LOCATION: Crawley, United Kingdom Photo above is property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Questionable Ethics 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 1, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-7 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 90 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £34.95/PP (pending on the group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY The year is 1967. You and your team have been assigned a special task. Rumor has it, there is an abandoned Soviet facility performing experiments on civilians. You have to stop this at once. How will you infiltrate this facility... and more importantly, how will you make it out alive? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Instead of a normal presentation of the storyline or video, Hounds lets their gamemasters get in on the fun and express their creative sides. The stories might be a little different depending on which gamemaster you'll have on that day. This makes each experience for the players extremely unique. Depending on your team's skill level, the game could be tweaked without the players ever knowing it. We really do appreciate the fact that the creator's intention is for every player to see the ending and to get the full experience. The beginning of this game had a nice build-up in terms of intensity and served as a nice warm-up session as well. One of our favorite puzzles in this game was not really a puzzle per se, but something that really put us into the actual situation. We felt like characters in a spy movie. The set design strongly supported the storyline and provided a seamless flow of a "break-in" and "break-out" adventure. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We might have missed this during the gameplay, but I don't recall collecting any evidence or bringing anything out of the facility to expose their existence. So there's a bit of confusion as to what the completion of the goal was. Perhaps the ending could tie in with the title of the room more? 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "Questionable Ethics" was unquestionably a suspenseful, yet entertaining experience. From being tested by an AI, to finding ways to infiltrate the lab, to ultimately escaping the facility, every scene was tied together by a perfect script. In the end, you'll also be surprised by the gamemaster with a score chart. You'll find out what you have missed, completed, and could have done. Are you ready to begin your mission? Photos above are property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Take the train to Crawley station and it'll be a minute walk from there. The facility is located in the town center with many coffee shops and restaurants nearby You'll need to walk up one flight of stairs to get to the lobby Lobby with seating and games and a bar Photos above are property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #HOUNDS #Mystery #Crawley #UK

LOCATION: Crawley, United Kingdom Photo above is property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Explorer's Diary 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 1, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Archaeology 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7.5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-7 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 90 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £34.95/PP (pending on the group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY It is the year 1946. You followed the path of famous archaeologist Sir Benjamin Diggit (or just a page from his diary rather) and ended up in a cave in Peru. Will you be able to find the treasure that he couldn't? Or will you share his fate? Video above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Instead of a normal presentation of the storyline or video, Hounds lets their gamemasters get in on the fun and express their creative sides. The stories might be a little different depending on which gamemaster you'll have on that day. This makes each experience for the players extremely unique. Depending on your team's skill level, the game could be tweaked without the players ever knowing it. We really do appreciate the fact that the creator's intention is for every player to see the ending and get the full experience. We were led by the gamemaster to what appeared to be the entrance of an archeological dig deep in the jungle. Once we set foot inside, we were transported to another location back in time. The puzzles were built around the storyline. First, we had to understand who was there before us, what happened to them, and how we can achieve what they couldn't. We really enjoyed the puzzles as they involved physical elements of the cave and props that we had to integrate together in order to find the solution. Normally, we don't really enjoy long translation puzzles but Hounds had an innovative way of constructing this multi-step puzzle to achieve the meta-puzzle for a phenomenal ending. I love endings with choices involved. I'm glad we chose the one that felt more dynamic (at least according to the conversation we had with the GM after). Regardless of which one you decide on, you'll definitely experience what felt like a scene from "Indiana Jones". Photo above are property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Other than one of the props being triggered earlier and confusing us on whether or not we had to complete it, everything else was spot on. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? In comparison to "Questionable Ethics", "The Explorer's Diary" definitely stood out a little bit more for us. The storyline, special effects, set design, and puzzles were all thoughtfully implemented into every inch of the experience. In the end, you'll also be surprised by the gamemaster with a score chart. You'll find out what you have missed, completed, and could have done. Definitely check out Hounds if you're in the Crawley area or just make a trip out here and you might just find the treasure you are looking for! Photos above are property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Take the train to Crawley station and it'll be a minute walk from there. The facility is located in the town center with many coffee shops and restaurants nearby You'll need to walk up one flight of stairs to get to the lobby (this room is located two flights up) Lobby with seating and games and a bar Photos above are property of HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank HOUNDS - Immersive Experiences for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #CiciCao #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #HOUNDS #Adventure #Archaeology #Crawley #UK

