ESCAPUZZLED

Reviews

Reviews

Electric City

Electric City

The Escape Key

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5 Armageddon is now my second room at The Escape Key in Newcastle and as always the staff were incredibly friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Plus the set design is evidently phenomenal throughout the rooms, having spoken to the owner about the room on a previous podcast episode it was incredibly interesting to look at the room and appreciating the amount of work that had gone into it. The game itself is a multi room escape and all of the space is used incredibly well. The puzzles throughout the room flowed pretty well although at points we were a little stumped as to what to do next, once we got back on track the puzzles linked well and fit both the story and theme perfectly. Some unique puzzles in this room that utilise technology from the time period the room is themed on, with a heavy focus on technology puzzles. Although most of the puzzles were incredible enjoyable there were a fair few maths puzzles that slowed down the progression of the game. Overall an absolutely stunning room that gives me further reason to go back and play the rest!
The Secret Lab

The Secret Lab

Locked In Edinburgh

  • Escape room
  • IRL

𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿

Ritual

Ritual

Escape Reality - Edinburgh

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Having had issues with other franchised companies in the past I was hesitant to book another franchise, but I am so glad I did! Escape Reality gave their games masters lead on the creation of RITUAL (their latest game at the Edinburgh site) and I’m so happy they did. From entering a very spacious and tidy waiting area to being greeted by 2 incredibly friendly and welcoming members of staff. Our gamesmaster DJ was incredibly enthusiastic and really helped to set the mood of the group before the game started, after a succinct but informative briefing we were released into the room. Without giving away any spoilers - upon entering the room, you are greeted by a very eerie looking cabin filled with artefacts and puzzles that fit the theme perfectly. With the aim of uncovering the mysteries of a cult, you and your team are tasked as paranormal investigators to infiltrate the cultist and stop the ritual from happening. The puzzles within the room were fairly linear in nature and flowed seamlessly between eachother, being one of their most difficult rooms there is a fair bit of puzzling and space to get through. Puzzles ranged from observation to exploration and deduction. Although the theming and initial darkness of the room insinuate a much scarier story this room is more on the spooky side than scary, having said this, there was still one moment that made our entire team jump which was very welcomed entertainment. This is a multi room attraction as are most of the games at Escape Reality but in this one the theming and lighting design was especially interesting, given that I am a huge horror fan I was especially looking forward to this room and I’m certainly glad we ended up booking it. Having taken three other players that had never done an escape room before there were still plenty of puzzles and variety that allowed each player to have their own part within the escape room game. Overall definitely my favourite room across all of the Escape Reality sites, I definitely think this may have been down to the input from the gamesmasters. I look forward to seeing what this site and others come up with the help of their staff in the future. Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 4 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4.25 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
The Matter of the Hatter

The Matter of the Hatter

Northumberland Escape Rooms

  • Escape room
  • IRL
As a family run escape room you can really feel the passion and friendliness the minute you step through the door at Northumberland escape rooms and this is reflected in the rooms. Having played "The lost magic" in the past it was great to be back playing more games, with high hope off the back of their wizarding game our expectations were met! Alice in Wonderland is a theme that has certainly been well used in the escape industry and the team at Northumberland escape rooms absolutely smashed it. The set design in this game was perfect for the theme feeling both flamboyant and crazy! Every puzzle from start to finish fit perfectly with the theme, guiding you seamlessly through the story. With a nice gentle start and increasingly difficult puzzles the pacing felt great, NER do a great job of marking which puzzles unlock which locks which is incredibly helpful with such a large amount of puzzles. The game had a large array of puzzles with unique elements and great use of technology to help add to the magic of the room. This room is a perfect introduction for families into escape rooms with elements both kids and adults will thoroughly enjoy! Difficulty - 3 / 5 Puzzles - 4 / 5 Theming - 3.5 / 5 Set Design - 4.25 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Murder on the Morpeth Express

Murder on the Morpeth Express

Northumberland Escape Rooms

  • Escape room
  • IRL

𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿

Diamond Mine

Diamond Mine

Lakes Escapes Ltd

  • Escape room
  • IRL

𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿

The Mutiny

The Mutiny - CLOSED

Pirate Escape Whitley Bay

  • Escape room
  • IRL
As always with Pirate Escape the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful throughout your time at the venue. The pirate theming of the site runs throughout the entire building and the quality of sets is no different when you enter the room. The second you climb aboard the ship you're thrown into a well themed pirate pantry. The puzzles in this game are a solid mix of types keeping all puzzle personalities happy. One of the elements I really enjoyed about this room is just how much teamwork and communication you needed for the puzzles, sometimes physical teamwork and other times the passing of information from one puzzle to another. The reveals of some of the codes within the game are incredibly creative and unique. The only issue we had in the room was a puzzle with sensors did not register our correct input for a few minutes and needed a couple of wiggles to work, but this did not take away from the experience. Another solid room from the Pirate Escape team! Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Space Pirates

