Molly Minerva

We've come to expect some pretty standard Escape Hunt tropes - lack of padlocks, for one - and this game was no different in lots of ways. What was a little different about this room, however, was one particular special effect that was genuinely impressive and atmospheric. The room itself is good fun and there were a couple of puzzles we really enjoyed. There are really clear signifiers when you've successfully completed a puzzle, which is needed. Nothing wrong with this room at all and we enjoyed it but it's not particularly special. Saying that, our host was absolutely delightful and we felt incredibly welcome.

This is a room for those who love puzzles and who appreciate beautifully put-together escape rooms. There are some gorgeous puzzles in here with some fantastic twists and turns that really push your communication skills! The ending is superb and the game really makes the most of the history of the building; we absolutely loved it.

Some fun features, including the main 'machine'. Some nice puzzles that are very visual. A fun theme and a solid room.

We weren't sure what to expect, as this is an escape room atop a coffee house but we were really pleased at the level of challenge there was in this room. The room wasn't particularly big but there was plenty to do, especially for a team of two.

It's a padlock and key kind of room with plenty of tiny details that mean everything you see is useful for the game.

It's a classic kind of game that might not be a top choice for those looking for drama and special effects but we really enjoyed it... and the coffee house is absolutely lovely.

This room gets an additional half-star for the lovely variation of locks on offer and for one puzzle sequence in particular that was just gorgeous. We love an Alice in Wonderland theme and we really enjoyed this for the quirky details. It's not the biggest or most spectacular but we appreciated the attention to detail in here.

This is a straightforward room with some nice puzzles and a lovely setting. This is an ideal room for beginners: signposting is good and there aren't too many places to go off-piste. A lovely owner who made us really welcome.

Since having to close for Covid and having to completely renovate due to a catastrophic water leak, it seems like Escape Room Scarborough have had a bit of a revamp. We were offered this game because we'd powered our way through two others but we enjoyed it. Like the other games here, it's padlock heavy and there isn't much signposting but we don't mind trying lots of different padlocks so we're OK with that. There are some great puzzles in here and the last couple of bits are really quirky and fun.

We love a magic escape room so it's difficult to go far wrong for us! There is a lot of wand-waving and some nice bits and bobs for a younger audience, as well as some really enjoyable puzzles.

We enjoyed this one for its simplicity as it was a classic linear, padlock-based game with all the ciphers you'd expect from a WW2 themed room. There was a nice quirky interaction that we enjoyed and plenty of padlocks to keep us busy. 

We played the 100 minute version and there is a lot to do here! Some fab puzzles as always at Beverley Breakout and we really felt challenged in this room - the final section was particularly enjoyable for the puzzle purists that we are!

Beverley Breakout is the perfect example of hosting making such a huge difference; Fran is such a great host and we're almost sorry to have done all the rooms here now, as that means we've not got an excuse to go back! The Main Event appealed to me because of the sporting theme and because it's all based around Luke Campbell. There are some good physical puzzles here and strong theming throughout. The puzzles are nice and there's much more going on than meets the eye at first. We enjoyed this one a lot.

This one is a lot of fun! So quirky, with a great use of the space. Some real outside of the box puzzles that made us laugh and an all round good time.

We've done our fair share of magical themed escape rooms but this one is really special for its sheer volume of lovely details. Without giving too much away, there are just so many puzzles in here that link together beautifully and it's incredibly intuitive. 

If you love a bit of nostalgia, this room is absolutely priceless. We spent a lot of time enjoying all of the 90s throwbacks in here and had a brilliant time. Some never seen before puzzles really made it for us and the hosting is superb.

Definitely creepy rather than scary, this is a nice room with lots of quirky puzzles. It's a good use of a fairly small space and we really enjoyed the unique Mary Queen of Scots theme.

It's a fairly small space but this game packs a real punch in terms of what it offers. It's a well-crafted, beautiful set up with some hilarious little touches and a truly fabulous wow moment. If you like something that never strays from the theme, that's bespoke and where there's a real touch of theatre, this one is for you.

Flawless. The most beautiful, immersive and well-constructed game we have ever played, with incredible hosting to boot. This is the gold standard of escape rooms.

Another class act from Enigma. Less intuitive and less padlocks than Mafia, but a lot of fun and a really beautiful set up. Some beautiful nuances that made it really different. We loved this one!

Sometimes, there is nothing better than a really well put together room stuffed with padlocks and that is what Mafia is. We tore through it because it was instinctive and not because it was easy, which it certainly isn't - this is packed with puzzles and lovely nods to the theme. A super game.

One of the most superb starting sections to a game that we've seen; there is a real magic to this game that begins straight away. It's a lovely concept and design that feels really immersive. It's very GM-run and the interaction is very in keeping with the theme. Some nice puzzles and generally a really good time spent in the forest.

We don't usually go for rooms with scares so this was a bit different for us. There were some challenging puzzles and some sections made even trickier by the nature of the room. Overall, it was a substantial room for just two of us and the atmosphere brought even more of a challenge!

What a fun room! The puzzles were surprisingly challenging and there are quite a lot of them but it was something that felt a bit different to the usual. We're cat people so naturally loved the theme and we tore through this room as a two (and it would be a bit cramped with a bigger team).

Another great room from Beverley Breakout. We loved this for its originality and the plethora of puzzles. A lot of fun that would be accessible for families as well as enthusiasts like us. Great puzzles and a fabulous final puzzle that we really enjoyed.

