Author Archives: escapethereview

Clockwork Escapes: Alleyway

Wolverhampton, Jun 2019

Alleyway had so many elements that I’d have expected to put me off it. A dirty, dusty environment, a fairly narrow space in which we squeezed past each other in the darkness with not enough torches to go round, with a design that was happy to use got… (more)

Adventure Vault: The Scandal

Shrewsbury, Jun 2019

After playing the medieval-style The Beginning at Adventure Vault, we went straight on to their other game, The Scandal. This has no connection to the other in plot, theme or style: the noir setting seemed set somewhere in the 20th Century, and you a… (more)

Adventure Vault: The Beginning

Shrewsbury, Jun 2019

You wouldn’t guess it from the gnomic title, but The Beginning is set in a medieval/fantasy world which is threatened by cultists who aim to use a dark ritual to unleash a plague. Your task is to stop th- no, actually you are the cultists and … (more)

Argyx Games: Apocalypse: Sign of the Cross

Room-in-a-box, Jun 2019

Last year I reviewed a taster mini-game produced by Argyx and was impressed enough to sign up as a backer in the crowdfunding campaign for their full game, Apocalypse. That taster stood out for the quality and realism of its components, for making pl… (more)

Cliffhanger Rooms: Haunted Pirate Ship

Backbarrow, May 2019

The haunted pirate ship is a lovely, well themed room. It has a little of everything you’d expect from the ghost of a pirate captain… rum, maps, flags, mice and puzzles.

The puzzles were fun, and the game let us start on a few different things at … (more)

Experimental Escape: The Machine

Leamington Spa, May 2019

The Machine is a fun game with some really interesting features. The space available is well used, and the game seems best suited for 2 or 3 players. The room and puzzles seem really well suited for beginners, with some classic puzzles and interestin… (more)

History Mystery: Leonardo Artmergency!

Central London, Jun 2019

History Mystery specialise in games in distinctive locations, but even by their standards an escape room set in Buckingham Palace is pretty noteworthy. Artmergency is a pop-up, running on selected evenings only through the summer, and takes place in … (more)

Trapped Escape Rooms: The Bletchley Blueprints Are Missing!

Okehampton, Jun 2019

Having just played Trapped’s other game Templars, we plunged straight into Bletchley Blueprints hoping that the game would flow more smoothly. It proved to be somewhat different in gameplay style and decoration, but broadly shared the same strengths … (more)

Trapped Escape Rooms: Templars: The Secret Service

Okehampton, Jun 2019

Sometimes the hardest games to review are those that impress in some ways but then badly disappoint in others. That’s the case with Templars, which seemed to have all the elements to be an exceptionally good game – but then let itself down with deepl… (more)

Red House Mysteries: The Shadow Darkens

Exeter, Jun 2019

The Shadow Darkens is a sequel and replacement for Red House’s earlier game, The Scarlet Shadow. Both follow the adventures and tribulations of their noir detective Jack Armstrong, and a certain magical mask. The earlier game had you searching Jack’s… (more)