LOCATION: Kloten, Switzerland
Photo above is property of Next Level Escape Room
Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
📝 ETR DECODER
🔑 GAME: Secret Tales
📅 DATE PLAYED: May 30, 2024
🎬 GENRE: Fantasy
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 16+)
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 90 Mins.
💰 PRICE: CHF 230 (Flat fee)
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [68:50]
📖 THE STORY
Inspired by the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm:
A dark mist hangs over the time when the sky was green and the wine was blue. In these long-forgotten times, where the boundaries between reality and nightmare are blurred, your dark journey through the eerie fairy-tale worlds begins. Behind the creaking doors of this old hut lurk secrets that make your heart race. Enter a world where witches and wizards play their evil games and magic unfolds its dark power. But be careful! Only those who recognize the boundary between illusion and reality can escape the evil curse and find their way back to sober reality.
🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE
This room is all about immersive storytelling, as we partake in a journey that touches on numerous fairytales and stories. The game’s goal isn’t immediately obvious as the game begins; we would only learn what it was several minutes later. From that point the goal remains the same, and although there are no twists or unexpected occurrences with the story, the way it unfolds is captivating.
Along the journey we are lucky enough to meet several familiar characters, that both help and hinder our progress towards achieving our goal (sorry, no spoilers). Although I wouldn’t classify the characters as being actor-led, they are interactive and whimsical; further deepening your level of immersion.
The game’s biggest success is certainly the way it looks and feels. The décor is rustic and thematic, with authentic props that lend themselves perfectly to the fairytale world. Integrated within the set’s construction are numerous lighting and sound special effects that are triggered at just the right moments. I remember thinking, midway through, how clever the effects are because they almost dictate the pace of the game, acting as a kind of buffer, preventing you from going too fast and almost forcing you to pause from time to time, allowing you to appreciate and soak up the atmosphere around you. The place is bursting with things to see and touch, so these moments were appreciated and calming.
When summarizing the puzzles, words such as amusing, light-hearted, or simply ‘fun’, spring to mind. This is a game that does not take itself too seriously and you will realize this with almost every task you are asked to do. There are of course, still elements of deduction and logical, and searching involved, but nothing that detracts from the story or theme.
A small thing, but worthy of praise, nonetheless… padding! The game does involve a small amount of crawling on a couple of occasions and it was great to see that they had padded the flooring, so no sore knees for me!
🧩 MISSED THE MARK
This is an almost perfect game for us, we loved so much about it. However, the only thing that falls short is the lack of any truly cooperative puzzles. I believe it would be possible to actually complete this game solo. We always like to have some elements that require us to cooperate and communicate effectively to solve puzzles, and whilst there are moments to collaborate, they aren’t actually essential to the game play.
🏹 TAKE A SHOT?
Deciding whether to play the game is straightforward — of course, you should! The real question is how to approach it, especially given the hefty price tag of 230 CHF, regardless of your group size. To make the best decision, you'll need to balance the cost against your desired in-game experience.
Group Size and Cost:
**Two/Three Players** Costs 115/77 CHF per person. This setup ensures a more intimate experience, allowing players to fully engage with the game and solve puzzles without feeling cramped or rushed.
**Four to Six Players** Bringing more people can further reduce the individual cost, but this may impact the quality of your experience. Larger groups might find the rooms crowded and the puzzles less engaging due to limited participation opportunities.
**Our Experience**
We opted to play as a duo and found this to be an excellent choice. The game's smaller room sizes and straightforward puzzles were well-suited to two players, allowing us to enjoy a fully immersive and cooperative experience without feeling overwhelmed or constrained.
Ultimately, you need to decide what matters more to you: minimizing cost or maximizing your in-game experience. If you value a more personal and engaging experience, smaller groups are the way to go, even if it means paying a bit more per person. If budget is your primary concern, larger groups can help reduce individual costs, but be prepared for a potentially less immersive experience.
ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO
Free parking is available on site
There is a lobby area with comfortable seating and drinks available for purchase.
The escape room is actually connected to a bar, which was no open at the time of our visit. The bar area is very large and well designed.
Players are required to wear the provided slippers throughout the game, so make sure to bring socks with you. I do believe the slippers are washed after each wearing.
Game language: German or English
Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers
(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)
Disclosure: We thank Next Level Escape Room for providing a media discount on the tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever.
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