We Give It
8
10outta
Krampus – A Macabre Holiday Escape Room
The Premise
Originally created for the release of the 2015 film Krampus, 60 Out’s escape room brought me and my team of detectives to the lair of the suspected Krampus killer, who, like the monstrous legend, targets misbehaving children around Christmastime. Could we piece together the killer’s creepy clues to escape before we found ourselves prey to his festive murder spree? Was the killer even a human at all?
Krampus’ Lair
It was eerily dim, only the flickering Christmas tree lit our way. The TV crackled to life every once in a while, treating us to news about missing children, presumably taken by the Krampus killer, and an uncomfortable Tiny Tim performance, among other things. The furnishings frayed having seen better days; morbid children’s toys were strewn about; photos of crying kids on Santa’s lap adorned the walls. And yet, we would discover even more evidence of madness.
The production design was delightfully creative, setting us immediately on edge. The inclusion of holiday décor was a nice juxtaposition to the murder trophies lining the shelves. For the most part, the puzzles ended in combination or key locks, but I did enjoy the way we got there, several presenting icky, chill-inducing challenges for retrieval. Some puzzles incorporated very unique clue-giving techniques, and I enjoyed that we had to work as a team to solve puzzles that spanned different locations. We all generally had something to work on to keep us busy.
In addition to the lively TV counting down our 60 minutes, every 10 minutes or so, we heard the Krampus killer getting closer. From sleigh bells to footsteps on the roof, we knew he was coming for us. I don’t want to spoil it, but there was one moment for me where I was genuinely worried about something scaring us in the darkness. There was also a creepy little easter egg to find, if you looked closely – were we really alone in the room?
Bonus Puzzle
In addition to the puzzles leading us out of the room, the Krampus killer left a bonus puzzle box for us to solve – if we had enough time. While we solved the room itself in about 30 minutes, we stalled on the bonus puzzle, taking another 25 minutes on it. I was insistent that we finish the bonus box before we punched in the code for the last puzzle, which we theoretically could’ve gotten incorrect. We figured it out in the nick of time (and with some help), and thankfully got the last puzzle correct to get out of the room with 7 seconds to spare!
The Takeaway
First off, I loved the Krampus theme, and how the room incorporated the lore; it’s one of the more unique rooms I’ve done. It offered enough for us to all work on something, especially with the inclusion of the bonus puzzle, which led to a surprise after the room, if solved. The puzzles weren’t too hard (they could’ve been harder in my opinion), but I really did enjoy the presentation of the clues and the creepy production design, sound and lights.
This downtown 60 Out location also provided some lobby entertainment. There were props and small costume pieces to take pictures with and post on social media for a chance to win a prize. I had fun with those!
Overall, I think this would be a great room for beginners to intermediate (without the bonus box) and a fun challenge for more advanced escapees (with the bonus).
