Room Escape Artist

Wanted Dead or Alive is one of the best escape rooms in Athens, Greece. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms in Athens.

The good, the bad, the ugly, the thorny, and the horsey!

Location:  Athens, Greece

Date Played:  February 1, 2023

Team size: 3-5; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 90 minutes

Price: from 81 euros for a team of 3 to 115 euros for a team of 5

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All players need to go up and down stairs, step over high obstacles, and crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock (I don’t believe we were locked in, but I don’t think there was a clearly marked best exit for every space in the game.

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

No Exit is known in the international escape room community for the terrifying El Exorcista, which greatly impressed us when we reviewed it in 2020 and gave it a Golden Lock Award. When I returned to Athens recently for a short work trip and I wanted an approachable, horror-free escape room to play with my coworkers, I was surprised that local recommendations sent me back to No Exit.

No Exit is no one-trick pony. Wanted Dead or Alive was in many ways the opposite of El Exorcista: light-hearted, inviting of exploration, with well-clued puzzles at the core of the gameplay.

That said, I can see the parallels. The heart of Wanted Dead or Alive was our in-character guide, who played a different role in each scene, but drew us in with their banter and humorous personalities. Wanted Dead or Alive also used space in unusual ways, leading to exciting discoveries.

I was most impressed by the gameplay. The puzzles used the set pieces and props, delivering entertaining and satisfying solves. That said there was opportunity for additional spotlighting and feedback, to make the gameplay flow more smoothly, which would allow the character to be entirely amusement value, rather than also in the role of hint system.

I’m thrilled I got to play Wanted Dead or Alive. It demonstrated a well-roundedness to No Exit that we don’t often see as traveling escape room reviewers. Plus Wanted Dead or Alive is a great option for newer players, families, or co-workers… or enthusiasts excited about a joyous Western Adventure in between the lengthy, intense experiences Athens is known for.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Wild west fans
• Fun-loving, not-too-serious types
• Any experience level

Why play?

• The actor was outstanding… in every 1 of their 6 roles
• Creative use of space
• Fun scene transitions

Story

We were searching for a band of thieves. If we found them, we’d be rewarded.

Setting

Wanted Dead or Alive began as soon as we entered No Exit, where our guide greeted us in character and introduced us to the Wild West and the tone of our mission.

Our adventure began with us traveling to the saloon. We emerged on a main street, where the saloon was surrounded by a bank and other establishments. The wooden facade of the saloon, accessible up a few stairs, captured our attention immediately.

Gameplay

No Exit’s Wanted Dead or Alive was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, communicating, solving puzzles, and interacting with the characters we met during our experience.

Analysis

➕ We were greeted by an actor who traveled with us through the entire experience. They played 6 different roles throughout the escape game, embodying a different character for each set. They were hilarious and engaging in every role.

➕ This character was also our hint system. They naturally pushed us toward details we’d missed, while bantering with us, and never stealing the solve even when hinting. They can tailor their engagement to a team’s experience level.

➕/➖ Wanted Dead or Alive began with our journey to a saloon. This was an unusual opener, and a fun scene. That said, we were confused whether we were supposed to be solving anything because it seemed like the interaction progressed whether or not we took deliberate actions.

➖ While our guide told us the goal of our mission to the Wild West, our objective wasn’t clear throughout the gameplay. We never felt like we were searching for thieves. While the gameplay flowed well and the puzzles were fun, we were simply following along an adventure with no real sense of purpose.

➕ The puzzles flowed smoothly. The cluing made sense, and solves followed naturally. The gameplay was linear and we’d often be making connections with the set and props ahead of receiving a crucial piece of information. This gating kept us from jumping sequence, and allowed for some quick-hit ahas.

➖ We wanted more feedback from some of the solves. Sometimes we’d complete a puzzle and not realize that something new had been revealed, especially if it was rather far from us. Additional sound or lighting cues would give players better feedback and more momentum. 

➕ No Exit used every inch of a small gamespace, making it feel bigger than it was. There were multiple scene transitions, with many fun reveals. No Exit hid these transitions well.

➖ Wear on some props impacted gameplay. For example, we didn’t realize hidden buttons were buttons, and (like many teams before us, clearly) removed pieces of a prop that were meant to be pushed in.

➖ The sets were too dark. It was especially hard to recognize colors. A little spotlighting would go a long way.

➕ Our adventure ended with a bang. Although I’ve seen many a Western-themed escape room engage with this trope, No Exit sparked extra excitement with this finale.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking. It might be busy.
• Visit Paragon Brewery & Taproom for after-game beers. Plus you can have food from just about anywhere delivered here.

Book your hour with No Exit’s Wanted Dead or Alive, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.