Author Archives: escapethereview

Diorama Games: The Medusa Report

Room-in-a-box, May 2023

This is part two of Diorama’s investigation trilogy, picking up where The Vandermist Dossier left off, on the trail of the missing Abigail Vandermist. You can play it as a stand-alone game – though that would be a curious choice, since it would be a … (more)

Escapepolis: Hellevator

Athens, Apr 2023

From the lobby the burnished metal door to this game gleams at you invitingly, with a 1920s art deco elegance. The story is that there’s an upcoming exhibition on the Egyptian god Seth, and the head curator has been found dead; you just need to take … (more)

Safarka: Expedition

Lisbon, Feb 2023

When I visited Lisbon five years earlier, Safarka provided the clear stand-out room of the trip: at the time a new company with a single game, they were innovative in play style and puzzles. So returning to try their latest was a priority.

Expeditio… (more)

Escape2Win: Dream

Lisbon, Feb 2023

Located in Algés out beyond the tourist hotspot of Belem, itself some way from Lisbon centre, Escape2Win is unlikely to be a venue you stumble across accidentally. However, they were one of the earliest pioneers of the remote avatar game format at th… (more)

Illuminati Escape Rossio: O Ritual

Lisbon, Feb 2023

O Ritual is now the oldest escape room available in Lisbon, being close to a decade old, and is located very centrally by the Rossio plaza. The company now also runs a sequel, but require you to have played the first game before trying the second; bo… (more)

Arcadia: El Sueño

Seville, Feb 2023

El Sueño is a beautiful and fun game, large parts of which I struggled to enjoy: it was the second room in a row that I played in southern Spain where we found ourselves bombarded with unsolicited hints.

A good hint should be delivered at the point… (more)

Arkham Escape Rooms: Migas de Pan

Marbella, Feb 2023

At present, Marbella has exactly one escape room company, with a single room, and it’s a rather charming fairy tale theme. The title refers to the story of Hansel and Gretel, and you’re returning to the gingerbread house to defeat the witch who appea… (more)

SHOCK: La Santa

Madrid, Jan 2023

With just one day in Madrid to fit in escape rooms, La Santa was top of the list; since it has a minimum team size of three, we were only able to play it at all because the prospect of it tempted our third team member into booking a weekend city brea… (more)

Bite The Fly: Bites Motel

Madrid, Jan 2023

Bites Motel makes an impression as soon as you arrive – few games blur the line between outside and inside, between lobby and game space, quite as effectively as this one. We arrived by foot in a sunny Madrid suburb, but once inside we were in a worl… (more)

Houdini’s Escape Room: Extinct

Southampton, Jan 2023

In a departure from normal, I played Extinct as part of a family group including two kids (9 and 12) who were more or less new to escape rooms, which meant a rather different dynamic to playing solely with adult enthusiasts. The venue was clearly set… (more)