The Murder of Max Sinclair [prev. Case Closed]Case Closed EdinburghEscape roomIRLRonan (our GM) jumped straight into character for our briefing, which took place in the cafe, before taking us through to the room. His improvisation skills were second-to-none, as he questioned if Detective Clueless was related to a certain DJ Clueless - one of our characters from our playthrough of their other room, Radio Nowhere. As we stepped into the room, we literally felt as though we'd entered a film noir. The ambience was incredible, heavily utilising dynamic lighting and music throughout to enhance storytelling. As with Radio Nowhere, this room is broken into "acts", with each requiring that you correctly answer a series of questions about the investigation. The answers are written on a questionnaire sheet, which you post through a letterbox in the room. If the answers are all correct, the lighting will change and you'll hear a voiceover aka your "internal monologue", which unlocks the next stage of the case. Once you've successfully completed all of the acts, you'll discover the identity of the murderer and face a final challenge. Our first task was to identify aspects of the crime scene that didn't add up, which was a great test of our observation skills. Compared to Radio Nowhere, The Murder of Max Sinclair leans more into puzzle-solving, as well as deduction. As such, you can expect to find more traditional puzzles and locks, alongside the murder mystery elements. It felt like a full forensic investigation, in which we tested blood, searched for hidden messages, compared handwriting and listened intently to cassette tape recordings. All in an attempt to find key pieces of evidence that would lead us towards the killer. The experience manages to pack in a significant number of tasks across the 90 minutes, with plenty to share out across a larger team. Before our visit, we were delighted to learn that The Murder of Max Sinclair had been announced as one of only 7 UK-based TERPECA 2025 finalists. Having now played the room, we can totally see why. It is a real treat for fans of the noir/detective genre and a great fusion of escape room, murder mystery and immersive theatre. It was an absolute joy to play and I cannot wait to see what Ronan dreams up next. A full review of the games on offer at this venue can be found here: https://escapepuzzler.com/case-closed-edinburgh-uk-feature/
Zemsta Umarlaka [Deadman's Revenge]DreamScape - Escape RoomEscape roomIRLDead Man’s Revenge was my first experience playing a TERPECA-winning escape room, and it did not disappoint! Our attention was seized from the moment we were summoned by the GM, and we remained enthralled throughout the entire experience. I had reservations about the presence of a live actor, having had limited exposure to this in the past. I must say that it definitely added an extra dimension to the gameplay and increased immersion. The sets are wonderful, the audio and special effects were masterful, and the hint system was inspired. A fantastic mix of varied puzzles kept us on our toes, with one particular challenge towards the end requiring lots of clear communication. A special mention for our GM, who also doubled as multiple characters in the room. He was funny, terrifying and fully embraced his roles. He really made the experience for us. Dead Man's Revenge is a MUST play if you are visiting Poznan, and has taken the number one spot on my personal escape room rankings. If this is the level of quality to expect from TERPECA-winning rooms, then I will definitely be seeking more of them out.
Sub TerraCo-Decode Live Escape GamesEscape roomIRLAn exceptionally well-designed room that leans fairly heavily into tech, but in interesting and innovative ways. Attention to detail with the theming is second-to-none, and every part of the room is in mint condition. It really shows how much care has gone into maintaining the venues high standards. The puzzles flowed brilliantly, with excellent signposting and some unique elements we haven’t come across before. I enjoyed how tactile a lot of the puzzles were, although nothing was particularly physically challenging. Gameplay is a mix of linear and non-linear, so expect to have to split up at some points. We certainly found that everyone was busy at all times. To ‘escape’ you need to complete a handful of core objectives, with any extra time left available to pick off the remaining optional challenges. This set-up works really well, and allows faster teams to solve the extra puzzles, while accommodating those with less escape room experience. Overall a fantastic room, that you should definitely add to your wish list!
