Juliette B

This is very convenient to DW area in Florida, played with 2 children (age 6 and 9) and it is a good one on terms of being family friendly - enough searching and some easy puzzles so everyone can join in. There's plenty to do and we had a good time, would recommend this one when in the area. Starts separated in 2 groups but you can see each other. 

Played the revamped Plan 52 - enjoyed the puzzles and the story, probably not as fun as the other CQ games but it is a very solid game. 

Played this as an add on to an ER trip to BCN - it is a bit out of the way (but easy to get to) and needed something that fitted with an early game before coming home. It was quite different from all the other games we played in BCN - although there is probably a lot of tech involved it does not look it, the set is great. Bit dark in places for me (in terms of being able to see well enough to do things) but a very solid and fun experience with largely tactile puzzles. The only time I have played an ER where I have got the "fastest time I have ever seen anyone do that puzzle" accolade. 

Overall, on the easier side of a normal difficulty game but we had a great time and it flowed well. It's hard to know when in BCN what to pick as there are so many high quality games and if you can only do 3 or 4 there are other absolute must dos: however if you're doing a few would recommend including this on your list. 

This game is one of the most immersive experiences I have every played. It is just amazing. The start is really very clever in terms of getting you into the experience, the set is outstanding and despite my general non-love of live actors, the GM who hosted this was superb - he had a lot to do and was just fantastic - could do mildly scary, funny, definitely got you into the role play elements. Not a traditionally puzzle ER game and has some physical aspects. There are some "add on" parts to this game that we missed as not strictly part of the main story but absolutely recommend to take the time to do everything. 

Cannot recommend this ER enough as an experience in BCN - think I'd go back to play it a second time even knowing how it works. 

Amazing set design (it is huge) and some very clever parts to it with some very original aspects. It was not my favourite game in BCN (and I am judging against some really amazing ERs as the quality is so high) - essentially coming down to a few points. 

1) as there is some time apart, I think it would just be more fun in a group of 4+ - you can't really communicate with each other during this and there was a bit of doing nothing during this  

2) one puzzle was broken and required some force, there were some loose hanging wires in this puzzle and was genuinely worried I was going to really break something 

3) advertised as a "tension" game rather than a "scare" game but thought our live actor was terrifying (I am a wuss however). 

If you are hitting several games in BCN I would still put this on your list, there are some very cool things about it - my score is very much influenced by my not enjoying the alone  part of the game, and I don't think other people would necessarily be as bothered by this. 

This game is absolutely brilliant, we had so much fun. Funny, unusual, some really clever parts to it. Like most of the reviews, don't want to say too much... but be prepared for a physical work out compared to most games. It's a little bit out of BCN but we found it easy to get to on the local train system and it is absolutely worth it. Didn't manage to play their newer game but v much hope to get back to do it at some point (apparently doable as a 2). 

I can see in terms of set design why this game has done well - it looks amazing. It has a cool start and we were excited to play. However, this is where most of the fun ended and we did not have a good experience, including one part where the other half of our duo became stuck in a small dark space (ended up having to force the maglock), puzzles that did not really work therefore getting stuck despite having put in the correct answers, and various areas where lights were broken and had not been replaced which meant that the person without the torch (only one provided) could not really do or see anything, a very frustrating experience when you have been separated. 

Although it is advertised as playable in English, they had forgotten to change over various signs within the room, this did not really affect understanding what you had to do but did add to the frustrations and the combination of our poor Spanish and the GM not really speaking much English meant we did find it hard to communicate when we were having issues with broken tech. There are a huge number of excellent games in BCN, and I think this used to be one, but of the games we played there this cost the most and we enjoyed the least. 

Played this alongside La Mina during a ER trip to Barcelona - they are both fantastic games but this one edged it slightly for me. There are a lot of unusual moments and the game is expansive with plenty to do. There is a live actor involved which I am usually not a fan of, however this time it was a lot of fun. Does not matter if you have not seen the TV show it is loosely based on. Overall normal difficulty, did need a bit of clueing at the end but this is because we are terrible at searching. 

Great experience from start to finish. Feels authentic (be warned, you will get very dirty) and some genuine physical moments that I have not really come across playing elsewhere. Lots of puzzles. Excellent effects and set dressing is great. A bit out of the way but easy to get to on the metro and local train system, definitely worth it. 

What a fantastic game - local theming, a clear objective, beautificul set design, solid and original puzzles. Set for 3+ people but you can do this fine as a 2. Well hosted and thoroughly enjoyed. Absolutely recommended if in BCN - easy to get to as well. 

This is one of the oldest games in BCN with a refresh in 2020. Admittedly we played it as we were there to play their other game, but with the 20% Tuesday discount this was excellent value and it is a very solid, fun classic ER experience. Well hosted - wouldn't go out of my way this play this game alone if in BCN but if you are already there for The Brewery you are likely to still enjoy it. 

