The Ghost Writer by Horror Productions is a brand new room that only opened shortly before our last trip to Athens. When planning the trip, I read a lot about new rooms and heard reports from test groups. The Ghost Writer was definitely one of the rooms that received very positive feedback from everyone. I also found the story and the teaser very interesting. Overall, my anticipation was very high and it’s rare to be disappointed in Athens, so let’s see how it would turn out this time.

Unfortunately, the journey from Neverland (Metanoia) took a little longer as, very unusually for Athens, there were no cabs available. As a result, we had to keep telling our friends at Horror Productions that it would be even later. But they responded super nicely and even replied in story-character. This increased our anticipation even more. When we arrived at the location, we found a beautifully decorated façade with a few obituaries on display. After a short wait, “someone” welcomed us directly and gave us a very atmospheric start. The whole start, the setting, the atmosphere and the acting was perfectly realized and one of the best I have experienced so far. At this point, a big compliment to Horror Productions. They really came up with something great and realized it very well. Of course it was very dark and foggy and we knew immediately what to expect for the next two hours at least.

Right from the start, The Ghost Writer offers an incredibly good atmosphere and – for a horror experience – a very high-quality setting. What I personally liked very much was that the setting kept changing and the space could be used for different story elements. They really came up with something here and used the whole setting very creatively. There were also very different sceneries, as you could also experience different storylines. Overall, everything was very immersive and the sound also matched the atmosphere very well. In summary, a very good overall package.

I find it very difficult to rate the scare factor of the whole experience, as there were very different phases during the game. There were action-packed phases, but also quiet ones. There were phases with jumpscares and moments of isolation, but also phases in which we acted more passively as spectators. I wouldn’t consider the scare factor to be quite as high as in experiences such as Sitgmata or The Grudge, but definitely at the upper end of the scale. The intensity of The Ghost Writer, like the scare factor, varies greatly in the different phases of the game. However, you never really feel safe or relaxed. The intensity increases over the course of the game, which I think is very good. All in all, I would also call this a high level of intensity, but there are other experiences that top this.

In addition to the atmosphere, The Ghost Writer certainly benefits mainly from the very good acting. The actors played their roles perfectly and told an incredibly good story. You could feel the emotions and witnessed small theater sequences. It wasn’t always clear to us who was the “good guy” and who was the “bad guy”. At some point, of course, we wondered whether there was anyone “good” here at all, but I’ll leave that to everyone to judge for themselves. In any case, the actors all put in a lot of effort and gave us a wonderful experience.

If you want to identify a weak point in Ghost Writer, then it’s certainly the puzzles. Not that there were any really bad puzzles here. There were even some very creative puzzles. But overall, the level was simply too easy, so that we were a little bored at times. Especially with a duration of two hours, you could definitely have to make more of an effort. Of course, we realize that not every group can keep a clear head during horror experiences, but it could have been a little more challenging. Also, not all of the puzzles really made sense and felt a little artificial. Overall, therefore, not a bad rating, but definitely room for improvement.

One aspect of Ghost Writer that really makes an impression is that it is a very detailed story with many different characters. The drama and the genre of the story changes from time to time so that it never gets boring. It’s always the interplay between good actors and the well thought-out story that makes a room really great. And that is definitely the case here. From the very first minute, we were part of a larger story and were gradually looking forward to the exciting ending. The ending was really spectacular and we were very satisfied at the end. Really great storytelling from Horror Productions.

Although we didn’t finish Ghost Writer until very late, we still spent a lot of time with the various members of Horror Production and talked about everything possible. It was a really nice meeting and everyone was very interested in our feedback. Overall, we felt comfortable from start to finish. Starting with the launch and the communication before the actual game. Then, of course, during the game and afterwards. Many thanks to the guys and girls from Horror Production, it was great working with you!

The Ghost Writer is a very intense horror room that also has a lot of quiet cinematic moments. Anyone who likes a room with a good story and is not averse to horror will love this room. There is physical contact with actors, but it is never really violent and never affects the whole group. If there are individual preferences here, you can certainly talk to the guys and girls from Horror Productions beforehand. Overall, the physical requirements are very low, so you shouldn’t have any problems even with minor restrictions. There are very few places where you have to get down on your knees. And even these can be avoided for some of the group. Of course, there are also moments of isolation that you can’t avoid, nor are you really given the choice of who it affects. I can recommend the room for all group sizes, although the intensity and gaming experience naturally decreases in a large group. Overall, the room is recommended for all horror fans.

With The Ghost Writer, Horror Production has created a really great first room. There is little that could be done better. Apart from the puzzle structure, everything is really wonderfully implemented. In particular, the great acting and the detailed story make the room a really great experience that you should definitely play if you’re in Athens. We really enjoyed it!