Space Pirates - CLOSED

Pirate Escape Whitley Bay

  • Escape room
  • IRL
The theming is immediately obvious throughout the building even before you get to the rooms, although this room is very different to the rest! The second you step through the door you are immediately met with the interior of a space ship. And even though the set is often made of cardboard and foil it looks incredible. The puzzles in this game span floor to ceiling and there are absolutely tonnes to do. One of my main concerns with space themed rooms is they are often very heavily reliant on technology. Although there are a lot of mechanical locks. A fair few of the main puzzles in the game are electronic. Unfortunately in our game the first electronic puzzle we came to didn't register my first 2 attempts to enter the code, but did on the third go slowing us down just a little to get started. The main core of the puzzles in this game span over multiple rooms and the sets are great. The puzzles often linked between rooms or required players to call out information from other rooms making the game a little more enjoyably chaotic. This game has a lot of puzzles to work through which certainly adds to the difficulty. We did get hooked up on a puzzle towards the end due to a team communication error and overlooking a puzzle that had multiple stages. Overall an enjoyable game if you're a fan of sci-fi and space. Difficulty - 3.75 / 5 Puzzles - 3 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 3.5 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Legend

Legend - CLOSED

Get Out Hartlepool

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Get Out escape rooms are based right in the city centre of Hartlepool near the docks and the game itself reflects the history of the city. The story was both funny and interesting leading the way throughout the game. The puzzles matched the story perfectly aiding in the progression of the story. The main mission of the game was to go back in time, save the monkey and change the future. We did have a small technical issue (the joys of technology) in the game but the GM was able to promptly remotely get us back on track with the puzzle. The game combined both technological and mechanical puzzles in places that made sense for the theming and the story. Although this was a multi room experience some rooms definitely had way more puzzles than others, one riddle in particular had us stumped. Overall a good game with a great historical story. Difficulty - 2.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 3.5 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
The Break In

The Break In - CLOSED

Get Out Hartlepool

  • Escape room
  • IRL
At first glance "The Break In" seems like your average heist game but the twists in the story as you go through the room change this. This multi room experience makes you feel like you're actually breaking into someone's house to steal a diamond. There are a lot of unique puzzles in this room that often expand over the multiple rooms. Saying that one or two puzzles were a little illogical. As we went through this escape the rooms just kept opening up and expanded further than we anticipated. If you've never done a multi room escape before this is a great entry to these types of rooms. Difficulty - 4 / 5 Puzzles - 3 / 5 Theming - 3.5 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 3.5 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Phobia

Phobia

Paralysis Escape Rooms

  • Escape room
  • IRL
After finishing "Entity" we took a short break to catch are breath and allow our heartrate to ease back down. The briefing again included a warning about just how scary the game we were about to play was going to be and the fact that the setting with in the building basement with low ceilings. As someone who's over 6 ft tall it was nice that everyone was given head protection to prevent constantly hitting my head on the ceiling. The room itself is a cold dungeon-esque space with great theme related set pieces, it felt like we had genuinely been taken captive. One of the fun elements of this room is that you have to hide on occasion from the killer, the panic that set in everytime we had to find a hiding space in this small open plan room was intense. There are a few times within this room that you are split up as a group and it makes the game even more intense. The darkness of this room and lack of torch meant finding some puzzle pieces was difficult but added to the realism of the theme. Although there weren't many puzzles they were broken up by the actor interaction and kept us on our toes. This is definitely a scary experience and this certainly adds to the general difficulty of the puzzles. I personally preferred "Entity" at Paralysis but both rooms are enjoyably terrifying! Difficulty - 4 / 5 Puzzles - 3 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Entity