LOCATION: Coalville, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Coalville Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Coal Mine 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 5, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Sensory, Dark 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 9/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £18-22.50/PP (pending on the group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Coalville was historically a coal mining town until the pits were finally closed in 1983. Despite records showing there were 3 collieries, whilst there was work going on in the area the entrance to a secret, fourth colliery, has been discovered. Local historians investigated and believe that there may be some undiscovered artefacts in this mine. Eight miner’s lanterns belonging to the team that worked here are somewhere inside, and it is up to you to locate and retrieve these. However, with no light inside the mine and none allowed at the risk of damaging the integrity of the mine, you will have to use everything except your sense of sight to find them. Oh, and did we mention that readings detect a high level of Carbon Monoxide in there too? You have about 60 minutes in there before it is no longer safe to remain… (Beautifully themed room) 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Firstly this is NOT a scary, horror or jump-scare room. It is simply played in an area where there is no light whatsoever, to the point you cannot see your hand in front of your face and must rely on feeling your way around. There is nothing to be frightened of, and you are being constantly monitored by cameras to make sure nothing bad becomes of you! You start and end in a dimly lit area to get you used to the change of brightness, and are given helmets and other gear to help you inside and keep you protected. The initial exploration was cautious and slow as we felt our way around, describing what we felt and apologising as we gently bumped into one another or felt a teammate’s arm rather than a prop :) Your imagination can run wild while you try to envisage what the room layout, props and surfaces look like, and try to remember where you found something earlier that you need again! As well as collecting the lanterns (which are all hidden within the puzzles of the room) there is something else to collect so be on your guard (especially if you drop something - if you do, good luck!!) Hints, if required, are delivered over a tannoy by the site manager, all very in-keeping with the game. Perfectly works with the history of the area, and has been very carefully crafted and designed to provide the perfect in-the-dark experience. (We loved this puzzle, which kept us guessing for a while) 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There is one puzzle which relies on scent, which was fairly difficult plus the smells weren't that pleasant! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? A brilliantly unique idea which explores the use of different senses to work together and figure out what’s going on. Possibly the first escape room playable by fully blind and visually impaired people (and tested as such). Commands great teamwork, communication and focus. Would be excellent for small team-building experiences. The great thing is that everyone, no matter their experience of escape rooms before, is on a level playing field as your normal instinct to search the room and look for patterns and clues is removed, so it adds a layer of complexity which even seasoned escapers will need to work against. So don’t be scared, as even if you do feel panicky you can leave at any time, but the reward of triumphing against the adversity of lack of sight is massively rewarding. You can ask to see the room as it really is once you are done (i.e with the lights on). This can be a revelation to see how it has been designed and built, but on the other hand you might want to not see it, and keep the mystery and your own internal vision of what you experienced. The choice is yours! (We particularly liked this feature!) ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO The venue has multiple physical rooms, portable escape games and even a puzzle-hunt around the local area, so you could easily spend all day here enjoying what they have to offer. And if that’s still not enough they have a range of online games to play! On a high-street so no immediate parking but the shopping centre has very affordable car-parks within a few minutes walk. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Escape Coalville for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #HelenBailey #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Sensory #Dark #EscapeCoalville #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Coalville, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Coalville Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Jane Doe 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 5, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Vehicle-Based, Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 8/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-4 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £18-22.50/PP (pending on the group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY As ambulance crew at a local sporting event, you have been brought a patient who was taking part and has collapsed. She has no identity on her and no-one around is able to tell you who she is! Can you discover who she is based on the medical records of those taking part in the event and then get her to the right hospital before it’s too late? