by The Panic Room Gravesend (website)
The Grove, DA12 1DP
2-8 players
Languages: EN
60 minutes
Overall rating
based on ratings from 30 users
combined with 5 pro reviews
Your review
Player reviews
Live actor was great, made the game very memorable
This is a fun room, but how fun it is will depend entirely on your host. We escaped back into reception at the end, and the host followed us laughing manically behind. Some people who were waiting in reception were startled, so this was quite fun.
Our host was truly exceptional, playing his role to perfection. Some puzzles can feel confusing as the game lacks a clear direction at times, but I'd still recommend the experience for the interactions with the host.
My favourite room I've ever done. Honestly lives and dies with the exceptional hosting. Incredibly engaging and fun.
Toby was an absolutely amazing host who made this experience hilarious, then creepy, then all out terrifying by the end! Really enjoyed the concept and thought it felt very authentic, which added to the fear factor as time went on. Puzzles were logical and fun - we enjoyed working through them together in our group of three.
Great room and definitely one to check out for those that need to scare some happiness into themselves!
Reviews by escape room review sites
Two things to note up front for this review. Firstly, while it’s not a full on horror experience, The Happy Institute is definitely not suitable for nervous players. And secondly, much like the Gilman Hotel game it replaced, some elements of the game work best when you have no idea what to expect. I’m not going to give any spoilers for anything that’s not covered on the website or ahead of the game's start, but if you want maximum impact you might want to stop reading until you’ve played it.
Al...
We visit the Happy Institute to test out pills that will make us constantly happy. Do we leave this escape room with a smile on our faces?
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...