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.
Agent Brains: Mobbery (Letchworth)
Ever since they opened I’ve noticed Agent Brains getting a steady stream of enthusiastic reviews for their games, and their heist game Mobbery is now firmly inside the top hundred list.
Beverley Breakout: The Goblins of Toadsmead, Santa’s Elite Squad (S.E.S) – The Final Interview (Beverley)
The Goblins of Toadsmead is a familiar fixture on this list, but Beverley Breakout are also well known for their Xmas rooms, and this year The Final Interview places in the top hundred too.
Bewilder Box: Judgement DAVE (Brighton)
Strange to think that Judgement DAVE is now one of the more venerable games on this list, but with cool use of technology and a genuinely interesting storyline this room more than holds its own.
Break Escape: Orbital, Chocolate Factory (Nottingham)
Long beloved in Loughborough, Break Escape have managed to make a splash in Nottingham – against some of the UK’s most famous rooms, they now hold two of the top three spots in the list for that city.
Case Closed: The Murder of Max Sinclair, Radio Nowhere (Edinburgh)
Max Sinclair (originally self-titled as Case Closed) was one of 2023’s most remarkable debuts, and the venue’s second room has met equal acclaim. Note that the two games use the same space, and only one of them is available in any given week.
Cave Escape: Monuments (Nottingham)
One of the companies that makes Nottingham an escape room Mecca, Cave Escape have a unique settings in the caves below the city. Monuments uses that for an atmospheric and truly challenging WWII story.
Clue Cracker: Temple Quest, Diamond Dogs, Mega Bite (Tunbridge Wells)
One of the star venues of the south-east, аll Clue Cracker games consistently get rave reviews. Heist game Diamond Dogs, retro computer theme Mega Bite and temple crawler Temple Quest all make this year’s top games list.
Clue HQ Birmingham: The Legend of Miyalock (Birmingham)
Clue HQ is one of the UK’s larger escape companies, and of all their games the clear stand-out is fantasy adventure The Legend of Miyalock, only available at their Birmingham branch.
clueQuest: cQ ORIGENES (Central London)
Not only are they one of the two standard replies to the question, ‚what should I play in London‘, clueQuest are also the UK’s longest running company. Their newest room cQ ORIGENES is an immensely clever blend of technology and story, with perhaps the most memorable padlock in the UK.
Cluetopia: Crash Landing, Raiders of the Story Seas (Ipswich)
Cluetopia has been a remarkable success story, growing steadily from their original Harwich location to now five different sites in the East of England, running 16 games with more coming in 2025. They’re increasingly on enthusiasts‘ radars too, and their Ipswich branch now has two rooms in the top 100 list.
Co-Decode: Sub Terra (Swindon)
After a year’s hiatus due to relocation, it’s great to see Co-Decode back open again, and hopefully the new venue will mean exciting new expansions from them in 2025.
Compendium Escape Rooms: UI-55 (Bury)
One of the UK’s original solve-all-you-can games, UI-55 is a score-based puzzle-fest, with frantic non-stop solving that make it the enthusiasts‘ favourite at a venue full of strong games.
Cryptology Nottingham: Daylight Robbery (Nottingham)
Daylight Robbery is legendary, a previous holder of the UK top spot on EtR, a game with a quantity of puzzles sufficient to make experienced players break down and weep in despair or happiness. Bring your ‚A‘ game, and then some.
Deadlocked: The Reading Witch (Reading)
Deadlocked seem to have gone all out for their long-anticipated horror game. It’s a two hour extravaganza, immersive and scary, and so far it’s received a perfect sweep of five star reviews.
Deliverance Escape Rooms: Martha – The Haunting of Derwent Manor (Lincoln)
Supernatural horror room Martha has the top spot in Lincoln, and I found it a great example of the genre – a creepy and story-driven ghost story with some unusual technology and effects.
Doomsday Games: Pathogen (Colchester)
Pathogen has a great progression through different stages through to the laboratory climax. It’s also unusual in still being available to play in remote avatar format, if you wish – though I’d always choose the physical version given the choice.
Enigma Rooms Doncaster: Arabian Nights (Doncaster)
Enigma Rooms again place for five different rooms across multiple branches. Doncaster’s Arabian Nights is the first of those, with a quest for a magic lamp.
Enigma Rooms Pontefract: Escape From Oz (Pontefract)
Second entry for Enigma Rooms is in Pontefract, so far still a single game venue, with a top-rated take on the Wizard of Oz story.
