At the end of every year I take a snapshot of which escape rooms are currently in the top 100 on the site rankings, to celebrate the games that collectively you rated most highly.
The rankings on Escape the Review are calculated based on thousands of reviews from players of all levels of experience, combined by the site algorithm. There are close to 2000 escape rooms in the UK, which means the games here have higher ratings than 95% of those available.
You can also see this list of games as a map.
Beverley Breakout: The Goblins of Toadsmead (Beverley)
A settled favourite of the strong escaping scene in Yorkshire, Beverley Breakout gets reliably great reviews for their Christmas games but permanent room The Goblins of Toadsmead tops the recommendation list.
Bewilder Box: Judgement DAVE (Brighton)
Artificial Intelligences have a way of getting out of control, and Judgement DAVE is a stand-out take on the theme with strong story and some cool tech.
Case Closed (Edinburgh)
The first entirely new entry on this list, Case Closed is an immersive detective game that shot up the ranking chart in record time after opening, powered by a stream of rave reviews.
Cave Escape: Monuments, Carfax (Nottingham)
In the escape room hotspot of Nottingham, Cave Escape are a consistent favourite not just for the amazing underground location but also for beautiful sets and puzzle design.
Clockwork Escapes: The Legend of Foole’s Gold (Telford)
Set in a gold mine, The Legend of Foole’s Gold is the highest rated option from the reliably popular Clockwork Escapes, and gets considerable praise for atmospherics and originality.
Clue Cracker: Temple Quest, Diamond Dogs, Mega Bite (Tunbridge Wells)
Clue Cracker goes from strength to strength as their new retro-themed game Mega Bite joins established favourites Temple Quest and Diamond Dogs in the top games list.
Clue HQ Birmingham: The Legend of Miyalock, Captain Riddle’s Forgotten Fortune (Birmingham)
The Birmingham branch of the popular Clue HQ chain stands out for two lovely rooms that aren’t available at its other locations: pirate game Captain Riddle and fantasy adventure Miyalock.
Clue HQ Warrington: Clueston We Have A Problem (Warrington)
Warrington is the second Clue HQ branch that features here, this time for the spaceship game Clueston, originally created at Trapped In Bury before being given a Clue HQ makeover.
clueQuest: cQ ORIGENES, Revenge of the Sheep (Central London)
clueQuest are a phenomenon – now the UK’s longest running company, they still offer their original room but have updated it to keep abreast of an advancing industry. It’s their two most recent rooms that feature here though.
Compendium Escape Rooms: UI-55 (Bury)
Amongst Compendium’s roster of strong games, UI-55 consistently tops the rankings. It’s a frantic solve-all-you-can room with a submarine theme where you might just get through everything if you bring a team of speed demons who work in parallel.
Cryptology Nottingham: Daylight Robbery, Dreamscape (Nottingham)
Nottingham has no fewer than three outstanding companies in this list. Cryptology’s Dreamscape is a variable-score game where you solve as much as you can in each section. Daylight Robbery takes the score-based concept and puts it on super strength steroids and then some, with a mind-boggling quantity of puzzles for you to get stuck into.
DarkMaster: Into The Reliquary (Crowborough)
Into The Reliquary has at least two moments so unique that enthusiasts refer to them cryptically – „that bit, you know – no, the other thing, later on“. If you know you know.
Deliverance Escape Rooms: Martha – The Haunting of Derwent Manor (Lincoln)
For me Deliverance was the unexpected highlight of a trip to Lincoln – and we played two of their other rooms, so clearly I need to go back for this supernatural horror game.
Doomsday Games: Pathogen (Colchester)
A game about a deadly pandemic that was created before Covid, Pathogen is a rich multi-stage game with a laboratory section that particularly impressed me.
Emergency Exit Escape Rooms: The Studies of Dr. Becker (Ashton-under-Lyme)
Emergency Exit achieved a new level of fame running avatar games during the pandemic, with an innovative combination of pre-recorded video plus live action. They continue to get excellent reviews for their physical games, especially the newest.
Enigma Rooms Doncaster: Arabian Nights (Doncaster)
Almost always, it’s the independent companies not the chains that have the best escape rooms. Enigma Rooms challenge that rule, with five top rated rooms across five different locations. First of those is Arabian Nights in Doncaster.
