Player 456Exit CanadaEscape roomIRLFor E-exit, it’s fine. In the grand scheme of escape rooms, it’s underwhelming. For being their newest room it’s already looking shabby and the final room/puzzle is incredibly underwhelming. They’ve repurposed one of their closed rooms for it so some of the props are loosely connected to the vibe or seem out of place. The puzzles are more engaging than their other rooms so that’s a benefit. If you’re here already, maybe tack it on to their Joker room if you want to do 2 rooms, but I wouldn’t travel for this room.
The CurseExit CanadaEscape roomIRLThere is so little engaging or interesting in this room that I’d question whether to call it an escape room. Most of the puzzles are locating a key or 3/4 digit number, all of which are pretty out in the open, and putting them into locks to find another key/number. Repeat for the entire time, which shouldn’t take you any longer than 20 minutes. There is no need to waste your time or money in this room. There was one somewhat interesting thing to do involving actually using physical tech, but by then I was bored out of my mind.
Midnight ManorBamboozled Escape GamesEscape roomIRLThis was a lot of fun! I enjoyed the set design and the puzzles ramping up in difficulty effectively, albeit still accessible. There were a good amount of fun “aha” moments. There was also a shooting ghost mechanic throughout that would be a lot fun for kids playing the room. For adults it maybe overstayed its welcome a little bit, and/or could maybe be condensed into the finale, but overall we laughed a lot, got jump scared a few times, and were engaged, which is all you can ask for for a room! You could tell a lot of love and personality went into the creation. Even though it is labeled “hard” this is still a fairly straightforward experience overall. Would love if they opened up rooms more difficult than this one
Cabin in the Woods Exit CanadaEscape roomIRLA re-skinned version of their closed Stranger Things room but completely new (and better) puzzles. I enjoyed this one more as it had some fun jump scares and it a sucker for a spooky vibe. It still is on-par with other E-exit rooms, where it’s definitely rough around the edges and there’s a few too few puzzles for the time limit. Their Five Nights room is still my favourite at this location but this would be in 2nd now
The Curse of the Evil GenieTime Zone EscapesEscape roomIRLIt was fine. Definitely what you expect when you hear it’s an escape room in a hotel downtown Toronto, and is on par with most of the other downtown options. A little lackluster as it’s mainly temporary walls/set pieces but the puzzles were serviceable, clear and reasonable. By far the best part was our host, who clearly has a gift for matching the vibe of the group and turned what probably would have been a blah night into a good amount of fun. Give her a raise/hold onto her. Probably best if you are looking to do something and you’re already downtown. On the easier side (although we found the pirate room easier as this had some obvious things we overlooked).
Blackbeard's BrigTime Zone EscapesEscape roomIRLIt was decent. Definitely what you expect when you hear it’s an escape room in a hotel downtown Toronto, and is on par with most of the other downtown options. A little lackluster as it’s mainly temporary walls/set pieces but the puzzles were a bit more varied than their genie room and there was a fun final puzzle/interaction. By far the best part was our host, who clearly has a gift for matching the vibe of the group and turned what probably would have been a blah night into a good amount of fun. Give her a raise/hold onto her. Probably best if you are looking to do something and you’re already downtown. On the easier side, but we found it more engaging than the genie room
WonderlandExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLDefinitely the best room at the location considering both puzzles and ambiance. There are a lot of really clever tech puzzles utilized and a lot of utilizing many different aspects of the room together in interesting ways (not just one linear straightforward experience). If you only do one room here, this one should be your go-to The owner was fantastic to talk to and he designs all of his rooms (as opposed to purchasing props/controllers) and that handmade uniqueness shows really well here.
Crashed on PandoraExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLAbsolutely gorgeous room. We got stuck on the very first puzzle (expert difficulty) like a few other commenters mentioned, and we felt it required some leaps in logic and randomly ignoring similar other aspects of the room that felt odd. Otherwise the room had some fun tech moments and our slowness primarily was our own fault haha. Suitable for all audiences and ages, just don’t hesitate to ask for a hint if needed! The owner was fantastic to talk to and he designs all of his rooms (as opposed to purchasing props/controllers). You could tell the passion and craft in the room.
SAWExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLEnjoyed it a lot, both this and Alice at this location is where I’d steer visitors. This room felt like it had the most amount puzzles overall at the location which was appreciated. There were a few really creative puzzles which were fun to work through. Not always the most thematic but it didn’t break the immersion or interest in what we were doing. There’s nothing inherently scary here aside from the props and dark atmosphere so if that’s a concern I think most people should be fine. The owner was fantastic to talk to and he designs all of his rooms (as opposed to purchasing props/controllers) and that handmade uniqueness shows really well here.
ComaExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLThis and Lucy’s room were definitely the simplest rooms in terms of puzzles/linearity/decor at this location. There’s some interesting ideas and puzzles in the second half with a fun vibe you don’t always see. The owner was fantastic to talk to and he designs all of his rooms (as opposed to purchasing props/controllers). You could tell the passion and unique thoughts put into the room design.
Wizard's InitiationExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI feel like I enjoyed 90% of the room. The puzzles overall were well-designed and sensible/thematic. I guess I think the wizardry/train aspect of the room could probably be pushed a bit further especially considering what they’ve been able to achieve in their Pandora and Alice rooms. It just felt a bit stark maybe? I think anyone from beginner to expert and kid to adult would find something fun about the room though! The owner was fantastic to talk to and he designs all of his rooms (as opposed to purchasing props/controllers). You could tell the passion and craft in the room.
Lucy's RoomExitus Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLFairly barebones room, especially considering some of their other rooms at the location. This was one of their first rooms and it does reflect that. The puzzles are more straightforward, simplistic, and mostly involve lock boxes and keys/combos. Nothing wrong with the room and everything made sense overall.
