The Escapement Broadstairs: WunderWaffe Operation Quartz

By | March 20, 2019

by The Escapement Broadstairs (website)

Broadstairs CT10 1NE

Broadstairs

2-8 players

Languages: EN

90 mins
🐶👶

Travel back through time to the abandoned Quartz laboratory. Located in a bomb shelter in Broadstairs, this laboratory has been kept secret for decades. Only recently discovered by The Network; the highest order of military intelligence. 

There's no official government documentation of the Quartz Machine but rumours describing an artificially intelligent machine, engineered by a German nuclear physicist hellbent on causing world chaos have been leaked. 

We now need a brave team to go head to head with Quartz in order to destroy its physical construct and annihilate it from the world, for good.

Can you take on an artificially intelligent bot and win?

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Overall rating

Rated between 4.5 and 5 out of 5

based on ratings from 35 users
combined with 2 pro reviews

Your review

Player reviews

Jen Wells (Get Wells Soon) expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 1 Apr 2024 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techcleverimmersive
We weren't sure what to expect here, particularly whether or not we would escape in time as a team of two.Our GM - Agent L (Lewis) - was in role from the very beginning. His storytelling was superb and it felt incredibly immersive from the get-go. The set design is absolutely fantastic and the use of tech is extremely impressive. The puzzles were really enjoyable and the final section.... Wow! 
This game is a lot of fun and, along with the insanely good build, really ranks up there in terms of WW2 rooms that we've done.
Adam Bravery expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 26 Sep 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 40:23 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalimmersive
An excellent game with an awesome finale! There were many fun and inventive puzzles that are well integrated to the amazing set and story, plus the GM was fantastic too. A unique must-play room
abunai expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5

Another excellent room. If you are only going to play one game at this venue pick Atlantis. This room is another must play but would be a little forgettable without the mind-blowing finale. 

Anonymous expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Team size: 5 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalgreat hosting

I could write a really long review about this game, but I really don't want to give anything away so people can have that whiplash effect that I got.
Wow. Play this game.

Charlotte Fairfax rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 8 Oct 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 68 mins Outcome: Successful escape!
originalimmersivestory-driven

Absolutely brilliant room with Hollywood movie worthy set. Team are thoroughly immersive from greeting you at the door. Having been lucky enough to complete other rooms they all have an interwoven link but can all be played totally independent. This is a must do room. 

Kirsty Salter experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 2 Oct 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 58:01 Outcome: Successful escape!
story-drivengreat hostingepicquite difficult

I loved this room! There was a lot to do so we split up when we could. 

The theming and atmosphere was great. A certain part near the end was so much fun and the game host made the experience even better. 

Although the puzzles were challenging, they made sense and fitted the theme beautifully. 

Escapement is one of my favourite escape companies and it is obvious they are passionate about their experiences. 

Simon (The Overthinkers) expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 2 Oct 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 58:27 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalgreat hostingquite difficult
Sabrina (The Overthinkers) expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 2 Oct 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 58:27 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techimmersivestory-driven

Wow, what a game! Superb experience from the moment the host opened the entrance door for us all the way to the end. The long wait for this game was really worth it! Very clever and well-themed puzzles and lots of action for the grand finale. Absolute recommendation!

ES-CAH-PAY expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 13/06/2022 Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersivegreat hosting
Quartz is an outstanding experience. Our game host was amazing, stayed in character and added so much to the experience. As all other games by Escapement, the design quality here is second to none, with great theme-appropriate puzzles, surprises and ah-ha moments throughout. The ending is absolutely amazing, and unlike anything else we've seen before.  This is a must-play game.
Anna Baillie experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 15 Nov 2022 Team size: 5 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalimmersiveepic

Can't really say too much about this game without major spoilers but it's an absolute must-play. Really enjoyed the puzzles, great hosting, and the best ending I've experienced yet.

Escape Enthusiast expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Outcome: Successful escape!
immersivestory-drivenintensequite difficult
benny1664 experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 4 Sep 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 56 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techimmersivestory-driven

Quartz is great.  Its got some fairly tough puzzles but overall its really good and fun with amazing set design.  Very unique.  I felt the final room lasted a bit too long but all in all its a stunning room.  Definitely up there in my top 10 rooms!  

DanielKelsall rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 30 Aug 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 67
hi-techoriginalgreat hostingquite difficult

Fantastic room from The Escapement team.  A real premium feel and great storyline.  Lots of cool detail and a nice flow to the game. 

Hosts are really good and attentive and a 5 star experience all round.

