Escapers: Abandoned Hotel

I’ve categorised this room as a horror themed game, but ‚creepy and melancholic‘ would be more accurate. There are no plastic body parts or blood spatters on walls, but the crooked pictures and dowdy wallpaper successfully evoke a quietly unsettling atmosphere.

As with pretty much every game I played in Warsaw, there’s a considerable amount of technology and automation. If I never see another chessboard puzzle in an escape room I shan’t complain, but the puzzles suit the theme and are well implemented. It’s a much more low-key style of room than their Dragon game though, with less ‚wow‘ factor. You could nit-pick that the actions you need to take to solve the puzzles are pretty arbitrary, with minimal basis in the plot – though that’s a criticism that applies equally to many, many other escape rooms.

One puzzle near the end requires what is arguably general knowledge. I’d expect most teams to have zero problem with it, or at least to be able to figure it out, but it might be a sticking point for a few. There was also a point where it was unclear if something was a clue or just graffiti.

Despite those weaker moments, there’s little to complain about in this game – there’s just not all that much that really stands out either. But while it’s a much more understated theme than the Dragon room at this venue, it’s built with lovely attention to detail, plus a few nice touches such as objects that need you to think outside the box and apply them in a manner different to their obvious application. It’s fairly well crafted, but it’s unlikely to be a room you’re excitedly talking about months after playing it.