Library Rats

I did not expect to return to the purple door of Action House one year later, given that in my last visit to Madrid I had played their two games (A Lost Case and Library Rats). Furthermore, the game was heavily based on the acting and one year ago the games were only playable in Spanish.  After discussing with Victor (one of the guys there), he told me that they were planning on offering it in English and that the new version of Library Rats, even though it had the same name, was completely different, so having fond memories of the games there, we added this room as the last of the planned route, before heading to the airport.

As I had played two of their games, I knew quite well what to expect, contrary to the first time, where they surprised me and showed me other possibilities in escape rooms, that I had not seen before.  There is a lengthy story, in connection with the room, that you should read before playing the game. It is really well-written and I hope they will have it in English as well, without losing its characteristic humor. It explains you, what is your task in a very funny way, so that when you knock on the door you are expected to play your role, as in a certain way the game starts right there. The lobby, to call it somehow, is beautifully decorated, and you get the impression that the game will take place right there.

The game profits for the role-playing game masters and your interactions with them. If you like it, you will definitely have a great time, both before and during the game. Your interactions with the gamemaster will also affect his actions, so in a way, even though it is the same game, each experience will be different depending on the group. I can imagine it is not easy to transition from Spanish into English, but I believe the game master managed very well in our case.

Concerning this new version, it is indeed a completely different game. While you will recognize some elements if you played the old version, the whole story has dramatically changed and so did the riddles, which are completely new.

Other than the nice decoration, it is not an easy room. I remember that we managed to do the old version with one second left on the clock. The puzzles are good, there is a great flow driven, like I said before, by the interactions with the game master, which is an integral part of the game and makes it a really fun experience. In the year between my first visit and this one, I experienced other games with actors and I still believe Action House offers a quality in that sense, which is difficult to be found anywhere else.

The website is still only in Spanish, and it says the games are available only in that language, but you should contact them, as it should change soon, hopefully without losing the essence, which makes these games great.