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Such a unique setting - an old, unused, real ambulance parked up and ready to be explored. Feeling like you are in an authentic location means your heart is already pumping and the small, unforgiving space means you have to work carefully around each other, just like in the real scenario! Whilst it seems there are very few hiding places in an ambulance at first, the space has been used extremely cleverly to hide items and information you need to progress. The GM takes their place in the cab of the ambulance, and at one point you will be required to interact with them in there, which was fun and unusual. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK A lot of fixtures and fittings and equipment in there means you can get hung up on things that aren’t part of the game, so if it doesn’t seem to be proving useful, move on! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Absolutely worth it for the unique environment - and interesting mix of searching, puzzling and deduction. There is nothing gory or scary in this experience but there are by nature medical-related items so bear this in mind if you have any sort of phobias. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO This is NOT LOCATED at Escape Coalville’s main venue - it is based in a car park a short walk away - do check the website and your booking details for information on where to find the van. You can park in the same car park whilst you do this experience The main venue has multiple physical rooms, portable escape games and even a puzzle-hunt around the local area, so you could easily spend all day here enjoying what they have to offer. And if that’s still not enough they have a range of online games to play! Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Escape Coalville for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #HelenBailey #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Vehicle #Mystery #EscapeCoalville #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Coalville, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Escape Coalville Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: JM's Office 📅 DATE PLAYED: August 5, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Murder Mystery 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £18-22.50/PP (pending on the group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes 📖 THE STORY Imagine walking into your office one morning to find a dead body. Well, that’s what happened to James Murdoch PI today, and although he has no idea who it is and swears he didn’t do it, he has been arrested for the murder. Could this have something to do with a case he is investigating at the moment? Was he close to finding out the truth? Perhaps he is being framed in order to stop him from solving the case. You are a team of investigators who need to search the office, collect the evidence and discover the real perpetrator and clear James’ name, before the police and forensics clear the site and declare it a closed case. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This is a traditional search and puzzle, office-themed Escape room, with beautifully lavish decoration, interesting and authentic props and plenty of hiding places. The puzzles are logical, with a good level of complexity and a nice mix of logic, physical, hidden object and code-based types. As well as the searching and puzzling you need to make deductions and announce the correct culprit in order to save the day! Kept us busy for almost the full hour, but never felt slow or uncertain. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Nothing to report! 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? As one of the first, if not the first, escape rooms in the country, this room has been taken from its original location in London, loving restored and tweaked in Coalville style and kept alive. Those who have played the original should find there is enough difference to make it replay-able. If you’re fond of murder mysteries, detective stories, or just can’t resist lying down in the chalk outline of a body, then this is a must-do! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO The venue has multiple physical rooms, portable escape games and even a puzzle-hunt around the local area, so you could easily spend all day here enjoying what they have to offer. And if that’s still not enough they have a range of online games to play! On a high-street so no immediate parking but the shopping centre has very affordable car-parks within a few minutes walk. Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Escape Coalville for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #HelenBailey #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #MurderMystery #Whodunit #EscapeCoalville #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Chester, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Breakout Chester 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Forgotten Tomb 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 13, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Adventure, Egypt 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £15-20/PP (Weekdays), £17-22/PP (Weekends) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (45Min) 📖 THE STORY After discovering a missing page from The Book of Amun-Ra, your team of explorers delves into an ancient Egyptian tomb in search of buried treasure. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE This room is absolutely beautiful, featuring what I consider the best overall aesthetic of the already impressive roster at Breakout Chester. It’s clear that a great deal of care went into every detail of the props and décor, and the results speak for themselves. An impressive number of puzzles have been hidden throughout this room in a variety of very clever ways. Many of them are hiding in plain sight from the moment you walk in, creating some wonderful the-answer-was-there-the-whole-time moments that left us feeling very smart once we found them. Despite having only one room, the most impressive props are cleverly saved for later in the game, leading to some breathtaking discoveries in the latter half. