Escape Plan: Roll Out The Barrel

By | March 31, 2019

by Escape Plan (website)

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E16LA

East London

2-5 players

Languages: EN

60 minutes

It’s 1945 and the Air Commodores at RAF Tangmere have secured a barrel of ale of the highest quality, which they shipped in secretly last night under the cover of darkness. Whilst they are planning a jolly good knees-up for the senior officers, you and the rest of the squadron face an austere Victory Day celebration. But the Air Commodores have been called away to Sector Control and there’s a window of opportunity to break in, find the stash and roll out the barrel!
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Overall rating

Rated between 4 and 4.5 out of 5

based on ratings from 41 users
combined with 3 pro reviews

Your review

Player reviews

Solemn rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 25 Feb 2024 Team size: 2 Time taken: 58:31
originalfunnygreat hosting
Great room. Lots of fun. Some fantastically original puzzles and props in play. Our hosts were lovely and very accommodating. We had a blast here.
Mark Greenhalgh expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
ratsontour expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 7 Aug 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 73.50 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalgreat hostingfamily friendly
adamturna rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 22 Jul 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 57:22 Outcome: Successful escape!
hi-techoriginalimmersive

Amazing game - suprising unexpected steps and enjoyable well thought-thorugh puzzles and impressively working tech. None of the puzzles are uniriginal or basic, most of them we have not seen anywhere else. The music could be a bit louder and more immersive to make it more atmospheric. 

Brandon experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 2 Jul 2022 Team size: 3 Time taken: 45 minutes Outcome: Successful escape!
value for moneyoriginalgreat hosting
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalclever
Joe Brown expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 12 Feb 2022 Team size: 4
A really enjoyable room - the puzzles were all so satisfying and we felt a great flow throughout with good music and a good sense of story
Escape Enthusiast expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 2 Apr 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 62:25 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalcleverquite difficult
abooth expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 3 Time taken: 53 Outcome: Successful escape!

Superb game - lots of original puzzles - couple verged on illogical but we got there in the end. Really well paced as well.

abunai expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Adam Bravery expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 30 Aug 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 40:07 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalclevergreat hosting

Clearly built by a team that love escape rooms, this room has loads of original puzzles and authentic props. The theming and story is great. We had a really fun time playing this, and our host Sarah was super friendly, chatty and an awesome GM. My favourite room in London

Chesscrafted rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalgreat hostingfamily friendly

Probably the best escape room I've ever played! The host was fantastic, the puzzles were amazingly original and the whole room was completely family-friendly while not being dull. Most of the puzzles are made out of wood which means you probably haven't seen them in any other rooms. Also, the theme of stealing a barrel of ale from your officers is a welcome change from most WW2 escape rooms where you are a spy gathering information or a prisoner trying to escape. I can't say much more without spoiling the room, but I would recommend it to anyone, whether it's your first or fiftieth room!

Kelly Archer expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverstory-drivengreat hosting

I loved this game from Escape Plan. Sam, the host, was super friendly (and he learned all our names in order to give clues to the right person, and give us personalised time cards at the end) and the puzzles were great.

The tech is all in house and suits the theme - lots of wood, great scenery and a sense of humour with some of the design. The barrel-top games (no spoiler, you'll see what I mean straight away, they use this design in both rooms as well) are BEAUTIFUL. A few too many padlocks on this one but it fitted the style of the room.

The ending was charming, too. All round worth the trek eastwards, looking forward to the next room "Battle For Britain".

Anonymous rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
uhtoff rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 14/12/2019 Team size: 6 (2 children) Time taken: 38:33 Outcome: Successful escape!
Mike S expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
🌵Juliette B expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 13/07/2019 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
Can't comment on the final version as we beta tested when a couple of parts weren't completed, but had a blast and yet another great offering from Escape Plan.
Gavin B rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
jakea256 expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 11 Aug 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 58:33 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalclevergreat hosting

As with all Eacape Plan games the theming is superb (and this one is a little jollier than their other games)- all of the puzzles made sense and were in keeping with the theme. A fair few really lovely handmade tactile elements/ puzzles / boxes that elevate the game to be extremely impressive. 

lizratesrooms experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 2 Time taken: 57 Outcome: Successful escape!
clevergreat hosting
elfgrunge experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 25 Feb 2024 Team size: 2 Time taken: 58.31 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalgreat hosting
A really wonderful game! Sarah was such a great host. We played this impulsively immediately after having played Adventure Begins so our brains were a bit fried, but we really enjoyed ourselves. It has one of my favourite puzzles I’ve ever done in an escape room, and I think it’s worth it for that alone. 
essentialatom experienced rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Played: 13 Aug 2022 Team size: 2 Time taken: 52:31 Outcome: Successful escape!
clevergreat hosting
Mark Crossley experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 23/04/2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 43:10 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalstory-drivengreat hosting
Tatie experienced rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Outcome: Successful escape!
great hostingfamily friendly
d.green26 expert rated this:Rated between 35 and 35 out of 5
Played: 10 Nov 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 63 Outcome: Failed 🙁
great hostingfamily friendlyquite difficult
Jen Wells (Get Wells Soon) expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 31 Oct 2023 Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulcleverstory-driven

Another fantastic offering from Escape Plan! This was the final game we did on this day and, while it didn't quite pip Battle for Britain to the top room spot for me, it certainly met the high expectations we had after doing the other two rooms.