Vanished LoverEscaptopiaEscape roomIRLA narrative horror based room will always be right up my alley so going in I was already really excited. Although clunky at parts, overall this was a really fun and ambitious room, akin to their “Paper Planes” room with the horror and story amped up a bit to fit the 2 hour run time. If you don’t like narrative based experiences (listening and following the story to direct you to what to do next) this will be an incredibly tedious room as there is a lot of it. However it does get delivered throughout multiple mediums rather than bocks of text so that was appreciated. I found the story enticing and fun to unravel, maybe understood 90% of it by the end haha, as there were a couple of times where there was information overload. Easily could cut out like 25% of the narrative in exchange for more puzzles and still have a cohesive story The escape room style puzzles in the room were all engaging and had fun “aha” moments. I wish there were more of them to strike the perfect balance (for me) of narrative and puzzles. The special effects and use of lighting created fun shocking moments. You could tell they thought a lot about “creating a scene” and where players would be standing/looking for visual impact. They mentioned their next room will also be horror and be more on the puzzle side of things, so I eagerly await that room.
The Heist of Black BartEscape Games CanadaEscape roomIRLI really enjoyed that it felt very different from their other escape rooms here that to me started to feel very same-y same-y in terms of puzzles and structure just with different themes. The puzzles were fresh, there was an optional side quest, there were things multiple people could work on at a time, the set was immersive, etc. As others have mentioned the ending area (and I’d argue a few of the puzzles) just aren’t physically set up well for many people to engage in. So I’d go on their lower of their group size range. But yeah I think it’s a solid addition to the Escape Games line up. They apparently just purchased the space next to them so I’m excited to see what games come next!
Lost & Found: Initiation Into the Society of Engimatologists [Immersive Experience]Secret City Adventures- Black Creek Pioneer VillageEscape roomOther If you loved Lost and Found but thought “hey the puzzles could be a bit more challenging” - this is an absolute ideal experience. There is still some interaction with actors and finding locations, but you are primarily on your own linear puzzle experience while the normal game is going on. There are fewer puzzles, but each one takes longer to solve, felt really satisfying and sort of a “hard mode” on the puzzles you experienced in the main game previously. As with the main game, the actors were great and you had your own designated “newsie” helper if you ever needed help (for only a penny! Haha). Note: You have to have played the main Lost and Found game in order to get access to this one the next time you book. We completed all of the challenges with 2 people, 2-3 seemed to be the right number but you pay the same amount for any group size 1-4. Puzzles are definitely not intended for beginners and does really help if you are somewhat familiar with the actors/locations/areas you went to in the main game.
Vault 101: SurvivalFantasmiaEscape roomIRLI’m giving this a thumbs up because there is something here that is really unique and special compared to other rooms in the area. The amount of physical interaction and manipulation in the room is much more than I’ve seen in a while and I love to see new/different experiences than your classic padlock/key. The set design and props are beautiful. Our group was 4 people and probably 3-4 is a good sweet spot. The hosts mentioned they have built escape rooms in other countries and it shows. There is high level of craftsmanship and love put into the space. Overall we had fun. There were a few times where the room felt rough around the edges (we went during their soft launch weekend) and puzzles I found incredibly tedious or interactions with the room that would get me kicked out of another escape room. So that definitely made it a more complicated experience than we were expecting. Trying to be as non-spoilery as possible, there were plenty of times where you had to physically manipulate the environment that really should give any experienced (North American) player pause before doing (breaking/excessive force). They were really cool and unique interactions. Half of the time it was decently clear what you had to do so it felt “ok” and we only paused a bit before doing. However the other half I would never treat a prop/room like that and expect the GM to be happy with us. Thus I think they need to be really intentional in their pre-amble about what is allowed and probably more intentional with their in-room cluing for when/where to be that physical. I’m also worried about their room getting destroyed as a result (granted the room looked pretty robust overall), teaching new players wrong lessons that they try to use at other companies’ rooms, and the danger in some of their props being quite metallic and sharp. That all being said the physical things you did were hilarious and a lot of fun once we did them haha. They mentioned they have opened many rooms in other countries and it shows! I’m very excited to see what they come out with next.
The Ice CaveDaydream Adventures - DanforthEscape roomIRLGreat set decoration, solid puzzles, more tactile in nature and more difficult compared to their other room. I preferred the forest but this was also one I’d recommend to others if they’ve done the other.
Spy Vs. Die 2.0Durham Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLIt was fine. Independently all of the puzzles in this room, and at this location, are really well constructed (they make sense, there are no red herrings, they are usually interesting etc). It’s just a very standard room with no major wow moments or cool “aha’s”. One logic puzzle also really overstays its welcome and could have easily been paired down. Staff are really nice and attentive. I like that it seemed like you had 1 host per room. And they did make a decent attempt at story building.
Doll IslandDurham Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI really enjoyed this room. I’m usually not a fan of completely dark rooms but they do give you camcorders that let you see in the dark which is a really cool idea and adds so much to the vibes. Otherwise the puzzles were standard for this location (interesting, felt fair). It just doesn’t get a heart as it is a very small space and short experience. The camcorders make it unique but otherwise fairly standard escape room.
Guess Who’s Staying for Dinner?Durham Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI really liked that someone else described this as a room you could take first-timers to. The puzzles were satisfying, interesting, and ran the gamut of “classic” types of puzzles you see. This is a 1 room experience so it doesn’t have the reveals of some others, but I felt satisfied by the end at least. There is 1 decoding puzzle that goes way past its welcome and could easily be paired down a bit, but otherwise had a good time.
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