Blades Out - A Deadly DinnerThe Great Escape Klemzig [prev. Escaplex]Escape roomIRLThis was our first visit to the Great Escape in Klemzig, and we were immediately impressed by the venue. The interior felt modern and welcoming, with a comfortable waiting area and even a games room to enjoy beforehand. Our game master was fantastic—friendly, accommodating, and very understanding when one of our group arrived late due to traffic. We chose Blades Out – A Deadly Dinner because the storyline sounded unique, and it did not disappoint. Instead of the usual “escape before time runs out” format, we stepped into the roles of detectives tasked with unraveling a complex crime. Our mission was to piece together the mystery and reveal the truth, which made the experience feel more like a real investigation than a standard escape room. The set design was excellent—stylish, immersive, and far from the “cheap” look some escape rooms can have. We especially appreciated how well-lit the rooms were and the fact that the puzzles didn’t rely on fiddly locks. Instead, the challenges required plenty of teamwork and creative thinking, keeping everyone involved and engaged. The clue system was another highlight. Rather than staring at a monitor, we could press a “help” button when needed. Hints came via an automated voice paired with atmospheric background music, which kept us immersed in the story while also giving timely updates and countdowns. The addition of an electronic sketch pad for note-taking was brilliant—it meant we could track details without relying on memory alone. We managed to complete the room in time, only asking for three clues, which made us feel pretty proud of ourselves! Overall, this escape room ticked all the boxes: strong storytelling, clever puzzles, immersive design, and excellent hosting. Blades Out – A Deadly Dinner was a truly enjoyable experience that left us feeling like detectives inside a real mystery.
EnigmistaEscape Reality - Escape Rooms NewcastleEscape roomIRLOn our recent visit to Escape Reality Newcastle, we were greeted straight away by two friendly and accommodating games masters who instantly made us feel welcome. The venue itself has a great setup — a cosy waiting area complete with games to play while you wait, which really helps set the mood. We took on Enigmista, Escape Reality’s horror-themed room. While it’s spooky and atmospheric, it never felt too scary — instead, it delivered a gripping storyline about escaping the lair of a serial killer. Our enthusiastic games master Caleb brought the narrative to life brilliantly, which helped immerse us in the experience right from the start. The game kicked off in dramatic fashion, with us being blindfolded and handcuffed, but I won’t spoil the rest. What I can say is that the puzzles were excellent: a creative mix of audio challenges, lock-based tasks, and clever electronic elements. The addition of a live actor gave the room an extra edge, heightening the tension and atmosphere while also stepping in to guide us when needed. We had a team of four, which felt like the perfect number — enough hands and brains to tackle everything without feeling overcrowded. The puzzles flowed nicely in a linear way, which made progress satisfying, though a few of us may have been guilty of overthinking! We also appreciated that the puzzles were diverse and never repetitive. Another thing I liked about the game was the clue system, where the players are handed a mini iPad which can be used to scan an individual puzzle if you ever get stuck. The teams are given a certain number of clues per game but it was really helpful if you felt particularly challenged by a certain puzzle. Although we didn’t escape this time (we were just 90 seconds away!), we later learned the room only has a 35% success rate, so we still felt proud of how close we came. A sweet little bonus at the end was being handed chocolate, which made us smile after all the adrenaline! More importantly, the experience was so much fun that we left buzzing and already talking about which room to try next.
