Montreal, May 2025
I think I’ve now played at least half a dozen games set on a subway train, most of which used an actual refurbished subway train as the set, and I’m concluding that it’s far from my favourite setting. The familiarity of the surroundings is never as much of a thrill as you might expect, and the austere carriage environment tends to limit the puzzle ideas used – it’s not a coincidence that almost every such game splits its time between the train itself and some kind of external set.
All of which may be context for why I enjoyed half of this game rather more than the other half. Escaparium’s take on the theme has you taking a test ride on a new AI-powered subway train, and naturally things go wrong, although not in the way that you might guess from that premise. The company’s extraordinary ability to build immersive, elaborate sets applies here too, but since in this case they’re aiming for urban realism, the end result is less instantly impressive – with the exception of one strikingly cool effect later on.
This is another game that features actor interactions. I thought these provided some of the most interesting moments of the game, though I was probably a bit more confused about what was going on than intended. As in other Escaparium rooms, the standard of acting and improvisation was first-class, skilfully reacting to and adapting to what our group said and did.
At the same time it was one of several factors that left me with a sense of unclear flow, where I wasn’t sure where we should be focusing our attention – exactly how much was interactive role play and how much was puzzle setup? The clever final puzzle has a bit of a ‘love it or hate it’ quality – but since I managed to spot the solution, I’m in the former camp.
Most of the elements that have given Escaparium its unparalleled reputation are present in Final Stop (V2), but – at least for me – didn’t come together for quite so compelling a result. The set, interactions, puzzles and story were all well done, but (to me) didn’t reach the same levels seen in the other rooms we played at the venue. Granted, that’s an exceptionally high bar, and by any normal standards Final Stop is a lavish, compelling and involving game, with unexpected twists and a narrative payoff. In another city this would likely be a stand-out room; in the context of a journey to Escaparium Laval, it’s one to warm up with, or to include if there’s a suitable gap in your schedule. 
