Mystery City Games - "Operation 45: An Adventure in Diamonds"

LOCATION:  Amsterdam, Netherlands

Photo above is property of Mystery City Games

📝  ETR DECODER

• 🔑 GAME: Operation 45: An Adventure in Diamonds

• 📅 DATE PLAYED: November 1, 2024

• 🎬 GENRE: Detective, History

• 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 4/10

• 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: Unlimited (Recommended 1-4 ppl)

• 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: Approximately 2 Hrs.

• 💰 PRICE: €25/ pp (adult), €15/ pp (child)

• ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private

• 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

It's 1945, and WWII has just come to an end. Five years prior, the Dutch Resistance had partnered with local diamond workers to hide a massive cache of diamonds, in hopes of keeping them from falling into the Nazis' hands. Now that the war is over, the Resistance is seeking your assistance to search for and hopefully recover the stash - provided it hasn't already been raided and stolen by the Nazis during the occupation.

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

• As with all of Mystery City's games, Operation 45 is based on a true story. This one is of great historical importance, and we felt that it was treated with the proper respect it deserved. The story is straight forward, coherent, and ultimately uplifting. We appreciated that they recommended a particular extra stop that movingly added more context and gave the opportunity for a bit more reflection on the gravity of these events. It felt like a true historic walking tour compared to Last Night in the Red Light, leaving us feeling more well-educated and in touch with our surroundings than before we began.

• This game is fully self-contained, without any need for phones, Internet, or any outside knowledge. Everything you need is in your backpack or in the environment around you. Keep your eyes peeled for details large and small!

• We very much appreciated the quality of the materials provided. We had the satisfaction of opening real locks and engaging with what appear to be aged and reasonably historically accurate items. There is also a more tangible, physical puzzle. They manage to pack a lot in a backpack that remains quite lightweight and easy to carry.

• The puzzles themselves are not as complex as those you would find in a typical escape room, but they were well thought out and the subject matter was intrinsically tied into their design. Searching large landmarks factored in (providing some A-ha moments of discovery), and attention to the details of the smaller items in the backpack was also necessary.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

• This game unfolds in a sequential fashion, so larger groups will all be working on the same puzzle set before moving to the next location. Fortunately, there are multiple components to each puzzle that can be shared among such a group.

• The on-boarding was somewhat perfunctory, and the ending seemed to suggest some sort of token would be earned beyond a simple congrats but we didn’t receive one…and thus it was a bit anticlimactic.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

Although the subject matter is not as lighthearted as most escape rooms, we very much appreciated the exploration of the Jewish Quarter (and what we learned along the way) that comes with Operation 45. We would recommend maintaining a respectful attitude while working through the mission - while being sure to celebrate your successes as you go! The puzzles are designed in such a way that they are approachable to a wide range of participants, while still being enjoyable for more seasoned veterans. As it is a multi-stage event, you have the opportunity to take breaks for food and drink if need be, just make sure to be back to Mystery City before dark. There is even an extra map with other points of interest that aren't part of the mission itself, but that you might want to visit during your walk. Anybody interested in learning more about the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, viewing some famous landmarks, and having some satisfying solves along the way will find this to be well worth their while.

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

• Mystery City has games in a number of cities around the world; this one begins and ends at their office in Amsterdam, where you will receive a backpack with boxes and a booklet. Then you'll be off on your adventure - be prepared for a good amount of walking and to be outside the whole time.

• Your last location is fairly close to the office, so it makes a nice loop.

• Keep your eyes out opposite the office for a local celebrity - Nimis, the famous "police cat". (Each of their local games takes you through somewhat different areas of the city.)

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

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BOOK NOW

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

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