Kamer 237 - "Lost & Found"

Ryan Driver

Apr 14, 20243 min read

Updated: May 2, 2024

LOCATION:  Volkel, Netherlands

Photo above is property of Kamer 237

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Lost & Found
📅 DATE PLAYED: February 24, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Mystery
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-6 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 80 Mins. (Ages 14+)
💰 PRICE: Є155
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [63:00]

📖 THE STORY

The hotel was once a magnet for flamboyant high-flyers, but that all changed one night in 1982, the evening that Grandpa George showed up at the door under tragic circumstances. Weird things soon began to happen, inexplicable things even. Guests fled with notice and in a blind panic they left their belongings behind. The suitcases piled up and the rooms remained empty.

They say that objects preserve memories best. You know that feeling when you've lost something and are afraid of losing memories? You're in luck because we found your suitcase. Come and get your suitcase quickly so that your memories do not fade.

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

Opened in 2022 this is Kamer 237’s newest and most exciting game to date. There are many things which set it apart from most rooms, but for us the key factor was its story development. The game incorporates professionally made video clips to advance the story and provide further insight as to what happened on that fateful night back in 1982. These videos not only direct you to the next phase of puzzles, but they also begin to enhance your emotional attachment to the experience too. I wouldn’t be surprised if some players may have even shed a tear once the final video has played. The overall immersion is off the charts and few other games can match the story arch you are exposed to.
High levels of immersion cannot be obtained through storytelling alone, they also require authentic set design. Again, this is an area which this room excels in. Upon entering we were immediately impressed by a imposing floor to (very high) ceiling wall brimming with the leftover suitcases of past guests. Beyond that we explore the attic, which too, is packed with the contents of those suitcases. But the props don’t just look thoughtlessly scattered. They have their place in the game, and many of which will be used in later puzzles. Being able to explore these spaces was really interesting, every item had purpose and brought something to the game.
The scope of puzzles inside is really wide and varied. The designers exploited the story’s plot of having so many people’s objects and memories locked away in the attic; it gave them the freedom to use their imagination when building the puzzles, so not everything was grounded around the hotel theme. Interacting with items from guests with wildly different backgrounds meant we could do quite bizarre things yet still feel connected to the main story. Very clever.
In addition to the varied style of puzzle, we also appreciated that so many of them required team work to complete. We were almost always doing things as a team because the game forced us to, which is always great to see.
We enjoyed that after finishing our game we could sit in a private room and digest what we had just experienced, being able to talk freely amongst each other and the game master without fearing that our comments could be a spoiler for anyone else.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

The game was pretty near perfect for us. Other than a couple of personal preference suggestions on one or two puzzles (very minor), this is a really complete escape room experience.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

I’d be surprised if there was anyone who didn’t enjoy this game. There is so much story development and whimsical set design you can’t help but just stop and admire your surroundings from time to time. The puzzles offer a lot of interaction and are very hands on, yet still require a decent amount of brain power to complete. I think due to room size and the puzzle styles the room will play best with four.