SawESC RoomsEscape roomIRLFun and atmospheric Saw experience with a few minor scares. The darkness, especially in the beginning, was a bit of a struggle for my eyes at times, but that’s expected given the theme. The puzzles were strong for the most part, though there was one that took us a while to figure out due to multiple possible interpretations. On the whole a very solid game.
Down The Rabbit HoleEscape Hunt - AdelaideEscape roomIRLThis Alice in Wonderland room was solid from a gameplay perspective but could really use an upgrade or refresh, as a lot of decor and props looked quite worn (one was also broken). Multiple sections but each space was quite tight, so it’s best suited to smaller teams.
Aladdin & The Magic VaultEscape Hunt - AdelaideEscape roomIRLEasily the best room at this venue. It was obviously their newest, as the theming and tech were on a different level compared to their older games, and it was their only room with no traditional locks. I liked that they offered the option of splitting up your team in the beginning (multi-linear) or sticking together all the way through (linear), making it suitable for those who want to smash through asap as well as those who like to experience the entire room together. The puzzles were relatively straightforward, with a few trickier ones thrown in for good measure. We had a really good time.
The Collector's CurseEscape Hunt - AdelaideEscape roomIRLThis room’s reputation as Adelaide’s toughest is well earned, though not necessarily for the right reasons. It’s a relatively small and old traditional room with mostly locks and keys, with sprinkles of tech throughout. Much of the difficulty stemmed from puzzles and locks being all over the place, and it was somewhat chaotic figuring out the correct order and flow. Some puzzles were straightforward; others were complex or hampered by tenuous connections or lack of signposting. I’d definitely recommend a larger team (we had 4). We ultimately enjoyed the experience because we were lucky that things clicked on the day and we finished it without hints (nearly needed one), setting the monthly record, but I could easily imagine an alternative scenario where the puzzles didn’t connect for us and we ended up hating it.
The Deadly DiscoveryEscape Hunt - AdelaideEscape roomIRLThis was a traditional virus-themed room with above average puzzles and flow. Looked and felt a little old, but at least everything worked and the puzzle design made sense. Good mix of traditional locks and tech.
Zombie LabFox In A Box AdelaideEscape roomIRLFox in a Box always offer a solid experience and Zombie Lab is no different. The theming was a little sparse and I wished there were more areas to explore, but the concept was nicely executed and the puzzles were fun, even though they were more of the traditional type that didn’t necessarily make sense from a story or logic perspective. There were a lot of electronic locks all over the room but the order in which to tackle them wasn’t always clear. As a team of three, we struggled early and needed a bit of help to get going, but once we got into a flow it was smooth sailing and we escaped with around 25 mins to spare.
Great White KillerEscape Hunt - AdelaideEscape roomIRLInteresting little diving themed room with a local Adelaide slant. Theming is rather basic and props look a little dated but the puzzles were solid and the flow was relatively smooth.
The SpeakeasyAdventure Rooms Adelaide - Escape Rooms and BarEscape roomIRLWe had previously played Mafia and Abandoned Cabin in Melbourne, so when we suddenly had time to spare in Adelaide, we quickly booked The Speakeasy. As always, the quality of Adventure Rooms surprised us, and we don’t know why their games don’t get more love. This was a really nice, polished room with multiple spaces and excellent tech all throughout. The puzzles weren’t necessarily easy but they were relatively straightforward and sufficiently signposted, so groups of all experience levels should be able to do the room without finding it too simple or too hard. One of the best rooms we played on our Adelaide trip.
Bermuda EscapeMindshift Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLI liked the Bermuda Triangle concept and the puzzles were thematic for the most part, though I wished it could have been more immersive and leaned into the weirdness more. It had a good mix of tech and traditional locks. We struggled with a couple of the puzzles, partly due to design flaws but also partly because we over complicated things or didn’t pay sufficient attention to detail. The overall difficulty wasn’t too bad as we escaped in 35 minutes, though this was by far our slowest time out of all their rooms.
Knight in the MuseumMindshift Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLOur first room at Mindshift was a pleasant experience! The theming was solid albeit a little dated now, but the puzzles were well-designed and fun, with some cool concepts we hadn’t seen before. Lady Luck was on our side as we set the new all-time record!
The Wild WestThe Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLSurprisingly, this was our first Wild West-themed room and we liked it a lot! Solid set, multiple sections, fun puzzles that aligned with the theme, and a semi-multi-linear flow that allowed us to divide and conquer. And it’s always satisfying to escape with some loot! PS: We celebrated my 200th room in style by breaking the all-time record!
