Logic Locks: The Amsterdam Catacombs (Amsterdam)

The OG Horror Experience in Amsterdam

Become the main character in this real-life horror experience. Explore the dark secrets of Amsterdam’s underground. Face your fears and investigate the evil that lurks in the Catacombs.

Years ago, my sister visited Amsterdam and played The Amsterdam Catacombs. She couldn’t stop raving about it, which is not surprising, since it was 2018, and that was the year where the game placed 4th in the TERPECA rankings. Since then, the game has slipped down those rankings as newer experiences came to market, but The Amsterdam Catacombs remained on my list of must play games when we visited the city. In fact, we skipped playing the remote avatar version in 2020 specifically because we knew that it was only a matter of time before we would be hopping on a Eurostar to play it in person.

And I am so very glad we waited. I’ve no doubt that the on-line experience would have been fun, if not fantastic, but I feel many of the things that made this game special would have been somewhat lost in its translation to a digital format – one of which was our arrival at the venue. Just before 10:00am on our last full day in Amsterdam, we found ourselves standing outside the locked gate to the Posthoornkerk, eagerly awaiting our adventure. And at 10:00 on the dot, we rang the bell, and gave our secret code like the proper investigators we are. The gate swung open, and we entered the church yard.

It wasn’t long before the doors to the church opened and we met our host, or at least, someone who seemed to know what was going on. We followed him inside, where we then found ourselves lined up against the wall. Our host did nothing to ease any of the building tension as we signed our waivers before descending the stairs into the basement of the church to begin the experience.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

The location of The Amsterdam Catacombs is absolutely ideal; it is in the subterranean levels of an actual church after all. The ancient crypt, combined with the demeanour of our host, set the scene perfectly, building the tension, until the lights went out, and the adventure truly began with our introduction to Dr Robin, our contact.

Despite the age of the game, it holds up incredibly well. The puzzles are solid, the setting is perfect, and the feelings of dread are real, creating a wonderfully immersive experience. The Amsterdam Catacombs is a horror experience, but they rely more on the dread of the unknown to enhance the narrative than the outright fear some horror experiences seek to evoke. Players that are looking for a terrifying experience may feel somewhat let down, but those looking for an atmospheric game, with plenty of adrenaline, and players that really allow themselves to become immersed in their surroundings, are likely to be incredibly glad they opted to take a chance on this game.

PUZZLES

The puzzles we encountered had a traditional sort of “escape-room” feel, and yet, they were anything but, as they fit seamlessly into their surroundings. The tasks we encountered followed a clear sort of logic, which never made it feel like we were just solving a puzzle, but rather, investigating a supernatural mystery and dealing with the consequences of our discoveries and our choices.

Hardcore puzzle fans who don’t care to be immersed in their surroundings therefore may find the experience somewhat lacking, for while The Amsterdam Catacombs is, at its core, an escape room, the focus is centred far more on the atmosphere, the story, and the experience itself, rather than a race against the clock to solve, solve solve!

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

Ordinarily, I might moan about the use of walkie talkies as a clue system, but, in the case of The Catacombs, they fit into the narrative and the game world perfectly. There actually couldn’t have been an alternative to them that would work any better. It also helps that the sound from them was clear and easy to understand.

But the thing that made the walkie talkies actually work was our contact/host/GM, Dr Robin Baker. She was excellent, chiming in at just the right times with nudges, or a bit of exposition, as well as warnings against the other entity with us in the Catacombs. Dr Robin, as well as our host that met us at the entrance to the church and led us down to the catacombs were definitely the stars of this show.

ANYTHING ELSE

The Amsterdam Catacombs was perhaps ahead of its time. And while other experiences have cropped up in recent years, stealing some of its thunder, the fact remains that it is still a fantastic experience that’s worth a visit if you find yourself in Amsterdam. This remains especially true if you’re looking for a slightly more “gentle” introduction to the live-actor horror games, which The Amsterdam Catacombs is perfect for.

Success/Failure

Final Rating:

Team: 4 players – escaped before time was up.

Address: Haarlemmerstraat 124D, 1013 EX Amsterdam, Netherlands

Website: https://www.logiclocks.com/