Radio NowhereCase Closed EdinburghEscape roomIRLOur experience with Radio Nowhere started before we stepped into the room, when we were given a clipboard of information to review at a table in the cafe. This gave some key details about a murder that had taken place, along with instructions on where to start when we entered the room. A short while later, we were led into the main Radio Nowhere HQ, and given complete control of the airwaves. We beamed at each other as we caught sight of the studio set-up, with its funky lighting, tape deck and microphone. The game is comprised of several acts, each of which requires you to complete key objectives to progress. These are delivered in the form of a questionnaire that is posted through a letterbox into the room. Once you've managed to answer all of the questions, you post these back through the letterbox and await the outcome. If all the answers are correct, the lights will dim, and some audio will be played that progresses the investigation. If incorrect, the questionnaire will be posted back through the door with the wrong answers highlighted. The first task we were given was to identify potential suspects. As the game progressed, we were then tasked with establishing motive, means and opportunity for each of these, with the ultimate aim to uncover the murderer. The most impressive thing about this room is how personalised it is. It's been designed to allow the GM to adapt to the players' strengths and weaknesses. We definitely weren't as comfortable as some might be with the role-playing aspect, which was toned down in the second half of the game. You can live your best life as a radio host, taking listener calls and unlocking new nuggets of information. Or you can focus more on uncovering physical clues throughout the space. I was surprised at the joy of finding new cassette tapes hidden throughout the room that allowed us to unlock new songs to play on the radio station. There were some fun interactive elements, such as an old computer, a mixing desk and a radio that you can tune to different frequencies. There is also an LED listener count display that updates in real time, based on how much engagement you have with the audience. Radio Nowhere is unlike any escape room we've played! Part murder mystery, part immersive experience, it took us out of our comfort zone and surprised us in fun and unique ways. The incredible personalisation really elevated the experience for us, which was in no small part down to our incredible GM Ronan. I honestly cannot recommend it enough. It's superb! A full review of the games on offer at this venue can be found here: https://escapepuzzler.com/case-closed-edinburgh-uk-feature/
The Wizards of WyvernProdigy Escapes And ExperiencesEscape roomIRLThe Wizards of Wyvern is the newest addition to Prodigy Escapes, inviting players – ahem, Wizards – to unite and restore the magic of Exeter. To do this, you’ll need to locate the source of power: a stolen magical egg that’s hidden somewhere nearby. Once you’ve donned your wizard’s cloaks and hats, you’ll be ready to take on the challenge. Dressing up is optional, but come on – who doesn’t want to don a cloak?! As you might expect in a wizard-themed room, you get to brandish a wand, cast some spells and use magical artifacts to reveal the way forward. To achieve this, there is a mix of traditional locks and technology employed, keeping the game grounded while allowing for surprising interactions. We loved the level of creativity that went into the puzzle design, with a clear focus on imbuing everything you encounter with a touch of magic. It isn’t very often that you come across something truly spellbinding as an adult, but there were a few moments here that we found captivating. I can only imagine the reactions had there been any children in our team! Clear communication is vital for some tasks, where you need to work with items across multiple spaces simultaneously. We actually worked together really effectively, adjusting our approach to one particular puzzle and keeping calm when another wasn’t going as smoothly as we’d have liked. Everyone had their moment as we hurtled towards the endgame. The experience culminated in a dramatic reveal that served as the perfect climax to our quest. We finished the room on a real high, full of energy from what we felt was the best room at Prodigy. If you are a fan of the fantasy theme/Harry Potter, then you’ll love this room. If you keep your eyes peeled, you may even spot some cheeky pop culture references that the team have slipped in. A full review of Prodigy Escapes can be found here: https://escapepuzzler.com/prodigy-escapes-experiences-exeter-uk-review/
The 13th FloorEscape Rooms CardiffEscape roomIRLWe’d heard a lot of buzz about TERPECA 2024 nominee The 13th Floor, which is the newest addition to ERC. This was our second game of the day, and quite a departure from the more ‘traditional’ Cardiff Castle. It stood out from the other games we’ve played due to its effective use of a smaller space and the novel approach to gameplay. It is a modern 2.0 escape room that utilises electronic locks, along with other immersive elements, which add some extra surprises. This technical wizardry, made possible by the room’s modern technology, boosted immersion and led to some fun reveals along the way. The set design looked so authentic that one of our team who is afraid of heights, was scared to enter the lift at the start! Alex (GM) had to reassure us that it wasn’t an actual lift, but that the technology used would simulate the feeling of movement. As we stepped inside and the doors closed behind us, we had no idea what to expect… The 13th Floor is a fantastic linear room that slowly reveals each puzzle in a fun way as the elevator ‘ascends’. There are lots of tactile puzzles to solve, with plenty of teamwork required. The story was also engaging and had us invested in urgently working through each level. Despite its spooky vibes, I wouldn’t class this as a horror room – it was unsettling at times, but never felt all-out scary. We escaped with about 10 minutes to spare, after losing a decent chunk of time on one puzzle. We kicked ourselves as we had missed a key detail that would have allowed us to solve it much more quickly. This room was a big hit with us and definitely deserves its TERPECA nomination! Kudos to the team at ERC, who have managed to create a very memorable experience in a relatively small space using some great technological enhancements. For the full article covering my trip to Escape Rooms Cardiff, visit: https://escapepuzzler.com/escape-rooms-cardiff-uk-part-1-feature/
The Lost TempleProdigy Escapes And ExperiencesEscape roomIRLThe Lost Temple is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a tomb-based adventure with Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider vibes. It spans multiple spaces, with the jungle as the main entry point. Decorated with lush plants, dinosaur remains, and a running water feature, it feels very immersive. Strange symbols adorn the walls, with only a large temple door and puzzles keeping you from the treasure. Equipped with sun hats and torches, we were ready to take on the challenge! An introductory video sets out the mission: to hunt down a piece of treasure rumoured to be hidden within a long-forgotten temple. Stranded in a jungle with only a small locked box and a map, we had to work out how to unlock the tools needed for our journey. The room starts as a linear experience, before branching into non-linear gameplay later on. We enjoyed the mix of working together and breaking off to tackle puzzles in pairs. One element that is often hard to nail is getting the right people in front of the right puzzles. There were instances where we probably should have switched things up, but it’s easy to work that out in hindsight. We evolve as a team with each game we play, so hopefully, this is something we will get better at. We only came across two traditional padlocks in the room, with most elements utilising technology to unlock the way forward. This paved the way for some creativity with the puzzles, which don’t just generate a number for you to input into a lock. Instead, your map-reading ability, observation skills and physical dexterity will all be tested. Some puzzles were very interactive, requiring us to act quickly, while others required more brainwork. Our strength as a team is definitely more in ‘thinky’ puzzles vs physical challenges, so we felt a little on the back foot at times. Rooms are built to test us, though, so we relished in the chaos as we tried to work outside our comfort zone. There was one element of the room that broke immersion a bit for me, and that was the fire door. Fire safety is hugely important, but I’m not used to seeing the fire door in the escape room itself. I appreciate that there is no way of getting around this, due to building limitations, but it did break the illusion of being in the jungle a little. Not enough to have a big impact on my enjoyment of the room as a whole, though. As the time quickly ran down, we had to work hard and fast to finish the final puzzles. The last one, once we got the hang of it, was extremely satisfying. We got our hands on the treasure just in the nick of time and escaped for a delicious Thai lunch. A full review of Prodigy Escapes can be found here: https://escapepuzzler.com/prodigy-escapes-experiences-exeter-uk-review/
The Reading WitchDeadlocked Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLTo say I was apprehensive about my first horror room with actors is an understatement. Playing at night, the day before Halloween and with an unfamiliar team made the experience even more unnerving, but... WOW! What a room… Hats off to the team at Deadlocked, who have crafted a truly memorable experience that had my pulse racing and my brain in overdrive. The perfect blend of theatre, escape room and horror, without skimping on the puzzles. The acting is superb, the sets atmospheric and the puzzles were really fun. The extended runtime really allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the gripping story, although the time still shot by very quickly. I can totally see why this room was rated number 1 in the UK at the TERPECA awards this year. I only hope that more rooms of this level continue to emerge in the UK!
