Room Escape Artist

The Non Believers is one of the best escape rooms near Amsterdam, Netherlands. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms near Amsterdam.

A game that will move you

Location:  Leiden, Netherlands

Date Played: February 16, 2024

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

Duration: 120 minutes

Price: €210 per team

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All players must climb stairs, step up and over, and go into an enclosed space.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push To Exit

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Non Believers was a bold, interesting game that immediately announced what was interesting about it.

It was also a dark and grim game, which became clear just as quickly.

The Non Believers took us on an impressive and unusual adventure. It did things we’ve never seen in escape rooms before. That’s what made it exciting and memorable – the wow moments just kept coming.

The puzzles rarely stood out to us, but also felt beside the point. The strength of what made this game cool dramatically overpowered the issues in the puzzles. The game was enormous, and every scene was astounding.

After playing The Non Believers, my major concern, looking forward, is that we don’t know how safe some of the interactions were. We’re giving Your Escape the benefit of the doubt – that the mechanisms take all the necessary safety precautions – but we worry that if this style of escape room design proliferates, it will come with serious risk to players.

We can see why everyone in The Netherlands is talking about The Non Believers. The wow factor is through the… floor. With this game, Your Escape is pushing the boundaries of how escape rooms work. We delighted in this, even while we worried about the implications and saw room for refinement in other areas. This one is a must play.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Horror fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• The expansive, immersive set
• The jaw-dropping scene transitions

Story

They were the picture perfect family: a pastor, his wife, and their 5 children. Last week, however, the children didn’t attend Sunday mass, and the pastor slipped away as soon as the service was over. Something wasn’t right, and we were about to learn the dark truth of this family.

Setting

From the outside, the home looked quaint and welcoming. It was wood paneled with a plain porch and modest plants. Inside, the home was unassuming with simple furniture, books, and appropriately religious decor. However, as we journeyed deeper, the aesthetic became increasingly sinister and perilous. What appeared modest was far more expansive than anyone would assume.

Gameplay

Your Escape’s The Non Believers was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, solving puzzles, and moving through the enormous gamespace in unusual ways.

Analysis

➕ The opening sequence set the bar high with an unexpected scene transition. From there, Your Escape continued to wow us as the set expanded in unusual directions. It was impressive.

➕ Your Escape excelled at mechanical transitions. They transformed the world around us. It was moving.

➖ The result of these awe inspiring transitions was a delay of game. Some of this took time. There was opportunity for more character building in these moments, and a more compelling soundtrack to cover the mechanisms and amplify the mood. (The soundtrack loop in one such instance was far too short and slightly off by a fraction of a beat.)

➕/❓ The voice acting was stellar. I wish we’d needed more hints so that the characters would have had a more prominent role in our experience.

➕ The Non Believers used space brilliantly with the set folding in and around itself. As the set expanded, we lost our sense of direction. This worked well with the foreboding nature of the plot. The gamespace was huge. Each set was a designed space with its own vibe. The spaces looked great.

➖ We were regularly frustrated by darkness as an unnecessary challenge. Gentle spotlighting on props and inputs mechanisms would improve the player experience without changing the aesthetic or vibe.

➕/➖ The Non Believers had good puzzle variety. We especially appreciated layered solves that involved multiple team members collaborating. A few later process puzzles overstayed their welcome. In these moments, the game dragged.

➖ One puzzle didn’t flow. The clue structure wasn’t plumbed well.

➕ Your Escape integrated the hint system seamlessly into the experience. It even changed mid-game, which was narratively justified.

➕ Your Escape never crossed their themes and motifs. They leaned into them. This provided an excellent late game aha to complement the finale reveal.

➖ The finale was underwhelming compared to what we’d previously experienced on the dramatic ride that was The Non Believers.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking nearby.

Book your experience at Your Escape’s The Non Believers, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.