Best Escape Rooms In Athens (Greece)

Odeon of Herodes Atticus (Not an escape room but a beautiful Roman theater you should see)

Athens had the highest amount of world class games in one city. You can play 17 of the top 100 TERPECA games in Athens, which was unparalleled! If you like escape rooms, you need to make a trip out here unless you are unwilling to play horror games, then I would recommend going to Barcelona or The Netherlands/Belgium. We played 20 rooms in Athens which was quite a lot given the average runtime of two hours. 

Here are some general notes and tips for Athens.

Horror Themed Games 

Most of the top games were horror. Locals must love jump scares, loud noises and being chased by monsters in the dark. At least for me, playing multiple horror rooms in a row made it tougher to fully appreciate the genre as it became repetitive with pitch black rooms and jump scares. Also, even in some non-horror games, actors randomly came out and made loud banging sounds which felt forced. However, the top horror games were absolutely amazing as they blended immersive theater with puzzle solving.

Pro Tip: Bring Earplugs

The volume of the music in many rooms, even the non-horror ones, was overwhelmingly loud. Bring a good pair of ear plugs! This made the horror games much more enjoyable. For context, we had a team member quit a top TERPECA winning room because it was too loud, even with ear plugs! When we asked to lower the volume, GM's said they were not able to and didn't seem to think it was an issue. 

English Friendly

English was widely spoken by most locals, except for some of the older folks in retail stores. This was in contrast to Barcelona where many people of all ages do not speak any English. 

Cash Is King?

Bring some cash for escape rooms but many of the rooms also accepted credit cards. Check in advance with the company.

Commuting

Games and taxis were super affordable, probably 30%-50% less than US prices. FreeNow was also significantly quicker than Uber and I recommend using that app. Food was even cheaper and delicious!

Safety

Safety standards were visibly less stringent compared to most countries we've played in. Often times, we were truly locked in handcuffs or in a room with no emergency release. Also, pools of water were changed out maybe monthly (?) so you may want to be careful around that. 

Athens Escape Room Recap  

I gave 11 rooms a 4.5 star ratings or higher which was quite incredible after playing over 600 escape rooms around the world. I am not a horror lover but still loved the top horror games.

Athens

😱 = Horror

Way Out: Ice Tiki

This light hearted escape room was amazing and deserved to be higher on TERPECA. It was a whimsical room so maybe locals or those who love horror disliked that. Ice Tiki was one of my top games overall and a must play! ★★★★★ 

No Exit: El Exorcista 😱 

I am not a horror fan and somehow this room was one of my favorite rooms of all time. This game was about five years old and still had some of the best cinematics and actor performances that I had ever seen. Another must play in my book. ★★★★★ 

Lockhill: Chapel & Catacombs 😱 

A huge sprawling set with actors made for a crazy game. Some fun chase sequences and the mandatory fumbling through the dark was second to none. ★★★★★ 

EscapeClue: Lethal Decision 2 😱

This was a tough one to comment on as we had a teammate tap out about 40% in because of the crazy loud music. The others on my team were also going to tap out and I had to convince them to stay. The second team in our group had someone fall and fracture a bone so yes, safety standards are very different. The game did have some fun parts, if you can bear the loud sound and jump scares. ★★★★½ 

Trapped Chalandri: ExperimentumX 

I thought this game was underrated and perhaps it was due to it being a more physical room which I enjoyed a lot because of the uniqueness. I tend to seek out uniqueness and prefer large physical sets and props. ★★★★★ 

Escape World: Houdini 

We added this new game at the last minute and it had really great cinematics that I hadn't seen anywhere else. I just wished there were more! Note there are some minor jump scares.  ★★★★★ 

Escapolis: Cosmos 5 

This was a nifty starship themed puzzley room and I love good looking starships. I think this was one of the more puzzle focused rooms that I have near the top of my list which was rare because I am not a puzzle lover. ★★★★½ 

No Exit: Wanted: Dead Or Alive

The actor made the game and he was witty and entertaining. If you enjoy signifiant bantering with actors this game is for you. A large footprint along with a ton of silliness made for a fun time. ★★★★½ 

Escapolis: Butcher 😱

An interesting take on a horror room so if you are ok with doing a bunch of rooms in this genre I think you would enjoy it. If you had to choose only a few, El Exorcista and Chapel and Catacombs were a cut above. ★★★★

Paradox Project: The Mansion, The Library, The Music Academy 

This trilogy of games took 9 hours to complete! The puzzles were very chewy so it was normal to spend over 30 minutes on one riddle. The general consensus was that The Library was the best of the three and I would agree with that. Note this game was not flashy compared to others in Athens but will surely satisfy puzzle folks. The Mansion ★★★½, The Library ★★★★½ , The Music Academy ★★★★

No Exit: Death Row 

Death Row was probably the top prison game I had ever played. The theme was cliché but well executed with a lot of physical elements. ★★★★