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The lighting in this room is just dim enough that flashlights are a must, but not dark enough that their necessity feels greatly rewarding. Your team will stay in the same room for the whole experience. The room is layered enough to feel satisfying all the way through, but the lack of hidden passages or side rooms feels like a missed opportunity in a tomb full of secrets. Though fun, one puzzle required a member of the group to maintain a slightly uncomfortable position for a couple minutes. I got tired after a bit and had to tag out with my partner. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? In addition to top notch visual design that solidly out-competes most of the ancient-ruin-themed escape rooms I’ve seen, “Forgotten Tomb” is filled with puzzles that cleverly utilize the environment to consistently reward observant players. Every time my partner and I were sure we had uncovered all of the secrets we had access to, we’d notice another clue disguised as a decoration which had been staring us in the face from the moment we’d walked in and get a burst of excitement at finding ourselves back on the trail. Puzzles were also well varied, with many of them featuring satisfying tactile elements. Their difficulty was generally in the moderate category, relying more on careful attention to room details than on complicated formulas and multi-step thinking, making it a room that is satisfying for escape veterans while remaining reasonably approachable for newcomers. Of all the rooms I’ve seen that eschew restrictive linearity by keeping multiple puzzles active at once, this room has executed that strategy most effectively. Its wide approach to puzzle sequence limits frustration by letting individual players take breaks from puzzles they get stuck on since there will usually be something different they can be working on elsewhere. This approach also makes “Forgotten Tomb” a good room for larger groups, so don’t worry about bringing too many people along. Whether you have two people or five, you’ll still have a great time here. Though it has stiff competition from the other eight rooms we did there, “Forgotten Tomb” is my pick for the all-around best escape room on offer at Breakout Chester, and I recommend it wholeheartedly. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Because it is in a historic building, Breakout Chester is not handicap accessible. Players need to climb multiple staircases before they reach any of the rooms. This is in a car-free part of the city, so you will probably have to walk a couple blocks from the nearest parking lot or bus station. Employees on an intercom need to buzz you into the front door and want you to arrive five to ten minutes ahead of your game (but not earlier) so they can spread out guests for health reasons. Plan accordingly! (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Adventure #Egypt #BreakoutChester #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Chester, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Breakout Chester 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Excalibur 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 15, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy, Medieval 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £15-20/PP (Weekdays), £17-22/PP (Weekends) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (50Min, 2 Hints) 📖 THE STORY Your team are members of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table, but have been kidnapped and thrown in a dungeon. Now, a group of imposter knights pretending to be you have stolen your posts, and it’s up to you to break free and prove your identities in the only way an heir of Uther Pendragon knows how: by pulling Excalibur from its stone. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The dungeon escape at the beginning involves several puzzle elements that are wonderfully tactile and feel straight out of a heist movie. Very fun! Puzzle elements and decor are imaginative, match the narrative’s era, and clearly took some very clever design to pull off. I’m a sucker for costumes in escape rooms as a fun way to elevate your victory picture, and this one has chain mail and swords! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The Round Table element, while incredibly clever, showed some significant wear when we visited, and I was worried we might break it if we weren’t careful. One puzzle involving placing swords in slots created a significant tripping hazard. While there are signs warning players of this, it’s easy to forget the danger in the excitement of completing the room, so my partner tripped twice before we had finished. The placement of one clue was a little obscure. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? The best escape rooms are those that deliver on the fantasy of their premise not only through decor and set design, but also through the story told by the puzzles themselves. Featuring a delightfully tactile dungeon escape sequence, an impressively complex rotating Round Table puzzle, and the ultimate satisfaction of drawing the fabled sword from its stone, Excalibur is a room sure to be memorable, even amongst the other excellent experiences available at Breakout Chester. That said, the room isn’t perfect, and the couple critiques I have hold it back a little from being one of my favorites at Breakout Chester. My team was frustrated for some time as a result of an out-of-the-way clue we had missed (don’t be shy about hints, kids!), but my biggest complaint is about the room’s most ambitious element: the Round Table puzzle. Clearly a feat of careful engineering, this mechanical showstopper is very impressive and fun in concept, but it’s clear that the hundreds of groups who have come through this room have taken their toll on the table. This–along with the trip hazard created by the puzzle’s completion–somewhat lessened my enjoyment of the latter half of the Excalibur experience, though the game’s finale patched this up with a sword-pulling conclusion that delivered on a long-held fantasy of mine. While this room may have a couple literal rough edges, my team still had a great time with it, and some of the puzzles therein were among the most satisfying to complete from Breakout Chester’s suite of high-quality rooms. Excalibur is a great example of the storytelling fun made possible by good escape room design. It is an experience I recommend to veterans and newcomers alike… though perhaps wear shin guards if you have them. