Adventure Team is right next to an S-Bahn and & bus station on the main line in Hamburg, reaching there was not a hassle. We were welcomed at the door and after a quick COVID briefing, we got our mission briefing via bluetooth headphones–a first for us.

Rooms we played at Adventure Team

1. They Stole a Million (review below)
2. Countdown to Meltdown (review below) 

Review of They Stole a Million

The game is set in Hamburg's exhibition centre Deichtorhallen, where the world’s most famous stamp collection is currently on display. We were contracted by Mr. Pink to steal the stamps.

Entering the room was also a puzzle! Hint: Pay attention to the briefing video.

We were able to quickly glide through the first room solving some puzzles. After unlocking a few doors and vents we reached the gallery where the stamps were protected by lasers. They were not too difficult to cross but who doesn't love crawling around lasers, Ethan Hunt style 😜. This room required solving multiple puzzles and filling in the results into the hacking software. There were quite a few puzzles hidden in the gallery and we had to each take over solving them in parallel.

We got the stamps and escaped the exhibition centre in time. The game seemed like an old-schooler but we still had fun. There were some new elements for us, especially in the last room. We recommend this room for players at all levels.

Our scores

Room decor: 7/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 7/10

Puzzle Quality: 7/10

Fun: 8/10

Recommended for -

Couples Small Groups Kids Friendly Family Detectives Beginners

Review of Countdown to Meltdown

The last game of our trip to Hamburg, but certainly not the least. After a quick COVID hand-wash and freshening up, we were ready for the briefing. It sounded pretty strange, I tell you. We had questions going in. Not anyone's fault but that's what the game was!

We were employees of a nuclear power plant controlled by an AI called A.M.E.E. Due to federal regulation, we were there to monitor A.M.E.E., and that was it. Pretty strange, huh? 

If you are a sci-fi, tech fan you'd like this game. And if you are a Portal fan, you'd love it! We were told that the room is inspired by the 2007 game, speaks volumes about Portal, but I digress. The game starts with A.M.E.E. onboarding us to the system and explaining that she(?) can handle everything in the plant. Little did she know that there'd soon be a catastrophe and the actual game will begin. 

The game had some new & creative puzzles involving identifying objects from a perspective, using tiny little tiny bots and a well-designed pattern matching puzzle-series. There was recurring stress-inducing part in the game which contributed strongly to keep the role of A.M.E.E relevant. 

The last room was dimly lit but had different styles of puzzles like periscopes, bots, card readers. The ultimate puzzle is also inspired by Portal. It was also REALLY stress-inducing– with flashing lights, loud music, and the AI rambling. 

This was a triumph.

I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.

It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.

We came outside and I had goosebumps hearing GLaDoS singing for us.  Pretty apt song, eh? The great part for me, as a Portal fan, was the decor. With the stick figures in the clue sheets similar to Portal, the typography and colours on the walls were "nostalgic" for me. But that's just for Portal fans. But even if you haven't played Portal, you'd still like the decor. It's simple but speaks "Nuclear Plant"! In all, the game was really well made and had new puzzles. 

The game master was also humble and impressed and seemed very open when we had some feedback.

Our scores

Room decor: 8/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 8/10

Puzzle Quality: 8/10

Fun: 9/10

Recommended for -
Couples Large Groups Small Groups Family Puzzle Geeks Beginners

Venue details

Website link: 

https://www.adventure-team.eu/?lang=en

Supported languages: 
German, English

Escape room location: 

TeamEscape is a franchise and in a very accessible location in Hamburg. Since we did some research and booked only the good rooms here, we can say that the 2 games we played really did satisfy our thirst for good escape experiences. The place also had pretty nice people for game-masters. 

EscapeDiem is a cozy place very close to the central station and we were warmly invited by the host/gamemaster/game creator- Ellen. After a small friendly chat we proceeded to the safety handwash, and briefing of the room. 

Rooms we played at EscapeDiem

1. Office of the Port (review below)
2. Jigsaw (review below) 

Review of Office of the Port

The captain has disappeared and you're the group of investigators who must find out what happened. 

We entered the captain's office to dig deeper into what happened. The room looked pretty much like a Captain's office and we were already getting started. We looked and looked and solved and solved. And even though we usually escape with little or no hints, we had to take a few hints because we weren't getting any familiar with the setup. The second part of this room seemed to be more fun, and the decor much nicer, but we still struggled to connect the clue to the right puzzle. 

