Hi all
The next escape room that we checked out on our November-December 2024 trip to Athens and Spain was Hide and Seek at Brainiac Escape Rooms.
This was a really hard room to get a booking for. I had only heard about the room right before our trip (it was only pretty new and there was very little mention of it online). I contacted them and was put on a waiting list. Luckily, someone cancelled their booking and then I spent a lot of time moving our rooms around to ensure we could play Hide and Seek. That proved to be the right call.
The story of Hide and Seek is that it's Halloween night and you hit a pub with your colleague at the end of your shift. You soon find yourselves in a hospital and things start to go from bad to worse very quickly.
Hide and Seek was our 330th room to date. Here is what I thought:
- this room restored my faith that scary rooms can also be phenomenal escape rooms. I had played some great scary rooms before this trip (and have since played another phenomenal scary room since in Melbourne), so I knew it could be done. But many of the Athens rooms we had played up to that point had been so focused on the jump scares (and incredibly loud noises/music) that the puzzles completely took a back seat. In fact, we had spoken with a number of Athens escape room owners who had told us that many players came for the jump scares and ignored the puzzles.
- the other thing I have noticed on that front is that when you are being consistently scared in a horror/scary room, it is really challenging to focus on really intricate puzzles. I think that's another reason why some of the scary rooms either reduce the number of puzzles or they simplify the puzzles. What we saw though with Hide and Seek (and a number of other great rooms) is that rather than just jump scare players for 90 minutes, they have instead designed the room with light and shade moments. The scary sections are clearly identified via music/noises and then there are lighter moments, when you know you can relax a little and focus on the puzzles.
- of all of the rooms that I have ever played, this room made me feel the most like I was in a movie. Whilst this was a terrifying room, it was less about constant jump scares from behind a curtain and more about clever lighting, music and genuine suspense.
- Hide and Seek contained interesting puzzles and puzzles that are pretty typical of a scary escape room, including the mandatory 'courage test' which sees players split up. This was so well done. I don't recall there being any particularly unique or standout puzzles, but they were all fun and satisfying to solve (with always having one eye out for who is lurking around each corner).
- the quality of theming was also excellent. I appreciate that a hospital setting is pretty 'simple' to fit out (compared to a more intricately-themed pirate ship for example), but they did a fantastic job. The design of each space itself to ensure players felt like they were trapped, together with moments of levity where they can relax, made for such a rollercoaster. I finished sweaty, completely drained of energy and with a huge smile on my face.
- And lastly, the cut scenes and effects were incredible. I
can't talk about the ending but it's one I will never forget.
Hide and Seek was my favourite scary room that we played in the Athens/Spain trip. It is really difficult to make players feel like they are genuinely characters in the story, but this is what Brainiac Escape Rooms has achieved. The theming, room design, moments of light and shade and special effects are all phenomenal. Hide and Seek only opened a little while before TERPECA nominating/voting closed in 2024, but it managed to secure an impressive 22nd place. I think it is the best scary room I have played and it deserves to be in the top 10 (and I certainly think it should sit above many other scary rooms that currently sit above it on the TERPECA list).
My tip to anyone wanting to play this room is to contact them if you are unable to get a booking on their website and ask to have your name put down on a cancellation list.
Where: 25ης Martiou 132, Petroupoli, 13231
Duration: 120 minutes
TERPECA: 22nd in 2024
Themes: 1 theme
Overall Rating: My favourite scary escape room to date
More details: https://brainiac.gr/en/homepage/
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