Beautifully Immersive Set
Your last chance has come to escape this cryptic room in Budapest – the Sun grows weak, and the game is on. A disease-spreading shadow is lurking in the thick, cold nights. We will present human sacrifices until the sun recovers. Until it gathers enough strength to defeat the nightcrawler. But we must help our sick! There is no hope for them, only the healing crystal, guarded by the ancient kings in their dark pyramids. The culprits, who brought this curse upon us, have already failed! We need volunteers! Who is brave enough to enter the forgotten crypts and find the exit to this game before time runs out?
The fourth venue we were playing at on our Budapest trip was Neverland. We’d heard a lot about this company, mostly because the game set design was supposed to be top notch, but also because they had a full on bar on site – that’s one way to get our attention! And yes, they serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The venue was easy enough to find, and we soon found ourselves in the basement where there were neon signs everywhere, music, a proper bar, board games, cocktails, and most importantly, escape rooms! We were a little early so we took a seat in the bar and had a drink to help pass the time. But before too long it was time for the main attraction, first up was Aztec Catacombs, swiftly followed by Plan Budapest. Oh, and one cool thing about this venue, each escape room has its own signature cocktail!
At our allotted time, our gamesmaster (we didn’t get her name) came to collect us from the bar and then guided us through the rabbit warren of tunnels to the escape room area. We had a little health and safety chat/briefing in a larger part of the corridor and then were shown into the room.
Our GM set the timer, which was set to 60:10 – 10 seconds for the GM to escape, and once she left, the time started. Annoyingly the timer started before the briefing video played. So we were standing there watching the video, watching our time creep down before we even got started.
IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN
Ignoring the room design for the moment, one thing we were told, which we’re assuming is true, is that the introduction video was apparently filmed with a legitimate Aztec tribe in Guatemala! If that is true, it’s pretty cool.
So another thing they told us (again, pinch of salt), is that the set design for Aztec Catacombs had the team behind the Hungarian Opera help out. Again, if that’s true, that’s bringing in some pretty heavy hitters to help with the set. But ignoring that, first impressions were great, and regardless of who did it, this was an impressive set build.
The team at Neverland have done a great job of creating a game that really does feel like a catacomb. With narrow passages and corridors, ritual rooms, and walls that looked like real stone, really I can’t fault the set design. Couple that with ambient noise being played throughout, and this was an immersive experience. Despite the narrow and winding passages, as a team of four we never felt like we were getting in each others’ way.
One minor annoyance, and it is one that crops up again and again, was that as a team of four we were only given two lanterns. I don’t know if this was done to slow teams down, or make people stick together, but we certainly found it slowed us down. It was never too dark to see, but having the lantern did make things a little easier.
PUZZLES
This is one of those games where puzzles weren’t perhaps obviously obvious when you enter the game. Only by exploring everything do you realise what you can interact with, and more importantly how to interact with them. I’m not a fan of the ‘generation’ label for escape rooms, but Neverland states that this is a “3rd generation” escape room, so you can decide what you think of that. But basically you won’t be finding padlocks or codes in the Catacombs.
So without traditional codes and padlocks how do you get through the game? With puzzles that are much more tactile and physical. Interacting with the set, pulling, pushing, pressing, and placing. Puzzles utilise all the senses; sight, sound, smell and touch – well ok not all the senses as I’m sure you don’t need to taste anything, but you get the picture.
The gameplay, which will suit some teams more than others, was very linear. Solving one puzzle would lead on to the next, and so on. The puzzles were all very much a part of the story and the tasks didn’t feel remotely out of place considering the story.
GM/CLUE SYSTEM
Neverland is an interesting operation. Because it’s a bar, venue, and escape rooms I don’t know if the gamesmasters are dedicated gamesmasters or jack of all trades. Everyone we dealt with was friendly and polite, but it didn’t have the same feel that you get from smaller operations. Not a criticism, just an observation.
I can’t recall if we needed any help in the Aztec Catacombs, but if we did, we would just have to press a button on a screen and then it would be displayed. With text, audio, or video and rather alarmingly announced with a scream noise. When the TV wasn’t being used for clues, it displayed a timer (-1 for immersion).
ANYTHING ELSE
We were only in this room for around 25 minutes, but we enjoyed it and the set design was certainly their strong point. Some good design choices meant that it felt like there could be something, or someone around the next corner (there wasn’t).
Neverland are a really good venue for a night, or day out. Head along for the escape rooms, but stay for the food, beer, cocktails, and vibe!
Success/Failed
Final Rating:
Operation Puzzles Room Design GM/Clues Excitement
Team: 4 players – 25:54 taken
Address: Budapest, Dohány u. 22-24, 1074 Hungary
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