Even though we think this might not be the room for experienced players, we think beginners can totally have fun looking for the captain at the Office of the Port.

Our scores

Room decor: 8/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 7/10

Puzzle Quality: 7/10

Fun: 7/10

Recommended for -

Couples Large Groups Small Groups Kids Friendly Family Detectives Beginners

Review of Jigsaw

This was the last game of our first day in Hamburg. Although we were tired, we were still excited about playing a Saw game! Ellen blindfolded us and led us into a cold room. The game began and we realized we were in a cold-dark-bathroom, with a dirty bathtub, a toilet, chains, the whole shebang.

The puzzles in this game were well connected. Although it felt like a standard Saw game, the gory rooms and hair raising music added to the ambience. Crawling through a dark tunnel in a horror game is always tough. 

There were a few sections in the game which were too dimly lit, due to which we had to ask for a hint. The ending of the game had a multi-room puzzle, which warranted for some back and forth and added to the stress. We came out in time after defeating the legendary Jigsaw! 

Special Note: This is a horror game. Might not be suitable for people suffering from claustrophobia or are easily scared.

Our scores

Room decor: 7/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 7/10

Puzzle Quality: 7/10

Fun: 8/10

Recommended for -
Couples Large Groups Small Groups Thrill Seekers Movie Lovers

Venue details

Website link: 

https://escapediem.de/

Supported languages: 
German, English

Escape room location: 

Big Break is an easily accessible escape game center located in a cozy office building. We were greeted by our game-master and after having a nice little chat, we noticed that during these COVID times, escape rooms are trying their best to be a safe place. We were asked to wash our hands before we entered and the entire time we were there, everyone wore masks. How neat! 

Rooms we played at Big Break

1. Time Travel (review below)
2. Insomnia (review below) 

Review of Time Travel

As soon as we entered Big Break, the hosts reminded us of all the important COVID safety instructions—washing our hands, using sanitisers, maintaining distance. We were also informed that it is acceptable to remove the masks within the room, but we didn't, I guess out of habit. Overall, the importance given to safety reduced our anxiety.

Back to the game, we were briefed that time travel had just been discovered but the inventor made a mistake by changing something in the past causing a butterfly effect. We should now go back in time and correct the mistakes. 

Without spoiling too much, as this is time-travel based game, there were multiple rooms from different eras of human history. All the rooms were aptly crafted according to the decade they were based on. Even though there were a wide range and variety of puzzles, the game felt really well structured. Also, this wasn't a room that used padlocks and the puzzles and clues were all well linked to the specific room you were in. Kudos to Time Travel for that! 

We knew when the game was about to end since the last room was a high-tech room from the future. We escaped in 50 minutes and were satisfied with our first game in Hamburg. The gamemaster then explained how the elements/clues of the room were all based on events in real life. An educational ending! 

After washing our hands again, we quickly jumped to the next game – Insomnia.

Special warning: This game needs you to climb and crawl. Can be difficult for people with accessibility issues.

Our scores

Room decor: 8/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 8/10

Puzzle Quality: 8/10

Fun: 9/10

Recommended for -

Couples Large groups Small groups Kids Friendly Family Puzzle Geeks

Review of Insomnia

Insomnia is a room where you are put to sleep (not like that!) to enter your dream. While asleep, you are going to face your inner demon (who doesn't let you sleep?) and rid yourself of the evil. You must wake up or you will be inside your dreams forever.

Now we took the cute entry to enter into the room and got to looking around and searching. It wasn't scary but maybe a bit eerie with the setup and the sound and lighting. We took some time to get used to the sequencing in the room and we used up a couple of clues in the very first room! (so not like us!) After we moved into the next room/s we got in touch with the how and the what of the game. 

The game used components of real dreams like the feeling of being stuck, teeth falling, and people staring at you, etc to make it feel like a real but a dreamy experience. And even though this room wasn't as fun as the Time Travel room, we still weren't bored in this dreamworld. We gave it our best and tamed the demon in time, but the room could've had better structure and puzzle-clue connection. 

What we appreciate at Big Break is the way the rooms have a backstory and a reason for them. Time Travel had real events and important dates, and Insomnia had real research pointers on dreams installed in their room, and that's a good thing.