Catalepsia is a 30 minute escape game where you and one other person are trapped in your own coffins and need to work your way out. Would describe as creepy rather than scary unless you are claustrophobic. The puzzles are not that complex but as an overall experience it is very different and they have really worked at adding a surrounding environment in terms of the experience. There are so many amazing games in BCN and I wouldn't say a must do in terms of puzzling, but if you want something quick and different then I would recommend it. 

Played the new version opened in Cambridge (same chain). Elegant simple set and nice back story. In terms of puzzles the game is largely linear (would not recommend >2 if experienced) and fairly old school so there will be little that you will not have experienced before in one way or another; so saying, the game itself was fun and we enjoyed the ending. Not amazing hosting (GM struggled with concept of a hint so the one time we asked for a pointer, she just told us the answer rather than something more subtle). 

Thoroughly enjoyed this game. Plenty of puzzles, cohesive story and found it very immersive. Excellent GM. Shame the clue system is not a little more customisable - would prefer a two way system so as to avoid getting an answer when you want more of a nudge - but also see that the way it has been set up helps to keep the immersion. Good fun. 

This was a great room - the set is fantastic, the intro is hilarious. Enjoyed the logic puzzle that was thrown in. Went clue free which turned out to be a mistake as we discarded a couple of important things when doing our searching (it is search heavy), but GMs did decide to put us back on track when we got to an impasse - timed well it seems as we then literally made it out at 59:59. Had really good fun playing this room and definitely recommend the venue. 

This room was such fun - absolutely loved it. Some truly unique moments. Story works well; puzzles are not overly challenging but honestly those are not what makes this room special. Great hosting and lovely owners too. 

Another beautiful addition to the Tulley's portfolio with some cool props and a fun back story. As is par for the course with us as a pair, we failed to finish in the hour and no doubt will return in a couple of years to see how the story ends after they open their next room...

Thoroughly enjoyed the start to this game, and some excellent moments of tension at a couple of points. Plenty of puzzles to work on , particularly enjoyed the one at the end. Lovely GM/owner who we had a nice chat with afterwards. 

Excellent game, beautiful set and a great set up with variable add on challenges that you can work on in addition to the original goal - thanks to Sophie for the great hosting. 

Fantastic game! Played on the hardest difficulty as a 2 and got out in 65 minutes so slightly over the hour. Excellent number and variety of puzzles, Alex was a great GM too. 

This was one of the very few games where I have actually left feeling annoyed and contemplated leaving the room before the end. 

Good points: the set is lovely and you are immersed from the start. There are some really clever puzzles that I have not come across elsewhere. 

Bad points: having had the usual spiel at the beginning about not needing to use force or strength, this is in no way true from an early puzzle which took significant effort when we finally established it was allowed. We did discuss this with the owner at the end, whose response was "well it's obvious you couldn't break those so it's fine" ie our fault for not deducing this. It is very dark throughout (you are allowed to use your mobile phone torch). There was one puzzle that was not working unless you expelled your entire lung capacity repeatedly (again, raised this with the owner who said the tech support is overseas and he would let them know - I take his point that he doesn't want the puzzle to be too easy for large groups but you need to cater for small ones too!). Although the puzzles were clever, there was such limited signposting as to what to do with some of them it was at times obtuse without hints, and some puzzles were rather illogical even by escape room logic. Supposedly when you have done something correctly a noise will sound but often found this did not happen - I presume some elements are manually controlled as we had a few instances where either something released even though we had not finished the puzzle, or it did not when we had done it correctly (as far as we knew) but then said action happened a bit later. We did have a conversation with the owner at the end about how we had not enjoyed this room and he was receptive to feedback, but ultimately I think his priorities (that the games are padlock free and that he has bought the game in and spent money on a nice set) are not what I am looking for when it comes to enjoying an escape room. I think some adjustments in terms of puzzle sensitivity with the set design would help with some of the aforementioned issues. 

I have mixed feelings about this - it is almost a great game, but wasn't quite there for me. Good points: beautiful set and videos, really enjoyed the interactive equipment you need for the game. Some good puzzles although nothing too individually challenging. Progress is linear for the most part. 

Bad points: the audio is loud to the point of damaging your hearing. I couldn't hear my partner even when we were shouting at each other at close range. This was very off putting, detracted from the experience and meant we had absolutely no way of solving an audio puzzle which we were then stuck on for some time (but also couldn't really attract the attention of the GM, again as so loud). It becomes very linear later on so I spent quite some time doing nothing due to the small spaces things were located in - again this may have been better if we'd been able to communicate, but volume precluded this. It's a shame about these issues as we ended up not enjoying a game that I think is probably better than our experience. 

I really enjoyed this game - it's so cleverly done. A couple of illogical thought processes going on with a couple of puzzles but you can forgive it given the amount of fun and adrenaline the game gives. 

Set is lovely and there are plenty of puzzles. Our GM (and her trainee) were excellent. I had a couple of niggles - there was one puzzle that clearly did not work that we wasted quite a bit of time on (to be fair, they did then allow us to finish the game after time) and the low lighting in the final room made it really difficult to actually achieve one of the tasks. But overall it's a lovely game and would definitely recommend. 

