Cinemaescape: Barum Dum (Barcelona)

A Fun Palette Cleanser

After bloody battles against the orcs, the dwarven people were forced to abandon the mines of Barum Dum. They left behind what they had worked so hard to build.

Time has passed; rumor has it that the mines are abandoned. There seems to be no trace of orcs or goblins. There is nothing to suggest that they are still inhabited.

But no one remembers what the mines once held. Somewhere there is one of the keys that will allow you to enter the lonely mountain. Go inside and get it.

This task will be the first step towards our people returning to their rightful place. Recover the key and help the dwarven people return to their home!

Solve every puzzle, search every rock… Work as a true team and the secrets of Barum Dum will open up to you.

Inside Barum Dum an old acquaintance will help you write your story.

Its secrets await you.

In the initial stages of planning our trip to Barcelona, we had only booked 16 games, but somehow, we kept adding to that total. Eventually, we decided that 20 sounded like a nice round number, but which one should we pick? When we discovered that Cinemaescape was only a 15 minute walk from Nakatomi Plaza, had availability exactly when we would need it, and had a Lord of the Rings-themed game, it was a no-brainer to choose Barum Dum.

When we stepped into the venue, we spotted a little ticket window on the left, just like an old cinema. We had already paid the balance online, but this would have been the perfect opportunity to take payment in “character” if we hadn’t. Once we were all inside, we were very warmly greeted, and asked to choose which mode we would be playing in: Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced. Given our experience, it seemed silly to choose anything other than Advanced, so that’s exactly what we asked for, before heading through the curtain on the left, and into a cinema.

We settled into the rather comfy cinema-seats, and were treated to a short film covering not just the typical rules of an escape room, but also the story of the dwarves and the mines of Barum Dum. As the film faded to black, it was time, and we made our way towards the mines, fully prepared to find the key and help the dwarves!

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

As we exited the cinema and made our way down the hallway, the corridor changed, subtly shifting from normal walls to rock until we found ourselves standing outside the entrance to Barum Dum. And it was an impressive entrance. I’m not 100% sure what I was expecting from the set of Barum Dum, but any expectations I had were entirely surpassed by the reality of the build.

The company name of Cinemaescape may very well derive its name from the opening film shown before the game, but it may very well take its name from the movie-quality set build instead. Our surroundings set the scene and it was easy to lose ourselves in the moment as we followed the puzzle path laid out for us.

Barum Dum isn’t particularly narrative driven, with story being revealed with every task completed, but the story was there, and every puzzle fit perfectly into its surroundings. The pace of the game felt relaxed, and almost casual – a far cry from the frantic panic of many of the tension and horror games we had been playing around the city. It was a welcome change of pace, but Barum Dum didn’t seem to have the same urgency. Instead it was a pleasant place to spend time and puzzle, although occasionally it slowed a little too much.

PUZZLES

In Barum Dum, there were no number codes, nor was there any need for English translation of the puzzles, because none of the puzzles relied on language. In fact, with a total absence of traditional padlocks, the puzzles within Barum Dum relied heavily on hidden tech and very tactile challenges. With plenty of robust props to play with, much of the game was about interacting with your surroundings and manipulating them.

Elements of the game were very nonlinear, and while we did choose “advanced” mode, I will say that we made things a bit harder for ourselves, unnecessarily, by solving some things in the dark. Had we focussed on one task much earlier than we did we could have provided ourselves with some illumination, and made some of the earlier puzzles we solved much less tricky. Teamwork, and observation were key elements throughout the game – with many clever, multifaceted challenges requiring us to work together.

Had we chosen a mode other than “Advanced,” I gather we would have received additional materials throughout the game with some additional telegraphing, to make it clearer what went together, or possibly have had fewer puzzles. As it was, for a group of very experienced escapers, I’m glad we went advanced as the puzzles were occasionally tricky, but perfectly clear.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Our host and GM, Jordi (at least, I think that’s what he said his name was. If not, I’m so sorry!), was charming, and so very sweet, as he greeted us from behind the ticket window and directed us to the cinema for our briefing. And our post game chat following the end of the game was equally lovely!

We never actually needed any clues, and Jordi actually bestowed upon us our very own Barum Dum-branded beers as a reward for being clueless – both literally and figuratively. But had we needed any guidance, I suspect it would have come in the form of a voice over, as there were no screens in game, nor were we given any communication devices. And based on our post game chat, it was clear Jordi was paying close attention to our progress and would have been able to nudge us back on track with little difficulty had we ever been truly stuck.

ANYTHING ELSE

Barum Dum is an unexpected treasure hidden amongst the other stellar games on offer in Barcelona. It’s not especially flashy, nor is it particularly ground breaking, but Barum Dum is a solid puzzle game with a beautiful set. If you’re looking for a break from the typical horror, or even the “tension” games on offer in the city, or if you love the LotR, then this is a game worth considering.

Success / Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 4 players

Address: Carrer de Sant Alexandre, 19, Horta-Guinardó, 08031 Barcelona, Spain

Website: https://www.cinemaescape.es/