DarkPark: The End (Zoetermeer)

The End is just the beginning…

COME FIND THE ANSWER TO IT ALL

“Your order is ready”, a creaky voice on the other end of the phone tells you right before hanging up. Before you know it, you find yourself trembling in front of an old casket store. The door squeaks as you open it and an enormous coffin stares you right in the face from square in the middle of the shop. What did you get yourself into and where will this adventure lead you?

DarkPark’s live experiences have been on our radar since we picked up a copy of Witchery Spell in 2020, so it was an absolute no-brainer that we would be playing some of their games once we finally made our way into The Netherlands. The company currently has multiple venues in different cities throughout The Netherlands, each with a number of thrilling experiences to choose from. While we would have loved to play them all, due to time, budget, and the sheer volume of fantastically well thought of escape rooms concentrated in The Netherlands, we had to be somewhat choosy regarding which games we would play. Ultimately, we chose The End and Stay in the Dark.

The two games fit perfectly into day two of our mini Netherlands Road Trip, and we made our way out to the charming city of Zoetermeer following our adventure in Molly’s Game. We found ourselves with enough time to have a wander through the city, where we stumbled upon the Molen de Hoop, and thanks to it being a Saturday, were treated to a tour of the stunning 19th century windmill. With that unexpected item ticked off of our touristy bucket list, we made our way back to DarkPark for the real reason we were in Zoetermeer. DarkPark’s venue is easy to find, and the red door let us know we were in exactly the right place.`

We made our way inside, and found ourselves in an open and comfortable reception area, with drinks and snacks for sale, along with DarkPark’s play at home experiences, if you’re in the market. It wasn’t long before we were greeted by Annemarie, our host. We didn’t chat for too long, but once our belongings were safely stowed away, it was time for a quick health and safety briefing, before Annemarie departed to get a few things squared away.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

Being left in reception turned the beginning of The End into an unexpected delight. But once the game was truly underway, it took on a very classic “this is an escape room” feeling – with a well lit set, and plenty of quintessential escape room challenges. However, there is certainly more than meets the eye here, and there is a reason that The End has been consistently ranked in the top 100 games on the TERPECA listings since it opened, and still maintains a score of 9.6 on EscapeTALK.

The biggest question many players will be asking is, “Is it scary?” Well, that is entirely dependent on your tolerance for jump scares and creepy things, as well as how much you allow yourself to just go with it and be immersed in the story and the atmosphere. TERPECA’s scare rating has the game listed as “Actively Scary,” but I would tend to disagree. Yes, you will come across someone (or something) else as you make your way through The End, but it’s certainly not what I would class as a horror experience. If anything, the best way to describe the experience in terms of scare factor is probably something like “Horror-lite”: it’s creepy, there’s plenty of tension mixed with the unknown, but the game is more unsettling than terrifying.

In fact, at points, The End was actually funny, in a rather dark and twisty sort of way. The experience is underpinned by a strong narrative that reveals itself as you progress, and there are plenty of cinematic moments to wow and delight, building the adrenaline for the climactic finale that had us racing towards the exit. Everything about The End is designed to pull you into the world they have created, from the score that was composed specifically for the game and the lighting design, to the incredible set, and even the smells, and these elements do their job well, creating an absolutely unforgettable experience.

PUZZLES

The End isn’t an especially puzzley game, so players who are all about the puzzles, and care little for the narrative and the atmosphere may find the experience somewhat lacking. That said, there definitely are puzzles, and those puzzles work their way into the narrative perfectly. The End begins with classic escape room challenges which rely on players powers of observation, logical and lateral thinking, etc., but as the experience moves on, the challenges become much more tactile, and more situational.

One of the most surprising things in The End was the relatively non-linear structure of the puzzles and challenges. Yes, there were the inevitable choke points, but considering how story driven the experience was, it was interesting that we were able to split up and solve certain problems in no particular order.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

In order to create a truly immersive experience, I fully believe that the way in which one receives clues should be integrated into the game environment.  It seems as though DarkPark share my views, and The End utilises a delightful clue system that works perfectly within the game at points, and shifts to another depending on where you find yourself in the experience, ensuring that receiving help never breaks the immersion or atmosphere.

We only played two games with DarkPark, but I will say that just from those two, it is clear that they have some of the best hosts in the biz. Their behind the scenes team know just when to nudge with a clue or two, and their in-game actors are absolute perfection, subtly guiding, and knowing just how much creep a team can handle, either ramping it up, or toning it down, to ensure that the players get just exactly what they want out of their experience.

ANYTHING ELSE

From the beginning, straight through to, well, the end, The End was nothing like what I expected, and delightfully twisty. DarkPark themselves describe The End as a mix of escape room and immersive theatre, and honestly, I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Of the games we played in The Netherlands, it was definitely one of my favourites.

Success/Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 4 players – escaped with just over 16 minutes remaining

Address: Dorpsstraat 33A, 2712 AB Zoetermeer

Website: https://www.darkpark.com/