acting. The gameplay has some easy puzzles, but it's not about them. Beyond everything mentioned, there is something deeper going on, something personal that I think all of us can relate to, and that's the reason to play this game. Most of the room is not very scary until one part that will make you face your fears. Lockhill is very kind to its players, they provide groups with a mechanism to stop the game at any time, and they can also adjust to scared players. Therefore, I would recommend this game to everyone, even players who normally skip horror!!! Bring your earplugs here. One part of the game is very loud, but even the loudness here is justified.

House on the Hill is built around the idea of uncovering. The puzzles uncover the story. The story uncovers the character. By the end, we have uncovered something about ourselves. Like the great houses of Gothic fiction, the building accumulates emotional weight until it almost becomes a character. It also embraces another Gothic tradition… trauma reshaping familiar places. In House on the Hill you are inside a psyche where the walls can literally shift. It may have the best sound I’ve experienced. I don’t mean that it’s loud. It’s not really deafening. It’s smothering. It’s a feeling reinforced by a monster that seems impossibly large and imposing and nimble as he quickly moves and jackknifes through halls. The result is a psychological claustrophobia. And in one particularly moving scene (unfortunately only experienced by one player), it brilliantly asks you to do what characters in the story cannot. It is a game that takes the familiar vocabulary of Athens … monster, maze, screaming woman, keys… but somehow makes them fresh. It’s part allegory, part expressionism, part exploration, part delving into the grief that is part of us all. Its poetry made visceral.

Game 12 of 17 of Our Athens Tour - This is the single most complete game I’ve ever played. If a top tier escape room is meant to tell a story, this game pulls you through an absolutely tragic tale in a death grip. The acting is impeccable throughout, and the pacing never and I mean NEVER relents. There is heavy symbolism in every action you take, and every step, scream, scene, and puzzle has a clear place in its world. The set is so realistic I couldn’t make my brain believe it wasn’t real (only the second time in 100+ games). The puzzles ran simple, but the puzzles themselves aren’t the point of the game. Without saying too much, one segment of gameplay is something I’ve only heard of happening a few other places in the world, and one of the acting decisions made I don’t believe has ever been attempted anywhere else (and I doubt will be for some time). This game is impactful, moving, terrifying, and a must play for anyone who can stomach a fairly significant amount of fright.

It’s hard to believe this kind of experience can be done in an escape room. It’s a thematic experience that’s the most scary elements I’ve ever had in a room. Beautifully built, amazingly acted, and overall just an incredible story. This is destined to shoot up the room rankings and probably stay there for a long time!

There are escape rooms you play, pay for, and promptly forget. And then there is "The House on the Hill" by Lockhill in Athens. It is an experience that doesn't just challenge you—it completely consumes you. I say this without a hint of exaggeration: this is currently the absolute best that Athens’ already world-class escape room scene has to offer. The setting is simply breathtaking. Every room, every creaky floorboard, every dusty piece of furniture, and the incredibly detailed architecture feel so terrifyingly real that the line between game and reality instantly blurs. You completely forget you’re in a game—you are inside this cursed house. But what truly crowns this already cinematic masterpiece—and what deeply impressed me—is the story behind the scenes: the owner builds these monumental, movie-quality sets entirely by hand, all on his own. Walking through these rooms and realizing that all this perfection, this feat of craftsmanship, and this attention to detail were created by a single person makes you take your hat off in awe. The puzzles integrate organically into the gripping storyline, the actors deliver Oscar-worthy performances that keep you on the edge of your seat, and the sound design gets right under your skin. "The House on the Hill" isn't just an escape room; it’s an emotional, atmospheric rollercoaster ride that sets a new benchmark. Anyone traveling to Athens who misses this gem is missing out on the city's most intense immersive experience. A huge thank you to the creator for this handmade masterpiece!

House on the Hill was the 1st room of Day 4 and the 9th game of our Athens Escape Tour 2026, played with the same team of five. This one was also a very special milestone for me, as it became my 250th escape room, and it turned out to be an incredible way to celebrate it. The experience is outstanding in every aspect. From the highly detailed decor, to the engaging and fun puzzles, to the environmental effects, sound design, and cinematic acting, everything comes together seamlessly to create a thrilling, tense, and exciting adventure. The horror atmosphere builds gradually, becoming more intense as you progress deeper into the story. The pacing works beautifully, constantly raising the stakes while keeping the team fully engaged. What impressed me most is how the game manages to balance every element an escape room can offer, story, puzzles, immersion, acting, & atmosphere, and execute them all extremely well. It truly feels like a complete experience. This room now sits comfortably in my personal Top 10. A masterpiece of an escape room and highly recommended for players who enjoy, fun & challenging puzzles, strong tension and horror-driven experiences.

The new King of Athens Room #20 and the last of our Athens trip. The best for last? This room is almost legendary because it took so long to build. But now the moment has arrived; the doors are finally open. Unfortunately, all the locks were already booked, but after a quick chat with the owner, they opened them early for us—fantastic! I could hardly believe it. Chapels and Catacombs is my favorite Athens room, so I'm really curious about what's next and how it continues! We arrive in Lockhill, and the story continues where Chapels left off. So remember this if you're going to play, and if you haven't done Chapels yet, this is your chance to do it (and these experience right after). We get the chance to enter Will's house, but strange shadows have been spotted in the windows. Nothing will happen to us, right? House on the Hill shows us how it's all done. Wow! This is art and belongs in a museum! Bill (owner of Lockhill) shows us how to tell a story. I've never had so many goosebumps during a game. Just thinking back to that room still gives me goosebumps. This is a masterclass in psychological horror with enormous emotion. Ultimately, this is a deeply moving story that draws us in. We see the house's secrets and what lurks in the shadows. The room is large—not chapel-sized, but certainly large and impressive. I usually remember the layout of rooms pretty quickly, but this one didn't. The set is beautiful, and Bill designed everything himself, which makes it even more impressive. The puzzles aren't all perfectly logical, but they fit the theme/story. And there are definitely some really cool ones with nice effects. But the real strength here lies with the actors. The actress we had truly touched our emotions and was truly convincing in her performance. Her narrative skills were truly impressive. Without much explanation, you understood exactly what was happening. I simply don't want to spoil anything because you have to experience this. This play is too special for that. I knew right from the start that this was going to be something special, and the story begins quietly, emotionally, beautifully, and lightly, gradually becoming darker and gripping you by the throat at the end. Bill is so good at poetic storytelling, and the words are so beautifully chosen. And what he weaves into this story is beautiful. A story about the struggles people face, interwoven with metaphors. This is what beautiful horror can be. Truly beautiful, powerful, and it shows why this is such a powerful medium. Yes, this is what we needed after a trip with so many setbacks. This is the kind of smash hit you'd go to Athens for. Simply beautiful. If I have one negative point, it's that it stopped; it left me wanting more! Tip: Play with a maximum of 3 people; we played with 2, and it was perfect. I think with more, you'll miss things. This might just be my new number 1. Go experience it, people. Open yourself up to a beautiful, emotional story, see the beauty in the horror. Don't expect cheap scares, trashy plots, or empty action. This is bigger than that; this is what you love about this industry. This is art.