We really enjoyed this - the set is amazing, it feels very authentic and they definitely get the adrenaline going with one moment in the game. Not the hardest game, but great fun. 

This was great fun - loved the set and the puzzles, plenty to do and suitable for getting younger children involved. 

Solid room - we enjoyed how the puzzles were themed around the backstory and a couple of original touches. We were a bit slow off the mark with some searching but they kindly let us finish the game (normally 75 minutes). 

Original story and puzzles fitted in well with the theme. A couple of aspects did not seem that logical but mostly worked well, and enjoyed the ending. We had a good time and worth playing if in the area but not good enough on its own to recommend making a special trip. 

Fun game and liked the way they did the backstory. Agree it does not need to be a 90 minute game although worked well for us having 2 young children in tow who wanted to join in. One puzzle a bit tedious and involved a lot of crawling back and forth but otherwise enjoyed - some parts of the game starting to look a little worn. 

This is a great game - can safely say I have not played another game quite like this. Full of puzzles to keep enthusiasts busy. We had a tech fault in this game (team before us had been a little overenthusiastic with one puzzle) but owner/GM was able to address this. Original and really just good fun to play - as escape rooms should be, and would definitely recommend this venue if you are in the area. 

This is a new venue in an out of the way town, but it is worth the trip. Absolutely loved both games we played there and had a great chat with the owner/game designer. EO have chosen to go absolutely full in with quantity of puzzles so that enthusiasts do not run out of things to do, and it does not disappoint. Original story, excellent use of space, a real joy of a game to play. 

There's some lovely things about this room - lucky enough to play it new, and the space itself looks great. Has a strong start in terms of puzzles with linear progression, however it does fall foul of a personal bugbear of mine which is making it so dark that the challenge is more of aging eyes rather than any ability. Good clue system. A couple of things let it down for us in that the ending felt rather weak in terms of the final puzzle and we struggled to understand quite why the game then ended as it did - suspect our GM was quite inexperienced as this may have worked better with a different spiel at the beginning. 

Very enjoyable with a particularly strong start and end. Excellent clue system and lovely GM from family run company. One particularly well designed puzzle towards the end of the game. Looking forward to their upcoming new game. 

Good start to the story in terms of immersion, and puzzles that were largely fitting to the theme. It was fun but had a couple of moments where we didn't really understand the flow or direction, or felt red herrings were a little too much in play. A little light on content if experienced players. Enjoyed the last part of the game although we were uncertain if we had completed it correctly until the GM returned which was a bit of a shame. Well hosted by our GM. 

Overall it was fun to play but I'd play it more as a game to fit in with playing other Escapologic games at the venue rather than travelling to play standalone (and if you are looking for only one heist theme in Nottingham, I would absolutely pick Daylight Robbery which is excellent). 

The set for this is fantastic, multiple spaces with high attention to detail and a variety of special effects to be enjoyed. It isn't a classic escape room per se in that there are not lots of puzzles to work out but it is immersive and I can see in terms of development how this is one direction ERs could go. Definitely requires physical agility by all team members. I am not familiar with Warhammer so didn't get any added satisfaction that way but can't say it mattered to me in terms of experience. 

This is good fun - we found it pretty easy (reflected in the completion time) but thought the physical aspects of the game were very entertaining and enjoyed the local theme. Set looks fantastic. One of my favourite Escapologic Nott games. 

This game is beautiful - the cave, and the audio/video has you immersed in the story instantly. There is plenty to keep you busy and the puzzles are enjoyable, with a couple of very clever ideas. The hint system is on theme and excellent at pointing you in the right direction rather than telling you the answer. We played as a two and completed it, but only just (and that was playing with relatively few now-what moments). Excellent flow. I enjoyed this more than Carfax as it was less search heavy, but they are both absolutely worth playing (and I understand Carfax has undergone a lot of change since we played it, and that is no longer the case). 

This is a great game - on a common theme, but still immersive, and you are unlikely to run out of things to do. If you like puzzles, they are all here, and you will get to use your full time doing them. Non-linear and many choices to be made! 

Thoroughly enjoyed by my 8 year old son who was the right age for deciphering the puzzles with just a little bit of help. Was keen to do more by this company as soon as they are available. 

Comes with a black light pen/torch which was also a big hit with him/his 5 year old sister - to the extent that we now have secret messages written in a variety of places (banisters, walls, drawer fronts...) 

High quality set design again from HIH, didn't enjoy this one as much as the Golden Skull/Master of Time games - perhaps more just having an inexperienced GM but found elements of this game very frustrating (one issue relating to a translation used in the game, another with a puzzle which we really struggled to understand and which the clue took us rather outside the immersive experience). There are undoubtedly great aspects to this game, and it still rates as far higher quality than the majority of games with an enjoyable back story and some good puzzles and theatrics - I would still recommend playing it but some of the logic aspects were a little more stretched in this one than the other games.