The First Story(Game duration 180 minutes)
Fury team: Anton Konduzov, Svetla Ivanova, Velina Tomova, Hristo Tomov, Nadezhda Danabasheva
Date: September 7, 2017
Our time: 180:00 minutes
It was time for Fury to go international! It was a long time coming since we visited an escape room, and even in a slightly different composition, after tiring, long, and hard hours spent drinking cocktails and nerve-wracking lying on the golden shores of Drossia, with a few pounds heavier from some steaks and raspberry wine, consumed that day, Athens lured us with puzzles.
With a little research about the possibilities (thanks to “Again potatoes for dinner”, you guys rock) I was devastated. It turned out that the escape room market in Greece is completely different from the one in Bulgaria. Not that there are no rooms; there are plenty. But 90% of them are scary, and not just scary, but really scary, like having two heart attacks and one massive stroke scary.
In the end, I chose to visit two, the first being the Paradox Project. It spoke to me for several reasons; first of all, it is open all day long (which is a unique event for the Greeks; it is always either a “siesta” or a “mañana” but without the element of urgency out there), second it looked and promised a classic escape adventure and finally, the game was THREE hours long. THREE. And it’s not a room. It’s a house.
After booking on-site, an unknown number contacted me on Viber. There were instructions to get acquainted with the story, to come all together, not to be late and enter the house together, it was crucial for the story. Good!
Without spoiling, I can share some things that we still discover in Bulgaria in 2017: Greeks were already found a long time ago. Our game starts in a neutral room. There is an air conditioner (which is absolutely a must for 3-hour games in Athens), coffee, tea, water… anything to support you for 3 hours of puzzle-solving.
The story revolves around a mysterious Uncle and an African diamond. Like in good classic stories, there is everything – betrayal, tension, buzz, plot twists, and so on. The fact is that the “room” is actually a huge floor of a house, and the rooms are 5-6-7, and maybe more … The game is conditionally divided into parts. After we reach a certain point, the game returns us to the main room, where we are politely asked: “Do you want a break to get some refreshments?” For a three-hour game, this is absolutely a must. While we took a break, the timer stopped, and we could safely drink coffee and some water.
We ALMOST didn’t make it out, I swear, no records or anything like that. It is difficult to play in English, and we exhausted the game master, at some point he wrote to us “If you can speak English, I do not understand your assumptions and don’t know if you are on the right track or not.” It was not easy; half the secret for a good experience is to lead the group, to help and encourage them when necessary, to give them the right hints, and imagine managing the game for a team that speaks Swahili 😀
The puzzles are classic and very engaging. There are not many electronics, but there is a BRILLIANT puzzle (I will say nothing more, but the puzzle really impressed us all). They have room in the room, which is a fun element, and finally, it all ends with many bottles, lasers, and a magnificent hideout.
A little note I shared with the owner: the room has been on the market for more than two years, and the inventory is quite overused, there is a little oversight on their part.
For me and the lovers of classic puzzles, a really nice place to be. The price is almost as much as the average price for Greece, but per visit per hour, and here you have three. That is the reason Paradox Project earns +1 point in my book.
If you are planning a trip to Athens and have time to spare, check it out!
Paradox Project about us:
#TeamFury Five hungry for adventure & mystery nephews visited Athens with a purpose! One mission focused around a mysterious house in Kallithea, where a long-gone Uncle had invited them for something of a strange nature. They might have lost some time at the beginning of their adventure, but after a short break, revitalized, they passed quickly through the Bedroom & the Black Vault to enter the other part of the house having a good flow. Everyone helped in their way & they proved their skills. Well done nephews. The Uncle will be waiting for you…