Enigma Rooms Wakefield: GRIMM – Up North, Séance (Wakefield)
Wakefield is rapidly becoming another unmissable hub for enthusiasts. Scare room Séance was Enigma Room’s top-rating game, and it’s now been surpassed by the venue’s new game with a dark fairytale theme, GRIMM – Up North.
Enigma Rooms Watford: The Chapel (Watford)
And the fifth Enigma Rooms game in the list is also horror, a supernatural scare theme at their southern location in Watford.
EO Escape Rooms: Scary Tale, The Karma Club, Castaway, The Keyper’s Secret, The Great Eggscape, Joey’s Christmas Cracker (Sudbury)
EO Escape Rooms have a clean sweep this year with all six of their rooms in the top 100 list, an astonishing achievement that reflects their outstanding levels of creativity, professionalism and enthusiast-friendly entertainment. Everything they build gets great ratings, and deservedly so.
Escapable: The Great Loudini, Outatime, Prank Heist, Marv The Monkey (Wakefield)
Loudini retains its UK #1 position, for its unique blend of conjuring-themed puzzles with puzzle-themed conjuring; and remarkably Escapable now have an additional three games in the top hundred: time-travelling in Outatime, school hi-jinks in Prank Heist, and the circus caper Marv the Monkey.
Escape In Time: Secret Studio (East London)
Few games stand the test of time to still be getting top ratings a decade after construction, but Secret Studio is one of them, with a creepy atmosphere and some very memorable moments.
Escape Nation: Temple of Shadows, The Citadel (Stafford)
Escape Nation is a gem that deserves more attention. Their original game The Citadel is a smooth and well-designed sci-fi theme that continues to get a lot of love; and from the ratings, their latest room Temple of Shadows may be their best yet.
Escape Plan: The Battle for Britain, Pushed For Time, Roll Out The Barrel, The Adventure Begins (East London)
A glorious exception to the derth of stand-out games in central London, Escape Plan have four rooms and all of them make the list. The company boasts clever puzzle design combined with delightfully hand-crafted props as well as stand-out hosting.
Escape Quest: Titterton’s Toffees, Henry Fortune’s House of Illusion, Mr Copplestone’s Curiosity Shoppe, Percy Pendleton’s Peculiar Predicament, Mistletoe Mysteries (Macclesfield)
Single-handedly responsible for a steady stream of enthusiasts making the pilgrimage to Macclesfield, Escape Quest are in a class of their own. Their Chapelgate Mysteries setting now boasts five games, all with the same points-based structure, and every one of them places very high in the top 100 list.
Escape Reading: Age of Magic, Ram Raid (Reading)
I like all the games at Escape Reading, but the two in the top 100 list are particularly special: Age of Magic is one of the prettiest escape rooms in the country, and Ram Raid is a bank heist where the adrenaline kick is pretty much guaranteed.
Escape Reality Glasgow: Star Crew (Glasgow)
Escape Reality honestly do not have a great reputation among enthusiasts, but Star Crew seems to be a shining exception. Unlike most of the chain’s other rooms, this spaceship game was designed by the venue’s staff, and from the results it looks like they’ve found some talented designers.
Escape Rooms Suffolk: The Jungle (Bury St Edmunds)
From being less well known a couple of years ago, Escape Rooms Suffolk is now well established as one of the unmissable venues in the East of England. While The Church is now closed, The Jungle is an outstanding archaeology romp with some great effects.
Escape The Past: The Anatomist (Edinburgh)
Escape The Past has just opened their second room, but for now at least it’s their original grave robbing mystery The Anatomist that places in the top 100 list, as one of the must-play rooms in a city that has no shortage of strong games.
Escapologic: Curio (Nottingham)
Curio was a phenomenon when it opened, and many years later it remains a special room with a ground-breaking feature that still surprises and wows players, and which remains a fond memory in the minds of many an enthusiast.
Exit60: Redbeard’s Revenge, Banged Up (Newport)
Now firmly established as one of Wales‘ top escape companies, Exit60 place in the list both for pirate adventure Redbeard’s Revenge and also their prison break room Banged Up.
Extremescape: Viking, Lost Tomb (Disley)
Tricky to get to without a car, but very worth the effort: Extremescape create expansive and detailed games with great immersion and effects. Of their four rooms, all get great reviews but Viking and Lost Tomb are the two that place on this list.
Forbidden Quest: Time To Float (Belfast)
Much kudos to Forbidden Quest for being the first Northern Ireland company to place on this list. That’s with Time To Float, a 90 minute horror room based on Stephen King’s IT.
Hackers: Blood over Baker Street (Billericay)
Hackers is an activity destination that offers both adventure golf and escape rooms, and have a reputation for expansive and immersive set design. Of their rooms, Sherlock Holmes theme Blood over Baker Street gets the top ratings.
