Are you the kind of person who doesn't settle for a stroll? Do you like moving around, competing, and being handed a real challenge? Then there's a game right in the centre of Madrid you probably didn't know existed, and you need to try it. It's called Extreme Mode, and it's the most action-packed, competitive version of the Retiro Gardens experience: you'll run, explore, and solve puzzles all across the park, in an immersion in nature and historic architecture fused with a magical adventure of challenges, with one clear goal, no half measures: break the spell before anyone else.
The story: a 17th-century spell only one team will break first
Madrid, 17th century. The Conde-Duque de Olivares protected the secrets of the Buen Retiro with a royal spell, but something went wrong when he tried to alter it. Now he and his beloved are condemned to wander the gardens forever, and your team has been trapped alongside them. To escape, you must explore the historic gardens, find the characters holding the clues, and uncover the complete spell before time runs out.
So far, that's the premise of any of our game modes. The difference is that in Hard Mode and Extreme Mode sessions, you're not the only team trying. Other groups play the same game, in the same park, at the same time, and everyone is racing for the same goal: being the first to break the enchantment.
Tourist, Hard, and Extreme: only one is the real challenge
The Retiro Gardens experience can be played in three ways. Tourist Mode is designed for all audiences: collaborative exploration, no rivalry, ideal for families. Hard Mode introduces team-vs-team competition for those who already enjoy escape rooms. And then there's Extreme Mode, which our own game listing describes without dressing it up: "Experts and competitive players only, the real challenge."
If Hard Mode is playing seriously, Extreme is playing without a net. Fewer helps, less time to react, and the same tools as Hard Mode to make life difficult for the rival team — except nobody warns you when it's your turn to take the hit.
What the rulebook doesn't tell you: the secrets of Extreme Mode
Stealing locations (and coins) from the rival team
In the game's shop — the coin icon 🪙 — you don't just buy secondary locations to move faster. There's also a whole catalog of actions designed to hinder the competition: steal coins, steal locations the other team had already unlocked, hide locations so they can't find them, or cast the feared Borbón's Curse, a special attack that can change the course of the game in seconds. Yes: you can literally snatch away the progress the rival team had already made.
The ⚔️ button: spy on the competition's progress
To know who to attack (and who to fear), the sidebar menu has a crossed-swords button, ⚔️, that shows how every team is doing in real time. No playing blind: you can see whether you're ahead or about to be overtaken, and plan your attack — or your defence — accordingly.
In Extreme, attacks come with no warning
Here's the twist that makes Extreme Mode truly extreme: in Hard Mode, when a rival attacks you, you get a warning. In Extreme Mode there's no warning at all. You find out a location has been stolen from you the moment you try to use it and it's already gone. That constant sense of vulnerability is, for many players, the most addictive part of the mode.
Half the time to react
When a location is stolen or hidden from you, you can win it back by solving a small challenge against the clock. In Hard Mode you get 4 minutes to pull it off; in Extreme Mode, only 2. And to really turn up the pressure: there are no progressive hints. If you get stuck, you're on your own.
Why the Retiro is the perfect game board
None of this happens on a set or in a closed room — it happens in Retiro Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021. You run between centuries-old hedges, dodge the rival team next to the Palacio de Cristal, and plan your next move sitting by the Estanque Grande. The combination of nature, historic architecture, and real-time competitive tension is what makes this experience unlike anything you've played before.
Bring whoever you like and split into rival teams
You don't need a random group of strangers to play against — you can book together with friends, family, your running club, or any group up for moving around, and compete against each other. When the game starts, each player scans their team's QR code and picks which one to join, so all it takes is half the group choosing Team 1 and the other half Team 2 for the rivalry to be entirely in-house. If other bookings are playing in the same time slot, they'll join in too as extra teams, taking the game up a notch.
Who is Extreme Mode for?
For competitive groups of friends, for running or sports clubs looking for a challenge outside their usual routine, for people who devour escape rooms and board games with a rivalry streak, and also for companies looking for a team building activity with more adrenaline than usual: nothing bonds (or tests) a team like a healthy dose of strategic mischief. If what you're after is a relaxed family plan, collaborative Tourist Mode is the option; if you're the type who enjoys winning, Extreme is waiting for you.
How to play it
The experience lasts around 2 hours, is played in Spanish or English, and can be booked from 1 person, although Extreme Mode is best enjoyed as a team. Sessions run Saturdays and Sundays, with several time slots available. You can book your spot and choose Extreme Mode directly on the Retiro Gardens experience page.
Frequently asked questions about Extreme Mode in the Retiro
What's the difference between Extreme Mode and Hard Mode? In Extreme, the timer to recover a stolen location is cut in half (2 minutes instead of 4), there are no progressive hints, and above all, attacks from other teams arrive with no warning at all.
Can I really steal locations from another team? Yes. In the game's shop you can steal coins, steal locations already unlocked by a rival, hide their locations, or cast Borbón's Curse. And they can do exactly the same to you.
Is it suitable for everyone? It's designed for competitive people and players with escape room experience. If you're bringing kids or want a relaxed plan, Tourist Mode is the recommended option.
How long does it last and what languages is it available in? Around two hours, in Spanish and English, with sessions on weekends.
Can I bring my own group and compete against each other? Yes. When the game starts, each player picks their own team by scanning a QR code, so all it takes is splitting into two or more teams for the rivalry to be in-house. If other bookings are playing in the same time slot, they'll join in as extra teams.
Is there always another team to attack? Extreme Mode is designed to be played against the other teams in the same session, whether that's your own group split across several teams or other bookings in the same time slot.
Want to learn the real history of the park before you play? Read the history of the Retiro Gardens, or discover the collaborative version of the escape room in the Retiro if you'd rather play as a team with no rivalry.