What a lovely game! A bit different to the usual magical fare and stacked with gorgeous puzzles. It was intuitive and beautifully designed with some lovely nods to the wizarding world. Fran was a superb host and we just had such an enjoyable time at Beverley Breakout. We've done a lot of magical-themed rooms and this still managed to provide things we've not seen before. Absolutely fantastic.

A really solid game with some fun quirks and twists on some classic puzzles.

As a team of two, there was a good amount to do in here and while it wasn't the most original or spectacular, it was just really good fun! With a bigger team, I don't think it would be too challenging but there were a couple of really decent puzzles. The hosting at Escape Reality Edinburgh is always top notch, which earns an additional half star!

The premise and design are cool and we really enjoyed one particular central feature of the game. Apart from one puzzle that felt a bit overcomplicated, it was straightforward stuff.

There is a lot to do in here and some of the puzzles are lovely. It's not the fanciest room but there are some great fixtures and fittings and some quirky puzzles that require quite a lot of thought.

A superb game that was so enjoyable from beginning to end. The set provides wow moment after wow moment and the puzzles are a lot of fun. We just loved this one.

Wow! We loved this room for how immersive it is and how the puzzles weave together so intuitively. This is a truly immersive game with some really enjoyable physical elements. Fantastic.

We loved that this was particular to Halifax! Great hosting from Sam, who clearly loves escape rooms as much as we do! Some lovely puzzles to get stuck into.

A beautiful room - just gorgeous. Lovely puzzles with a lot to do and a really satisfying wow moment.

A great room with the drama that seems to be typical of Escapable! Some clever puzzles that made for a really enjoyable room. We'll definitely be back to try their new rooms!

Absolutely brilliant! We were so overwhelmed by the attention to detail, the quirky details and the truly immersive storytelling. This is an unmissable one... with some of the most incredible theatrics I've seen in an escape room. So much fun!

We love the games at Kanyu Escape so were really excited about trying out a new room here. This is such an impressive set up and has no conventional locks; the tech is really quite something and, as always with Kanyu, the immersive, story-driven element is absolutely nailed. There are puzzles in here that we've not really seen before, which provides a layer of challenge that pushed us into the fifty-something minute range. A lot of effort has gone into making this immersive and that alone is worth an extra half-star; while we still rate Follow in my Footsteps as our favourite Kanyu game, we really enjoyed this game.

Really enjoyed the set-up but the low light levels make all the searching a bit laboured... Saying that, it really got going after we got past the first room and we enjoyed the last few puzzles.

Lots to do in here and some clever puzzles that worked well with the theme. We stormed through it because it flowed well, so although it's not the hardest room, it is an enjoyable one.

This is the hardest game at this centre and was developed in conjunction with the University. It is tech-heavy and there are very few padlocks. The theme has a WW2 flavour and the room is set up really nicely with some really authentic decor. The puzzle difficulty is definitely up a notch from the School of Magic game we played here and this is definitely something to provide a bit more of a challenge bit we didn't feel like there was too much for a team of two. Overall, it was instinctive and fun, with some cool puzzles and tech that worked flawlessly. The staff here are incredibly kind and helpful and everything is available in both Italian and English.

We were really pleased to find that we could complete games in English, as our Italian doesn't quite stretch to escape rooms! A really friendly place with some really enthusiastic staff. We tackled this room first and really enjoyed the combination of puzzles. It's typical magic-themed stuff, which is fine by us! Lots of padlocks and some quirky tech, which all worked beautifully.

A decent game for beginners - there isn't too much to challenge more experienced players but, as always with Escape Edinburgh, it's a fun game with some well-designed puzzles and nice hosts.

Not Escape Hunt's best game but we loved some of the more story-based puzzles and had a lot of fun.

A fun game with some quirky surprises. We flew through it as a team of two so I'm not surehow much there would be to do for a bigger team.

A fairly standard game with some interesting puzzles - we did this as a 4 and found enough to do.

A superb room - the puzzles just flowed so well and the game felt really instinctive. The theme was sustained throughout and the tech was flawless. It felt very inventive and designed by people who really love escape rooms. So much fun and a great challenge - would highly recommend this one!

It might not be the most spectacular room but the puzzles are really well-designed, which makes for a very intuitive room that flows nicely and provided us an enjoyable game. As a two, we found plenty to do. The final couple of puzzles are particularly good.

A very cute room with some quirky features that took us by surprise! The puzzles are very straightforward but this room had some lovely bits and bobs we'd not seen before and there was a level of tech that we didn't quite expect.

We really enjoyed the room layout as there are some real surprises that really make the game. The puzzles are well-designed but certainly not easy and as most of the game is played with a very lowlight level, it becomes a fairly challenging room. Great fun - we enjoyed the physicality of this one!

Not our usual kind of escape room - there are no padlocks in here and it's not linear. Quite a lot of tech and some quirky bits and bobs that were really good fun. The space is a tight squeeze but fine for two of us. Staff here are really nice and really enthusiastic, which always makes for a good experience.

Overall, I'm not a fan of the clue system at Escape Reality but we didn't need any clues in this room so it didn't affect our experience. We enjoyed this room mostly for the theme. There were some puzzles that stood out as well as quite a lot of straightforward ones. Overall, this was a fun room and would be great for a first time escape room.

Not our usual first choice of theme but we enjoyed this game; it has a split start and some really immersive elements. A good mixture of puzzles.