cQ OrigenesclueQuestEscape roomIRLIf you’ve ever watched Honey, I Shrunk The Kids or Ant-Man, you’ll have some idea why we were so excited to play cQ ORIGENES. It features a really fun mechanic, where the team must shrink down to the size of a mouse to access Mr. Q’s old base. Why do they need to do this? Well, to avert a crisis, of course – this time, a cyber attack orchestrated by none other than Professor BlackSheep. Before starting the mission, we were each assigned a role, such as Captain or Navigator. These were important early on, so thankfully we all did a good job of remembering them. This room combines linear and non-linear gameplay across two distinctly different rooms. In the first, your job is to fire up the Shrink’o’mat, which is trickier than it looks! Once you’ve shrunk down, you’ll explore the old base, which is full of secrets, hidden objects and mind-bending challenges. As with the other rooms at clueQuest, there is a large element of searching. I actually relished in the role of key searcher, which meant I wasn’t left standing around while others were tackling a puzzle. It was thrilling to step into a space where everything was super-sized. A gigantic working padlock was particularly impressive, along with a huge box of matches and a giant cassette player. Interestingly, the giant padlock is the only traditional lock in the room. Instead, you’ll be moving sliders, turning gears and slotting objects into place. Standout moments were firing up the Shrink’o’mat for the first time, with all of the cool sounds and lights, and when the ah-ha moment hit with the giant cassette player. Our team of four felt like the perfect size, and we each had moments to shine. There was one very fiddly puzzle right at the end of the game that cost us a large chunk of time. It relied heavily on teamwork, and with the added time pressure, it certainly kept us on our toes. Our hearts raced as we frantically fired up the Shrink’o’mat to return to our normal size, finishing with minutes to spare. cQ ORIGENES was a big hit with our team, in no small part because of the supersized nature. We can only imagine what they could do with this concept in an even bigger space. For a full review of the venue and other rooms on offer, head to EscapePuzzler.com
AI ApocalypsePuzzled Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLFor AI Apocalypse, we were taken into the top-secret Rat’s Nest bar area. It’s a fantastic space with mood lighting, comfy seating and P.I.M.M.S., aka Puzzled Industries Marvellous Mechanical Server, a robot bartender. A really fun perk of this experience is that free snacks are provided. For us, these included a range of soft drinks, crisps and sweets. Ironically, we got so engrossed in the game that we forgot to really take advantage of these, but it is definitely worth highlighting! This game was thrilling, different and definitely something I’d like to see more of in the escape room space. It straddles the line between a tabletop game and a more traditional escape room. I can’t begin to work out how the team put this together, with all its technical complexity. The game incorporates various boxes, wires and other physical elements that all interconnect. To begin, one member of the team must scan a QR code using their phone to log in to a special web application. This houses a series of web-based tools to assist you with stopping the meltdown. The app syncs up with a TV screen in the room, so that all players can see the relevant information. This helps prevent potential arguments as you race against the clock by not restricting all of the online content to one device. The puzzles were sufficiently challenging to add tension to the mission, but not so hard that we didn’t ‘get out’ on time. There were tasks involving sequences, translation, codes and wires. In general, we each had a moment to shine. This room was a stand-out for me, and I really hope that there will be more ‘missions’ available in future. It is a fantastic space, with lots of potential for other adventures. Our GM for this game was Rhys, who we didn’t actually need to call on at all. We did get to have a great chat with him afterwards, though, and it was clear he shared our passion for escape rooms. Full review of Puzzled Escapes here: https://escapepuzzler.com/puzzled-escape-rooms-cardiff-uk-feature/
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