Catacombs is one of the best escape rooms in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms in Amsterdam.
Update 10/25/22: If you enjoy Catacombs we hope you’ll check out our interview with creator Alexander Gierholz on The Reality Escape Pod.
Say your prayers.
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Date Played: May 6, 2018
Team size: 3-6; we recommend 4-5
Duration: 90 minutes
Price: ranging from €24.83 per ticket to €49.67 per ticket depending on team size
Ticketing: Private
REA Reaction
Since we had enjoyed Logic Lock’s first game, we booked their latest creation The Catacombs without doing much research… We were surprised when we arrived at a beautiful old church and even more surprised when we descended into the church’s basement. Then we were utterly stunned by the size, detail, and quality of The Catacombs. It was epic, dark, scary, funny, and intense with a great set of puzzles that felt natural in their otherworldly space.
We spent most of Up The Game telling everyone we met to play The Catacombs. If you’re anywhere near Amsterdam, please go play The Catacombs. It’s scary, but it’s not over-the-top.
Who is this for?
- Adventure seekers
- Story seekers
- Puzzle lovers
- Scenery snobs
- Any experience level
- Players who are fine with a theme that mixes religion and the supernatural
- Players who are comfortable with a more intense experience
Why play?
- The legit setting
- Beautiful sets
- Interesting puzzles
- The solo moment
- The cinematic conclusion
Story
Something evil had awakened the in catacombs of Posthoorn Church at Haarlemmerstraat and we’d been summoned by the priest to determine what manner of wickedness had taken root beneath the church and exorcise it.
Setting
Catacombs was set in the basement beneath the Posthoorn Church at Haarlemmerstraat. While not technically catacombs, it was the next best thing. The building was beautiful and the basement was dark and creepy.
We began our adventure in an exhibit about the church. Things rapidly escalated from there.
Everything was detailed and felt like it belonged in the game’s grim world.
Gameplay
Logic Locks’ Catacombs mixed escape room gameplay with elements of immersive theater. It had a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching, puzzling, and engaging.
Analysis
+ Catacombs took place under a former church that was no longer operational for religious purposes. The setting added its own drama to the adventure.
+ Logic Locks worked with the constraints of their space to introduce the experience lightly and then ramp up its intensity.
+ The set looked great. As we moved through the gamespaces, they had different looks and feels, but remained part of a cohesive experience. As the narrative became more intense, so did the environment. It worked really well.
+ We met a character who helped guide our experience through Catacombs. The role was crafted to deliver hints and narrative transitions. The actress in our playthrough brought an incredible intensity to the role, which upped the excitement of the entire experience. It was impressive.
+ Our actress delivered her captivating and intense performance in her second language, which we really admire.
– The otherwise excellent acting started out too intense. Our character grabbed our attention, but we had trouble figuring out how we were supposed to relate to her. Because she started out so high, she didn’t have all that much room to escalate tension (but she did find ways to do so).
+ Catacombs used levity to temper horror, which is fairly common of horror movies as well. For players apprehensive about horror, the comedic angle softens the experience.
+ We enjoyed the puzzles in Catacombs. By combining locks with tech-driven opens, solves felt both ancient and magical.
– One puzzle was ambiguous; it was difficult to read at face value.
– Late in the game we uncovered a journal. It supported multiple puzzles that ran in parallel, across different spaces, and different levels of light. This became a bottleneck.
+ There was a well-designed solo moment with consequences.
+/- Catacombs built to a conclusion that arrived unexpectedly, in an unorthodox manner. For players used to traditional escape rooms, know that Logic Locks used the actor to control the experience and you cannot simply input your way to victory. Go in prepared for this so as not to be frustrated searching for something you won’t find. When the actor is present, give them all of your attention.
+ The culminating scene delivered a dramatic ending. It made us the stars of our own saga. Logic Locks has designed two conclusions; win or lose, the adventure would build to an epic finale.
Tips for Visiting
- Catacombs is a long walk or quick taxi/ Uber from the city center.
- Note that Catacombs is in a different location from Eliza’s Heart.
- At least one player needs to be able to crawl through a tight space.
- At least one player needs to be comfortable alone in a tight, enclosed space.
- There are live actors in this escape room. Review our tips for playing with actors.
- Note that if you aren’t comfortable with a theme about religion and the supernatural, this escape room isn’t for you.
Book your hour with Logic Locks’ Catacombs, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.
Disclosure: Logic Locks comped our tickets for this game.
