Miraculum – The Golden Phoenix – Escape Room Berlin
BERLIN / 2-6 Players / Price: 39 – 49,50 Euro per person / Rating 9.8
Location: Stresemannstraße 50, 10963 Berlin
Date of Play: 29.04.2023
Group Size: 3
Languages: German/English
We waited a long time to finally play the newest highlight room in Berlin, and now the time had come for “The golden Phoenix” by Miraculum. A room that was supposed to take us into the magical world and raised high expectations in advance. The creative minds of The Room were behind the concept. Read here if our expectations were met.
As soon as you cross the threshold of Miraculum, you find yourself in another world. The walls are completely lined with bookshelves, giving the entire reception area the charm of an old antiquarian bookstore. Our gamemaster greeted us in a costume fitting his role, and he only left this role once we exited the premises.
After storing our belongings in the lockers and taking one last visit to the facilities, the gamemaster asked us to help in the search for the book “The golden Phoenix” After all, we came to the old bookstore for this book, even though we are not allowed to take it home due to its preciousness. So, we browse through the bookshelves, discovering many book treasures but not the sought-after book, and thus, the story began.
The gamemaster then leads us with a gas lantern through a dark corridor to the actual room. Here, he entered a small room with us, full of more books and curiosities. He searches for the book with us, eventually finding it and asking one of the players to read the first page directly from the book. And while reading, the magic of the Golden Phoenix begins, and we arrive at Bärenfels, the Academy of Sorcery and Magic…
The golden Phoenix
At the Bärenfels Academy for Witches and Wizards, the atmosphere is tense. There are fears that dark forces are planning an attack on the golden Phoenix, the protective and emblematic creature. Despite this impending danger, you must take your final exam in Wandlore. Are you well-prepared?
The room
With knowledge of the room’s origin, we had very high expectations for the look and feel of the space. We were truly not disappointed. We find ourselves in a common room of the academy, where a Hogwarts-like atmosphere emerges, with vintage furniture, shelves full of books, a fireplace, and various thematic decorations. The level of detail in the furnishings is high, offering much to explore, yet it’s always possible to distinguish the essential from the non-essential. It’s the combination of thoughtful details, the use of visual and sensory effects, hidden Easter eggs, and a sound and light ambiance that consistently showcases the creators’ passion for their craft.
Even if less detail-oriented individuals could argue that this academy common room is comparable to others in Germany, this room is just the beginning. The Golden Phoenix knows how to escalate and creates an environment where we’d rather linger than solve puzzles. With the first step, we find ourselves in a world of magic and only leave it when we step onto the streets of Berlin.
The puzzles
The nature and number of puzzles are tailored to the essence of the room, primarily focusing on immersion—perfectly combining story and atmosphere. Although the room starts with a few classical logic puzzles, once this phase is over, the majority of puzzle time is spent in exploration and combination mode. It involves finding Object A to use it with Object B. Magical elements are repeatedly incorporated, and the recurrent use of these elements contributes to world-building and, consequently, the creation of immersion.
Gamemaster
Once the Gamemaster is no longer physically present with us, he remains with us throughout the game. Even though he does not appear until the end of the game, precise observation of the players and their actions is required to activate various elements of guidance and storytelling. The mix of media used to narrate the story and provide hints in moments of perplexity is perfectly balanced, ensuring diversity. The hints we received were always indirect, offering just a gentle nudge in the right direction. Through the use of lighting and sound effects, hints are also subtly provided, at times without players even realizing they are being guided. Lastly, the enthusiasm of the Gamemaster and the charming performances by him and his colleague added a delightful touch to the experience, eliciting some smiles from us.
Maria’s conclusion
Some may be tired of the praises for The Room creators, and yet there’s no other way. What has been accomplished here is a composition of a well-thought-out and coherent story from beginning to end, a dense atmosphere, an excellent sound backdrop, and the use of state-of-the-art techniques. When entering a room with such high expectations, it’s easy to be disappointed, and perhaps I’m going through it more critically. I won’t deny that finding a checkered notepad irritated me, even if it reluctantly fit the context of the puzzle. But precisely because I scrutinized the room so critically, it puts my positive words for attention to detail into perspective.
What impressed me again here is not the obvious but the subtle. The use of scents, light, and sound is outstanding. These are details that may go unnoticed by most people consciously, but the subconscious captures everything. And even if there are elements that exist in other rooms worldwide, it’s these nuances that make it a special experience.
The room is suitable for all experience levels and is certainly an incredible experience for families with older children. Our teammate said, “I’m not a fan of Harry Potter, but I would have liked to stay longer in these rooms.”
Sebastian‘s conclusion
I can’t add much more to Maria’s conclusion. A visit to Miraculum is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, from entering the old bookstore to leaving it. Additionally, Der goldene Phoenix is one of those immersive experiences that make you forget you’re in a game. Here, attention has been given to 99% of even the smallest details to transport us to another world. While I’ve previously found discussions about the importance of scent in escape rooms a bit overrated, I’ve been more than convinced here. The Golden Phoenix is, in the overall view, a wonderful composition of sensory perceptions that consciously and unconsciously makes us part of the story. Escape room players who place a high value on puzzles may find less fulfillment here, but adventurers will find much to enjoy.
The Golden Phoenix proves that family-friendly adventures can captivate and evoke emotions in players that go beyond fear and the next adrenaline rush. Rarely have I felt so much joy and love within me as at the end of this adventure. (Perhaps also because some time had passed since my last escape room adventure 😉 ) The Golden Phoenix is one of the few rooms that, for me, sets the gold standard for world-building and the passion for telling stories.
