by CTRL ALT ESC (website)
202 Northdown Rd, Cliftonville, Margate CT9 2QU
2-8 players
Languages: EN
Race through the aisles in this high-energy, shopping-themed escape room! Solve clever puzzles, find all the items on your list, and beat the clock. With twists and surprises at every corner, can your team shop smart and escape in time?
Overall rating
based on ratings from 25 users
combined with 2 pro reviews
Your review
Player reviews
Irresistibly original concept for a room, really fun and loads to do for 2 people. Ok, it has dated and could do with some maintenance really, several bits of tech were broken, but this was all mitigated very well by our host Onyx who made sure it didn’t affect our enjoyment at all. Some nice puzzles. If you don’t turn up expecting a glossy movie set type experience you’ll enjoy it. Really fun vibe from the whole place (even the toilets!), these people are clearly puzzle enthusiasts and we would definitely return to try their other rooms next time we’re in the area.
Really fun room hosted by Toby today (elvis parsley!) - we had a great time and a really successful attempt. Mixture of puzzles and challenges- some running involved too which was fun!
Anyone who would enjoy supermarket sweep would definitely enjoy!
Such a fun game!
Kind of a supermarket sweep vibe, the host was really funny and made the game! It had us laughing while we were playing.
This game was such a good laugh! Some clever puzzles and a very different feel from the normal escape room experience!
It’s a very difficult game to rate, as it is very different to other experiences we have played. It definitely has the fun and feel good factor. Everything seems to be themed very well and great attention to detail. I agree that some of the props are tired but that didn’t let the experience down for us. I guess, we all agreed the set would have been better bigger. But did well with the space given. I think any age and experience level will love this game, maybe not for those looking for a tough challenge.
Reviews by escape room review sites
When all was said and done, this was certainly one of the most fun and innovate rooms I’ve ever played. From the over the top retro theming, the cleverly inserted puzzles, the cracking clue system and the all round fun and entertainment value, this is certainly not one to miss. Brilliantly hosted, all in character, superb setting, and something very different from what you’d expect to see in many escape rooms.
Lists
[Last Update: January 2026] I’ve visited the United Kingdom several times and played a total of 173 escape games from 61 different providers. As always, I’ve asked also other enthusiasts and bloggers for their opinions. The final table combines the individual rankings of 63 enthusiasts ...