CinemaEscape - "Barum Dum"

LOCATION:  Barcelona, Spain

Photo above is property of CinemaEscape

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Barum Dum

📅 DATE PLAYED: April 12, 2024

🎬 GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10

👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl

🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 70 Mins. 💰 PRICE: Є59 (2 ppl), Є68 (3 ppl), Є80 (4 ppl), Є85 (5 ppl), Є95 (6 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private

🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [57:20]

📖 THE STORY

After bloody battles against the orcs, the dwarves were forced to abandon the mines and their ancestral home at Barum Dum. They left in such a horror that the keys to mines were forgotten and lost to time. Ages have passed and the abandoned mines now show no signs of orcs or goblins. It could be the right time to return to try and find what was once lost, the key to the lonely mountain. Recover the key and help the dwarves return home!

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

This game’s biggest success has to be its décor and all-round construction; you would be forgiven for thinking you were actually in a real cave. There are floor to ceiling rock formations, giant dwarf statues, a grand throne, and many other large props that recreate the kind of imagery those who have watched the Lord of the Rings movies may come to expect.
The movie-like set design is also aided by thematic lighting and sounds that further enhance the feeling of being deep within the ancient mines.
The dwarves don’t allow easy access to their lands, their doors are protected by spells and mechanisms to prevent them from being opened by outsiders. So, you’ll have to work hard to open them and explore the mines. In order to do this, you’ll complete numerous creative puzzles, which we found to be really smart and enjoyable. There was more than one ‘ah-ha’ moment once we had figured out how different things worked. This is definitely a ‘think outside the box’ kind of game!
We also enjoyed how interactive the puzzles were. There are lots of props to interact with in different ways; this is not the typical, find objects and put them in a certain order or location, setup. You’ll utilise the many items you find differently, and this was a clear indication of the room’s innovation. The intro video we watched before entering was professionally shot and produced, the only thing missing was the popcorn (lol).

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

We didn’t find any big misses in this game. It was a really enjoyable and immersive experience that kept us busy and entertained from the go. So, the below point is really quite minor:

Lack of truly cooperative puzzles. Our team always enjoys finding puzzles which really require at least two or more people to be able to solve it, and whilst the game certainly has numerous puzzles where teamwork is a benefit, we didn’t find any which forced us to work together.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

It’s surprising how little seems to be spoken about Barum Dum internationally; it doesn’t appear to be one of those rooms that people tend to mention when discussing the ‘must play’ rooms in the area. However, the game certainly delivers in many areas, mainly its puzzle selection and impressive construction, and so gets a high level of recommendation from us. We think the game will play best for groups of 2-4 and preferably you will have played at least five escape rooms prior, as it does have some challenging elements.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

Parking is not available on site. Parking is available on the residential streets around the escape room.
There are bus and metro stations close by, which public transport an easy method to reach this location.
Lobby – There is a small cinema room with a locker to store your belongings. It is from here you get to watch a short video before entering the game. However, you are not permitted to enter the building until your game is due to start, so this is not a communal waiting area for multiple teams.
"Barum Dum" can be played in English or Spanish.
There are 3 Difficulty options that you can choose to play.

Photos above are property of CinemaEscape

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Disclosure: We thank CinemaEscape for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.