Our scores

Room decor: 8/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 7/10

Puzzle Quality: 7/10

Fun: 7/10

Recommended for -
Couples Large groups Small groups Kids Friendly Family Puzzle Geeks

Venue details

Website link: 

https://www.bigbreakhamburg.com/en/

Supported languages: 
German, English

Escape room location: 

Padlock has 2 rooms at 2 different venues in Prague. We liked the hospitality and the setup of both the rooms, and they are definitely worth your time and money. We suggest you experience both if you are looking to book only the best experiences in Prague. 

Rooms we played

1. Cemetery
2. Mission 53

Review of Cemetery

Reaching the place was a memorable experience in itself because Google Maps said it was 500m from a bus station, but little did we know it was 450 meters of a steep uphill climb. Reaching the place was unexpectedly tiring, but we'd say it was worth it.

We were greeted at the door and quickly moved into the room. The game started with a very intense spine-chilling, hair-raising video that set the premise. A wonderful way to start an escape room experience in the gothic city. We were to unravel the mysteries of a wealthy Mr Böhm.

We liked how wind, water, and fire were used to create a dim-grim-chilling experience in this room. Some of the artefacts in the room "stood out", quite literally at times. The puzzles were well connected to the story, and the ambience and sound played a huge role in immersing us into the experience. We also saw a new version of the direction lock in the last room, which felt very satisfying. Overall, the game started off and progressed very well.

Maybe because we were into the experience so much; we were expecting more when we opened the last door of the game. It was a 66-minute game but we were out in 35-40 mins, and we really felt the abrupt end of the immersive Cemetery.

Note: Those with claustrophobia please check before going here.

Our scores

Room decor: 9/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 8/10

Puzzle Quality: 8/10

Fun: 8/10

Recommended for -

Couples Large Groups Small Groups Family Puzzle Geeks Thrill Seekers

Review of Mission 53

We were looking forward to this one because it was a 99-minute experience. And since we love to be locked in rooms with a mystery, Mission 53 was the best thing that could happen to us on any given day.

We reached the place and found that it only has space for one team and one gamemaster at a time. And it got immersive just after we got comfortable on the couch. We realized the role-play happening and got in on it immediately.

We were there to investigate a murder (that turned out to be something else in the end). We entered the murder scene as cops, with a bulletproof jacket and torchlights and a notepad and a pen. The experience had a narrow rugged dusty street with a (usable) toilet in the end and It was already immersive enough for us and we were super-pumped. There was also a crashed van that contained some real surprises.

An hour and 39 minutes is a lot of time to be spent in an escape room, but Mission 53 made us unravel mysteries in different settings- The park (crime scene), the van, the secretly mysterious basement, the street, and the room. And this 5 in 1 experience was worth the time because it made us feel like we did at least 3 different escape rooms.

We came out in a little over 63 minutes; That's just an hour and way early, but we totally enjoyed investigating the hell out of this mission!

Our scores

Room decor: 10/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 9/10

Puzzle Quality: 9/10

Fun: 10/10

Recommended for -
Couples Large Groups Small Groups Family Puzzle Geeks Thrill Seekers Detectives

In Summary

The Duo played 2 rooms here:

Cemetery, Mission 53

Website link: 

https://thepadlock.cz/en/

Supported languages: 
Czech, English

Escape room location (Cemetery): 

Escape room location (Mission 53): 

Endorfin is in the outskirts of Prague compared to the other escape games in the city. The place is easily accessible via public transport though. With the unique setup as a multifunctional place, it is one of a kind escape "room" experience that we've had.

The Chamber, being one of the best escape rooms in the world, has some really high-quality rooms. The Petrské Náměstí 1186/1 branch was very close to the Cosmopolitan hotel where we stayed, and even though we wanted to play more games here, we did not have the time to do so. The place is easiliy accessible via public transport and comes with warm and friendly gamemasters.

Rooms we played

1. Poltergeist (review below)
2. Dungeon (review below) 

Review of Poltergeist

Background: The Poltergeist is advertised as one of the scariest rooms you'd ever play. And the content on their website really tries to prepare you for a super frightening experience. 

"Forty years ago in communist Czechoslovakia, a dangerous scientific experiment went out of control. Some doors are just not safe to open. What are you willing to sacrifice to learn the truth?"