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Because it is in a historic building, Breakout Chester is not handicap accessible. Players need to climb multiple staircases before they reach any of the rooms. This is in a car-free part of the city, so you will probably have to walk a couple blocks from the nearest parking lot or bus station. Employees on an intercom need to buzz you into the front door and want you to arrive five to ten minutes ahead of your game (but not earlier) so they can spread out guests for health reasons. Plan accordingly! "Excalibur" is located up several flights of stairs. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Fantasy #Medieval #BreakoutChester #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Chester, United Kingdom Photo above is property of Breakout Chester 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Dark Magic 📅 DATE PLAYED: July 15, 2022 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy, Magic 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 2 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: £15-20/PP (Weekdays), £17-22/PP (Weekends) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (45Min, 3 Hints) 📖 THE STORY After discovering a secret room in the wizarding school where you study, your team accidentally threatens to set free an ancient evil. Fortunately, a great wizard has hidden a powerful wand and instructions for a banishing spell in the chamber with you. Can you find it in time, or will you be responsible for unleashing an unspeakable evil upon the world? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Like so many other rooms at Breakout Chester, Dark Magic is well-decorated with a strong sense of authenticity. Very cool! The room takes enough familiar elements from Harry Potter to satisfy fans, but makes them original enough not to be a straight-forward ripoff of their inspiration. The puzzle design really leans into the concepts of the room, discarding traditional lock and key puzzles in favor of technical wizardry that fits the theme well while feeling fresh and novel. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Because of the “magic” of the puzzles, causes and effects were not always clear. Sometimes we solved a puzzle without realizing that something in the room had opened as a result. The theme of this room lent itself well to hidden passages and secret rooms, so it was a bit of a disappointment that the whole game took place in the starting room. One puzzle involving a mailbox was surprisingly easy to finish by guesswork, which we ended up doing accidentally. A puzzle involving a visual clue appearing at intervals in the room involved a long wait, and was only visible for a moment each time it appeared, meaning a lot of down time between attempts to decipher it. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Having completed every escape room at Breakout Chester, it’s clear to me that lots of care and consideration goes into the rooms there. I recommend the establishment highly, though "Dark Magic" is a bit of a strange beast when it comes to puzzle design; the room’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are all tied to its commitment to magic as a theme, making it a room with both fun and frustration unique among its peers. In many ways, "Dark Magic" is a great success in terms of puzzle design, discarding many of the physical elements common in escape rooms in favor of something more unconventional and fresh. Instead of solving a puzzle by finding a code to put in a number lock, one might look for magic words to speak while waving a wand in a particular way. When these elements work, they feel great and make the room stand out. Even experienced players will likely find something new here, and novelty is a thing of great value in an escape room. Unfortunately, discarding the apparatus of conventional puzzle design also sacrifices tactility, making the room’s mechanics feel rather slippery. It wasn’t uncommon for my experienced team to fumble about with a puzzle wondering what we were doing wrong, only to much later notice a newly-opened lock without knowing exactly what we had done to open it (and thus which puzzle elements we were done using). Interestingly, the team at Breakout Chester reports that newcomers to escape rooms tend to have an advantage in Dark Magic over experienced players since they have fewer preconceived notions about puzzle design. Still, the room could do more with sound, light, and motion to signal changes in the room’s state, which would go a long way toward lessening frustration and delivering on the fantasy of magic puzzles. At the end of the day, "Dark Magic" isn’t the best room at Breakout Chester, but it is nonetheless a solid experience only held back from being a truly great one by the weight of its own ambitions. If you’re looking for something a little off the beaten path and don’t mind a bit of slippery design, then this remains a room worth checking out. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Because it is in a historic building, Breakout Chester is not handicap accessible. Players need to climb multiple staircases before they reach any of the rooms. This is in a car-free part of the city, so you will probably have to walk a couple blocks from the nearest parking lot or bus station. Employees on an intercom need to buzz you into the front door and want you to arrive five to ten minutes ahead of your game (but not earlier) so they can spread out guests for health reasons. Plan accordingly! This room contains flash lighting and may therefore not be suitable for anyone with photosensitive epilepsy. (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #KevinHelock #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #Fantasy #Magic #BreakoutChester #UnitedKingdom

