Category Archives: UK

The Panic Room: The Dollhouse

Gravesend, May 2017

If I’m ever kidnapped by a murderous psycho, at least I’ll have had no shortage of practice at extricating myself from creepy dungeons! Horror games often start with the players a little more restrained than in other styles of game, and this one has … (more)

The Panic Room: The Panic Room

Gravesend, May 2017

The Panic Room’s eponymous first game is set in the apartment of a conspiracy theorist, whose disappearance illustrates that just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

It’s a relatively low-key modern setting, probably the… (more)

The Panic Room: Old Father Time

Gravesend, May 2017

In Old Father Time, the personification of time itself is in trouble, and it’s up to your team to save him. That’s one of the more potentially surreal premises for a game I’ve seen, but in practice there are no Dali-esque melting clocks here – instea… (more)

The Panic Room: Million Dollar Date Night

Gravesend, May 2017

Your glamorous host greets you for the game show of your life – Million Dollar Date Night! The two of you are in a small room where one thing is clear from the start – there’s little by way of serious theming, no story, but an enormous number of puzz… (more)

The MacGuffin Project: The MacGuffin

Bournemouth, May 2017

The MacGuffin Project is, at time of writing, Bournemouth’s newest escape venue, and it styles itself as a dark Victorian carnival. The carnival theming extends to the venue’s entrance hall, with lush decorations starting from a reception area themed… (more)

Exciting Escapes: Breaking The Law

Southampton, May 2017

Each game at Exciting Escapes is set in, and themed for, a specific decade, and Breaking The Law is their 70s game. While that’s an era sometimes remembered for cheerless economic depression, I found this game to be joyously fun and my personal favou… (more)

Exciting Escapes: Change The Record

Southampton, May 2017

Change the Record is a fun, brightly coloured game set in a believable (if modest) record store. If you’re like me, the fantastic 80s pop soundtrack and puzzles featuring popular tracks from the 80s will trigger a nostalgic glee that carries you thro… (more)

Exciting Escapes: A Hidden Past

Southampton, May 2017

The briefing: you’ve been brought in by MI6 to investigate a suspected traitor, find out what happened and any incriminating evidence.

From the start it feels like a cold war spy thriller – a seemingly innocent 1950s house all decorated to theme, w… (more)

iLocked: The Mummy

Nottingham, May 2017

iLocked is one of a couple of large Russian escape game franchise companies that have spread into the rest of Europe. The Russian escaping scene is famously sophisticated, and the iLocked franchise has exacting design rules such as zero padlock use; … (more)

Escapologic: Curio

Nottingham, May 2017

One of the challenges of writing reviews of escape rooms is giving a clear impression of the experience while avoiding spoilers. There are some rooms where this is particularly difficult because that means I can’t talk about a core element of the roo… (more)