Room Escape Artist

Metropolis 2099 is one of Bavaria’s best escape rooms. Here are our other escape room recommendations in the region. While not exactly near by, if you’re playing escape rooms in Germany, consider a trip to Berlin or Hamburg. Here are our recommendations for Berlin escape rooms and Hamburg escape rooms.

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe.

Location: Bad Steben, Germany

Date Played: April 9, 2025

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  €35 – €60 per player, depending on team size

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: Players need to manage a few stairs and crouch

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push To Exit

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Our experience at Dream Labs Adventures started in the lobby, an austere space with white walls, white furniture and reception desk, and an attendant in a white lab coat – not your typical escape room lobby. I had a brief moment of hesitation, thinking I was in the wrong place. But we were soon led down a white hallway to our DreamPod, a futuristic chamber that transported us through our dreams to Metropolis 2099. As with their first game, The Tale of the Heartless Pirate, Dream Labs Adventures created an immersive experience from the first few moments. However, while that game was lighthearted and humorous, Metropolis 2099 leaned into a dark and foreboding Blade Runner-esque dystopian world of the future.

Our game kicked off with us investigating the disappearance of a famous singer named Mula, the latest in a series of women who’d mysteriously vanished throughout the city. The story unfolded with the perfect blend of player engagement entwined with a compelling noir-like mystery. And as with any good detective story, everything was not as it seemed, and characters were not always who they appeared to be.  

The set itself was mind blowing in the attention to detail, from the gloomy alleyways of everyday streetlife to the exotic heights of the society’s elites and beyond. The shifts in setting were compelling, with each scene telling its own narrative segment and bringing us right into the center of the action. Gameplay integrated seamlessly in these moments, with puzzling that felt realistic, even critical to our character’s success. Though a mishap on our part stopped our momentum, bringing us jarringly out of our dream-like state, we recovered quickly and continued our mission. Numerous nods to the Blade Runner storyline and characters were a blast to discover. Although the game stood solidly on its own, those familiar with this genre will appreciate the experience even more.

The finale was brilliant for its depiction of the moral choices between betrayal and trust, life and death, good and evil. We exited our DreamPod and re-entered the world still reeling from the emotional impact of what we had just experienced in this dystopian future. While their location is distant from most major cities in Germany, Dream Labs Adventures is a must-play venue worthy of the drive. Their next adventure, Lost, was recently announced, and I’m already dreaming of a future flight to Germany.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Sci-Fi fans
• Blade Runner buffs
• Harrison Ford
• Players with some experience

Why play?

• Impressive set
• Robust neo-noir storyline
• Exciting moments
• Because you’ve been programmed to

Story

Yet another woman had gone missing in the bleak, dystopian city of Metropolis. We’d been called upon to delve deep into its underbelly to find this latest victim and to stop whomever was responsible for these crimes.

Setting

The game began in the Dream Lab, a stark, white-walled office with minimal furnishings. A back room contained our DreamPod, a large structure with seating for up to 6 travelers – our vehicle for traveling through our dreams. After “arriving” in Metropolis 2099, we entered a dark, foreboding city, with glowing lanterns, neon signs, and a fog-filled walkway. Posters on the walls contained languages and symbols we didn’t recognize.

Gameplay

Metropolis 2099 was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty. 

Core gameplay revolved around story-driven tasks, searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling. There were no actors.

Analysis

➕ The initial set was jaw-dropping, accurately capturing the look and feel of the dystopian Blade Runner universe, down to the smallest details. I couldn’t help but stand still for a few moments, just taking it all in.

➕ Special effects were used to expand the physical game space beyond the immediate four walls, either visually to add distance and perspective, or through audio to create the illusion of spaces beyond the immediate area. These techniques served to heighten the sense of realism and space throughout the game. 

➕ The narrative developed through integrated gameplay elements. At times it was difficult to separate ourselves from the dream state of the noir-crime plot; we felt truly engaged with the story. 

➕ Some puzzles were so well-integrated with story that it often felt like we weren’t really puzzling as much as moving the narrative along. Several were challenging, making us work for the solution.

➖ A crucial prop fell under a large set piece during an intense part of the game. With no way to proceed, our momentum stalled. There’s a design opportunity to block or eliminate these spaces where things could get inadvertently lost.

➕ One elaborate puzzle used tech in a dynamic, interactive way that was so creative, it wasn’t until later that we recognized it as a basic escape room trope, completely reinvented.

➖ A complex, multi-layered task in a late-game space did not tie into the narrative as well as the rest of the game. There’s an opportunity to add clarity to this section.

➕ Though the experience was strongly inspired by the Blade Runner genre, there were references to other sci-fi classics and games, with plenty of Easter eggs to be found.

➕ The ending wrapped up the experience in an unexpectedly personal, thought-provoking sequence.

Tips For Visiting

• There is street parking and a parking lot close to the building.
• Metropolis 2099 is playable in English and German.

Book your hour with Dream Labs Adventures’s Metropolis 2099, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Dream Labs provided media “extras,” as we’d already paid for the game.