LOCATION: Zoetermeer, Netherlands Photo above is property of DarkPark Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Honeymoon Hotel 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 20, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Thriller, Horror 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 14+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: Є1162.00 (2 ppl) - Є145.00 (3-6 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [31:57] 📖 THE STORY You begin your adventure in the dimply light lobby of the Honeymoon Hotel. Rumors surround the owner, who has married many times, and many times his bride disappears, never to be heard of again. You find it’s easier to check-in than it will be to check-out. Video above is property of DarkPark 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The game has a solid story which seemingly continues to unfold as your progress. We enjoy immersive games that provide depth and development to the story, which is what we found here. The hotel is beautifully built and much larger than we had anticipated. Each room is thematically decorated using high quality props and materials to provide the most immersive experience possible. There was also a good use of special effects such as lights and sound to provide that dark, tense atmosphere. Even though there are no actors we found ourselves on edge throughout. The puzzles were also thematic, aligning themselves both with the hotel setting and the murder mystery plot. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK There is one particular puzzle which had us really stumped because as we were attempting to complete it we realized it was impossible to do so. After some tries the puzzle appeared to let us progress although we weren’t sure how. During the debrief we asked the GM about the puzzle, they confirmed that it is in fact impossible and they let teams progress when they think they have got as close to completing it as possible. I’m not sure why you would install an impossible puzzle. To us, it was obvious fairly quickly that it couldn’t be completed. Aside from that there were no other big misses, but the impact of this failed puzzle definitely affected the team’s mood from that point on. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? This is a highly thematic room which is ideal for players wanting a more edgy or spooky experience. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is free public parking very close to the escape room, less than five minutes’ walk. There is a waiting area with seating, drinks, snacks and games for purchase, and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of DarkPark (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank DarkPark for comping our tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #DarkPark #Thriller #Horror #Netherlands

LOCATION: Leiden, Netherlands Photo above is property of Escape from Wonderland Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Escape From Wonderland 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 15+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. (Groups of 2-3PPL get 10 Min more) 💰 PRICE: €90-€135 (pending on size of group) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (52:09) 📖 THE STORY Once upon a time… a young woman walked into a strange hole in the wall and disappeared without a trace. Shocked eyewitnesses immediately alarmed the authorities, who started a big rescue operation. Using shovels and digging machines, a rescue team started looking for the young woman. Sadly, she was nowhere to be found. The only thing the team uncovered was a mysterious network of corridors hidden behind the wall. Since then, multiple expeditions, rescue teams and adventurers have tried to penetrate this wondrous land. Sadly, none of them ever returned, including the young woman. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The reception area looks magical. It is filled with Alice memorabilia and beautiful little details. I was particularly happy to sit at the table for our briefing and try all the different sweets on offer … yum! The design and construction of the rooms is whimsical and definitely in-keeping with the theme. The spaces are bright and obviously draw their inspiration from the Alice in Wonderland story. This is a nonlinear room filled with lots of mini puzzles which teams can either solve together or split and solve simultaneously. The puzzles do show some connection to the theme, yes there is a tea party to attend! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We were disappointed with how the story ends, we were expecting to find and rescue Alice at some point, but we never learn anything more about her fate, or the fate of any of the other people who entered the portal. The puzzles could have been a bit more interesting to complete. They are mostly all deduction based, so there is not a lot of variety to them. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Players who are huge fans of the "Alice in Wonderland" theme will really enjoy this journey! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is paid parking available within a 10-minute walk. There is a large waiting area with seating and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of Escape from Wonderland (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Escape from Wonderland for comping our tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapefromWonderland #Fantasy #Netherlands

LOCATION: Katwijk aan Zee, Netherlands Photo above is property of Timed Adventures Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Inferno 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 4 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 12+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €99-€149 (pending on group size) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (41:27) 📖 THE STORY It’s time to step into the waiting room of the fire station and relax until the call comes in. Once received you will jump into action, rushing to the changing rooms before heading out on your first emergency. Can you face the challenge ahead in this immersive experience? 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The waiting area is thematically decorated with lots of fire fighting memorabilia adorning the walls. Each of the spaces you enter through out the game is constructed and decorated to a very professional level. There are an abundance of props which really helps to create an immersive experience. There are not a lot of special effects in the room, but the ones used are effective in creating the tension desired. One in particular is very unique and perfect for the theme. The game flow is nonlinear, we appreciated being able to split up and tackle multiple puzzles at once. We often bounced around helping each other to solve the different tasks which would then allow us to progress to the next stages of the game. Being able to dress up as a fireman for the day, including wearing a genuine helmet… who wouldn’t enjoy that! