Brandon Chow
- May 15, 2022
- 4 min read

Paradox Project - "Paradox Project 2: The Bookstore"

Updated: Apr 23

LOCATION: Charokopou, Athens, Greece

Paradox Project - Paradox Project 2: The Bookstore

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

📝 ETR DECODER

🔑 GAME: Paradox Project 2: The Bookstore
📅 DATE PLAYED: April 7, 2022
🎬 GENRE: Mystery
🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 8/10
👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 4-7 ppl
🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 200 Mins.
💰 PRICE: €30/ pp
☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private
🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes

📖 THE STORY

After discovering the bitter truth at "The Mansion", you begin to wonder if coming to the bookstore was a wise decision. But your curiosity got the best of you and here you are... I mean what's the worst that could happen here right? It's just a bookstore after all...

Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE

There's a really powerful storyline that went along with this game. When the creator has the ability to make a 200-minute room where every moment captured our attention is incredible. This ongoing 2-part series ("The Mansion" was the first one) had so many twists and turns, we were amazed at every "chapter". Each "chapter" has a different theme as well, so we felt like we've experienced multiple escape rooms in one setting.
We haven't played many escape rooms where we can be our own "host" and start the game without being "checked-in" or even meeting anyone from the company. "The Bookstore" definitely gave us that opportunity to create this experience from beginning to end on our own. It definitely made the game feel a lot more realistic and at one point, we were so lost in the immersion that we weren't sure if we were finished with the game yet or still in it.
The set design was just WOW WOW WOW! You would think the room felt overwhelming at first (anything you can think of in an actual bookstore is there and more!) but the creator was able to make only the items that were relevant to the game be accessible to the player. There were definitely times that we needed some nudging as some parts needed "out of the box" thinking but after discovering the answer, we were quickly "wowed" by the creativity and before we even had time to think about it, we were already transported to another chapter in the story.
Since this is a 200-minute game, the creator cleverly designed a fully functional bathroom in the room. It didn't feel out of place like some of the other games we've been in because we were essentially... in a bookstore. The utilization of certain safety measures in the room was also carefully designed so that players can comfortably travel from one place to another (this game is pretty large so you'll definitely get your exercise in).
The puzzles were so innovative and challenged us in so many different ways. "The Bookstore" really tests all aspects of your puzzle-solving abilities and allows you to be as creative as possible to progress. For the most part, this is a non-linear game so you and your team can split up. I do however like the fact that you will have to gather your team together every time there's an "intro" prior to the next chapter. This gave us a breather, but also forced all the players to catch up with the storyline rather than just the puzzles, since the story is equally important in this game.
For two people, this was quite challenging. Even with a 3-hour time limit, we went over a bit. The owner is flexible in asking the team if they want a little rest during the half mark and if your team did go overtime, you'll still have a chance to finish the game (hence the 200-minute time limit). We really appreciated this mentality from the creator as he really wanted the players to enjoy the game as an art piece and not just an escape room.

🧩 MISSED THE MARK

We don't have much to say about this section as "The Bookstore" is definitely one of our favorite escape rooms played this year. I mean we could still keep playing if it wasn't for the 3-hour time limit.

🏹 TAKE A SHOT?

This room is a masterpiece. We can imagine how much hard work went into creating something like this. From tiny props that needs to be freshly prepared for each game to lighting/sound that has to happen at the exact moment something triggers it in the room, the game came alive right when the doors of "The Bookstore" closed. Even though we didn't play the first episode ("The Mansion"), the owner was nice enough to catch us up with the storyline so when we got there, we knew how the ending played out. It is not necessary to have the prior knowledge, but we strongly suggest playing them in order.

Paradox Project has created one of the most cinematic escape room experiences that we've ever played. Even after the game, we could talk and feel the different parts of the game until this day. "The Bookstore" truly combines the best of both worlds in terms of storyline and puzzles and if the creator comes out with a 6-hour sequel (please do!), we'll literally fly back to Athens for this game!

ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO

No parking
Water and restroom is available inside the escape room (which is private for your experience)

Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers

BOOK NOW

(If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!)

Disclosure: We thank Paradox Project for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever.