Le Plan [Escape Plan]

Escape rooms an immersive theater have always been intertwined genres, but I don’t think I’ve seen such a unique blend until I played Escape Plan. The game was both not an escape room yet filled with interactions that played like puzzles - with the difference being that these types of puzzles would be impossible without such a heavy actor presence. Out of all the prison break games I’ve played, this actually felt like being in a simulated prison break, from the hilarious banter to the massive set to some of the most innovative uses of gameplay I’ve seen. The cutscenes were awesome and super funny, which made downtime fly by when lesser games have fumbled exposition. I experienced a lot of sincere emotion from this game, from joy to satisfaction to anxiety to a little playful indignation at how we were treated in universe (the actors had incredible boundaries and absolutely did not make anyone uncomfortable). I encourage anyone who loves escape rooms as immersive narratives to play this game, with a more outgoing teammate if they’re nervous about the amount of actor interaction. It may not be for hardcore puzzlers, but it is truly a one of a kind, special experience.

I’m leaving this review since this game is fairly new and we didn’t see many reviews online, so hopefully this will be helpful for some. If you have played escape games before with actor interaction (like some Escaparium games), Escape Plan was like that, on steroids. It felt a bit like interacting with NPCs in a videogame but in real life so immersion was the main focus but just not our cup of tea. The actors were excellent! But the design is very socially interactive to figure out the conceptual “puzzles”. It is very much on the same trajectory of newer Escaparium games (Magnifico, Ctrl alt reboot) that are leaning into the theatrical/social experiment/immersive experience. We are fine with escape games with actors but usually it’s one aspect of the larger game. If you love the style of social play, this game would be great for you (role playing games, acting, etc). If you are introverts that aren’t into improv, or prefer independent logic puzzle games without interruptions, we recommend skipping it.

Truly a novel and great twist on escape rooms. Admittedly this style of room has a much larger range of outcomes in terms of enjoyability but the actors really know how to make it an amazing experience. Might be worth being picky on who you choose in your friend group to complete this room with. Our group had a hilarious time with all the banter but probably not the best option for a work group.

It was a really fun experience and the actors were really into their roles, which was nice. As for the scenario itself, I think it was a bit too much guided and too crowded for our team of 5 and would recommend for a team of 2-3 players where everyone could be more involved as sometimes we had 2 persons waiting for time to pass while others were actively participating with the actors. Their site clearly indicates it's not a typical escape room so it was to be expected, but there was essentially no puzzle. It was mostly a guided story in which we took part (really fun, just not escape game).

As mentioned on the website, this is not a traditional escape room. It is fully dependent on actor interactions. Usually I don’t seek out rooms like this, but someone encouraged me to, and I loved it! The environment was really well created, and “puzzles” were 100% integrated to the story, and there is lots of room for fun (and some laughs). If you like to be left alone to puzzle on your own, this one isn’t for you. But I still encourage you to have an open mind and try it!

As a Game master working for Escaparium I had big expectations but the experience I just went through was 500% more than what I imagined. This style of escape room is clearly my new favorite type of games and I’m so excited to live more experiences like this one!!! I really hope to see more game of this type, it’s the first time that I ever felt so immersed into a game and forgot that I was actually in an escape room.