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK As incredibly immersive as the story is, the fire fighting aspect doesn’t come into the game until the very end. Ideally, we would have liked for the fire fighting to have come into the story much sooner and played and a more prominent role in the experience. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? We highly recommend this to game to people of all levels. The theme and setting is so unique and we had a blast playing. The rooms are all spacious enough to allow for larger teams to play, which would be advisable if you are less experienced due to the number of puzzles to solve inside. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is public parking onsite. The website provides details of several public places you can choose to park in the surrounding area. There is a large waiting area with seating and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of ESCAPETHEROOMers (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Timed Adventures for comping our tickets for this game. Although complimentary admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion on the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #TimedAdventures #Adventure #Netherlands

LOCATION: Delft, Netherlands Photo above is property of DarkPark Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: freak show 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 20, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Mystery, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 14+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: Є1162.00 (2 ppl) - Є145.00 (3-6 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [41:24] 📖 THE STORY You find yourselves alone, in the dark. You reach out and feel the cold metal bars that surround you. You reach out to try and find something in the distance that might aid your escape. Should you manage to escape the care, your journey has just begun, because now you have to escape the carnival before the show ends and the freaks return. Video above is property of DarkPark 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The company have a beautifully designed and thematic reception area, complete with coffee machine, cool drinks and more. There are even some escape games, made by themselves, for purchase! The room itself is incredibly well built, everything surrounding you looks like it has come straight out of a circus. All the props and materials are of the highest quality, like something out of a theme park or movie set. The puzzles are just as thematic as the set. We appreciated how easy and fun the first few tasks were, as if to ease us into the game before the more challenging puzzles arrived. Aside from the great theming of the puzzles, there is also a wide variety. The tasks were simple but diverse. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The room allows for teams up to six, however I would think anything above four would be too many, both because of the room size constraints and the simplicity of the puzzles. For our advanced team of three, I was happy and wouldn’t have wanted a fourth. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Theme, theme, theme! If you like the circus then give this a go. Also a perfect game for small teams. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is limited free parking onsite or paid public parking on the surrounding streets. There is a waiting area with seating, drinks, snacks and games for purchase, and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of DarkPark (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank DarkPark for comping our tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #DarkPark #Mystery #Adventure #Netherlands

LOCATION: Delft, Netherlands Photo above is property of DarkPark Photo above is property of ESCAPETHEROOMers 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: The Dentist 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 20, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Sinister 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 5/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-6 ppl (Ages 14+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: Є92.00 (2 ppl) - Є115.00 (3-6 ppl) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes [31:12] 📖 THE STORY You’re in the dentist’s waiting room. There’s a painting of a sad little boy on the wall, an old lamp in the corner casting a grim light on the fancy wallpaper, and a radio playing classical music on a little side table. You hear stomping noises behind the door, then the piercing whirring of a dental drill, followed by a chilling scream not long after. The music coming from the radio seems to get louder and louder in a desperate attempt to drown out the screaming, but in vain. Your hands are clammy with sweat, are you next? Suddenly, the door opens… Video above is property of DarkPark 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE The company have a beautifully designed and thematic reception area, complete with coffee machine, cool drinks and more. There are even some escape games, made by themselves, for purchase! The room itself is very large making it ideal for larger teams. It has been decorated to a high level with lots of authentic props and materials that you would expect to find in a dentist … particularly an evil dentist. The Dentist’s waiting room (not the company one), which is actually part of the game and where we begin our experience had the distinct smell of a dentist, which immediately helped provide a level of immersion. The room comes with a couple of little plot twists which added an extra layer to the game as we came across them. The puzzles relate well to the theme, so expect to count a lot of teeth, utilize numerous dentist’s tools, and check out some x-rays. Although the room is padlock heavy the designers manager to work that in their favor, yes, even the padlocks have a role to play in your escape! 