I can see why Birth Machine is so popular, mostly because it doesn’t take itself seriously and has a very impressive set. Personally, I preferred the puzzles in Time Machine, but each to their own and all that.
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Mad Machines: Time Machine (Milan)
With two games that both boast some solid puzzles, great sets, and plenty of whimsical fun, it’s definitely worth a visit to Mad Machines if you find yourself in Milan. Of the two games currently available at the venue, Time Machine was our preferred experience, but it’s a tough call to make.
Bewilder Box: Portaclue – The T.U.R.D.I.S
The T.U.R.D.I.S has certainly left an impression, and thankfully it’s not one that needs wiping away. Just remember should you ever have the pleasure of using it: The T.U.R.D.I.S is not a functioning toilet!
Enigma Escapes: Fear of the Unknown (Truro)
In escape rooms, the ‘fear of the unknown’ is often not knowing if a company/game is going to be good, or a waste of money. This Fear of the Unknown is a lesson in why one should give things a try, as it was a beautiful game and I’m so glad we made the time to play it.
Prodigy Escapes: The Wizards of Wyvern (Exeter)
Admittedly, we already love Prodigy Escapes, but The Wizards of Wyvern is possibly their best game to date. The game is whimsical and charming, filled with pleasing puzzles and even a little magic, and thanks to the scalable difficulty it really is perfect for any experience level.
RADA: Little’s Lost Letter (London)
Ok, the negatives: Hard to get tickets for and when it’s gone it’s gone. That’s it. This is a lovely game, at a great price, and the team at RADA can stand proud with what they’ve achieved. Ratings are the hardest part of reviewing games, but regardless of the rating we’ve given, this is a game you really should try and play.
Forbidden Quest: The Collector (Belfast)
The fact that in writing this review I keep referring to Athens is testament to what Forbidden Quest has done here. This is an experience, the type of experience that is few and far between in the UK at the moment – only Time to Float and The Reading Witch would be the logical comparisons.
Next Level Escapes: The Ultimate Hockey Battle (Hamilton, ON)
This was a fun game, but I think I wanted more from it. The finale that it built up to just felt a bit anticlimactic and slowed the pace massively, but I’m not sure how that could be ‘fixed’. Ice Hockey fans will probably get a good kick from this game, but for me, of the games I’ve played at this venue, it’s probably position three of three – but that could also because I didn’t play it with Liz (she’s the brains)
clueQuest: IAMAI (London)
Before we played IAMAI I was asked what my favourite clueQuest game was, and I had to think hard. Now it’s easy, IAMAI is my favourite game at clueQuest, possibly in London.
Knockout Escape Rooms: Locktopus (Reading)
This is not your typical escape room. It is very high-tech and revolves around a large central screen. It is however a game made by an enthusiast, for enthusiasts – it is a puzzle-fest! If you’re familiar with the works of James Hamer-Morton (Deadlocked live and online games, and many escape room books), then playing the Locktopus is a scary insight into how his brain works.
Escape Room FAQs: Everything You Need to Know Before You Play
We’ve been playing escape rooms since 2015 and if it wasn’t for our detailed spreadsheet, we would have lost count of how many we’ve done at this point. In that time, we’ve been asked pretty much every question going, from people who’ve never played a room before, to seasoned enthusiasts who are thinking about their next trip. So we figured it was about time we put all of those questions in one place. If you’re new to escape rooms, welcome. You’re about to develop an expensive hobby.