Enigma Rooms Hull: Impact (Hull)
Second is this enjoyably physical spaceship room with a great set layout, over in Hull.
Enigma Rooms Pontefract: Escape From Oz (Pontefract)
Pontefract is a new branch for Enigma Rooms with only one room so far, but this take on The Wizard of Oz appears to be a particularly good one.
Enigma Rooms Wakefield: Séance (Wakefield)
I played Séance on Halloween, and rarely has any host put so much energy, creativity and determination into eliciting a jump reaction out of my numb, unfeeling soul.
Enigma Rooms Watford: The Chapel (Watford)
And fifth entry from Enigma Rooms is another scary room, at what’s currently their only southern location.
EO Escape Rooms: Scary Tale, The Karma Club, Castaway, Scarlet (Sudbury)
Last year EO Escape Rooms had one game in the top 100 list; this year they have four. As word gets around that there’s something special in Sudbury, I suspect there’ll be an increasing number of enthusiasts passing through.
Escapable: The Great Loudini, Outatime (Wakefield)
Outatime was well established as a reason to visit Escapable; Loudini is a phenomenon that exploded straight to the top of the site rankings, thanks to the remarkable way it uses its conjuring theme.
Escape In Time: Secret Studio (East London)
Built back in the days when London had the country’s best games, Secret Studio is a distinctive classic that’s retained its appeal. The company now offers a second game, but the creepy original is still the more popular.
Escape Nation: The Citadel, Incognito’s Secret Lair (Stafford)
The Citadel felt to me like a very neat game that expertly combined puzzles with set and story; superhero theme Incognito’s Secret Lair is equally well received, and I’m excited to see there’s now a third game in the works.
Escape Plan: The Battle for Britain, Roll Out The Barrel, The Adventure Begins (East London)
These days there are two standard recommendations for escape venues in central London, and Escape Plan is one of them, with all three of their rooms on this list – this time including their oldest game, which still wins over teams with satisfying puzzles and great hosting.
Escape Quest: Henry Fortune’s House of Illusion, Mr Copplestone’s Curiosity Shoppe, Percy Pendleton’s Peculiar Predicament, Mistletoe Mysteries (Macclesfield)
Escape Quest are a phenomenon. Now specialising in solve-all-you-can rooms linked by the shared Chapelgate Mysteries setting, every one of their games including the recently opened Christmas one places very high on the ranking.
Escape Reading: Age of Magic, Ram Raid (Reading)
The rooms at Escape Reading have great variety as well as great puzzles. Of the two here, Ram Raid is a heist room with deceptively straightforward décor that delivers on the adrenaline; and Age of Magic is a gorgeous piece of fantasy escapism.
Escape Rooms Suffolk: The Church, The Jungle (Bury St Edmunds)
One of 2023’s new entries in this list, Escape Rooms Suffolk enters the top 100 for not one but two rooms, including the recently opened The Jungle.
Escape The Past: The Anatomist (Edinburgh)
Edinburgh has three different companies in this list (the only such place other than Nottingham), and Escape The Past provide macabre historical immersion with this story based on 19th century grave robbing.
Escapologic: Curio (Nottingham)
It takes something special for an escape room to remain a firm favourite after many years of being open, and Curio has something entirely unique that I’ve never seen in quite the same form anywhere else before or since.
Excape: The Vault (Exmouth)
Devon and Cornwall tend to be less visited by travelling enthusiasts; Excape in Exmouth gives a reason to head to the West Country, with this non-linear variable-score robbery room.
EXIT Newcastle: The Heist (Newcastle upon Tyne)
Towards the other end of England, a similar concept wins similar praise: this Heist has a diamond to steal plus optional bonus puzzles for points.
Exit60: Redbeard’s Revenge, Banged Up (Newport)
Exit60 opened just over a year ago, and immediately became known as one of Wales‘ top escape companies. Both their games make the top 100, with prison and pirate themes respectively.
Extremescape: Viking, Lost Tomb (Disley)
Extremescape take advantage of the space afforded by their rural location to build large and beautiful games. I loved the underground theming of Lost Tomb and by most accounts Viking is even better.
Hackers: Blood over Baker Street (Billericay)
Adventure golf company Hackers also offer a set of escape rooms, of which the Sherlock Holmes theme is top rated, with an impressive, immersive set.
