Room Escape Artist

A behavior adjustment

Location:  Amersfoort, Netherlands

Date Played: February 18, 2024

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 80 minutes

Price: €165 per team

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All players need to walk up and down a few steps.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Poppet had a wonderful, creative opening. It was impish and ominous. I’ve never seen anything like it.

At some point, however, Poppet changed direction and dragged for a while. Then, it pivoted and was suddenly really interesting again.

Conceptually, the ending was incredible. It was dramatic, intense, and bizarre. Rock City Escape used their setting in a monastery building to the fullest, taking advantage of a strangely shaped space. The finale scene was unlike any other escape room I’ve played.

In practice, however, the finale didn’t land as powerfully as it should have because it was physically uncomfortable to take the necessary actions. We were too focused on executing the interaction for it to resonate.

The parts in the middle that dragged weren’t bad. It was decent escape room gameplay. It just didn’t live up to what the opening promised.

At its best, Poppet was mischievous, strange, and wild. We wanted Rock City Escape to push harder on those concepts. They gave us a glimpse – and a significant one – of where this game could go, and we were all in for that.

Rock City Escape is in a deconsecrated monastery. It’s an incredible setting, and absolutely worth visiting while you’re in The Netherlands. If you’re stopping in for Soup du Jour, we recommend adding Poppet as an appetizer or dessert.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• The scene transitions
• The in-character gamemastering that set the scene

Story

We’d found Amy’s doll, Poppet, and from there we started unraveling her story. She grew up at a convent boarding school where she was ostracized. Her doll was her only friend… or was it?

Setting

The teacher led us into Amy’s classroom at boarding school. We sat at the child-sized desks, facing the teacher’s larger desk, facing the large blackboard. As we followed Amy’s story, however, we’d find ourselves somewhere entirely different.

Gameplay

Rock City Escape’s Poppet was a standard escape room with a higher level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

➕ At Rock City Escape, we were immediately in character as school children. Our stern teacher kept us in line as she led us through the halls of the monastery.

➕ /➖ The opening scene was unusual and thematic. It appeared to set up a key plot point, but it never fully delivered on that promise.

➕ Puzzle gating was stellar. We appreciated when added information complicated a seemingly straightforward solve, resulting in a more collaborative experience.

➖ We encountered one ghost puzzle mid-game that pulled us off the thread of gameplay.

➕ /➖ Early on, the story and setting worked in tandem. We loved how the puzzles flowed into a justification for the first scene transition. In the later game, however, the plot points weren’t as clear. The game took itself seriously as the plot turned darker, but although we appreciated the set and effects, we didn’t feel connected enough to the characters to fully buy into that haunting world.

➕ As the story and the game world became increasingly sinister, the drama intensified. Rock City Escapes built out the finale in an unusual space, making use of the previous architecture. This space was dramatically revealed to great effect.

➕ /➖ The finale sequence was bizarre, but magnificent. It used a strange space in an unexpected way. Unfortunately, it was undermined by shaky execution. It was uncomfortable to maneuver and challenging to visually fully appreciate.

Tips For Visiting

• Rock City Escape is located in the beautiful OLV ter Eemklooster (Our Beloved Lady of the Eem monastery) in Amersfoort. There is parking in front of the entrance to the escape room. See the map on their website for details.

Book your experience at Rock City Escape’s Poppet, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Rock City Escape provided media discounted tickets for this game.