So many hand-crafted puzzles and some truly inventive elements made this an absolute joy to complete.

Peter Hoare experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 26 Oct 2023 Team size: 4 Time taken: 57 Outcome: Successful escape!
value for moneygreat hosting

Interesting set up in a kind of shared arts space in an old office building, quite unexpected. This room is probably the most analogue room I have seen, with some puzzles manually operated by the GM who is literally sitting in a little false wall room in the corner...! It was gloriously low tech but the puzzles were all challenging, creative and unique. 

Our GM (like Paris but with a K) was great, was clearly involved in the business, and after we were done, she gave us a detailed rundown of how we performed, recalling moments during the game in very high levels of detail, saying how well we had done certain tasks, remembered all our names too, which is something i've not seen yet. 

Will be back for the other rooms. 

ShellH experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersivestory-driven
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalfunnyclever
Chris Metcalfe experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 3 Outcome: Successful escape!
value for moneyoriginalgreat hostingquite difficult
Anonymous experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 15 Jul 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 46:16 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalstory-driven
roberts0502 experienced rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: 3 Jul 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 57:43 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalclevergreat hosting
Escape Plan's Roll Out the Barrel is a barrel of laughs. Clever puzzles, top-notch set dressing, mind-bending challenges, and ingenious contraptions make it a rollicking good time. The puzzles are challenging but not too difficult, and they require a good mix of teamwork, logic, and creativity to solve. Roll Out the Barrel is a must-play, and Sarah, our game master, is one of the best in the business!
StaceyF expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 29/02/2020 Team size: 4 Outcome: Successful escape!
Anonymous rated this:Rated between 30 and 30 out of 5
Played: 20 Jun 2023 Team size: 4 Time taken: 41 Outcome: Successful escape!
great hostingfamily friendly
TheEscapeBoomers expert rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
beautifulimmersivegreat hosting

Some clever puzzles here! Had a great time with our host and the room itself was genuinely fun! 

AubreyB expert rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Team size: 2 Outcome: Successful escape!
Roory experienced rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 06/06/2019 Team size: 3 Time taken: 53.00 Outcome: Successful escape!

Playtest of almost finished (90% of the way there??). The previous 'Roll Out the Barrel' has been reworked into a more conventional escape room with extra stuff on top.

Lovely warmth to the room, with very high quality set design/props. Excellent woodwork on display with quite a few 'homemade' puzzles/designs.

Was a little difficult to know where to start, but things flowed reasonably well after the first puzzle (and actually searching the room better!). The couple of issues there were will assumedly be fixed before official opening.

Kim Ramgaard rated this:Rated between 40 and 40 out of 5
Played: 24-09-2023 Team size: 3 Time taken: 53 Outcome: Successful escape!
clevergreat hostingquite difficult

Great experience for experienced escapist. Very classical and a lot of focus on the puzzles which were all quite clever without being illogical.

c2creviewer experienced rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
RR_Duo+ rated this:Rated between 45 and 45 out of 5
Played: 5 Apr 2023 Team size: 2 Time taken: 57:41 Outcome: Successful escape!
originalstory-drivengreat hosting
Stevie Davies expert rated this:Rated between 50 and 50 out of 5
Played: December 2021 Team size: 2 Time taken: 53m 39s Outcome: Successful escape!
cleverimmersivestory-driven

Reviews by escape room review sites

There are any number of games set in WW2, but I’d hazard none others that share the premise of Roll Out The Barrel: set immediately after the end of the war, you’re trying to break into the officers’ mess to get at their private stash of booze, all the better to celebrate victory. Your goal is a literal barrel, and barrels are used throughout as a motif along with the more obvious wartime decor and 1940s theming.

The escape room industry may be increasingly using prefabricated puzzle com...

We loved Battle for Britain and although this room didn’t quite reach the greatness of that room, it’s a good room which we thoroughly enjoyed. Puzzles were logical, it was fun to be in, the ending was strong and the hosting was spot-on

For a game set during World War II… It’s surprisingly light hearted and funny! But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. Roll Out the Barrel isn’t technically set during World War II. It’s set the day after. Your mission? Throw the best party for the troops you possibly can. Everyone knows the best parties involve obscene amounts of booze which is why three intrepid troops and myself just broke into our officer’s top secret bar cabin to steal all their barrels. It’s party time!!

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 2021 by Escape the Review virtuoso
    These are the 100 highest rated escape rooms (out of 1600) in the UK, as of 31st Dec 2021, 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. 

See also

Other versions of this game:(Different copies of the same game sometimes have significant differences.)