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🥇 Escape The Meth Lab @ MoviESCAPE Stockport 28m00sec

🥈 Shipwrecked @ Breakout Liverpool 38m54sec

🥉 Haunted House @ MoviESCAPE Stockport 44m25sec

🏅 Blackbeard’s Treasure @ Escape Hunt Manchester 46m00sec

🏅 Kidnapped @ Adrenaline Escape Wigan 47m32sec

🏅Alice in Puzzleland @ Escape Hunt Manchester 47m13sec

🏅 Labyrinth @ Adrenaline Escape Wigan – 48min27sec

🏅 Blueprint @ Code To Exit Altrincham 48m43sec

🏅 The Forger @ Code To Exit Altrincham 49m08sec

🏅 Dead or Alive @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 49m34sec

🏅Lab 3436 @ Adrenaline Escape Wigan 50m37sec

🏅 Emporium of Magic @ Breakout Manchester (Church Street) 51m47sec

🏅Vacancy B @ Breakout Manchester (Church Street) 51m49sec

🏅Merlins Magic Academy @ MoviESCAPE Stockport 52m06sec

🏅Fort Knox @ EXIT ROOM Krakow 54m11sec

🏅 Enchanted @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 55m48sec

🏅 Back To Bedlam @ Total Enigma Carlisle 55m24sec

🏅 Cursed Carnival @ Breakout Manchester (Church Street) 55m28sec

🏅Sabotage @ Breakout Manchester (Church Street) 56m28sec

🏅 Book of Shadows @ Total Enigma 56m30sec

🏅 Fourth Samurai @ Escape Hunt Manchester 57m51sec

🏅 Captured @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 58m03sec

🏅 Identify @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 58m34sec

🏅 Asylum @ Red Herring Escape Rooms Carlisle 58m53sec

🏅 SAWtopsy @ MoviESCAPE Stockport 59m45sec

🏅 Enigmista @ Escape Reality – 59m57sec

🏅 Reclassified Blue @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 1h00+2m31sec bonus time

🏅 Disturbed @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) 1h00sec + 3m27sec bonus time

🏅 Viking’s @ Extreme Escape Disley 71m28sec (75min Game)

🏅 The Tomb @ Extreme Escape Disley 87m32sec (90 min Game)

✖️ Alcatraz @ Escape Reality – Failed to escape

✖️ Wolfenstein @ EXIT ROOM Krakow – Failed to escape

✖️Tortuga Pirates @ Escape Reality – Failed to escape

✖️ Forsaken @ Breakout Manchester (High Street) – Failed to escape

✖️ Butcher @ Escapologic – Quit

✖️ Curio @ Escapologic – Failed to escape

Featured

My Mission

Hello, and welcome to my blog. My name is Matt and I have an (un)healthy obsession with Escape Rooms. Here I will be reviewing the best and worst escape rooms all over the UK and some a bit further afield! I will be giving my honest opinions and my personal rating out of 5⭐️’s.

There will a link to the booking website so you can see for yourself why I am so obsessed with escape rooms!

I am no way enforced or affiliated by any Escape Room company and I will always give my honest opinion. If you have any rooms you wish for me to try out then please just ask!

Charmed, I’m Sure

Book of Shadows @ Total Enigma Carlisle

Book Here

Price £20pp

Escape Time: 54min30secs

This is a fairly new room and we were invited back by the owner to try out the room. We made the four and a half hour round trip to Carlisle purely to give this room a whirl. We weren’t disappointed. As always, the hosts were friendly, chatty and open to feedback. 5/5 for customer approach!

I’ve done two or three magical themed escape rooms and they have all been completely different. However, Book of Shadows has a real charm (no pun intended) about it. Some clever puzzles and non obvious clues allowed for this room to be slightly more difficult, which is always fun.

The aesthetics were pleasing however some things let the room down slightly. Whilst waiting to go in you could hear the current team inside. This could potentially give the game away. Some of the puzzles were difficult to read so took longer than they should have to complete. 4/5 for room aesthetics.

The game had a definite flow to it and puzzles seemed to lead on from one another. There were some very imaginative puzzles which added to the magical element of the room. 4/5 for content!

My Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would recommend this room for smaller groups as although there are a lot of puzzles to complete there is a very linear path through the room which doesn’t allow for people to get on with different things at the same time. I felt myself watching over my teammates shoulder and there were only two of us in there.

Curio(sity) killed the cat

Curio @ Escapologic Nottingham

Failed to escape

Book Here

Price from £18pp (see website for correct prices as they have different prices for weekday and weekend games)

An Englishman’s home is his castle. Or his curio if he’s a treasure hunter who’s spent a lifetime collecting trinkets from all four corners of the globe. Alexander Curio was a true eccentric. A legendary explorer who left no stone unturned in his search for gems and gimcracks. To him, life was a gamble, with fate to be decided on a whim or a flip of a coin. A mysterious loner who loved to raise the stakes until they could be raised no higher.

