![Paradox Project 1: Η Έπαυλη [The Mansion]](https://res.cloudinary.com/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_964/f_auto/v1/store/s/d239b754-8fbb-4339-b795-42b74ae62385.jpeg)
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An unexpected invitation. A long distanced relative, after a long time, appears again. Sensing guilty loose ends coming after him, he invites you to his Mansion, to share a secret with roots dating back to his past & his adventurous time in Africa… Are you ready to discover the bitter truth?…
All ratings (102)
Very positive
K
132 escape rooms
Paradox project is the main reason why we came to Athens. We loved the story, the huge apartment and different puzzles. We had our own refreshments with us and we could have breaks whenever we wanted. The game Masters were great!
221 escape rooms
A lot been written about the Paradox Project, but this is not your normal escape room, this is an escape apartment with multiple rooms, secret rooms, and a lot of puzzles to solve in the 3.5 hours you have. They lay on refreshments and there is a toilet you can use. Thematically it's a strong story of trust and betrayal over a seemingly cursed diamond, the "bitter truth". You initially only have access to a couple of rooms and then others open up, with a large group this is great as you can go at the rooms without falling over yourselves, when other rooms open up you then get filtered down to a stream, I think the ideal number to tackle this is probably around 4. As an experience it's not without flaws but the scope and scale warrant your attention.
330 escape rooms
This game is very cool. Very unlike most of what we have in the US. 3 hour game and you absolutely use the time. There were six of us and we completed it with 7 minutes left. We wanted to play the Bookstore but it didn’t work out for our timing. I wish we had more time in Athens to play it! Game master was excellent. Story is strong. Full immersion is very important to them.
499 escape rooms
This is such a cool concept and a long game, but it's an older game and could use to be spruced up and updated. A few of the puzzles were not well clued and we had to have multiple hints to figure it out, which is a bummer.
Yes
44 escape rooms
We were so excited to do a 3 hour escape room and it did not disappoint. Time flew by! It’s a fantastic room - we really enjoyed!
Not at all
441 escape rooms
If you visit Athens and are planning to play some escape rooms, Paradox Project has to be on your list. The Mansion is the first of the games and the first chapter in the story. The space is huge and packed full of puzzles so if you are used to games that are bigger on experience and horror and light on puzzles, as many in Athens are, you will definitely have a mental workout over the 3 hours that you are inside the space. This probably isn’t a game for first time players either. The escape rooms at Paradox Project are the longest I’ve ever played but the time flies by as there is so much to keep you immersed and busy. We were offered a break half way through but kept on going. You are permitted to take in refreshments and eat/drink as you like, though only in the central space in the house. The bathroom is available at all times too which is handy. I loved this game - it was the first in a long time that really made us stop and think and work things out. You need stamina and adrenaline, failing that, caffeine, to get you through to the end, especially if you are a group of two like we were. Totally worth it, I wish there were games like this in the UK.
Once we got into a rhythm the game flowed extremely well. Due to the space being so big it was difficult to know where to start initially so we needed a small nudge to point us in the right direction. I’m very much like a bull in a China shop in rooms, spot something, immediately think I know what to do with it and jump to the next think. You have to take a step back in this room, take it all in as there are so many details, and missing something means wasting a lot of time, as we found out. The story is original, unfolds as the experience progresses with twists and turns and the gameplay mimics this beautifully.
You really do feel like you are entering someone’s house, and mooching through their possessions and secrets. Special effects take a back seat in this experience but they aren’t needed - this escape room has a more traditional feel with multi-layered puzzles. There are several clever uses of set as the game progresses, including the ending.
Communication before the game was fantastic. We didn’t meet our GM until the end, which is part of the experience, but communication and hints throughout via screen and smart phone were spot on. Extra brownie points for the use of gifs to confirm we were on the right path.
Yes
The fact the game takes place across a whole apartment is novel, as well as the deliberate lack of information about the story before you start to play. My husband asked me before we got there ‘what’s this game about then?’ (as I sort out our bookings and itineraries and he just turns up and joins in). I couldn’t tell him much at all, and this adds to the intrigue. You know you are going to your Uncle’s house but not much more. The story unfolds as you play and it is essential to pay attention to the story and not just think ‘puzzle, puzzle, puzzle’ as we did in the beginning. Looking back after the game in various debriefs, more details that we missed at the were able to be joined up.
The story is original, mysterious and slightly dark, it unfolds well along with the game and leads perfectly to the next game, The Bookstore.
Hard
This isn’t a game for novices - despite being 3 hours long there is a LOT to do and the puzzles are multi-layered. There are always several things to solve and piece together before getting an answer, and there were several things that really made us think. As an experienced team, we have seen most things in escape rooms before but there were some bits in here that really got us thinking.
Mechanical
Lots of padlocks, physical movement.
4
We played as a two and there was a lot to do. One puzzle in particular is tricky as a two but we were told to ‘think like you are three people and you should be okay’. We did, and we were, with much giggling. The number of players very much depends on the level of experience - the room could easily house 6-8 less experienced players, but I’d say 3-4 experienced players would be ideal.
Not scary
It was well lit, spacious, not scary at all.
12
There is nothing unsuitable or inappropriate for young people, but the puzzles are on the trickier side. There are still lots of things young people could do to get involved with though, with guidance.
No
Considering the game has been around for several years now it is still in very good condition. Nice and clean too, which for a big space like this could be tricky!
No
Contrary to many of Athens’ games, this company focuses on puzzles rather than horror, which I am very happy about.
Somewhat
There was lots of movement between the different rooms and spaces, stairs to climb, a small bit of crawling and one section where flexibility and thinking outside the box is required! The room will give you a decent work out.
One puzzle involved colour and there were a couple of elements where at least one member of the team has to climb stairs or crawl. It also has to be said that the game is on second (?) floor of a building accessed by stairs - I can’t recall if there is a lift.
Yes
Super easy, directions sent via message before hand really helped too.
We travelled via metro and walked 5 minutes from the stop so parking wasn’t an issue. There did seem to be street parking available.
158 escape rooms
Incredible room with awesome immersive design. Great use of their space with an awesome story. Paradox doesn't disappoint. This was our second room of their three, and while we preferred music academy, it was an amazing experience and well worth the trip
The gm was very welcoming and attentive
Yes
3 hours, great story and interesting/novel puzzles
Hard
High tech
Pretty 50/50. Good use of mechanical puzzles but also good use of interesting tech as well. Could honestly go either way here
4
Lots to do for multiple players
Not scary
10
No
No
Somewhat
Steep stairs and some tight spaces between rooms but not bad overall.
Some minor issues for someone with severe mobility including stairs in. A few color puzzles as well but only a few
Yes
Medium
e
256 escape rooms
𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿
D
192 escape rooms
Ok- this was a great experience BUT we did it on the day we arrived from the US. We had been traveling for 27 hours with little cat naps on planes. Doing this room when fully rested would have been better for sure. I can see why these rooms won awards and the story is so good. A must do for people who enjoy escape rooms for sure.
It did flow and kept flowing. Just when we thought we had finished it kept going.
Very immersive and creative use of everything.
Thank goodness we had a great game master.
No
T
791 escape rooms
This is a very original experience not only because it's 3 hours, but the set and puzzles are also very unique. I would highly recommend paying Paradox Project a visit. A group of two will likely struggle, so it'd be better to play with more. There are a few ambiguous puzzles that are very time-consuming to solve, but the overall experience was very positive for me. This room feels a bit older than their other rooms, but it's the beginning of the story. If you want to follow the narrative in chronological order, then you should start with this room.