Hounds Escape: The Explorer’s Diary, Southern Dis-comfort (Crawley)
Hounds won last year’s extremely competitive vote for the UK’s overall top company, and they are in every respect a remarkable company, from the immersive theming to the lush set design. Their newest experience The Acid Bath Murderer is highest rated of all their games, and only doesn’t appear here because it’s listed as not-an-escape-room.
Hysteria Escape Rooms: Survival (Chatham)
Having previously placed on this list under their sister brand Unsolved Mysteries, Hysteria now also appears here under their original company name thanks to their new dino adventure Survival.
Keylock Games: Nobody Loves Robot (Wickford)
With a cute broken-hearted robot theme, Nobody Loves Robot puts Keylock Games on this list for the first time, but they have a solid history of running rooms with consistently enthusiastic ratings.
Kingston Escape Rooms: Rob The Bank (Kingston upon Thames)
The Know Escape chain run a variety of games across multiple branches and franchisees, but Rob The Bank at Kingston Escape Rooms is the solid favourite for enthusiasts, for role-play and immersion.
Knockout Escape Rooms: Dirty Money (Reading)
Knockout is another of the companies that make Reading one of the UK’s top destinations for escaping. This year their newest room Dirty Money overtakes their previous star The Curious Cabin for a place in the top 100.
Locked In Edinburgh: The Secret Lab, The Cutting Room (Edinburgh)
Edinburgh’s original must-play company, Locked In Edinburgh place for two of their four games. The Secret Lab boasts high tech equipment and one of the first TERPECA wins; The Cutting Room is a creepier theme where you have an hour to find the missing organs.
Locked In Escape Room: Bloodline (Glasgow)
Glasgow’s finest Locked In Escape Rooms give you a rich selection of well-reviewed games to pick from, but for the third year in a row it’s the dark inheritance story Bloodline that’s top placed.
Make Your Escape: Spellbound (Derby)
Spellbound is a room that just doesn’t get old. I played it seven years ago, and the same busy wealth of puzzles that I loved then is still winning fans today.
Marvo Mysteries: M.A.R.V.O. Induction (Bournemouth)
MARVO was legendarily beautiful and immersive when it opened, with clever and original puzzles. Eight years later, it’s still ranked as one of the UK’s best rooms. Quality like this doesn’t get old.
Mindworks Escape Rooms: Trapped For Cash (Worthing)
It took a while for the enthusiast community to discover Trapped For Cash but it’s now risen to dizzying heights as one of the very highest rated rooms in the country. Not only is it a frantic 60 mins of score-based solving, the game show structure gives it an edge in fun and originality.
Mythologic Escape Rooms: Mr Todds (Gillingham)
Gillingham’s Mythologic have a rich selection of rooms to choose from across their two addresses, and all get good scores; but top of the list is Mr Todds, a creepy take on the Sweeney Todd tale.
Paradox Parlours Woking: Wizard’s Enigma (Woking)
I’ve been recommending Paradox Parlours‘ Guildford location for years, and they now have a flourishing branch in Woking. Wizard’s Enigma is a game of puzzles and eye candy that gets the top ratings across both their venues.
PerpleXed Escape Rooms: The Christmas Calamity (Soham)
Remarkably, PerpleXed scores a place in the top 100 with their Christmas game. It’s an enthusiast-pleasing score-based game where you need to get as many presents as possible delivered to the correct recipients.
Pier Pressure: Loot The Lanes (Brighton)
Previous holder of the UK #1 slot, Loot the Lanes is a legendary room that remains one of the UK’s top games. That’s partly thanks to the unusual and lovely setting based on Brighton’s Laines, and partly thanks to Pier Pressure’s top notch hosting and customer service.
Pressure Point Escape Rooms: Candyland (Ashford)
Pressure Point are a reliable source of quality escapes, with some of their designs going on to successful second lives at other companies. Currently top rated is Candyland, first half of their family friendly double feature.
Project Breakout: Operation Clearsafe (Brighouse)
Long-established as an unmissable room for scare fans, Operation Clearsafe is a room with live actors but also a configurable level of frights.
Puzzalogical: Alien Encounter (Bracknell)
Space horror is an underused genre. Puzzlalogical’s take on a certain well-known series of movies is a high tech 75 min adventure that seems to be something quite special.
Roomination: Escape From The Cursed Galleon (Llanfyllin)
I love a good pirate room, and the reviews for Escape From The Cursed Galleon suggest it’s not just good but great – it’s currently the highest rated escape room in North Wales.
