Tag Archives: atmospheric

Marvo Mysteries: M.A.R.V.O. Induction

Bournemouth, May 2017

The minute I walked into Marvo I got a sense of the quality of room I was to expect. An intricate foyer area contained artefacts and detailed decoration. Even before the game itself started properly, we were led down a secret passage to a highly orna… (more)

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: 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 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)

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)

Escapologic: Crypt-ic

Nottingham, May 2017

This is a difficult game to review for me, because there was a great deal about it I thought was really good, but which I found to be undermined by a couple of huge flaws that saw us stuck on a single puzzle for well over half the time. In addition, … (more)

Escapologic: Howitz

Nottingham, May 2017

Howitz, as you might not guess from the name, is a game set in an abandoned, haunted toy shop. A past tragedy has left it cursed with supernatural forces which are reluctant to let you leave unscathed.

This game is gleefully, gloriously macabre, and… (more)

Can You Escape: Operation Odyssey

Edinburgh, Apr 2017

Operation Odyssey is one of two games at Can You Escape, and got off to a good start when the operator gave the surprisingly detailed initial briefing in character. The level of costume was simple but the effort adds to the game. The briefing include… (more)

Handmade Mysteries: Poppa Plock’s Wonky Workshop

London, Apr 2017

During our introduction from Wynne, a mechanical toy / human, he asked us “Who’d pay real money to get locked in a room, just to get out of it again? With strangers!”. He has a point. I’d suggest he was a wind-up merchant, but he was, quite literally… (more)