Although the most expensive room, this is hands down the most inventive escape room I have ever played. It really puts your mind in a spin. What seems like a normal, everyday escape room is nothing but that. What I like about Escapologic is that they are the most immersive escape rooms I’ve ever played. You have no sense of time, location or reality once that door is closed. No TV screen with a countdown clock, nobody giving you clues left, right and centre.

Without giving too much away and ruining the game for you I cannot fathom the utter brilliance of this game. Although I didn’t escape I am booking again to see where the game leads to. I just want to know more!

There is no wonder this room has won awards.

My Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I would recommend this game for anyone who likes a challenge and intellectual escape rooms

It’s all about the Clue-do!

Identify @ Breakout Manchester (High Street)

Book Here

Price from £15pp

Your friend has been murdered! You know who did it, but the police do not believe you. In a desperate attempt to find justice you have invaded the killer’s lair in the hopes of finding the proof to bring the killer to justice. However, the maniac could return at any time. Gather the proof and send this killer to prison before he returns. Do you have what it takes to identify this psychopath’s other victims?

This room is a copy of Chester’s ‘Identify’

I want to start off this review by saying that you need to go into this room with a bit of imagination. For me it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing room I’ve ever played and for breakout that was quite upsetting. However, the game was amazing. Possibly one of the most fun I’ve had in an escape room. It was genuinely a real life game of Cluedo, a classic!

You have to think outside of the box a little bit on some of the puzzles as they don’t particularly follow on from one another however, I think that this adds to the quality of the gameplay.

The downfall for the game, for me, was that it was at the very front of the venue and you could hear people coming in and out of the venue and it was a little off putting and you could see out of the windows over looking a shopping centre. Some may say this gives the game authenticity however for me it took away from the game slightly.

I would recommend this game to anyone with loves a Murder Mystery. I’m not a great fan of them but I did really enjoy this game.

My Star Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Do Believe In Magic 🧙‍♂️

Merlins Magic Academy @ MoviESCAPE

Book Here

Price from £17pp

My Escape Time: 52:06

If you love the Boy Wizard… you will adore Merlin’s Magic Academy.

Cast spells, create potions and attempt to free the dragon!

Was this room thematic?

Stepping into the room you expect to see Nearly Headless Nick flying around! It is just like walking into Hogwarts. Floating candles, huge table and massive open fire. Without giving away any of the magic there are several rooms you go through each with fantastic and amazing games and puzzles! All rooms continue with the magical theme and no expenses spared on the decor.

Was the room dark/scary?

The room was dark at points of the game but there was candle light throughout so it wasn’t pitch dark. It would be a little bit scary for the younger players but only towards the end!

Was the room imaginative?

The room was very imaginative and was very true to the magical aspect of the game. Some of the puzzles I had never seen before! You had to vocally answer some of the answers with a magic wand.

My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Would I recommend?

Absolutely. It is by far one of the most exciting rooms I’ve been in! I recommend for teams of 3-6 as there is quite a lot to do.

(No) Vacancies

Vacancy B @ Breakout Manchester (Church Street)

Book Here

Price from £15pp. Teams 2-5

Exhausted after a long journey, you place your bag down on the freshly made bed, ready to relax. Suddenly, an ominous sixty minute countdown begins. No matter what you try, the door will not open. Welcome to the Crimson Lake Motel. You check in, but you never check out…

(This room shares puzzles with Vacancy A located at Breakout Manchester’s High Street Venue and is a copy of Vacancy at Chester and Liverpool)

My Escape Time: 51:49

As always Breakout Manchester delivers; bubbly staff, always willing to have a chat before and after the game and are always happy to see a familiar face.

So, the room! I was recommended this game by Jess, one of the game hosts at a previous visit. The quality of game play in the room was brilliant and the imagination of the puzzles was excellent and there were a few red herrings in there which always adds value to the gameplay!

The receptionist was very kind and guided us right to our room! From the moment you walked in you very much believed you were in a dodgy hotel room. With a very uncomfortable bed, phone and some lovely finishing touches! But no in room kettle! How dare they! Think of the movie Vacancy and Hostel and you get the gist of the decor of this room. The dim lighting created the ambience. The room is larger than some of the other rooms at Breakout. There were some very clever and innovative clues and puzzles which led from one to another. The room has a slight horror theme to it although it’s not massively scary.

It is classed as a 4 star difficulty on their website however I think that this was due to the nature of some puzzles and they were quite cognitive and took up some of the time. There was a definite flow to the room and the story was brilliant.

My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would I recommend?

Yes I would. It was ideal for a smaller team. As always I was in a two man team. As there was really only one puzzle to complete at a time larger groups would have people standing around doing not a lot. This is the only reason it wasn’t rated a 5 star room.

The Plan of Action

Blueprint @ Code To Exit

Book Here

Price from £8.50pp

My Escape Time: 48:43

This room escape will present you with an exciting quest. The goal is to travel back in time to the 1950s. There, you must search and acquire the blueprints of the hydrogen bomb and then return them to the future via the time gate. In order to achieve this goal you have to find the lost parts of the time machine, install them and repair it. The perfect puzzle room, even for beginners.

