Percy Pendleton's Peculiar PredicamentEscape Quest United KingdomEscape roomIRLI've been doing escape rooms for quite a few years now and I do not recall ever hearing about this place and before attending I must say that I was rather skeptical. However, I was absolutely blown away by every aspect of the game. - The game flowed extremely well, with a nice pacing and we were never stuck for something to do. - The room looked STUNNING and everything was themed nicely. - The puzzles all made sense and didn't require leaps in logic. - Lots of locks, however, you always knew which code went into which lock. - A lot of work has gone into this venue, from the large set design all the way down to the smallest of details. Will definitely be back and will be recommending this venue regularly.
The Cabin In The WoodsDeliverance Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLA neat take on the typical spooky cabin. Friendly host (whom was the owner) who clearly made the rooms due to their love of Escape Rooms.
The LabEscape Room HullEscape roomIRLOne of my favourite rooms to this day. Had some very unique puzzles which really fit in with the overall theme and story. Don’t think we needed a hint until the very end and when we understood what to do it did seem obvious and we was just overcomplicating it. Which shows the room and the puzzles did flow and make sense.
The Coal MineEscape CoalvilleEscape roomIRLWe came here after hearing about their unique completely dark room and decided we just had to try it. The venue was easy to find, with free parking right beside it, which was very handy because we arrived around 10-15 minutes late. However, our host Daniel was very kind & understanding. Had the brief then entered the room, to start off with it was completely dark, couldn't see your hand in front of your face. We soon got a sense of the room and started completing some fun and interesting puzzles which really went well with the theme. Overall, definitely a room to try, even if you have to go out your way to visit. We did have few annoying niggles along the way but nothing that completely ruined the experience.
Santa’s GrottoLabyrinth Escape Rooms GrimsbyEscape roomIRLOne of the rooms I remember extremely fondly. Aimed towards children however we also enjoyed it like giddy littles ones. Obviously we did it quickly but still enjoyed it all nonetheless.
Escape the RMS TitanicHoudini's Escape Room Experience NottinghamEscape roomIRLAnother mixed bag from Houdini’s but still overall enjoyable. The host knew their stuff, full of interesting facts about the Titanic, very cheery and clearly enjoys their job. Although, perhaps a little to trigger-happy with the Yes/No hint system and the telephone hints. For example I’d ask my partner a question and the host would reply with the Yes/No sound clip. In the end we resorted to whispering to each other where possible so we could figure it out for ourselves. The room layout was absolutely fantastic with great verticality and a multitude of rooms and areas. The puzzles were clever and themed into the nautical environment and the Titanic story. However, many things obviously didn’t work how they were intended to and this left a disappointing taste. There were lots of “oh what WOULD have been cool” moments. I might be completely wrong but Houdini’s rooms seem to have the feeling that they are made then abandoned to the staff to just ‘make-do’. Despite this, I did still enjoy myself, but I just wish I played it when it first opened and everything worked.
Extinct - Escape from Jurassic IslandHoudini's Escape Room Experience NottinghamEscape roomIRLI’ll start off by saying that I did really enjoy this room. I played it with a first timer and they absolutely loved every second and you just have to love a room with a little verticality. It’s fun that the safety video is themed to each room specifically and that the GMs get into character for the story and the ending. The GM congratulated us each time we reached a new room which showed they were paying attention, (although at the end asked us how we worked out the answer, so not sure if they listened along too, or if this Q&A at the end was just part of the experience) I did like the logic part of the final puzzle but one element kind of relied on memory and if you’d forgotten it I don’t think you’d be able to “win”. Clue system via walkie talkie which I’m never a fan of, but didn’t need to use it in the end so it’s a mute point. A door was left open which the GM had to come in to close, but it didn’t effect our game as it was done quickly before we’d entered said room. A few other things did feel like they used to be more elaborate and technical puzzles but have since broken and been retrofitted to work differently, but I am just speculating. Overall, I would recommend this room! Specifically for groups of 2-3 with little experience (maybe a 4 at a squeeze) Or to play at a leisurely pace for experienced players.
MeltdownThe Lockup Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLOur host was the owner, very friendly and chatty. Clearly someone who loves escape rooms and made theirs based on this passion. Visibly the room was spectacular but it did fit the theme well. Without giving spoilers; the main puzzle was extremely fun and challenging. We all gave it a go and had lots of challenging fun.
JungalaEscape Reality LeicesterEscape roomIRLWas eager to play a room or two, so we just turned up because online it said they were open. Door was locked and no one inside, so we rang up and they did come rather quickly to be fair. Although very unenthusiastic about the rooms when we asked which they’d recommend. Didn’t know anything about the rooms but had a look on the leaderboard and most of the games had times under 30mins and some had times below 15mins. There isn’t any way we were playing a game you could complete in a quarter of the time so we picked Jungala which had the longest leaderboard time. I did like the idea of “if it has this sticker on it - it is fragile” but the stickers were on so much stuff they seemed redundant. Main clue system is a tablet, which takes time off your paid experience if you use a hint. Otherwise if you are still struggling you have to press a switch, which lights up a bulb in reception. Hope the staff notices and wait for them to come to the room and ask what you are stuck with. Thankfully we didn’t need to use any hints. (But still escaped in less than half the time) The room and puzzles were sub-par, nothing interesting or different. Lots of scuff marks basically showing you what you need to do next. Would be maybe worth it for kids and if you got it half price or something.
