Case Closed: The Murder of Max Sinclair

Case Closed is a brilliant game, the hosts are so focused on ensuring you have a brilliant time. Not your normal escape room experience but feels more like a murder mystery with escape room elements. 

A perfect way to spend 90 minutes with some friends and I couldn't say anything better than whats already been said here. 

The Murder of Max Sinclair is not an escape room. Or, at least, it is not like other escape rooms. It is an escape room++. Or, perhaps it is an example of what an escape room could (and, IMO, should) be.

Escape rooms sell us a dream - for an hour or so, they promise to transport us to another place or time, to be the hero in our own story. Yet, all too often, they fail to deliver on that promise. The Murder of Max Sinclair is perhaps the best room I have ever played in terms of actually delivering the fantasy it promises.

You will feel like a detective. You will have to act like a detective. You will solve the crime the way a detective would (or, at least, the way a detective would as portrayed in a TV murder mystery). So forget about 4-digit codes, or placing statuettes in a particular order, or blowing out candles. Instead, pour yourself a whisky, put on that trenchcoat, light up a cigarette and step out into the foggy air underneath the flickering streetlight, and you will love this.

In terms of real-world logistics, I should mention that Ronan was very accommodating of our team's requests, an absolutely superb host all the way through the game (including the thrilling ending!), and was a delight to talk to afterwards. There is a board game cafe on-site where we waited between games, and a geek pizza place close-by. We played as a family (2 adults, 3 kids aged between 12-17) and we all left absolutely buzzing from the experience.

It's not perfect, but as of right now I think it's one of the very best experiences available. I would recommend it to anyone.

The host encouraged us to take a bit more time to enjoy this one. We’re normally time driven by (and enjoy the rush of) trying to get out as quickly as possible! but I was glad for the pointer on this one - beautiful design, and a genuine joy to play even if it’s not the most difficult room. Would definitely recommend regardless of whether it’s your first or 100th room! 

Need to add: great hosting too (need more tags!!)

Played Case Closed today and absolutely loved it. Tom was a fantastic host, so friendly and chatty and explained the rules for us clearly and explained how it is different to the other rooms we have played. 

Probably the most story driven game I’ve ever played, you really do take on the roll of detectives! Between doing chemistry, ballistic examinations, and even the paperwork, the room was an absolute blast from start to finish with a brilliant story and ending! Definitely won’t forget this one and eager for their next rooms!

A very different, story-based room that really feels like a proper criminal investigation. The star rating for this room comes from how clever it is; don't go expecting a huge, fancy set or a wealth of tech but do expect genuine clue-solving and a unique escape experience that is the brainchild of someone who just loves escape rooms and loves thinking about things a little differently.

We could have stayed for hours chatting about all things escape with Ronan, who approaches designing escape experiences with zeal and a flair for drama, which is echoed in the finale to Case Closed. So much fun and a genuine escape from the real world.

I liked this very much. Very passionate owner/GM and a real sense of sleuthing. 

Just me and the smarter half this time. He enjoyed it more than me. Clearly passion in this one, but things felt a little convoluted for me.  

Not quite like anything we'd done before, amazing room. We played with our 11 and 13 year old daughters and there wasn't anything that was inappropriate for them (they've seen quite a lot of detective shows). In fact it was my youngest's favourite room ever as there was always something for everyone to do.

Really nice twist on the escape room theme. Not your regular escape room.

Very few locks and keys, much more intrigue and mystery.

If you have ever dreamt of being a real detective, this feels like the closest you can get!! It genuinely feels as though you are solving a real case! From the introduction, to the set, to the music... this game is perfectly themed. 

There is a great mix of puzzles in this room from analytical to physical and even some comical moments! 

This was an exceptionally good room and we highly recommend a visit to Case Closed!! 

A great non-linear room! Excellent host who played his part well and was so friendly. Personally as a fan of crime novels, this was amazing for me to have a go at being a detective - so immersive and really good puzzles to solve the clues. Hard enough to make you think and piece things together, but not too hard to make it unenjoyable. Couldn’t recommend more! 

If you’re in Edinburgh and love escape rooms, definitely one not to miss!!

This is a really immersive game with a very enthusiastic and welcoming host. The game is conducted in fairly basic surroundings. It feels like you are conducting genuine sleuthing as opposed to puzzle solving, which makes the experience unique. We had a good time.

Thanks to Oran for a great time!

A 90-minute escape room really is a treat. We found ourselves working solidly for the entire time we were there, and this may sound silly, but we really felt like detectives whilst in the room. 

Lots of smart deductions come out of a plethora of red herrings, and over-information making sure that only the best cops come out on top. This was a joy to play at, and everything was designed very well. 

Excellent room that really pushes the boundaries of what an escape room can be. The amount of creativity on show here was really impressive, not just in terms of the puzzle and the narrative, but also in terms of the approach to theming in a way that made the experience much more immersive than other rooms that clearly have much larger budgets.

