The Submarine is a digital adaptation of an escape game created by Locked Amsterdam in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Room Escape Artist has a review of The Submarine in its original format from June 2017. This is a review of the digital adaptation of the same game.
Format
Style of Play: video adaptation of a real-life escape room
Required Equipment: computer with internet connection and headphones to avoid the echoes from Skype
Recommended Team Size: 1-4
Play Time: 90 minutes
Price: about €30 per person, varies slightly by team size
Booking: book online for a specific time slot
Description
In The Submarine, players direct a live avatar to explore the gamespace and interact with objects in a standard, linear escape room. The automatic on-screen inventory and 360-degree secondary view helped the gameplay significantly.
Price: ranging from €23 per ticket to €41.50 per ticket depending on team size and weekday or evening/weekend
Ticketing: Private
REA Reaction
In The Liebermann Conspiracy we set out on a heist, explored elaborate technological interactions, and navigated through a diverse collection of elegant sets. We saw a lot of things we hadn’t seen before, and had a lot of fun, even when we more or less lost the narrative at the end of the game.
I’m glad that we played this one because we almost didn’t (read on to learn more about that). If you’re in Amsterdam and willing to take a short taxi ride, Locked Amsterdam is a really interesting place to play.
Who is this for?
Adventure seekers
Puzzle lovers
Any experience level
Why play?
Neat gadgets
The break-in moments
Story
Journalist Hugo Laanen was hiding after his encounter with the Russian secret service in Locked Amsterdam’s first escape room, The Submarine. While Laanen was maintaining a low profile, he learned of a global conspiracy by the Liebermann Group. Since he was in hiding, he had reached out to us to investigate on his behalf.
Setting
The Liebermann Conspiracy’s sets were especially diverse, each space looking nothing like the previous ones. We began in a raw, yet realistic storage area, and progressed from there.
Gameplay
Locked Amsterdam’s The Liebermann Conspiracy was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.
Core gameplay revolved around searching and puzzling.
Analysis
+ We brought our tools with us to break in. And break in we did. These small details made for an exciting opening and supported the narrative.
+ The gamespace was composed of custom construction. This was impressive.
+ We were mesmerized by an in-game gadget and how Locked Amsterdam worked it into this escape room.
+ Locked Amsterdam turned a spatial constraint into an intense in-game moment.
+ We enjoyed many of the puzzles in this escape room.
– A flaw in a technological implementation allowed an observant player on our team to circumvent a major puzzle.
+/- We found three possible solutions to one puzzle. Locked Amsterdam didn’t mind that we hacked together something unintended – and we liked our other solutions better than the intended one – but we wished the intended solution had been less clunky.
– While it started out narratively strong, our sense of world broke down late in the game. The Liebermann Conspiracy evolved into an escape room with puzzles for puzzles’ sake, rather than a puzzle-driven adventure.
+ We traversed multiple sets. Each felt so different from the last. We especially loved one artistic late-game set. It was unexpected, but felt legit.
– The final gamespace felt plain and empty. This contributed to the scene feeling forced and out of place.
– The Liebermann Conspiracy lacked a climatic moment. Its best moments were early on and it didn’t build to a finale.
+ The Liebermann Conspiracy is a 90-minute escape room. While we did spend time waiting for various in-game tech in predominantly linear parts of the game, we didn’t have to feel time pressure because of this.
? Ok… Now for an uncomfortable subject. If we hadn’t enjoyed The Submarine on our last trip to Amsterdam, we would never have booked The Liebermann Conspiracy; we probably would have skipped Locked Amsterdam entirely. In our minds, the name seemed to imply a game related to an anti-Jewish conspiracy theory. Rest assured that this escape room was not anti-Semitic. This was just a name with no stated deeper meaning. Your reaction to the name will likely vary based on whether or not you live in an area where you meet enough Jews to recognize Jewish names. All of that being said, a name change wouldn’t be the worst idea, because I am glad that we played this escape room.
Tips for Visiting
You’ll have to taxi or Uber from the city center.
At least one player needs to be able to climb a ladder and move swiftly.
We were searching for a lost Soviet submarine before its nuclear cargo fell into the wrong hands. We started in an office thought to have information about the sub’s whereabouts and proceeded into the depths of the ocean.
With each subsequent stage in this adventure, the set became increasingly more exciting. We progressed from a mundane office to inside a dark and distressed submarine.
Puzzles
The sets, props, and puzzles worked together to drive the mission forward.
The puzzles in The Submarine required visual, auditory, and dexterity skills, along with observation and the ability to make connections between gadgets and functions.
Standouts
Locked.Amsterdam designed and constructed a compelling maritime set. The interior of this beat-up submarine was especially impressive.
As we journeyed toward the climax of the adventure, the set, props, and technology became increasing more complex and exciting.
A unique hint delivery mechanism fit neatly into the story.
Shortcomings
The hint delivery system was unfortunately placed in such a way that it was difficult to reach.
If we didn’t succeed at a puzzle on the first try, The Submarine could become frustrating. This took a number of forms:
As we progressed through The Submarine, we left information behind. It wasn’t always possible to revisit important clues, which led to wasted time and effort.
Because of the tech-driven props, when we made a mistake, we couldn’t simply try again. In one case, we needed to wait for a prop to reset. In another instance, we needed to go back more than one step to get a prop to trigger again. In a timed adventure, this became frustrating.
We also experienced one technical failure, unrelated to a puzzling mistake.
Should I play Locked.Amsterdam’s The Submarine?
The Submarine was an exciting and dramatic adventure. As we progressed through the narrative, the stakes escalated along with the environment. This was impressive.
While we enjoyed the puzzle and set integration, at times this tech-driven design caused unnecessary frustration.
The Submarine was a game of puzzling precision; it punished screwups. So observe carefully and be precise.
The Submarine would be best for experienced players seeking an oceanic adventure; it’s a gorgeous escape room.