Hounds Escape: The Explorer’s Diary, Southern Dis-comfort, Questionable Ethics (Crawley)
From the lovely lobby to the superb games, Hounds is outstanding, and it’s no surprise that all three of their escape rooms made this list; their brand new immersive experience is already also getting rave reviews.
Kanyu Escape: Lightning in a Bottle, Follow in my Footsteps (Wetherby)
The first puzzle at Kanyu is getting to their unusual location inside a roundabout – but it’s well worth doing so. Follow In My Footsteps is more beginner friendly and story-led; Lightning In A Bottle is a lovely and challenging lab style game.
Kingston Escape Rooms: Rob The Bank (Kingston upon Thames)
Rob The Bank is available at several different branches of the Know Escape chain, but highest rated at Kingston Escape Rooms. It’s a heist room with plenty of interactivity and humour.
LevelUp Escapes: Mission: Abducted (Shrewsbury)
New for 2023 and already top rated, this alien abduction room is reputedly both high tech and challenging.
Locked In Edinburgh: The Secret Lab, The Cutting Room (Edinburgh)
One of the handful of UK companies ever to win a TERPECA award, Locked In Edinburgh places in the top 100 both for high tech puzzler The Secret Lab and the creepier The Cutting Room.
Locked In Escape Room: Bloodline (Glasgow)
It’s a crime that I still haven’t managed to visit Locked In Glasgow. All six of their rooms get great reviews; Bloodline is a dark tale in which you have an inheritance to receive.
Lucardo Rawtenstall: University of Magic: Dragon’s Heart (Rawtenstall)
Both branches of Lucardo have a University of Magic game, with different puzzles and plot line. Rawtenstall’s is particularly acclaimed, and justly admired for an outstandingly pretty set.
M4 Escapes: Dino Deadlock (Chippenham)
I’m quietly amazed that this is the only dinosaur room in the top 100 list. Dino Deadlock uses a converted bus for that extra Jurassic Park touch.
Make Your Escape: Spellbound (Derby)
With a story about falsely accused witches, the magic of Spellbound is to let the puzzles led the game, where a very non-linear structure means non-stop solving.
Marvo Mysteries: M.A.R.V.O. Induction (Bournemouth)
One of the very best rooms in the country when it opened in 2016, seven years later MARVO is still wowing players. It’s a beautiful game run by lovely people.
Mindworks Escape Rooms: Trapped For Cash, Smuggler’s Ruin (Worthing)
Often overlooked in favour of the well-known Brighton venues, Mindworks is a reason to travel a little further west along the coast, particularly with their smuggler game and the score-based puzzle-fest Trapped For Cash.
Mythologic Escape Rooms: Mr Todds (Gillingham)
One of many excellent reasons to go escaping in Kent, Mythologic has a selection of rooms of which Mr Todd’s gets highest ratings. This take on Sweeny Todd is creepy not a fear experience.
Pier Pressure: Loot The Lanes, Modrophenia (Brighton)
Loot the Lanes spent longer than any other room sitting at the top of this site’s ranking table, and remains among the country’s highest rated games. All of Pier Pressures’s many rooms get good reviews, but their tribute to Brighton’s 1960s Mod culture is the other one that makes this list.
Pressure Point Escape Rooms: Candyland, Candyland 2 (Ashford)
The two main rooms currently available at Pressure Point are the double feature Candyland, a family friendly pair that can be played as separate games (though only in the intended order) or as a single extended experience.
Project Breakout: Operation Clearsafe (Brighouse)
A long-established staple recommendation for anyone looking for a scary room, Operation Clearsafe allows teams to choose what level of fear they wish to be subjected to.
Project Mayhem: FEAR (Lincoln)
Only open since July, scare specialists Project Mayhem already have a game in the top 100. Not many games get the “Terrifying” tag in users’ reviews – FEAR gets it in almost all of them.
Roomination: Escape From The Cursed Galleon (Llanfyllin)
Escape From The Cursed Galleon is currently North Wales‘ highest rated room, but the number of reviews for this game that refer to having been pleasantly surprised by how good it was suggests it’s still to be properly discovered!
Rush Hour Escape Rooms: Return to Wonderland (Spalding)
Located away from the big enthusiast destinations, Rush Hour have nonetheless managed to amass an impressive list of warm recommendations for their Wonderland room in particular.
