Magnifico

I went on a trip to Montreal specifically to play this room and I am so happy I did! It won the #1 spot on TERPECA for a reason; production quality was top-notch, the puzzles were fun and different, and I enjoyed the way they were able to fully immerse players into the game and story. On top of all that, customer service was amazing! Everyone there was super nice and helpful! Well done, Escaparium!

I did 3 rooms at Escaparium as part of a team of 2 from the UK. The first part of this review is common to all 3 game reviews, the second half is specific to this game. The games at Escaparium are unlike any I've played anywhere else. It's more like being a character in a film or video game. The puzzles feel less like puzzles and more like important part of your adventure. I've taken a while to think about this review before writing it because while I loved it I didnt necessarily feel like I'd done an escape room (because it wasn't just a room with puzzles and a loose narrative around it). But a week later when I think back on the rooms I can't help but smile, for they were all amazing experiences, with incredible sets, fantastic actors/GMs and puzzles that were there but at the same time were just part of the story. So so clever! Magnifico was my second favourite of the rooms we did. The story and set were mind blowing and the level of detail - just wow! Multiple actors in this one and they were all brilliant, helping when needed to make sure you finished the story (this is probably more prevalent with teams of 2 as the room is meant for bigger teams). Some wow aspects that I've never experienced in an escape room before and likely will never again! Can definitely see why this is TERPECA no 1 this year.

Wow, wow, wow, wow .... WOW One of the most immersive escape rooms I have ever played. A game where we encounter so many unique and entertaining characters, as well as a deep and powerful story line that hooks you in and twists and turns. Oh.. and who can forget the outstanding set design that has been built on an epic scale. A masterpiece.

Worth it! It is clear why this is so highly rated. The acting was superb, the set is huge and beautiful and so detailed, the puzzles were a lot of fun as well. There were so many wow moments, and one element I have never seen in an escape room. The story was so important to this room, and I love how it unraveled throughout the experience. Each step we took mattered and each puzzles led the story forward. I want to go back and take all my friends to experience this. Bravo!

Excellente expérience immersive

Beautiful game, loved the decor and the acting! We had a small issue with a puzzle but it was handled quickly and so professional that we barely noticed it, it hardly even impacted gameplay. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT

Experiencing Magnifico leaves no doubt on why it's rated so highly. This is more than an escape room. It's a labor of love. And I'm not an expert in the business side, but judging by the throughput of customers to staff ratio, they are definitely running this for the artistry and not for profit. What sets Magnifico apart beyond huge budget and set design, is the artistry. The narrative is first, and the puzzles are integrated into the narrative. I have always enjoyed rooms where the puzzles "make sense" and are part of the story, not just jammed in to be a puzzle, and this room takes it to the extreme. Each puzzle/group of puzzles has its own story introduction, and you are always working towards a narrative goal. The puzzle themselves range mostly linear but there are sections where you can work on 2 at a time, but even the linear puzzles require multiple people and teamwork, so everyone always has something to do. The grand scale of the experience is actually misleading, as the reason Magnifico is maxed for 4-6 people is how intimate the scenes are. I think 4 is the perfect amount of people for this room. I was ultimately left in awe on how much effort was put into just "entertaining" our small group of 5 people, and all the effort the MULTIPLE staff members put into acting, running the game, etc. And speaking of awe, the set design is out of this world. There are multiple very ambitious elements, some even just for ambiance and story, and Magnifico even has its own custom soundtrack! If it hasn't been clear so far, I unequivocally recommend this room, and can't wait to see if any other escape room can ever top this experience.

It's hard to express how amazing this game is, but I'll try. Pretty much every element of the game was the best I've seen so far in an escape room. This doesn't feel like an incremental improvement over other games, but rather an entire leap forward. The set was detailed, very immersive, and interesting to be in. They did a great job evoking their intended spaces, and frequently had nooks and crannies where unexpected content would appear. There's a ton of effort put into even minor details, which helps sell the whole thing - a certain late game prop comes to mind as a living, breathing embodiment of this. The actors were essential to the game, and a significant portion of the experience revolved around interacting with them, from comedic to dramatic. Escaparium has previously flirted with a character driven narrative in Wardrobe for Sale, but Magnifico really runs with it. I wasn't the only team member crying at the end of the game. In most escape rooms, puzzles are tangentially related to the set or plot, but are pretty clearly where the designer thought "What do I associate with X, and how do I turn it into a puzzle?". While there's still some of that here, I think Magnifico does a better job than most of naturally integrating puzzles into what's going on. In particular, there's a sequence midgame where it's pretty clear what you want to do, but have to figure out how to use the environment and your inventory to accomplish the goal - it's more like a (sensible) real-life point-and-click adventure game than the standard escape room "here are 4 icons, a lookup table, and a 4-digit lock". I'm not saying Magnifico is perfect - I might have preferred some different creative choices about some aspects of the plot or character development. At the same time, I think it's saying a lot that this reaction is much more like how I'd think about a movie or book than a traditional escape room. I love that this is a place we're at now, and look forward not only to Escaparium's future games but also how the industry keeps up.

Very entertaining and well acted, strongly immersive. Loved how the actors made us feel like we were in the storyline