The biggest escape game in the Czech Republic, Kingdom Come

At the southwestern edge of the town of Malešov, a charming medieval fortress stands on a rocky promontory extending into the valley of the Vrchlice stream. The history of the historic site, which has served as a local national committee warehouse and an illegal dump since the 1980s, probably dates back to the first half of the 14th century. “It’s no secret that this place will also appear in the second part of the game Kingdom Come: Deliverance,” says the head of the project Vojtěch Vašák from The Chamber.

Life was brought back to the place after years of decay only by the private initiative of Ondřej Slačálek, who completed its reconstruction in 2019. After the restoration, the fortress welcomed many events dedicated to culture, but its gates are rumored to hide a special secret.

At three o’clock in the afternoon in front of the rotunda at the local brewery, an impatient group of travelers steps over, curiously observing the massive wooden gate. From behind her comes a young woman in a medieval tunic with a signal horn behind her waist. “The owner of the fortress one day found strange hooded people moving around his property. When he returned later, the compound was surrounded by a wall guarded by a guard. I represent the agency that is dealing with this situation and you must help me,” he explains to the group Bára, who plays the role of the so-called gamemaster, i.e. the moderator of the game.

The group of twenty-six participants is pre-divided into teams of their own choosing. Most of the players are in their thirties, but there are also older enthusiasts. However, I and my four-member “gang” are the only ones for whom today’s experience will be an introduction to the world of so-called escape games. “Don’t worry, it can still be managed,” the presenter reassures us.

Our first task is to get into the fortress past the grumpy guard. In order to better infiltrate and hide our modern clothes, which we probably wouldn’t wear at the gate, we get brown hoods. We barely have time to look around, the first daredevil starts pounding on the door. “What are you staring at, do you have a brain?” the armored man shouts at him in a deep voice through the iron grill of the door. “No? Then pull,” he answers to himself, spits, and slams the grille shut with a loud jerk.

Experienced players run to the nearby bushes and start searching for the leaf that will ensure our safe passage. Before long, a sad curly-haired girl who introduces herself as Ludmila comes to the rescue. She explains that she managed to get hold of the seals of the local lord of the fortress – Ruthard of Malešov. He is dealing with an unpleasant incident at the construction site. An unknown perpetrator set fire to the local granary, and the fortress is suffering from a lack of grain. Meanwhile, the Malešov master is on the road, the alleged perpetrator was thrown into the dungeon. However, it is said that an innocent person could end up on the noose.

Inexperience doesn’t stop the fun, but it won’t win

Thanks to the blinds, we pass through the gate and the atmosphere of the medieval fortress is enhanced not only by the singing of the birds, but also by the original soundtrack from the video game. It was not difficult for the organizers to obtain a license or the dedication of the Warhorse studio itself to create “real DLC”. “Our former colleague, trained historian and chairman of the Doba Karlova association Tomáš Straka, participated in the creation of Kingdom Come Deliverance. The developers even played the first game that The Chamber launched six years ago,” explains Vašák.

Individual groups receive tasks from the moderator of the game, and each group starts at a different station so that the participants pass each other. During the journey through the story, he visits, for example, the clergyman Pešek, the cook Dorota or the local blacksmith. Probably the funniest character is the eternally drunk wife of the local armorer Bohun, whom the participants of the escape show can meet wandering around the premises under the influence. When she’s not hiccups or complaining about her husband, she sings familiar video game pub songs to herself.

The eternally drunk wife of the armorer Bohun has enough time for everything. She is the most patient even when completely incompetent players come into her hands. | Photo: Aktuálně.cz

Although inexperience with escape games does not detract from the experience of the game, newcomers will definitely feel it. Keeping up with the elaborate story, while completing tasks and solving puzzles can be overwhelming. While knowledgeable players managed to uncover even the most peppery secrets of the characters in three hours at the fortress and then tried additional activities, such as archery or fencing, our group, which was constantly behind in the story, had to be rescued more than once by moderator Bára.

She came to our aid, for example, in a situation where we had to steal an important document from a locked chest in the room of one of the characters. Although we solved the puzzle, we did not manage to escape the room in time with the paper. We therefore decided to hide under the table, from where we were eventually horrified and asked “What are you doing here?” after a few minutes, the gamemaster herself pulled out.

Although inexperience with escape games does not detract from the experience of the game, newcomers will undoubtedly feel it. | Photo: Aktuálně.cz

Although the puzzles do not require any historical or geographical knowledge, logical thinking will be challenged. Equally important is the dynamic between the players, who should be able to work well together. “The worst are small and angry women,” sighs my teammate Miroslav, referring to the author of this article, when he leaves the fortress after a few hours after the climax of the story.

Players should have good motor skills, know Roman numerals and herbs, or know how to cook at least a little. If they don’t meet either, they won’t burn anyway. The characters push him while not falling out of the role.

Professionals and enthusiasts breathed life into the fortress

It is the authentic actors that make the play an experience, despite the picturesque backdrops. “It’s a combination of several types of people. One type is people who engage in historical reenactments, which is a type of entertainment in which participants try to create a realistic image of an ancient event or period. Among them are stuntmen and swordsmen, and some of them are just they were involved in the motion capture for Kingdom Come,” he explains.

Another group is the professional actors of The Chamber company, but only enthusiasts can also appear among the characters in the game. “When we know that they can adapt to the role, we also take friends who are passionate about the story,” says Vašák, reminding us that each role entails the need to know the rules and functioning of escape games.

A player would hardly know who is a professional and who is an enthusiast. The characters seem so faithful that they can easily get an inexperienced player out of the initial embarrassment and draw them into the fictional world almost immediately.

Fans of the story-driven game can travel to the Malešov fortress from April to October. However, they should not delay booking the date, according to Vašák, this year’s interest in connection with the upcoming sequel is record high.

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