What was good about this room?

The room was very well laid out and very true to the time era it was set. The puzzles led from one to another which made for smooth gameplay. There were some very inventive puzzles which I had never seen elsewhere!

What could have been improved?

Some of the props used to get answers from clues were a little bit worn out which made it a little difficult to read some of the answers. The idea of building a time machine sounds amazing however it did not fulfil those expectations. Other than this I think the room was very good for a small independent escape room company.

Was this room tricky?

The room wasn’t too difficult but there were quite a few red herrings which I enjoy.

My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would I recommend

For those of you who haven’t got much experience with escape rooms this is a very good place to start.

Paranormal Escaptivity

Haunted House @ MoviESCAPE

Book Here

My Escape Time: 44:25

Using props sourced from real life Haunted Houses across the world, the HAUNTED HOUSE room is the best horror themed escape experience you can have. You play a group of Paranormal investigators sent to Crowley manor to investigate the disappearance of a previous Paranormal Investigation Team.

Was this room atmospheric?

Yes. This room was so creepy! Think The Woman in Black and Paranormal Activity! With old fashioned props and low lighting you forgot you were in an escape room venue! Without giving away any clues or spoilers some of the things you have to do you don’t want to be the first to do them as you’re cautious as to what it’s behind them. This vulnerability is created purely by the atmosphere!

What did you enjoy about the room?

I enjoyed the fact that the room looked like a creepy old manor. With wooden clad walls and a spooky bookshelf and fireplace. Some things that could have been improved that would have added more atmosphere is a little wind machine behind the curtains which blew the curtains at some point during game play and some information notes which would have helped during our game and given us a better escape time! I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to give any spoilers away.

Is the room hard?

I don’t think it is hard but some of the clues are hidden very well which adds value to the game. You don’t want everything handed to you on a plate now do you? Some of the tasks make you think a little big more logical than other rooms I’ve played.

My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would I recommend?

Definitely. This is the first horror style room I had played and none have really lived up to this one. It ideal for smaller groups. I was in a team of two.

My Narrow Escape

SAWtopsy @ MoviESCAPE

Price from: £19 with discount code teams of 2 to 6

My Escape Time: 59:45

A ‘whodunnit’ horror…our SAWTOPSY room is not for the faint-hearted. 

You wake to find yourself in a dirty, dark kill room with several others. You have one hour to solve the puzzles and work out who is the killer. If you do not succeed, you will be locked in the room…forever.

Was this room atmospheric?

From the ceiling to the floor you felt like you were in the the opening scene from the Saw films, you know the one, where the guy cuts his leg off! It was so creepy and gory and all the things I love about a thriller escape room. Etchings and graffiti proved we weren’t the only ones who’d been trapped.

Was the room scary?

The rooms wasn’t scary in itself as it was fully lit but you were a bit wary of what could have been hiding behind or in things. I suppose this adds to the atmospheric nature of the game!

Was the room hard?

Not particularly difficult but very demanding. Especially if you’re not too good at maths!!!! We breezed through the first lot of clues and thought we were going to escape in no time! 59 minutes later we were still in there! This is closet I’ve been to failing without actually failing.

My Star Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Would I recommend?

Definitely. If you’re a fan of psychological thrillers then this room is made for you.

Pass Me The Electric Chair

Asylum @ Red Herring Escape Rooms Carlisle

Book Here

£22pp

My Escape Time: 58:53

In the late 1800’s Huey Smalt (home for the criminally insane) was shut down due to revelations of illegal Electric Chair Treatment; performed by former warden Dr M. Shelly. An Electrician was sent in to investigate why electricity was still being used. He never returned. It’s up to you and your team to get in there and find out. One inmate, Amy Hustle, was never accounted for. It’s said she still roams the corridors and walls.

Did you enjoy this room?

No. It felt very out of place. I could have been in any office in any building. The only thing that was Asylum like was the electric chair booth in the centre of the room. I felt the aesthetics were very poor. We were given two uv torches however the room was pitch black and you couldn’t see. To add to this both our torches ran out! There was definite flow to the game however the clues were very boring and not very imaginative. There was no way of getting a clue as there was no microphone in the room. When the host noticed you were stuck they pretty much gave you the answer.

Was this room scary?

The website says so but I don’t think it was. Compared to other rooms that state they are scary. It’s dark. That’s about as scary as it gets.

Was there a story?

Before we entered the room we were told that there was a story and that the story would unfold as we progressed. Unfortunately as the torches ran out we never got chance to read on the story. This perhaps had a negative effect on our game play! Perhaps larger teams with fully working equipment may have benefited from this game!

My Star Rating

⭐️

My Difficulty Rating

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would you recommend?

Although I did not enjoy this game, it may be of interest to others. With fully working torches and a larger team this room could be better. Unfortunately not for me.

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