This heist-themed escape room is highly rated by many seasoned escapists, so we couldn’t wait to break into these underground vaults for ourselves. Did it steal our hearts?
- Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands (7 minutes’ walk from Amsterdam Centraal station)
- Players: 4-6
- We played: February 2019 as a team of 5
Great things about The Vault
- The Vault is a thrilling, truly immersive experience that begins building excitement before the escape game itself even starts – you are initially sent by your ‘contact’ to a nearby location with minimal information as to what to expect. Impressive things take place before you even get inside Sherlocked’s premises, and the game manages to maintain the high level of adrenaline throughout.
- The main part of this game takes place in the basement of the Beurs van Berlage, a former stock exchange in the heart of Amsterdam. Sherlocked have taken this handsome, historic location and used its original features to memorable effect.
- The Vault sets a very high standard for escape room immersion, and provides some unforgettable moments that feel almost cinematic. We had the impression that a lot had been invested in making this an amazing, high-quality experience.
- Interaction with Sherlocked’s hosts – who interact with players in character and have some great acting skills – is a central and enjoyable part of the game which adds both suspense and humour.
- The Vault has a minimum team size of four players, and while in other escape rooms this can feel contrived, here there is good reason for it. One part of the game in particular will have all four (or more) players collaborating to progress.
On the other hand…
- While The Vault is an intellectually demanding adventure, the puzzles themselves are not the stars of the show. There are plenty of escape rooms to be found with more puzzles to solve, and were the puzzles from The Vault transplanted into a setting with less impressive immersion and less exciting action, they would seem underwhelming. However, we certainly didn’t feel underwhelmed or understretched, and the tasks fitted the context seamlessly.
Who should try this room?
Everyone! We think anyone from escape room enthusiasts to the uninitiated would have an ace time here. The only downside is that due to the underground location, it’s not wheelchair accessible.
Rating – 10/10
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