Verona: Don't Take A Breathe 😱 

This was based on the movie "Don't Breathe" and had a lot of tense moments.  Watch a synopsis of the film to see if it's your type of game. It was also in a town where many locals told us not to go to because it was super dangerous so that added to the tension. ★★★★★

Lockhill: The Sanitarium 😱 

The Sanitarium can be played in three modes: Midnight = Difficult puzzles with monsters, Night = Easy puzzles with monsters, Day = Difficult puzzles with no monsters. We played Midnight mode and it was really scary because of the thick fog that made visibility less than an arm's length. I learned this was what they call "Type 2" fun. ★★★★½ 

We also played the games below that you may consider if you have time (with the exception of Creepy Store and Gustave Eiffel). 

• Dark Matter, Creepy Store, Gustave Eiffel (Escapolis - Galatsi)
• Lilipout, Scooby...Who? (Art Of Escape)

We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Athens to play world class escape rooms!

Best Rooms In The Netherlands & Belgium: A Traveller's Guide

Beautiful Bruges (Belgium)

I finally made it out to Europe this year to play the top games in The Netherlands and Belgium after the initial trip in 2020 got postponed because of the pandemic. This was part of a larger tour of 39 games played that also included Paris and Geneva (these cities will featured in a separate post). 

The games in this part of the world were outstanding with some great storytelling and smart uses of physical space. We were thrilled to be able to play so many wonderful games and highly recommend a visit to this area for all escape room enthusiasts.

Special thanks to local enthusiasts Helena and Sven for joining us for some of the games we played! It is always great meeting new people and so far every single person we have met over the years has been a blast to hang out with.

Impressions & Observations During The Netherlands & Belgium Escape Room Trip

Getting Around
To play the top games in this region, a car was needed in order to get around. Unfortunately, the games were really spread out in various cities so there were no other feasible transportation options.

English Translations 
All but one of the rooms we wanted to play were available in English. GM's were perfectly fluent, some videos had English subtitles and there were no major language issues at all.

Cash Is King
Many games required payment to be made in cash, so it is wise to prepare for this and not be caught off guard. Be aware of daily limit cash withdrawals from ATM's.

More Action, Less Puzzling
There were more physical elements in the games in this part of the world when compared to the U.S./Canada but less than what we experienced in Barcelona. You should be prepared to crawl and get dirty.

Private Bookings
Like most of Europe, all the games we played had private bookings. You could  get away with two players but for economic reasons you would have to book for three or four players.

The Netherlands & Belgium Escape Room Recap

Mama Bazooka: The Dome
The Dome was the reason why we made it out to The Netherlands. It was voted the #1 escape room in the world for a few years on TERPECA. We have played other former #1 rooms and usually, hype kills. Would The Dome also be cursed with unrealistic expectations? I am happy to say that this game lived up to its reputation. 

The Dome was a technological marvel with great reveals and creative puzzles all blended into a fun theme. The experience was so magical and we really felt immersed into the world they laid out in front of us. It is hard to be impressed after playing almost 500 rooms but The Dome was able to do it! If you are an escape room enthusiast, this is a a must play. 

• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 169€-189€/team
  
• Number of players: 4-6, private (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Mama Bazooka also had a massive lobby with tons of games!

Down The Hatch: Molly's Game
Another top room with an expansive set and some physical elements that surprised us. Molly's Game redefines how to create an escape room that delivers on storytelling in a creepy environment with some great moments. I thought I was done with the "creepy house" settings but I was wrong!

• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 165€/team
  
• # of Players: 2-5 (we recommend 3-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Dark Park: Stay In The Dark / The End / The Orphanage
Dark Park was a premier Escape Room company with multiple high quality games. 

Stay In The Dark: This game took place in what is likely one of the largest facilities for an escape room in the world. It spanned over multiple floors with each floor being larger than 95% of the escape rooms I have played. The premise was fun in that we were "looking to purchase real estate" and stumbled upon this old factory and then the shenanigans began. I don't want to spoil this so I will not say more but it was quite an ambitious project that lasted 2.5 hours.

The End: A very interesting story with a twist and a super fun ending that I highly appreciated. There are some fun moments as well that really make this room unique. Sven was also a pleasure to play with!

The Orphanage: This was one of the first rooms that we played in The Netherlands and I was extremely impressed with the lighting effects. The timing and use of effects were great at moving the game along.

• Difficulty: Easy-Medium
• Price: +145€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60-150 minutes
• Overall Rating: Stay In The Dark ★★★★★, The End / Orphanage ★★★★½

Epic Escape: Illusion
There are a lot of magic themed games out there but Illusion was able to make us feel like we were actually in a magician's studio. This game was more puzzle-y than others in the area and I was fine with that. We also had Helena join us and that made it even more fun!

