Malta, Sep 2023
UK enthusiasts may have played a room at Can You Escape Malta remotely, since they were one of the more active and well-regarded providers of avatar games during the pandemic. There are only three escape companies currently open in Malta to my knowledge, and the good reviews of their avatar experiences made me keen to visit in real life.
I’d describe Forbidden Castle as a quality example of the classic style of escape room. That’s not because of the types of technology used in it (there are quite a few padlocks, and also electronic mechanisms and others that were more unique), or a reflection on the nicely done castle ambiance. Rather, I mean that the puzzles were primary.
The story has you sneaking into an abandoned castle in search of four particular gems, perhaps stolen by the castle’s last owner. That premise is used in various ways, but you can happily ignore the story entirely and just focus on solving.
‘Flow’ is a slippery subjective concept, but there are several ways a room can create it, and Forbidden Castle does them. For one, it starts off with a tightly focused environment that makes teams likely to hit the ground running, then gradually expands out to a more open game. For another, the difficulty gradient builds up gradually and smoothly. And throughout, the signposting that shows which puzzle items connect to one another and to which locks is subtle but effective. There was one puzzle where we ran into the ground until nudged by a (well judged) hint, but of the sort where you kick yourself for getting distracted by approaches that in hindsight are far less plausible than the correct solution.
It all made for a game that was just a lot of fun to play, a room that was all about blasting through the puzzles, with very few friction points and still enough to do that it didn’t feel too easy. Beginner teams should get on well with it as long as they don’t mind a more challenging room; experienced groups ought to be fine. We enjoyed it a whole lot and wouldn’t hesitate to return and play more at the venue. 
