Vacation in Athens? The Acropolis is not the only attraction of the Greek capital. In the second part of our escape room adventures in Athens, we want to tell you about another 4 horror escape rooms worth playing!
Today's article, like the first part of the Lockme Diary. Athens, also tells the story of Athenian horrors, but the four rooms below are for people with nerves of steel. There are thrill-seekers in our team who couldn't pass up the chance to experience something intense. Was it that scary? Read for yourselves!
If those with weaker nerves are reading this - don't break, we have something for you too! In next week's episode, we'll tell you about adventure rooms worth playing when visiting the Greek capital.
After publishing the first part of the series, we got a request to share useful tips with you, and we will do just that!
Spoiler, but not spoiler
Before we begin we would like to point out, as it may not be obvious to everyone, that an actor (and often several actors) in rooms in Athens is standard - not only in horror movies. So we won't hide this fact, because in many of the escape rooms we visited, the acting was a huge asset in building tension and driving the story, and we really want to tell you about these assets of the rooms.
El Exorcista
The company: No Exit Ilioupolis
Themes: exorcism, possession, religious themes
Fear level: 7/10
Position in TERPECA 2023: 20
Position in TERPECA 2024: 30
El Exorcista is not a room for the faint-hearted or those for whom twilight makes them very uncomfortable. However, it is a must-see item for lovers of the subject of exorcisms and possession by evil forces. If you've seen the classic 1973 film The Exorcist, you more or less know what to expect from the plot. But still, this room will surprise you. And it will surprise you more than once.
What did we like most about El Exorcist? The room's greatest strengths, in our opinion, were the special effects and acting, which left us stunned. There was a lot going on here and more than once our hearts went up to our throats, which was a fantastic start to our Athens adventure. On the plus side, the music was also great for building tension and giving this escaperoom a dark atmosphere.
Now what we didn't like - although there isn't much! We think that not all the rooms were decorated with equal care, and some shortcomings were masked by twilight. In addition, we want to warn you that El Exorcist uses strobe lighting, which can be a major contraindication for people who are sensitive to light or have other medical problems. If you don't like UV light, here we also advise against it or let you know to prepare for it beforehand.
The company No Exit Ilioupolis has 2 other rooms on offer, which is good for planning an escaperoom getaway. We'll tell you about the Wanted: Dead or Alive and Death Row rooms in Part 3 of our Athens adventures next week!
What you should know, the company is located a few metro stations away from the center, and there is a shopping mall nearby where you can grab a bite to eat if you're waiting for a while between games. There are also smaller restaurants and stores in the area, which was a big plus for us!
Woman in Black
The company: Coven Escape Rooms
Themes: paranormal phenomena, investigation
Fear level: 7/10
Position in TERPECA 2023: 95
Position in TERPECA 2024: 157
Room Woman in Black is inspired by the movie of the same name. Of course, knowledge of the film is not required to have fun and leave the room, but certainly those who watched Woman in Black with Daniel Radcliffe in the cast early on will find many references here. What, above all, should you know about the room? That it is one of the scariest (if not the scariest) rooms of our trip.
The room captivated us with its magnificent decor and gloomy atmosphere, as well as its theatricality. Having played in several Athens rooms, we became accustomed to acting at a level we rarely see in Poland or other European countries. Woman in Black was no exception - the acting here was compelling and turned up the already heavy atmosphere, forcing us to be constantly alert and notoriously looking over our shoulders.
The big downside of the room was the smoke, which at one point was too much and became stuffy, which greatly affected our perception of the room and the comfort of the game. If you have pulmonary problems, be sure to let the Game Master know before the game or consider another room. The cleanliness of the room, unfortunately, leaves a lot to be desired, which, as you may have already noticed in the previous part of From the Diary of a Lockme, strongly disturbs us in the rooms.
And what about the puzzles? There weren't too many of them, nor were they very sophisticated or exceptionally difficult, which is unfortunately a worldwide trend - more feeling, less combination. However, given the difficulty of the stress level of fear, the puzzles may still prove to be a challenge for many players.
Lethal Decision 2 Hell Awaits
Company: EscapeClue
Themes: occult, hell
Fear level: 6/10
Position in TERPECA 2023: 21
Position in TERPECA 2024: 64
Lethal Decision 2: Hell Awaits is an escape room we visited with high expectations - after all, it's highly rated in the ratings and heralded as an intense horror experience. The game lasts 140 minutes and takes place in a dark mansion, where our goal is to close the seventh gate of hell. It sounds great on paper, but unfortunately, the reality was a bit disappointing.
Let's start with the positives: the actors in the game really gave it their all. Their involvement was at a high level, and their out-of-the-box actions built a dark atmosphere and brought a lot of intense emotions into the game. Unfortunately, some of their behaviors were too risky and at times crossed the line of safety, which instead of creating a thrill, caused discomfort.
The music and sound effects were far too loud - at times to the point of overwhelming and making it impossible to focus on any other element of the game. What's more, the whole thing was saturated with jumpscare, which quickly ceased to be scary and began to simply annoy. The balance between atmosphere and cheap scares completely failed here.
The puzzles? There were very few of them, which is always a problem in an escape room. On top of that, the first two puzzles were by far the most difficult, which made it difficult to get into the game right from the start. Such a layout made the game less fluid, and the initial frustration took away from the enjoyment of further gameplay.
Summary: Lethal Decision 2: Hell Awaits is a game that has potential, but in its current form it is far from perfect. Loud music, too many jumpscares, a small number of puzzles and some dangerous behavior by the actors spoil the whole experience. Although the actors were great and contributed a lot to the atmosphere, it was unfortunately not enough to save the room. For us, it's definitely a disappointment.
Amen
Company: Neverland Escape Rooms
Themes: possession, exorcism, religious themes
Fear level: 8/10
Position in TERPECA 2023: 35
Position in TERPECA 2024: 67
Amen is an escape room that we visited during our visit to Athens - and we must admit that it was an experience that is hard to forget. The room is offered by NEVERLAND and is a real psychological horror game with an actor. The game is designed for groups of 3 to 5 people and lasts as long as 1 hour and 50 minutes, which gives you plenty of time to immerse yourself in the plot and feel the thrill. The room is located in the Agioi Anargyroi district, at 4 Thrakis Street.
The plot is set in a mysterious convent where a nun died years ago. She was suspected of being mentally ill, but soon doubts began to arise: was she really ill? What really happened in her last days? Our task was to uncover the truth about this death and answer the question of what lay behind the dark walls of the convent.
The puzzles in Amen were not the most important part of the game - at times they lacked logic, and some of the solutions did not quite fit together. But what built the real magic of the place was the visuals. The decor of the room, the lighting effects, the sounds - all this made you feel like you were in a horror movie. Added to this was the participation of an actor who was able to give us a solid scare and turn up the atmosphere to the maximum.
It's an experience we will certainly remember for a long time. The room was not only scary, but also extremely immersive - a perfect choice for fans of horror movies and intense experiences. If you want to feel the thrill and face a dark mystery, Amen will be an ideal choice. We recommend it wholeheartedly, although you'd better be prepared for some really nerve-wracking moments!
See you next week!
Right now we invite you to the third part of our Athenian adventures. Next week we'll tell you about adventure rooms, which will be a great alternative for those who don't like to be scared.
We also recommend the first part of Lockme Diary. Athens if you haven't read it yet!
