Voodoo (Game duration 75 minutes)
Fury team: Venelin Gornishki, Monika Gornishka, Dimitar Smilyanov, Nadezhda Danabasheva
Date: November 6, 2023
Our time: 51:00 minutes
I’m not sure how to start this review.
Not because there’s nothing to say, but because I want to tell you every single little detail about this room and game, but I shouldn’t. This room needs to be experienced firsthand; you need to feel it; you need to let it enter your mind and peek into its darkest corners.
We can talk a lot about Voodoo. Starting with the fact that, as of now, I think this is the room with the longest history from concept to realization at Enigmamania. It took them four and a half years. In the meantime, this room has been a warehouse, an isolation unit for Ivo (one of the exceptional minds behind the brand) during Covid, a workshop, a source of an imaginary curse (hopefully just imaginary), and so on.
If you have the time and luck to have either Ivo or Tanya guide you through the game, ask them; they will gladly share the story.
But let’s get back to the game. After such a long wait, we received the coveted message, ‘We’re waiting for you for a test on Monday.’ To say my expectations were high would be an understatement. My expectations were gigantic. Not only because their first room is still one of my personal favorites but also because I knew the performance would be Oscar-worthy.
We headed to the well-known address at Bulgaria 5, the same door, the same doorbell. It was here that our adventure with unknown substances began some time ago. This time, however, the feeling was a bit stranger, a bit colder, a bit more … mystical? We rang the bell.
We joked and teased, almost failing to notice the presence that insistently settled into our view, demanding the items we were politely asked to bring in advance. Personal items. After unloading our pockets (and hairstyles, since Venski, of course, forgot to bring an item and gave up his scrunchie), our game began right from the lobby.
We received a message that it was good that we were there because one of us was possessed by evil forces. Our mission was to find out who and to set them free. Of course, I was the possessed one (which became clearer as the game progressed). My mom has been telling me for 47 years that I’m special, and now I know why 😀
This is the moment to mention that there are no actors in the room. The fear is only yours and it’s only in your head. If you want to be scared, you can be scared. You can make the game even harder by sitting in the dark and just being afraid. Or you can embrace the experience and follow the clues.
The puzzles are magnificently crafted. To call them authentic would be an understatement. After our game ended and we were told about how they were made and that they had more than one correct solution, I was astounded. Every possible reaction has been anticipated. How would an experienced team react, an inexperienced team, people who are scared, hyperactive individuals, those who love the game, and those who just happened to be there with friends. Each item is placed precisely and thoughtfully. Every decor element aims to keep you engaged and immerse you in the adventure. There are no fake items; the peppers are real peppers, the chickens are real chickens (this is just brilliant; you’ll understand when you see it), and the blood looks like blood. Well, it’s not exactly real blood… but it’s convincing. You feel the presence of spirits everywhere, whether in the authentic and excellently chosen sounds you sometimes hear from the game, sometimes as feedback from your interaction, in the shaking of feathers, or in the changing phases of the moon… the game surrounds you with mysticism and magic. Voodoo magic.
This room receives an Excellent (6) for deception. Nothing was as I thought it would be. Do you think there’s a door here? Think again! Do you think you know how big the game is and where the next space will be? Not a chance. Rarely does a game completely and utterly deceive me. This one did. Truly NOTHING was as it seemed. Kudos!
I’ll stop here. I won’t tell you about the finale, the sacred snake, the real moss growing on the rocks, or about your friend hanging on the wheel of fortune. And that the storm will bring surprises. I gazed, mouth agape, shouting ‘look, look over there!!!’
A magnificent game. Very thoughtful. Meticulously crafted. Made with a lot of love.
Tanya’s obsession with detail is evident everywhere. I have only seen something similar in Theorema, but here I admit I observe details bordering on madness. And I can appreciate it. I see Ivo’s suffering too, explaining how every puzzle and every detail was redone at least a dozen times to make it exactly as they saw it in their heads, to meet everyone’s and especially their high expectations. The fact that they made the room to be proud of it is prominent in every element.
You can play this room as a typical escape room. But that would be a colossal waste for you. Because this room can be played as a work of art.
In conclusion, I want to say thank you. For the beers and sandwiches, for the company, for all the kind words.
But most of all, thank you for not seeing escape rooms just as a business for children’s birthdays. Thank you for creating an adventure. For being uncompromising, with an incredibly rich spirit and presence. For making rooms for teams like us. For the fans. For demanding explorers. And for raising the bar, because it’s time for Sofia to catch up with the rest of the world, and your room is a serious statement.
P.S. Tanya said she doesn’t like labels. No matter, I’ll apply one. The best room in Bulgaria at the moment, IMHO. Whether it is for you as well, go and find out. And it’s perfectly okay to disagree, but I will talk about this room for a long time.
P.P.S. And to Maria, heartfelt thanks for her efforts, she did brilliantly!