I’d recommend this to beginners and enthusiasts alike, you won’t be disappointed.  

flyingoctopus expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Outcome: Successful escape!
story-drivengreat hostingepic

Another great game by this company.  A lot of detail has gone into designing and building this room. 

The games hosts are very attentive, staying in character throughout to fully emerge you in the theme. 

The game ends in a very unique way which was a lot of fun. 

Michelle Gillies rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 14 Aug 2022 Team size: 3 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalimmersiveintensequite difficult

Having played all the games at the Escapement in Margate and knowing the quality and theming of these rooms we were waiting with baited breath for their new venue the Escapement Broadstairs to open. 

The wait is over, we finally got to play the 2 new games Quartz and Atlantis, and OMG …… WOW ….. the wait was worth it and the Escapement team and brains behind it all Lewis and Mica have excelled themselves with these new games pushing the boundaries of an escape room into a whole new fully immersive experience. These rooms are now in my top games in the UK. 

Our visit started with arriving at the venue and being greeted by Vince who was friendly and offered us refreshments on arrival, in the lobby area which is decorated out in a welcoming way and looks amazing. We were then taken the  briefing area for our game Quartz where our mission was to destroy it and save the world, the game was intense and had us gripped as a team of 3 from the minute we entered the room , the atmosphere and puzzles are so well thought out and in theme it has you on gripped, leading to a finale I thought was amazing and something I have never before seen in an escape room , you need your wits about you in this room to succeed and it was a room we couldn’t stop discussing on the journey home. I would whole heartedly recommend this room to anyone and everyone. 

On exit from the room and obviously saving the world we had a de brief and chat with Vince who was amazing and a great game master, before leaving for lunch before we came back to play Atlantis.

I look forward to seeing what Lewis and Micas brilliant minds and talent for building their own sets come up with next, it is clear a lot of hard work and passion has gone into building these new games taking the escape room experience to a whole new level.

 This is by far the best venue in Kent, maybe even in the country for all their rooms at both venues being top quality and 5* immersion.

FranklyOscar experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
hi-techoriginal
🔐James Bloodworth expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 19/11/2022 Team size: 5 Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersiveintense

The second of the new games at Broadstairs and I don't think it's quite as good as Atlantis, it has some very clever puzzles and certainly one wow moment but it's perhaps even further along the path between escape rooms and theme park experiences, its difficult to elaborate without going into spoiler territory which is beyond the scope of this review.  Suffice to say this game is definitely worth playing, but like, Atlantis, don't take more then the minimum required.

d.green26 expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 11 Dec 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 58.29 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulimmersivestory-driven

Once again Escapement comes up trumps with a great looking room with a strong story driven game that is certain something different to what we have played before.

madhatter rated this:Rated between 30 and 30 out of 5
Played: 30 Mar 2024 Team size: 4 Time taken: 46.06 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techstory-driven😨creepy
We were expecting amazing things from this room having done the Atlantis room on this site. Whilst it was still a very good room it wasn’t a patch on Atlantis and left me feeling a bit disappointed afterwards. The story can be a bit confusing at times. There’s no voice that comes into the room, the host enters multiple times which detracts from the overall experience.  It didn’t feel like there was as much to do in this room as there is in many others. Worth doing but not as amazing as I’d expected
Spanishfleas experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 24 Aug 2023 Team size: 4 Time taken: 55
hi-techoriginal

A great game and worth coming this way to play. The GM was straight in character and kept us immersed from the off. The room had challenging elements but it all made sense. The puzzles were well thought out and flowed well. Non linear which I love too. A great ending. 

🌵Juliette B expert rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Played: 23 Feb 2024 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginal
Great set and puzzles and enjoyed some original moments throughout the game. Unusually, for this company there were a couple of things we weren't so keen on. One being the hint system as the GM came into the room a couple of times which broke the immersion. I'm not sure whether this is normal for this room, or if it was because we had issues with the tech a couple of times - we didn't actually want any help in terms of what to do, but seemed to be struggling to signpost this. Secondly, not a fan of the praise sandwich feedback at the end - was quite judgemental! Did struggle to gel with the GM on this occasion so on that basis we did prefer Atlantis as this venue. However, if comparing against average quality then Escapement overall do still set a high bar for the UK. 
A Blacksmith expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 10 May 2023 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
immersivestory-drivengreat hostingquite difficult😨creepy
Simply fantastic, just do it.  Tricky puzzles, great GM and the finish makes it totally worth while.
Barry Hammond expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 16/10/2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 48.35 Outcome: Successful escape!
HazelChester rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Dan Getliffe experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 7 Oct 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 56 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalepic😨creepy

This might just be one of my favourite rooms ever. To think we nearly didn't do this one as we were already doing Atlantis!

