Hong Kong AfterdarkOmventure - MarkhamEscape roomIRLThis is hands down the best escape room I've played in Toronto so far. The puzzles, story, and set design are all executed at an extremely high level. The volume and difficulty of the puzzles are on the higher side — even with a two-hour time limit, it felt just barely enough. I highly recommend this room to players who truly enjoy challenging escape-room experiences. The set perfectly recreates a Hong Kong setting, and the puzzles are thoughtfully designed around Hong Kong–specific elements. One tip: if you want to finish within the time limit, it really helps to be familiar with the rules of Mahjong beforehand.
AstrologerINBLACK Escape Room - North YorkEscape roomIRLI’ve played over 50 escape rooms around the world, and The Astrologer truly stands out. A friend recommended it to us — it’s a great choice for players who’ve done a few escape rooms before but aren’t experts yet. The decorations fit the theme perfectly, and there are many rooms inside. Each one is spacious enough to comfortably fit six or more adults, so you never feel crowded while playing. What I loved most is that our group of six could work on multiple puzzles at the same time, unlike many other escape rooms where everyone has to solve one puzzle together before moving on. This design made everyone feel involved throughout the game. I also really enjoyed the unexpected twist — it was something I’d never experienced before, and the story was cleverly connected from beginning to end with great foreshadowing. The only area that could be improved is that a few small details are only fully understood during the final story recap. I’ve seen some negative reviews online, but I think those come from people who didn’t fully understand the story or the design. I definitely recommend trying it yourself — it’s worth it!
Kami's QuestINBLACK Escape Room - WellesleyEscape roomIRLThis is a very story-driven room rather than a traditional puzzle-heavy escape room, and I absolutely loved the narrative. Every puzzle is designed around the story, making each step feel like you're uncovering more of it. Highly recommended. The set design is beautiful, with great attention to detail, and the mechanisms are well crafted. The only small downside is that a couple of clues were handwritten, which slightly broke immersion — hopefully something that can be improved.
Bella's DollINBLACK Escape Room - NightfallEscape roomIRLThis is a fully immersive, story-driven escape room with puzzles that are very tightly connected to the narrative. The difficulty isn't too high, but the pacing is excellent — audio explanations guide you just enough to help with puzzles while also deepening the story. The final twist genuinely gave me chills. Highly recommended for players who enjoy immersive, narrative-focused escape rooms with light horror elements.
Game OverINBLACK Escape Room - NightfallEscape roomIRLI really loved the puzzle design in this room. It blends virtual gameplay and real-world interactions perfectly, and the transitions between the two are incredibly smooth. They actually recreated the digital scenes and props in real life, which makes the whole experience feel very immersive. I highly recommend this room to escape room enthusiasts. It’s genuinely difficult — easily in the top five hardest rooms I’ve played. The only downside is that the physical space isn’t very large, and because parts of the game require operating a computer, I think groups of two or three will get the best overall experience.
WitnessINBLACK Escape Room - North YorkEscape roomIRLThe overall design of this room truly impressed me; it's very unique—exactly the kind of creative concept I love. The entire experience flows smoothly and intuitively, with all elements seamlessly integrated. When we walked in yesterday, the staff offered us the choice of a 30-minute, 60-minute, or 90-minute version. We chose the full version, and I'm so glad we did. The ending is fantastic (no spoilers!), and I highly recommend experiencing the full version. The only minor flaw is that some details and decorations in the room aren't quite as refined, but this doesn't detract from the overall puzzle-solving experience.
Loo BattleINBLACK Escape Room - Eaton CenterEscape roomIRLI recommend playing this escape room with close friends, as its competitive gameplay is its highlight. It leans more towards traditional puzzle-solving escape rooms, but my friends and I had a lot of fun – it lacked the tension and excitement of traditional escape rooms, making the whole experience relaxed and enjoyable. If you're a couple or a small group, I suggest trying their other themes. The only drawback is that some puzzles don't flow smoothly, but this is perfectly acceptable for a relaxed and enjoyable competitive escape room.