Entity

Paralysis Escape Rooms

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Paralysis claim to have the UK's scariest escape rooms and it was certainly intense. Having only done fairly tame horror rooms in the past I was apprehensive on booking an escape with a live actor, but as a huge fan of horror films and haunt attractions I thought I couldn't pass up the experience. The experience set the tone from the get go, from knocking on the door and it opening on its own to the general unease caused by the "haunted" nature of the building. The building and waiting area are beautifully decorated with haunted items, horror props and other spooky easter eggs. The briefing for each game included a warning about how haunted the building was and just how scary the game we were about to play was going to be. The room itself made me feel so uneasy, I don't know if it was because the building is "actually haunted" or if the suspense of the game but I had a tight sensation in my chest. The room is beautifully designed to feel like you've gone back to the 1940's and aiding the development of the story throughout the game. The atmosphere of this room was perfect and the scares ranged from jump-scares and more subtle unease to full blown live actor interaction. The live actor does a great job to both scare and guide you while setting up further scares. Puzzles flowed seamlessly between the rooms and all maintained the theming. This is definitely a scary experience and this certainly adds to the general difficulty of the puzzles. Difficulty - 4 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4.5 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
The Captain's Vault

The Captain's Vault

Pirate Escape Whitley Bay

  • Escape room
  • IRL
The theming is immediately obvious throughout the building even before you get to the rooms. This game is labelled as the most challenging game at Pirate Escape and immediately took my interest but it will take some solid brain power to make it through! Solid mixture of puzzles throughout each room that tackled observation, logic and even a little map reading. The pirate theme is one that has been done many a time in the escape world but Pirate Escape do a great job to make this a little different while still maintaining a strong theme. The puzzles often linked between rooms or required players to call out information from other rooms making the game a little more enjoyably hectic. This game has a lot of puzzles to work through which certainly adds to the difficulty. Difficulty - 4 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
The Heist

The Heist

Exit Newcastle

  • Escape room
  • IRL
As always with EXIT the gamesmaster and staff are always incredibly friendly and enthusiastic, you can really tell they're passionate about both running and playing escape rooms. The general backstory of the game details being part of a heist team tasked with robbing a diamond from a jewellery store. But there are additional secondary puzzles to solve to obtain more cash. This game starts with your team in the planning process of the heist which is a nice alternative to being thrown straight into a bank vault. You then later make your way to the jewellery store. There are so many puzzles throughout this game, I'd highly recommend at least 3 to 4 players for a comfortable puzzling experience. From start to finish as a two player team there wasn't a moment we weren't solving puzzles and it was a little overwhelming at points. The puzzles are well themed throughout and the planning room puzzles help to further develop the story and characters within. Although we had got the diamond and prepared to escape, the gamesmaster allowed us to continue solving the other bonus puzzles as it was their last game of the evening, which was incredibly kind. The rooms were a great blend of technology and mechanical puzzles with some incredibly creative elements fitting the explosive heist theme. Difficulty - 4 / 5 Puzzles - 3.75 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 3.75 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
The Stolen Magic

The Stolen Magic

Northumberland Escape Rooms

  • Escape room
  • IRL
This escape room was relatively new to opening when I visited so to my pleasant surprise this room was phenomenal. The set design practically drops you onto Morpeths version of Diagon Alley with a multitude of rooms that offer their own theming. The theme is evident throughout and really immerses you in the escape experience. As always I was overthinking and overcomplicating the first puzzle which meant spending 10 minutes making little progress and refusing hints. After taking a hint my brain clicked and I realised how simple a mistake I'd made. Great variety of puzzles within the rooms with a few red herrings. Great use of magic wands within this room. Super friendly staff that are evidently incredibly passionate about escape rooms. Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4.5 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Fiorella's Cave

Fiorella's Cave

Exit Newcastle

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Having been nominated for a TERPECA award in 2020 I was eager to play this game when it reopened at EXIT. One of the things I've always noticed playing at EXIT is just how friendly and enthusiastic the staff are, definitely felt welcome entering the venue. The room itself starts in a very cramped elevator, we had 5 players and it was a little too comfy. Once we got out of the elevator it was significantly better. The room theming is great throughout it really feels like you've lowered below the streets of Newcastle into a secret cave system. The puzzle themselves all linked together and made sense although one puzzle with magnets did get stuck and wouldn't release for a while. Other than this the room was seamless. Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 4 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
Armageddon

Armageddon

The Escape Key

  • Escape room
  • IRL
Armageddon is the first room I've done at The Escape Key in Newcastle and what a great first impression, the staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, the set design is some of the best I've seen in the North East. The game itself is a multi room escape and all of the space is used incredibly well. The puzzles throughout the room flowed seamlessly even with a non linear ending sequence the puzzles linked well and made sense for the story at hand. Some unique puzzles in this room that utilise technology from the time period the room is themed on. Can't wait to get back to do their other 3 rooms. Difficulty - 3.5 / 5 Puzzles - 3.5 / 5 Theming - 4 / 5 Set Design - 4 / 5 Enjoyment - 3.5 / 5 Value For Money - 4 / 5
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