Rowan was also an excellent host - so welcoming and enthusiastic about the experience. I will absolutely be planning my next trip to Edinburgh the moment I hear they've opened a new room.

We did this room the other week. The hosting was excellent. Not your original type of escape room but we really enjoyed it

Fantastic, well-designed escape room with unique deductive puzzles. We felt encouraged to solve many of the puzzles in parallel and huddle up with the group to share results. Super queer friendly too!

The whole venue is great - an old warehouse, with the most amazingly well-stocked alcohol-free bar and axe-throwing! The escape room is upstairs, and sadly we were on an early booking before the rest of the venue had opened so couldn't sample any of the drinks or throw axes around beforehand.

This was quite different to the escape rooms we've played in the past - trying to put together a story and solve the mystery, rather than just unlocking puzzle after puzzle. A lot of thought has gone in to the story and it flows really well. 

It's a fairly simple setup, but very immersive - as soon as the door closes behind you the story begins and you're on your way to figuring out the answers. In fact, the story starts before you even get in the room - Ronan was an excellent host and enthusiastically welcomed us and started setting the scene.

The 90 minutes flew by, and while some of the puzzles had us a bit stumped from time to time we were given gentle nudges to help us keep going - just the right level of assistance needed to figure things out. 

I really hope these guys open another room in future - we'll definitely go back for more.

Really great game! We had a lot of fun with this one. Very immersive story and a unique twist of the typical escape games. Very story driven with lots of things to keep you occupied without having to all solve the same puzzle at the same time.

Highly recommend!

Wow this room absolutely blew me away! I heard a lot about it before I played and somehow it still managed to exceed all my expectations. Truly unlike any other room I've played, due in no small part to the dedication and incredible energy of its GM and creators. It encourages you to take your time and really immerse yourself in the storyline, uncovering layer after layer. The puzzles are well constructed and thought through, all feeling very natural in the environment. The room makes great use of lighting, music, and voice over to create ambience which shifts in accordance with the unravelling mystery. Truly an experience I will not forget, I cannot recommend it enough!

Absolutely loved this jam-packed blockbuster of a game! The interwoven storyline and gameplay are unlike any other I've done. I'll admit, I wasn't sure about the theme when we booked, but there's much more to this one than meets the eye! If you've ever thought you'd make a good detective then you'll be hooked.

The GM (one of the owners) was superb; the interactions throughout the game were great fun and made it really immersive. It's the first room for this home-grown company and they've only been open a few months, but I enjoyed it just as much (if not more!) than some of the big-budget rooms I've played with larger businesses. The owners' talent and creativity really shines through in all aspects of this game, making it an unmissable experience in Edinburgh.

One for enthusiasts - the game's master has put a lot of love into this and it shows. Theming is really good, not your bog standard detective's escape room

You won't be relying on just finding keys and codes, there's unique elements around the puzzles. I'd highly recommend giving this a go, it was a lot of fun

Really enjoyed my game at case closed, was a really awesome immersive experience that put us right in the shoes of of a main character, thrilling exciting and a lot of fun!

I had an absolutely incredible time at this escape room. It is unlike any room I've ever done and it is definitely a must do in edinburgh. 

Easily the best room I've ever played. I'm limited to three tags but I wish I could use more - immersive, epic, story driven, clever and incredibly original, with the most brilliant GM. I'm struggling to describe it without spoiling it, but it's unlike any other room I've seen, with some puzzles just feeling too good to be allowed. It's so brilliantly designed that it really earns the descriptor of "Feeling like a video game", or making the players feel like protagonists in a classic noir thriller. The story is engaging and evolves throughout the game, rather than being a throwaway justification at the start. I'll repeat what every other player also seems to be obsessed with: The ending. My god. The ending. 

If you're looking for something a little different then head to Case Closed which is upstairs in Black Axe Throwing. It's a little way out of the centre of Edinburgh, but it's well worth traveling that little bit further.

At first glance, it looks like any other escape room startup, but once you're in the room you'll find that this is more like playing a box game than playing the usual one-hour adventure of some of its neighbours. There's a detailed plot to play out into which the puzzles have been intricately woven.

The use of lighting and narration enhances the story, especially the introduction, which sets the mood beautifully and creates a feeling of being in one of those old film noirs, like a Sam Spade film. But the technical details and the police procedural nature of the puzzles also gave me strong Scandi-noir vibes too.   

Add to this that it's a rare 90-minute game where the puzzles are well-paced throughout and you have yourself a wonderfully substantial room to enjoy and savour with a satisfying conclusion. It's a must-play if you're in Edinburgh.

My only niggle, and it is a niggle, is that the players of the axe hurling can get rather loud and distracting, but after 10 mins we didn't even notice them as we were so immersed in the room. 

Oh, and one final point, there is more reading here than in the average room, so I'd recommend taking your glasses (if you need them), or a reader (if written English isn't your strong point).