AtlantisThe Escapement BroadstairsEscape roomIRLI am so glad that we managed to play Atlantis before the Escapement Broadstairs closes, which is a crying shame, by the way. This game and company are fantastic. You will be completely immersed, pun intended, in this submarine experience and have the best time. A great range of mental, physical and hands-on puzzles. If you’re able to play before the end of September, do it. Tell your friends to play as well. Tell everyone.
Behind Number 7Ctrl Alt EscEscape roomIRLI’ll start by saying we played two other games at this location and enjoyed them. However, we really didn’t get on with this particular game. There are two main elements to it, and while we knew what we had to do, it was really not clear how to do what we needed to do. Some more subtle signposting would go a long way. For example, you gradually find and unlock a load of stuff but it’s not clear or very intuitive what you should be doing with it. It was very much ‘try all the things’. As much as I hate to say it, I would not recommend this particular room at this venue. It is supposed to be difficult but I feel this is just because the many many puzzles don’t flow particularly well. Sometimes an escape room just doesn’t gel with the players’ train of thought or way of working, and this happened here. Frankly, we got bored and mentally gave up, which is something I NEVER do in escape rooms. I’m aware that lots of other people like this room, it just wasn’t for us. The other two rooms we played here were good fun (Detention and The Olde Lock Inn), and I wish in hindsight that I’d booked Quik-E-Mart instead of Behind Number 7.
CREWCo-Decode Live Escape GamesEscape roomIRLThis is a really cool experience - harder than I thought it would be high was a nice surprise - there were parts that really test the noggin. We played as a two so had to take over some of the other roles which was fun, but more challenging. It’s a different concept from other escape rooms and is prefect for team building for small teams where communication and attention to detail is key. It’s clear that husband and I need to work on reading details and improving our specificity of instructions. The point scoring system and replayability factor makes this experience more unique than most - would definitely recommend. Excellent hosting by Alex, and as other reviews have mentioned - the bathrooms are outstanding - make sure you peak into both.
DetentionCtrl Alt EscEscape roomIRLThis is a fun game with plenty to keep you busy. It’s not particularly high tech but is a good, solid game that we enjoyed playing.
Easy Bake CovenNiagara EscapementEscape roomIRLA real gem of a game - Hansel and Gretel themed with beautiful flow and progression. Really glad to have played this - it’s suitable for all experience levels. Go and play.
K.O.N.G. ProtocolEscape Barcelona 2 3Escape roomIRLHusband and I booked a trip to Barcelona to sample some of the new TERPECA high ranking games. This game was a new entry at number 10 so we were curious. Oh my word. Go and book this game. Travel to Barcelona as soon as possible to play this game. This game has to be played to be believed. Behind each door was wow moment after wow moment - you will jump, laugh, and squeal with both terror and delight. I cannot praise this highly enough - everything about it is unbelievably brilliant. I wish that Men in Black memory erase machine thingies existed so that I could go and play it again.
Mega BiteClue CrackerEscape roomIRLIf you like video games, zombies, nostalgia, general geekery, you’ll love this game. The set is simple yet complex at the same time with a great variety of puzzles. Had us scratching our head a couple of times but made it out in time after an exciting finale. All of the games at Clue Cracker are great and definitely worth a visit.
Paradox Project 1: Η Έπαυλη [The Mansion]Paradox ProjectEscape roomIRLIf you visit Athens and are planning to play some escape rooms, Paradox Project has to be on your list. The Mansion is the first of the games and the first chapter in the story. The space is huge and packed full of puzzles so if you are used to games that are bigger on experience and horror and light on puzzles, as many in Athens are, you will definitely have a mental workout over the 3 hours that you are inside the space. This probably isn’t a game for first time players either. The escape rooms at Paradox Project are the longest I’ve ever played but the time flies by as there is so much to keep you immersed and busy. We were offered a break half way through but kept on going. You are permitted to take in refreshments and eat/drink as you like, though only in the central space in the house. The bathroom is available at all times too which is handy. I loved this game - it was the first in a long time that really made us stop and think and work things out. You need stamina and adrenaline, failing that, caffeine, to get you through to the end, especially if you are a group of two like we were. Totally worth it, I wish there were games like this in the UK.
Shamley’s Toy MakersDarkmaster Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLOn the whole, a solid game with multiple rooms, lots to do and some great sets. Some of the puzzles were multilayered and a little tedious, as though they were out there to pad the experience out. I think that more could have been made of the final space in the game. An enjoyable game, but it didn’t blow me away like others have.
Temple of Shadows: Breaking the CurseEscape Nation LTDEscape roomIRLAnother great room from Escape Nation, unique, multilayered puzzles that are just the right level of challenging for experienced players. This is a ‘collect as many as you can’ game, with 4 out of a total of 8 needed to ‘win’. We managed to get all 8 with just under 10 minutes remaining, it was really good fun and recommend it.