Author Archives: escapethereview

The Codex: Prohibition

Bucharest, May 2018

An important warning here: there are two versions of this game, with and without a live actor. We played the version with the actor, which is only available on Tuesdays and Thursdays; book any other day of the week and you’ll get the version without…. (more)

The Codex: Sleepy Hollow

Bucharest, May 2018

Sleepy Hollow has a feature that I’ve seen in only a few other games: the players start with a book of clues which give them cryptic instructions on what to do at each step of the game. Done badly that can cause more confusion than it prevents, or le… (more)

Chambers: Electric Chair

Bucharest, May 2018

Should I ever turn to a life of crime and find myself in gaol, I’m going to be sorely disappointed when the cell doesn’t contain an array of hidden messages to help me escape. Most iterations of the jailbreak theme never bother to give an explanation… (more)

The Void: Coven

Bucharest, May 2018

First of many games that I played on a visit to Bucharest, Coven was a particularly high quality game amidst impressively strong competition. The website and intro video suggest a full-on horror style of game and my teammate was dubious about my choi… (more)

Namco Funscape: Secret Agent In China

London, May 2018

Namco’s games arcade near Waterloo contains one of the more unusual escape room experiences I’ve played, and when I tried their original game a year ago it was also among the worst. The format is bizarre by UK standards, although apparently common in… (more)

Bewilder Box: Judgement D.A.V.E.

Brighton, May 2018

There must be a great deal of pressure in coming up with a sequel to a game as well-known as the first Bewilder Box room, finding ways to live up to expectations and to do something new without losing what made the original work so well. Judgement D…. (more)

Bewilder Box: The Bewilder Box Initiative

Brighton, May 2018

I am of course late to the party here – anyone with sufficient interest in escape games to read this site regularly is likely well aware that Bewilder Box in Brighton has a sterling reputation, frequently appearing in enthusiasts’ lists of favourite … (more)

Riddlr: The Brunel Enigma

Bristol, Apr 2018

The Brunel room is an eclectic room, filled with steampunk paraphanelia and puzzles embedded in the walls and furniture.

It was a busy game with an interesting and well themed hint system, which we had mixed feelings about. It’s not a spoiler to say… (more)

Escape Hunt: The Fourth Samurai

Bristol, Apr 2018

The Fourth Samurai tells the tale of some samurais, another samurai, a meteor that fell to earth, and a beautiful sword.

The room is clean, minimalist, brightly lit, and spacious. Beautiful decorations and very few red herrings make the game fun to … (more)

Escape Room Preston: Gallery

Preston, Apr 2018

With four branches in the UK and many more overseas, Escape Room is one of the larger escape game franchises. I’d previously played a few of their games in Estonia, and while passing through Preston tried out their Gallery game. This is an art heist … (more)