Once you enter the mental research facility you will notice that there are no lights, and you'll be given small torches but that might go off anytime due to the paranormal activities in the lab. You'd imagine how can one solve puzzles when there's no light! And you're right. But that'll become the least of your worries in no time. Bwahahaha! 

How the game uses light and sound to make you look at a specific place at a specific time, is a feat well executed! And not just that, the game is also designed to use fear and psychology to its advantage.

Just like in the movies, this place scares you with so many creepy elements. Objects moving and falling, unexpected jump scares, recordings of people who are now dead, flickering lights, haunted passageways, and crawling through air vents, to mention a few. But what really stood out was how the room uses all these to amaze you and literally mess with your brain. 

Jump scares, dark rooms, and moving objects aside, once the room actually transformed into a new layout, which was in equal parts creepy and impressive. 

In conclusion- 

In our experience, we've played 5 strictly scary escape rooms and this was the **scariest of them all**. Even after the game was over and the gamemaster took our picture, our excitement and adrenaline level remained super high! We couldn't stop talking and discussing it for the whole day and we realized why The Chamber stands out when it comes to the quality of its rooms.

Our scores

Room decor: 10/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 10/10

Puzzle Quality: 10/10

Fun: 10/10

Recommended for -

Couples Large Groups Small Groups Thrill Seekers Movie Lovers Detectives

Note: Not recommended for children and the weak-hearted.

Review of Dungeon

After the terrifying experience of the Poltergeist, we took a breather and moved onto the next room at The Chamber. 

This room had a character. Not just in the decor, but a role-playing "actor" character. The Dungeon Keeper, as he was called, came up to the reception all scary-looking and condescending. He blindfolded us and took us to the dungeon- where we were tied to a table (with handcuffs and ankle-locks) and put in a tiny prison cell. 

He made it clear that he would come back anytime to check on us and kill us(!) if he saw anything suspicious. This took the thrill to a new level and kept us constantly alert while trying to solve and escape. We were trying to make as little noise as possible and even whispered for some time until we realized he was out of the dungeon. 

Even though we know it's all light and fun, we try to go by the rules in escape games. Don't we all? (Hehe, no?)

The puzzles were well crafted and felt medieval. From a tiny fireplace to an indoor well, things definitely didn't look out of place. The first room was almost linear and it had a unique way to ask hints. Apparently, there are some more prisoners surviving down there behind the walls and you can ask for their help by pressing a button in your cell. 

Well, the Dungeon Keeper did come back during the game and we raced back to our places pretending to be in handcuffs and locks again. And I... well, I pulled a George Constanza on Indhuja. We laugh about it even today.

And after an hour of whispering and getting our hands dirty, we eventually escaped from the dungeon, in style. And of course, well in time.

Our scores

Room decor: 9/10

Story-Puzzle-Clue connection: 8/10

Puzzle Quality: 7.5/10

Fun: 8.5/10

Recommended for -
Couples Large Groups Small Groups Family Prison Breakers Thrill Seekers Movie Lovers

In Summary

The Duo played 2 rooms here:

The Chamber, Dungeon

Website link: 

https://thechamber.cz/en/

Supported languages: 
Czech, English

Escape room location: 

MindMaze is one of the best escape rooms in Prague and it left us with unforgettable memories of an escape room experience. It made us spacemen and adventurers and left us with a "Wow!" lingering inside us during and after the game. And to be very clear we are talking only about the games at Mindmaze, Balbínova 32, Praha 2 location

Rooms in MindMaze, Balbínova 32, Praha 2

We were in Exit game for the 2nd time this time and we found out that the Hacker's Room that we'd played was renewed into another room a few months back. Exit Game feels like a very "commercial escape room" where everyone is always busy and everything is just too systematic. The escape rooms are in an old WWII bunker and the quality of the rooms are assumed to be very good here.

Labyrintoom is a 3-room venue located at the edge of "ring" area of Berlin but still with good connectivity to major stations and bus routes. The rooms make up for the venue's date looks. We have played and escaped 2 out of 3 rooms in here.

At Illuminati Escape you try and stop the illuminati from taking over the world. What's interesting is that all the three rooms here are part of a single story and they help you to ultimately stop the Illuminati from getting their hands on a working quantum computer. The rooms are setup in Nevada, Caribbean, Omsk and Macau, and you'll be taken by a virtual chopper to these places to solve the mysteries here.