Room Escape Artist

CyberCity 2049 is one of the best escape rooms in Barcelona. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms in Barcelona, Spain.

Take the red door

Location:  Barcelona, Spain

Date Played: April 21, 2024

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 80-120 minutes

Price: €120-180 per team

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: This game includes crawling, climbing ladders, stepping over obstacles, shaking, and dust.

Mess Meter:  🧹🧹🧹🧹 (out of 5)

Emergency Exit Rating: [F] No Emergency Exit as far as we could tell (although the website mentions “if there is an emergency and a person is unwell, you have at your disposal a key or emergency button that allows you to open the exit door, ending the game.”)

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

For more on our trip to Spain, here’s our field report.

REA Reaction

Few escape games sell their fictional worlds as thoroughly as CyberCity 2049. Escape Barcelona’s blend of The Matrix, Blade Runner, and The Terminator felt like a lived-in world that we’d found… rather than something that someone built. It was gritty and real… although it was a little too filthy after years of operation.

The magic of CyberCity 2049 extended beyond its magnificent set design and into its gameplay, which was varied, dynamic, and carried a weight to it that almost never relented. All of this was further enhanced by variable gameplay choices that were as humorous as they were impactful. We made gameplay decisions that fundamentally changed key portions of CyberCity 2049. When we compared notes with other folks on the Room Escape Artist team who had played previously, we were surprised to learn about the variance that existed between our experiences. Our game was our unique experience.

One big critique was that there was a single small room that felt like Escape Barcelona had forgotten to design it. It was a blemish in an otherwise masterful game.

My word of caution is that CyberCity 2049 requires a bit of physicality in the form of jumping, climbing, and crawling. If you aren’t comfortable moving, then CyberCity 2049 is not really an accessible option.

CyberCity 2049 has received a lot of praise of the years, and it is well-earned. This was a must-play game and one of the reasons that I wanted to go to Barcelona in the first place. It was worth traveling for, and it’s the kind of game that I’d love the opportunity to revisit one day.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• It’s an incredible cyberpunk world
• A wonderful depth of gameplay
• There are a number of opportunities to really make the experience your own

Story

With the machines taking over, it was up to us to find a way to ensure humanity’s survival.

Setting

The aesthetic of CyberCity 2049 can best be summed up as Blade Runner with accents of The Matrix. Escape Barcelona created one of the most lived-in gaming environments that we’ve ever seen. At times it truly looked like a cyberpunk city sans people.

With the exception of one small corner, which was deeply under-built, CyberCity 2049 was remarkably consistent in aesthetic and quality. You could look in any direction, in any space, and find intricate details and unique elements.

Gameplay

Escape Barcelona’s CyberCity 2049 was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved observing, solving puzzles, stealth, a bit of agility, a dash of roleplay, and potentially social engineering. It depends how you approach things.

Analysis

➕ We had to get to CyberCity… and the onramp sequence made the reveal of the main gamespace that much more intense and exciting.

➕ The set was gorgeous. We felt transported to an apocalyptic future. The neon signs illuminated the dark world. The space was decorated from floor to ceiling. There was so much detail – in the sets, props, and the art – that made up the space. Furthermore, the set had depth. We loved how we could see different parts of the space from different vantage points.

➖ The set was really, really dusty. We left the game looking like we’d done demolition work. See the Mess Meter above.

➕ We needed agility, dexterity, stealth, and aim to accomplish different challenges. All of these had an exciting, real-life video game feel.

➕/➖ CyberCity 2049 also included more standard escape room-style puzzles. Our favorite one audibly added character to the city. These were generally well clued, but sometimes additional spotlighting would have improved game flow. The set was pretty dark in places.

➖ A series of “hacking” puzzles was a nifty concept, but it wasn’t well clued. We didn’t realize how early it was accessible, in part because we misunderstood the device, and in part because we quickly came to believe it was part of a larger whole that couldn’t be solved until later. We regret missing out on this sequence.

➕ We weren’t alone in the depths of CyberCity. We met a few different characters – some friends, some foes – all played by the same, brilliant actor. Some of these characters were really funny.

➕ A number of sequences felt like we were in a video game that had come to life. The experience was on rails, but there was room to improvise. The characters said, “yes, and…”

➖ CyberCity 2049 didn’t communicate how much freedom we had as players. We wished we’d been prompted to improvise in earlier scenes so that we could have been confident that improvisation and creative thinking was welcome when we encountered it in the late-game.

➕/➖ We chuckled at one hilarious video-game-y sequence that was definitely NSFW. It made perfect sense in this world. Unfortunately, the UI was clunky, and not right for this life-sized manifestation.

➕/➖ Many of the props were well worn. A lot of the time, the wear added to the aesthetic. In some cases the props didn’t work properly. In once case, prop breakage led to dangerously sharp edges.

➖ One space felt under-developed, both scenically and gameplay-wise. This room felt like an afterthought.

➕/➖ Like any good video game, there was a proper boss battle. Unfortunately the weapons were a bit too damaged and needed upkeep.

➕ Each team makes CyberCity 2049 their own. We had agency. We orchestrated our own success. There are many different endings, beyond just winning and losing.

Tips For Visiting

• There is limited street parking available. Leave time to find parking.
• This game is available in English.

Book your session with Escape Barcelona’s CyberCity 2049, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.