Prison Escape

Prison Escape Utrecht had been on my radar since before COVID, and after a five year wait, I finally got to experience it in 2025 with a group of four friends. This is not your typical escape room, it’s more of a large scale immersive role-playing game. Think of those “choose your own adventure” books brought to life. The whole experience lasts around 3 hours and takes place in a decommissioned prison in Utrecht. You’re picked up by bus and dropped off directly at the location. With 25 actors and up to 150 players involved, there’s a huge amount of freedom in how you go about planning your escape. In our session, around 75 people were playing simultaneously. The actors were fully in character and did a fantastic job creating a believable prison atmosphere. The only downside was the language barrier, this experience is mainly designed for Dutch speakers. While actors do switch to English when addressed, many of the broader interactive elements happen in Dutch. There are occasional full-English sessions, but they’re rare due to demand. Still, it’s a unique and entertaining experience, highly recommended for both experienced and new players. Just be aware that this is much more about interaction and roleplay than puzzles.