🧩 MISSED THE MARK We sadly didn’t find the room as ‘horrifying’ as the marketing may have suggested it would be. There are some lighting and sound effects in there but overall, the atmosphere isn’t too scary. It was disappointing that we left the waiting room so quickly and that it wasn’t utilized in the game in anyway. We had hoped that it would have also contained some puzzles. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? "The Dentist" is a puzzle packed Gen-1 escape room. It may be Dark Park’s oldest room, but it can still contend with many modern escape rooms. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is limited free parking onsite or paid public parking on the surrounding streets. There is a waiting area with seating, drinks, snacks and games for purchase, and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of DarkPark (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank DarkPark for comping our tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #DarkPark #Sinister #Netherlands

LOCATION: Delft, Netherlands Photo above is property of Delft Escape Photo above is property of Delft Escape 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Save The Kingdom 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 20, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Fantasy, Adventure 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 6/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 3-6 ppl (Ages 12+) 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €139/Team (Mon-Thu), €149/Team (Fri-Sun) ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (49:20) 📖 THE STORY It’s time to step into the fantasy world of the Hobbit and take on a quest to find the enchanted Delvenstone before evil takes over the land and Good is banished, never to return. The different nations are counting on you to succeed and save the peace that they have welcomed for so long. 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE Before we entered the Shire we were first taken to an adjoining room and tasked with opening a puzzle box. The box, we were told, could only be opened by the chosen ones, and inside we would discover a special treasure that would aid our journey. This was both a unique and fun pregame task that served as a suitable warmup for the game proper. The room is situated in an old wine cellar and the Hobbit story was inspired by the low curved ceilings and medieval architecture. This was a smart move and lends legitimacy to the theme. The owners did a good job creating a fantasy world in this space with which we were easily transported. You can see that the owners put thought into creating a series of more unique puzzles than you would commonly find in most escape rooms. The challenges relied on us using different skills and senses than a typical logic or deduction puzzle. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK Whilst effort was put into the creation of nonstandard puzzles, we didn’t find that they were done to a high enough standard. We found a certain amount of vagueness with how they should be completed that had us questioning if we were on the right track or not, since completing the challenges can take some time. Once we left the Shire and entered the cave (?), we found the décor to be quite plain and not really selling the fantasy world theme. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? Whilst this might not be one of the Netherlands top rooms, it still has some unique puzzles and a whimsical theme. So if you find yourself in Delft with some free time, then why not give it a try! ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is no parking onsite, There is ample public parking available within a short walk to the location There is a large waiting area with seating, drinks, snacks, and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photo above is property of Delft Escape (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) Disclosure: We thank Delft Escape for comping our tickets for this game. Although discounted admission was generously provided, it does not impact our opinion of the review whatsoever. #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #DelftEscape #Fantasy #Adventure #Netherlands

LOCATION: Bussum, Netherlands Photo above is property of EscapeTales Escape Rooms Photos above are property of EscapeTales Escape Rooms 📝  ETR DECODER 🔑 GAME: Makeshift Morgue 📅 DATE PLAYED: May 19, 2023 🎬 GENRE: Investigation 🧠 DIFFICULTY (Based on 3 ppl): 7/10 👥 TOTAL # OF PLAYERS: 2-5 ppl 🕒 LENGTH OF TIME: 60 Mins. 💰 PRICE: €135/Group ☎️ BOOKING TYPE: Private 🔓 ESCAPED/ COMPLETED?: Yes (39:07) 📖 THE STORY The top story of the office building with which the train crashed has now become a temporary morgue and it’s waiting for you and your team to complete your investigation. Video above is property of EscapeTales Escape Rooms 🎯 HIT THE BULLSEYE There is a really welcoming reception area with tables, games, drinks and even foosball This room is a continuation of the story and Runaway Train room. When playing "Makeshift Morgue", we appreciated the small details that connected the two stories, such as reusing the names of the victims. It is not necessary to play Runaway Train first, but it might help deepen the immersion. There are a lot tech-based puzzles that use computers, medical equipment, and other devices to elevate it above a room which just focuses on padlock opening. 🧩 MISSED THE MARK The story arch is confusing, we didn’t feel that the puzzles and the setting necessarily aligned with one another. 🏹 TAKE A SHOT? For teams who want to focus primarily on puzzles then this has some really interesting things to complete. The room is mostly nonlinear, so teams can spread out and tackle different things at the same time, which is ideal for larger groups. ℹ️ ADDITIONAL INFO Parking: There is public parking onsite. There is a large waiting area with seating, games, lockers, drinks for purchase, and a bathroom. This game can be played in English & Dutch Photos above are property of EscapeTales Escape Rooms (If you do decide to try this game, give us a shoutout or tag us on social media so we know you heard it from "ESCAPETHEROOMers"!) #RyanDriver #IRLescaperoom #EscapeRooms #EscapeTales #Investigation #Netherlands