66 Minuten – The Amulet – Escape Room Neuwied
Neuwied / 2-6 Players / Price: 44 – 88 EURO per Person / Rating: 9.3
Location: 56564 Neuwied, bei den Koordinaten: 50°25’43.3″N 7°27’20.5″E
Date of Play: 09.07.2022
Group Size: 3
After we revealed a big secret in the second part of the Madita trilogy with the trophy collector in Schlabbeck’s apartment, it was now time for the grand finale of the trilogy. You can read how we liked The Amulet here.
We played the Madita Trilogy designed by 66 Minutes, which consists of three different Escape Adventures: Each of these three rooms – Madita’s Secret (Go to review), The Trophy Collector (Go to review) and The Amulet – also works independently of the other rooms and doesn’t have to be played as a trilogy. At the same time, playing these rooms in exactly this order adds a lot more depth to the story around Schlachter Schlabbeck.
Compared to our last visit, a lot has changed. 66 Minutes has a new main entrance and thus a new reception area, which is more atmospheric than during our last visit. If you read the info in the confirmation email correctly, though, you don’t notice too much of that. The adventure begins right outside the door.
After making our way to the meeting point indicated in our booking confirmation, we were already part of the story. We were received rather rudely by the ASF and given our briefing. This briefing was partly redundant, especially since we had now already played through Madita’s Secret and the Trophy Collector. But when you play the Amulet detached, it makes perfect sense. Still, we more than enjoyed the acting interaction.
The Amulet
Out of fear, Schlabbeck had Madita’s amulet stolen from the ASF’s Hall of Mirrors by a mole and placed it in Madita’s hiding place. He wanted to use it to appease her spirit. Even angrier, Franz-Josef was driven out of his own apartment by Madita’s poltergeist. More than a dozen agents have tried in vain to retrieve the Founder’s Amulet from the apartment. They are Anton’s last hope. The medium Delta Mirekh has changed sides and will be at your side with advice and help..
Room
Once again we enter Schlabbeck’s apartment, which this time seems much darker, although it is familiar from the beginning of Trophy Collector. But in this apartment, which is now haunted by Madita’s ghost, nothing is as it seems. As befits a horror or scary escape room, atmosphere is everything. Here, 66 Minutes manages to create a really dense and suspenseful atmosphere like none of their rooms before. This is not only due to the really good timing of the effects and other interludes, but also the lighting and the booming ambient sound. The Amulet offers homage to various iconic horror films throughout its course, the use of which contributes greatly to the actual experience of the room. Especially if you’ve played part 1 of the Madita trilogy, the finale unfolds its full power story-wise and is exciting to the very end.
Puzzles
In general, puzzles and their difficulty level in horror escape rooms tend to be of a lighter nature, since players are naturally busy with other things here than cracking any formulas. Nevertheless, Amulet offers a linear puzzle structure. The hint guidance is successfully implemented. The tasks are varied and above all require cooperation, communication and trust in the team.
Gamemaster
The use of support is rather indirect, through the use of light and various fade-ins in the room. This way, the immersion is not interrupted at any point and everything feels like a part of the story. The timing was perfect.
Maria’s Conclusion
Rarely has a room evoked such a range of emotions in me, encompassing fear as well as dismay and humor. The Amulet was my first horror escape room, so I was especially glad to have a moment of seclusion to get the full experience. It was just the right amount of horror for me: doable yet full of tension while playing. The soundscape and effects were perfectly coordinated and timed with a precision necessary for successful immersion in this space. The cooperative puzzles help in mastering the room, as the team can only function together. This welds together – and when all players are back to back in what is supposed to be the safest part of the room, they are ready for whatever may come. For me, The Amulet was the perfect conclusion to the Madita trilogy and a room I will remember for a long time.
Sebastian’s Conclusion
The amulet is the crowning finale of the Madita trilogy and should never be played as a stand-alone room. Only in combination with the other two rooms Madita’s Secret and Trophy Collector does it unfold its full, especially emotional effect in terms of story. For me, 66 Minutes has managed this time to tell a story that is comprehensible and you don’t feel like you have to go deeper into the story surrounding the ASF. 66 Minutes has created a really great immersive adventure with a creepy factor that can be classified as slightly above average. Everything meshes here that needs to mesh in a space like this. Sound, lighting and timing create a successful illusion.
