Logic Locks’ Amsterdam Catacombs is a Virtual Descent into Horror
Before reading on, if you’re a horror fan and an escape room enthusiast, go book The Amsterdam Catacombs and survive this room. It’s easily my favorite remote, virtual escape room and one of the best escape rooms I’ve ever done. But if you need further convincing, read on.
While Covid 19 separated so many of us, it did create an opportunity to come together in the world of escape rooms. Amsterdam-based escape room company, Logic Locks was not one I would have been able to attend prior to 2020, but with the advent of Zoom, the Amsterdam Catacombs opened their doors for us. Rated as the fourth-best escape room in the world during its Pre-pandemic days, we were more than excited to virtually walk down the catacomb stairs, descending deeper into darkness.
Set in the catacombs of an actual cathedral, the experience begins with a meeting with Dr. Fimblewood (who you may remember from The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart) before he leads you into Posthoorn Church. With this location, it doesn’t need set dressing or props—it feels real because it is real. The location is gorgeous, and the shaky cam footage only adds to the aesthetic, making it feel as if we are stepping into a found footage film, set deep in the bowels below a Godly place.
The narrative is centered on an expedition into the catacombs of Posthoorn Church, as rumors suggest there is evil beneath the church and we must exorcise it. Yet, there is now a disappearance, a young cleric, and it is up to us to find out what happened virtually alongside of Dr. Fimblewood.
Fimblewood acts as the perfect avatar for our team. He holds the camera for our group, following our instructions on where to look, what to interact with, and how to proceed deeper into the room. As any solitary adventurer would be, Fimblewood is hesitant, cautious, and even scared at times, only helping us feel a bit more dread—and creating some moments of levity as we convince Fimblewood to crawl through a passageway that we just saw a dark shadow pass by. It’s his humor that only elevated this experience, allowing us to catch our breath.
This experience could be considered an immersive experience with puzzles, almost over its designation as an escape room. There are multiple moments were the puzzles are put on the back burner as narrative is delivered or video is played to engage and further draw in the audience. As such, the puzzles are perfectly woven into the storyline, pushing us forward with purpose and consequence. The puzzles felt natural and organic, never too difficult, and help from Fimblewood always pushed us onto the right path if we faced any challenge.
The Amsterdam Catacombs sets are a standout in this experience. Starting on the streets of Amsterdam, we are tasked with finding a way to enter the church and the catacombs below. Moving from the open air to the tight constraints of the basement rooms felt claustrophobic and eerie, even on video. As we move deeper down the skull-lined walls, the narrative and sets both became correspondingly darker. It was a perfect representation of sets matching theme.
Also to note, there are other actors in this room, creating the best virtual jump scares I’ve experienced in a virtual escape room. These moments only add to the tension, making it feel cinematic and ultimately frightening. Yet, there’s also some moments of fun and humor as the monkey doll from The Secret of Eliza’s Heart shows up and seemingly teleports around the space. This obviously leads to an increasingly frightened Fimblewood, but only increasing laughs on our side.
We highly recommend The Amsterdam Catacombs. With a maximum of six people and a runtime of ninety minutes, this is a must-see for any escape room fan, any horror movie buff, and just anyone who wants to travel from the comfort of their couch. They have adapted their award winning, in-person escape room by adding more theatrics, a strong-ending, and some wonderful jump scares that serve to adeptly replace the feeling of actually being in the space. We’d say that even if you’d done this room in person, try it again virtually. There’s always more evil to exorcise!
For more information on Logic Locks, check out our review of The Secrets of Eliza’s Heart, the Logic Locks website, Facebook, and Instagram. For information about similar events, check out our Event Calendar.
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The Amsterdam Catacombs is a Horror Themed Escape room from Logic Locks Amsterdam.
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