The first part is pretty normal stuff, with good theming and enjoyable (if unspectacular) puzzles. But it's the finale where this room really comes into it's own. I don't want to give anything away but I have not seen anything close to this in an escape room before. It's an incredible piece of design and creativity, it fits the narrative really well, and it's really exciting! Something that I am always a bit advocate for is use of sound and music to create atmosphere - and the sound design is brilliant here. 

I have some minor niggles but can't really mention without going into spoilers. Even so, it's an incredibly unique experience that you won't forget in a hurry! 

Matt C experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 20/09/2023 Team size: 6 Time taken: 58:17 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techimmersivegreat hostingquite difficult

A world class experience! The best room I have ever done after 4 years! The GM was fantastic as he was staying in character through out the experience, the theming as always was superb, the puzzle were related to the theming and has story behind it (making the puzzle so special). The finale is something I have never seen!!! 

If you have not done it yet, please book it ASAP, you won't be disappointed 

Joe Brown expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 21 Aug 2023 Team size: 4
This room featured one of the best moments in an escape room for me, really impressive combination of tech theming and puzzles.
🦡cipherdelic virtuoso rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: November 2022 Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersive

Another great build with some unusual and well-themed puzzles and an epic high-adrenaline finale. Loved it. 

Mike S expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
matt_keds expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 10 Aug 2023 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalunforgettable
Jess_keds expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techgreat hostingintense

Another great room by escapement! Our GM Gary was also very attentive and had so much charisma when briefing/debriefing us. As a personal feeling, I didn’t click quite as much with this room but that doesn’t mean the puzzles weren’t great and unique.  The puzzles were a good challenge and definitely had us on our toes! 

Team Tonks experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 15 Jul 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 58:55 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techintenseepicquite difficult

This is one of the best rooms we've done. The staff were in character the minute we walked through the door and provided a good level of humour to the game. Lots of interesting puzzles here and a finale game that is not to be missed! The ending was epic and really made this experience. You can tell the team at Escapement have really put a lot of effort in to try to rival some of the European escape rooms. Can't recommend this site highly enough. 

StaceyF expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 26 Nov 2022 Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
Kelly Archer expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalgreat hosting

We LOVED this game so much. 

The host was fully immersed in his role right from the get go, the first section of the room is very non linear which is great for an experienced team (though it's small enough that we could still see what everyone else is doing). The theming is great with some simple cues to tie the puzzles together. The tech all worked (even when we did accidentally circumvent a bit of it) and the second half gives you a great finale and loads of excitement. Very innovative ending with a nice wow moment/reveal.

Honestly I can't say too much but this is a great great game. Far better than Atlantis IMO.

John Ketan rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 24 Jul 2022 Team size: 4 Time taken: 81 minutes Outcome: Successful escape!
originalimmersiveintensequite difficult😨creepy

The hosting on our second visit was just as good as the first.  The staff really get into character and this makes a lot of difference.  The Quartz game is really different in the best possible way.  The storyline is a modern day sci fi adventure pitting you against a dormant machine.  It is expertly decorated and expertly set up.  There are hundreds of lights and sound effects that all happen throughout the adventure.  The game builds up cleverly and foreshadows a threat that slowly grows for the most epic and spontaneous finale I've ever seen.  Atlantis was a difficult game to beat but I think Quartz is my favourite of these two escape games.  I would describe them as Titans of the genre.

Reviews by escape room review sites

This game was a long time in the making, but I’m pleased to report that the wait was 100% worth it. The Escapement have created a game here that will surely go to the top of people’s ‘Top 10’ lists, we need to rejig ours, as this is firmly up there for sure.

Great puzzles, great story, amazing hosts, amazing finale! 

Lists

This game is part of the following user-created game lists:
  • Best UK escape rooms 2022 by Escape the Review virtuoso
    These are the 100 highest rated escape rooms in the UK, as of 31st Dec 2022, based on combined ratings from enthusiasts, bloggers and experts - every game here comes highly recommended. 
  • Best UK escape rooms 2023 by Escape the Review virtuoso
    These are the 100 highest rated escape rooms in the UK, as of 31st Dec 2023, based on combined ratings from enthusiasts, bloggers and experts - every game here comes highly recommended. 

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