Codename: Blackwater

Mastermind has a new two hour puzzle room called Blackwater. Unlike the other three Escape Games, it is not located in the city center, but in Agia Varvara, a suburb four kilometers west of Athens. Blackwater is the code name of a secret facility that is rumored to be manufacturing a new chemical weapon.

Our job is to break into the facility, find the bomb, and steal it. The area we enter turns out to be quite large and intricate. Many mental challenges await us here, as well as some physical activities and dexterity tasks.

The puzzles we encountered in the different areas were good, although, for experienced escapers, mostly not very difficult and usually not completely new to us. Nevertheless, there is quite a lot to do and to discover. The tasks are varied and can sometimes be solved in parallel. The puzzles (partly locks but also many automatisms) make sense and the game has a relatively good flow. We were able to find the chemical bomb (nicely done!) in about three quarters of the time.

Blackwater is a good, but not an absolute top experience – the wow moments were lacking and the storyline and backdrop both felt weak – but nevertheless a certainly above-average room, in which both beginners and advanced players who like puzzles will get their money’s worth.