The SpeakeasyAdventure Rooms Adelaide - Escape Rooms and BarEscape roomIRLThe Speakeasy was one of the most enjoyable rooms we’ve played at Adventure Rooms. Even though we didn’t manage to escape, we didn’t feel discouraged — the low success rate of this room speaks for itself! Compared to The Black Queen, which we found too lock-heavy, The Speakeasy offered a more balanced mix of challenges. Good lighting definitely came in handy in certain areas, which added to the sense of immersion without being frustrating. There were a few red herrings that tripped us up, but that’s all part of the fun and challenge. The puzzles themselves were very clever. At times we knew what to do but stumbled a little in execution, so the occasional hint from our games master helped us keep momentum. Speaking of which, our games master was fantastic — friendly, enthusiastic, and thorough in the pre-game briefing. We learned quickly not to dismiss anything in the room, as almost everything could prove useful. Our group’s logical thinkers shone in some moments, but one of the best parts of this room is how valuable a fresh pair of eyes can be — sometimes it was just spotting a detail or double-checking an input that moved us forward. In terms of design, the first room felt a bit plain and small, but the second and third spaces were much more immersive, with décor that pulled us into the story beautifully. The overall atmosphere was excellent, and even when we hit dead ends, the game stayed engaging and fun. We came incredibly close to escaping, even with an extra ten minutes generously offered by our games master. The final puzzles were particularly tough and kept us guessing until the very end, which made the experience memorable. Overall: The Speakeasy is a well-crafted, immersive, and challenging escape room that we’d happily recommend. With its clever puzzles, engaging atmosphere, and thoughtful design, it’s a standout at Adventure Rooms and a great choice for groups looking for a real test of teamwork and logic.
The Gaol BreakAdventure Rooms Adelaide - Escape Rooms and BarEscape roomIRLThis was our first time going to Adventure Rooms and we loved it. They did forget to leave one clue right at the beginning but the GM realised his mistake and fixed it straight away. But it didn’t deter from the game at all. The funny thing is that we thought we’d succeeded at one stage…only to realise we still weren’t out yet! Overall a great game
The Missing ProfessorUrban Mysteries CoEscape roomIRLWe loved this venue. Even though it’s classed as a Mystery Room not an escape room, the gameplay is still very similar. The furnishings of the room were great and the story was really interesting. Our only grievance was that one lock was tricky to open! But the best part is that, if you finish early, you can use the extra time to solve additional puzzles in the room. Very well made game 👍🏻
The Abandoned CabinAdventure Rooms Adelaide - Escape Rooms and BarEscape roomIRLAdventure Rooms is a really great venue and our team had a lot of fun playing this. The GM did need to help us out when a cupboard door opened with the next clue…and none of us noticed! A very well made game
In MemoriamEnigma RoomEscape roomIRLThis place was really fun! The GMs were really kind and this was the first time we played a vs game (flight attendants vs pilots). The only problem was that our GM was a tad too enthusiastic and tended to give us clues when we didn’t ask for them. But the storyline was really good. It is so sad that this venue became a victim of COVID and had to close not long after 😕
The Black QueenAdventure Rooms Adelaide - Escape Rooms and BarEscape roomIRLThis was my third visit to Adventure Rooms in Adelaide, and while we still had fun, some aspects fell short compared to my previous experiences. This time, we tried The Black Queen, which is advertised as one of their easier rooms—and ironically, it was the first time I didn’t manage to escape. I’d say the difficulty wasn’t so much in the puzzles themselves, but in the lack of clue access and the low lighting, which made progress slower. The staff were friendly and welcoming, but I did have some feedback afterwards. Our game introduction was rushed; the staff member spoke so quickly that we had to ask him to repeat several things. When I asked about the storyline (which I think really helps set the atmosphere), he simply said, “Oh okay, I’ll play the introduction video for you.” This surprised me, as I thought a proper introduction would be a standard part of any escape room experience. The game itself had a clear, linear structure, which we enjoyed, but it relied heavily on multiple locks. We weren’t told beforehand that we couldn’t request clues, so when we tried, we got no response. Clues did eventually appear, but a couple of them came after we had already solved those particular puzzles. Another challenge was the low lighting. Many locks were hard to read, and without our phones (which we left outside, as is standard), we wished we had some kind of torch. This made progress trickier than it needed to be. Unfortunately, we didn’t escape this time—which was disappointing given how close we felt we were. As my past visits to Adventure Rooms have been excellent, I do think this was more of an off day. Our games master was kind and polite, and my feedback is only intended to help fine-tune the experience so it’s as smooth and enjoyable as possible. I’d still recommend Adventure Rooms as a whole, but I think The Black Queen could benefit from clearer instructions, better clue timing, and improved lighting.
Abandoned Military Bunker on the RocksPaniq Room SydneyEscape roomIRLThis was my first ever escape room and I remembered thinking that the staff were not particularly enthusiastic. We did have a good time though.