Tempo: Eternal Life (Bath)
Eternal Life teases with a premise about discovering the secret to immortality; Tempo appear to have found the secret to escape room quality. Every request for recommendations for games to play in Bath has the same repeated answer: it’s always Eternal Life.
The Escape Goat: Elfy Is Missing (Dover)
Elfy has a long backstory from past Christmas games created by The Escape Goat, here and in their previous incarnation as Get Lost Escape Rooms, and is one of very few seasonal rooms to make it into the top 100 list – festive cheer placing it narrowly ahead of the company’s intense fear room.
The Escape House: Spellbound (St Neots)
One of 2024’s most exciting debuts, The Escape House launched with 90 min magic game Spellbound, and the gorgeous artwork seems to be matched by an equally lovely game that’s been showered with rave reviews.
The Escape Room Cottage (Tewkesbury)
Not a normal escape room but an AirBnb holiday home that also contains several hours of puzzles to solve. They’re already solidly booked for all of 2025, but availability for 2026 should be released in spring.
The Escapement Margate: The Pit, Pirates of Polaris (Margate)
It was a painful loss to the UK escape scene when The Escapement’s Broadstairs location closed this year, but their original Margate site is still going as strong as ever. Pirates of Polaris is a beginner-friendly adventure with actual weather effects, and The Pit is an immersive and more challenging room with interesting technology.
The Escaporium Halifax: 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.
The Escaporium Liverpool: Wee W.I.L.L.I.E. WinKey (Liverpool)
The Escaporium has now expanded to Liverpool too, as a joint project with Amy from Wirral Escape Rooms, and their first room has already soared into the top hundred. Note that it’s based on the Coming Home robot game you may have seen elsewhere, though with a considerable quantity of new and additional content.
Top Escape Rooms: No Place Like Gnome (Worcester)
Top Escape Rooms have now expanded to Kidderminster, and for a while it looked like their original Worcester site would close down – but they managed to secure a lease extension, so enthusiast favourite No Place Like Gnome remains available in its original form.
Tulleys Escape Rooms & Games: SpellCraft, Dodge City, Mutiny (Crawley)
There’s nowhere quite like Tulleys, and all five of their games are exceptional for their size, their quantity of puzzles, and their difficulty, with even experienced teams often struggling to complete in time. Of the three that make this year’s list, SpellCraft is the newest and most sophisticated, Mutiny is a pirate adventure with some truly beautiful scenery, and Dodgy City is relentless puzzling fun.
Unsolved Mysteries: The Basement, The Cabin, All Alone – On Christmas (Chatham)
Hysteria Escape Rooms feature in this year’s list both for their main brand and for their alter ego Unsolved Mysteries. The Basement and The Cabin use live acting elements in ways that emphasise immersion not just jump scares and fear; and their Christmas take on the Home Alone movies also makes the list.
XscapeNow: Oz, Runaway Train, Step Into Wonderland (Telford)
One of the West Midlands‘ most acclaimed venues, XscapeNow have given a much-appreciated second run to some classic rooms from other companies, including Step Into Wonderland (previously Imaginarium at Time Trap), but the highest placed two on the list are their own designs, with their takes on The Wizard of Oz and the Wild West.
Xscream Escapes: The Watcher (Staines)
Highest rated of the rooms at horror specialist Xscream, The Watcher is a horror room with an original concept inspired by social media: complete the trials set for you by your unseen captor.
Honorable mentions
The list above is limited to escape games, but there are some ‚adjacent‘ experiences that also get great reviews. As well as Hounds‘ immersive experience The Acid Bath Murderer, the London-based huge open world experience Phantom Peak comes top of the list, and there’s also Diamond Mine by Lakes Escapes, the Crystal Maze experience in Manchester (currently higher rated than its sister branch in London), Bridge Command in London and Wake The Tiger in Bristol.
There are still some play from home games available from UK companies: the top options are Emergency Exit, Doomsday Games and Agent November for live-hosted avatar games, and Deadlocked’s The Cyphstress for unhosted games. Also keep an eye out for occasional returning availability for the extraordinary games from Headlock Escape Rooms, though.
Do we get to vote on our favourites again?
In 2024 we ran a separate set of awards for your favourite rooms and companies across the country. It’s TBD whether there’ll be something similar again this year – if so, it’ll happen a bit later in the year and in a slightly revamped form. Let me know (via email or a comment below) if you have strong opinions about whether that should happen or ways it should be changed from last year’s awards.
We would love the lock and keys to return
Thanks for this! We’re planning our 2025 outings using it already 🙂