Through a Killer’s Lens [prev. Picture Imperfect]The Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLUnique camera-themed kidnapping room that’s probably my favourite at this venue. Big set, well-made props, and a lot of high-tech, multi-step puzzles. Fun and interesting!
Blades Out - A Deadly DinnerThe Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLThis had a cool room concept revolving around a murder mystery that players must solve in order to escape. The theming between the different sections didn’t mesh quite as well, and we struggled the most in this one (their only room where we genuinely needed a clue and didn’t make the leaderboard), but it was one of my favourites at this venue because it was more unique and the puzzles were more multi-layered and challenging.
Dr. Frankenstein [prev. Transfusion]The Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLThis one felt like their newest and most hi-tech room, with more advanced lighting, sound, and effects. A lot of science-themed puzzles and hands-on props, which made it quite interactive and fun. I personally preferred its previous name, Transfusion, as the rebrand to Dr. Frankenstein feels kind of forced.
The Inside Job [prev. The Jubilee Heist]The Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLOur first room Adelaide was a very solid rendition of the classic heist game, with multiple sections and decent theming. The puzzles were all cool tech mechanisms instead of traditional locks, and the flow was smooth for the most part. I particularly liked how different each section felt.
Hunting Bigfoot - A Monster MysteryMindshift Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLInteresting multi-section room with an assortment of locks and tech-mechanisms. I love the Bigfoot theme but wanted it to lean into it bit more especially in terms of the decor and puzzle design. Fun finale!
Mystery Manor [prev. Gypsy Manor]Mindshift Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLProbably Mindshift’s best and most immersive room (this was prior to the release of Sir Lance-a-Lock’s Quest) as it had the most on-point theming, sound, and tech, as well as the more interesting and puzzle ideas. Still a traditional room for the most part but executed quite well!
Heart Of The MountainUltimate RealitiesEscape roomIRLTruly impressive theming and set design, shaping an immersive atmosphere that makes you feel like you're on a film set! We visited a second time over a year later and the game has added some cool new puzzles, decor, and effects, but most of all the flow and tech have been upgraded to make the experience even more seamless. You wouldn’t know it because it’s done so well, but there is even adaptive difficulty, making it suitable for groups of all experience levels. This is the future of escape rooms. We can’t wait to see their next room, which promises to even more epic!
Escape From The Haunted ManorREAL ESCAPE GAME CROSSING AsakusaEscape roomIRLWe had our eyes on this one for a while and finally managed to play it before its imminent closure (Aug 30). And I can definitely understand why it’s being retired. The vast majority of the game was just hunt and seek, with only a couple of fairly easy puzzles. The live actor interaction added a fun and mildly scary layer to the experience, but having the GM standing right there in the room with you throughout the entire game was one heck of an immersion breaker. I can imagine this room being considered quite scary and innovative when the original version was released more than a decade ago (the current iteration launched in 2023), but it now has the look and feel of a game that’s way past its prime. PS: Our team of 3 played this with a Japanese couple (we got through it with their broken English and my crappy Japanese, without needing the translation machine they provided) and it actually enhanced the experience because the girl’s screaming made it scarier for us lol.
A Challenge from the Crafting GeniusREAL ESCAPE GAME CROSSING AsakusaEscape roomIRLOur first Japanese “hall type” game, where the entire experience takes place in a single room with no theming but only puzzle props. All this one had a bunch of wooden boards, strings, a large canvas, and tape, and we had to manipulate them in various ways to “craft” solutions to 12 puzzles in 60 minutes! We didn’t complete it in time because the final puzzle was diabolically insane, but we still really enjoyed the experience because of how clever the puzzles are. We did this with 3 people but the ideal number is 4 due to the nature of some of the puzzles.
![Through a Killer’s Lens [prev. Picture Imperfect]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/adc30a0f-f70b-4501-99bb-25dad4688d85.png)
![Dr. Frankenstein [prev. Transfusion]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/386a8542-3058-4677-b378-54cb589f29c5.png)
![The Inside Job [prev. The Jubilee Heist]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/7c3184a2-f966-484e-9605-a9532d941861.jpeg)
![Mystery Manor [prev. Gypsy Manor]](https://images.morty.app/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/504af260-5540-436b-9699-17f05897601f.webp)