Tempo: Eternal Life (Bath)
Every so often someone asks on the FB enthusiasts group what they should play in Bath, and there’s always one answer repeated over and over: Eternal Life at Tempo.
The Escape Room Cottage (Tewkesbury)
Perhaps the most unusual entry in this list, this is a self catering holiday home – but one that’s filled with several hours of puzzles to solve during your stay. You may struggle to book it though – all their dates are already reserved for the rest of the year.
The Escapement Broadstairs: Wunderwaffe Operation Quartz, Atlantis (Broadstairs)
When The Escapement’s Broadstairs location finally opened, it took very little time for both its rooms to zoom up the rankings; they’re now well established as two of the best regarded games in the country.
The Escapement Margate: The Pit, Pirates of Polaris (Margate)
Not forgetting The Escapement’s original Margate location! Pirates is more beginner friendly with some superb effects; The Pit is atmospheric and more challenging, with some unusual tech and puzzles.
The Escaporium: Area 51½ (Halifax)
Years in the making and one of 2023’s hottest new rooms, Area 51½ has almost as many pop-culture jokes as it does puzzles; a funny and delightful room that just keeps getting better.
TimeTrap Escape Rooms: Pudding Lane, Curiouser And Curiouser (Reading)
Reading is one of the UK’s best destinations for escape rooms, and TimeTrap are a big part of the reason for that. Pudding Lane recreates a London street of 1666 in loving detail, and Curiouser and Curiouser is the triumphant sequel to their Imaginarium game.
Top Escape Rooms: No Place Like Gnome (Worcester)
There’s a bit of a halo of quality games developing in a circle around Birmingham, including the suitably named Top Escape Rooms. No Place Like Gnome can also be played as a digital game on the Telescape platform, but much better to play the live version if you can.
Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games: SpellCraft, Dodge City, Mutiny (Crawley)
The five main games at Tulleys are legendary for the lush set design, size of rooms, and quantity of puzzles to solve, which even experienced teams may struggle to complete in an hour. Mutiny is gorgeous, Spellcraft is a very impressive blend of technology and magic, and Dodge City is a whole lot of fun.
Unsolved Mysteries: Advent Alley, The Cabin (Chatham)
Unsolved Mysteries is the alter ego of Hysteria Escape Rooms, with a greater emphasis on theatrical elements that’s been a hit with players; both their original room The Cabin and their Christmas room Advent Alley make the top 100.
XscapeNow: Oz, Runaway Train, Step Into Wonderland, Book of Magic (Telford)
Last year XscapeNow had one room in the top 100, now they’re one of the very few companies with four, and are turning Telford into a notable escaping destination.
Xscream Escapes: The Watcher (Staines)
One of only a few UK venues to specialise in horror themed escape rooms, Xscream’s top rated room is a story-led mix of puzzles and scares.
Honorable mentions
The list above is limited to escape games, but there are some ‚adjacent‘ experiences that have listings on the site and which are also highly acclaimed. The non-escape room experiences that would have qualified for this list are the huge open world Phantom Peak, Diamond Mine by Lakes Escapes, both installations of the Crystal Maze experience.
During lockdown UK companies created some world-beating play from home experiences, many of which are still available. Towering over these like a fungal Godzilla is Headlock with The Keeper & The Fungus Among Us, and now the new prequel Rise of the Fungi, but there are still top-rated avatar games available from Emergency Exit, Doomsday Games and Agent November; and Deadlocked’s The Cyphstress leads the unhosted online options.
Both Co-Decode and Wirral Escape Rooms would certainly have appeared in the list this year too, were they not currently closed for relocation.
…but which game is the best?
Each year when I post a top 100 list people ask me what rank the games were. You can see the current (and ever-shifting) ranking positions on the Map page, but I don’t include rank numbers here because taste in escape rooms is so subjective – the fact that a game made it into the top 100 is more significant than the difference between, say, #17 and #22.
However, this year in collaboration with NERD, we’re organising the Lock & Key Awards. EtR will additionally be running a vote for the best escape room per region of the UK – that’s not part of the Lock & Keys but will run alongside it and you can vote for both at the same time. Voting for those will open extremely soon! 🥳🏆