AI Apocalypse

The game overall was brilliant, it certainly wasn’t too easy and had the perfect amount of challenge that made us think quite a lot. We usually struggle with the start and this one stumped us for a few but that’s just the groups own ability. Isabelle was great as well and explained everything really well at the start. Will be back again!

This game is so much more than it seems on the surface. It starts out like most "play at home" games, but quickly evolves into an incredibly detailed, tech rich experience. There are so many impressive parts to this game, and after speaking to the creator, I realise there was EVEN MORE that I didn't notice before. The puzzles are quite separated from each other but it works within the theme of the game. The music and ambience of the room is absolutely fantastic, it adds so much suspense and tension to game without distracting you. The use of a players phone is fun and feels like you're part of something larger than the room your in, but I think I would have preferred a way to incorporate the phone part into the room. Perhaps and control module on a wall, something like that. Overall, an incredibly well built game, that feels like nothing I've found so far. Not a typical escape room, but that's a good thing. Also a free snack bar and drinks fridge is always a bonus, we didn't make use of it, but it had good stuff stocked in it. And the bartender is a dashing chap ;)

The puzzles were challenging and I had to fall back on some knowledge from my day job, the included snacks and drinks were a very welcome addition

My wife and I recently played the AI Apocalypse room at Puzzled in Taffs Well. It’s a genuinely unique sit‑down escape room, unlike anything we’ve tried before. I absolutely loved the concept, though my wife wasn’t quite as taken with it — so it’s definitely one of those “your mileage may vary” experiences. --- 👍 What We Liked • Challenging, clever puzzles The room leans heavily into mental problem‑solving rather than physical searching, which kept us fully engaged. • Strong technological element You actually need to use a website as part of the game, which adds a modern twist and keeps the experience dynamic. • Great for players with mobility needs Since it’s a sit‑down room with minimal physical movement, it’s ideal if you prefer puzzles over physical tasks. • Free snacks throughout A small touch, but a very welcome one. • A completely new concept for us We’ve done a lot of rooms, and this one genuinely felt different. --- 👎 What Could Be Better • The music is quite loud It can be turned down on request, but it’s noticeably intense at first. • Lots of small components There are many bits and pieces to keep track of. If you don’t move completed puzzles out of the way, things can get confusing fast. • Not ideal for large groups The format and space seem best suited to 2–3 focused players rather than a big team. --- 📝 Overall Thoughts AI Apocalypse is an acquired taste, but if you enjoy more difficult, cerebral puzzles and appreciate a tech‑driven escape room, it’s absolutely worth trying. It’s distinctive, challenging, and refreshingly different from traditional escape room formats.

There is a rather nasty AI going wild in deepest darkest Wales, and well it got the better of us on this occasion. The snacks and drinks were on point, My team today were far from being on point and thus we did not disable this wretched AI, It was however good fun trying.

Completely different to any other type of escape room we’d done. We had a great time, and we will definitely be going back to do the other rooms!

Great game! Great staff! Lovely way to spend an afternoon. This is a game that really exercises your brain in a fun environment. The staff member was friendly and helpful. I would thoroughly recommend.

The amount of tech that goes into the rooms here is seriously impressive, I don't think people understand how clever it is.

For 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/

Really good concept, table top based and we really enjoyed it. Puzzles were challenging and good variety of stuff to work out. We loved it!