• Difficulty: Medium- Difficult
  
• Price: +135€/team
  
• Number of players: 3-6 (we recommend 3-4)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Kamer 237: Kamer 237 / The Concierge
The original room, Kamer 237, was about 5 years old and it was incredible in terms of physical manipulation and story progression. The mechanic used to progress to different rooms was simple yet so satisfying and we slightly preferred this game over The Concierge which can only be played by two players.

• Difficulty: Difficult
• Price: 80€-125€ 
  
• Number of players: Kamer 237 - 2-6 (we recommend 2-3), The Concierge - exactly 2
• Duration: 70-75 minutes
• Overall Rating: Kamer 237 ★★★★½, The Concierge ★★★★
  

Time Adventures: Inferno
This fireman themed escape room had a feature that I don't think I will ever see again. It was quite crazy and it was worth playing just to see it.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: +89€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-6, private (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Escape Room Katwijk: Here I Am
This game was inspired by the Spanish show "Vis-a-Vis" and somehow made us feel like we were in a real prison, despite having played so many games of this theme. Make sure you read the email they send you before playing this game.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: 150€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-5 (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 70 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

 

Rock City Escapes: Soup Du Jour

I loved the start of this game and how the GM role played when introducing the team to the room. The first half started off great with some smooth puzzling and it transitioned into more of a traditional escape room setting towards the end.

• Difficulty: Easy
  
• Price: 140€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

De Gouden Kooi: The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus

The game flow of "The Secret of Saint-Rumoldus" was seamless and the unique story line towards the end made us laugh. Definitely a standout in the Belgium market!

• Difficulty: Medium-Difficult
• Price: +120€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 3-4)
• Duration: 70 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Escaping Belgium: Le Prince
Le Prince was one of the more puzzle-y games we played on our trip and we were lucky to have Helena for the added brainpower! Overall, it was a clean and polished experience that would satisfy many puzzlers and escape room enthusiasts.

• Difficulty: Difficult
  
• Price: +90€/team
  
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 2)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Other Notable Escape Rooms In The Area

 

 In The Netherlands:

• Escape From Wonderland: A colorful room with a ton of puzzles!
• Escape Room The Cube - Triplicate Institute: Great execution in creating a mind-bending experience
  

In Belgium

• Push Mystery Rooms - The Movies: An ambitious take on the world of blockbuster movies
  

We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to The Netherlands or Belgium to play world class escape rooms!

2021 TERPECA: Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts' Choice Award

If you were ever wondering what the top escape rooms in the world were, TERPECA does a pretty good job at aggregating ratings across trusted enthusiasts across the globe. In my opinion, this is vastly superior in comparison to sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google Reviews and even the Facebook Escape Room Enthusiast group. For TERPECA, only enthusiasts who have played +200 escape rooms can nominate rooms and those who have played +50 can stack rank the games they have played. Note that only games that can be played in English are eligible. From TERPECA's site:

"...each stack rank was used to create all possible pairwise comparisons between rooms (or companies) in a given stack rank, and then those were used to create a matrix of scores between rooms using all the direct comparisons from any of the participants".

I have played 10 of the top 50 rooms which are listed below (links for reviews). These are all great games and I would say that there are many other rooms that did not make the list that are just as fun as the below. Anything with a 5 stars in my ratings are all top notch and must play escape rooms.

Top Escape Rooms

11. Strange Bird - The Man From Beyond (Houston, TX, USA)

13. Cutthroat Cavern - 13th Gate (Baton Rouge, LA, USA)

21. Ghost Patrol - Trivium Games (Emeryville, CA, USA)

25. The Lost Island Of The Voodoo Queen - Escaparium (Montreal, Canada)

28. Servant Of Sleight - The Exit Game FL (Clearwater, FL, USA)

31. Evil Robots - The Nemesis Club (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

32. The Edison Room - Palace Games (San Francisco, CA, USA)

35. Mogollon Monster - The Nemesis Club (Phoenix, AZ, USA)

37. The Attraction - Palace Games (San Francisco, CA, USA)

45. Lab Rat - Hatch Escapes (Los Angeles, CA, USA)

2021 was a tough year to travel and play escape rooms so hoping that 2022 will be a better year!

Trivium: Ghost Patrol (Emeryville, CA)

What do you get when you combine a beautiful set with clever puzzle design? You get one of the top games in the country! Trivium's "Ghost Patrol" is at the top of almost every Northern California enthusiast's list for a good reason. This ghost themed room was actually not scary at all so we can recommend it for enthusiasts and families alike. From their website:

"Spirits can be a real nuisance for the living. So how do we deal with these pesky poltergeists? Just trap them, right?! And then what, store them in some big, central containment unit indefinitely?! Imagine the liability! We're not animal control, we’re detectives! If we can figure out why the ghost is hanging around and fix its problem, then POOF! No spirits to store and no messy clean up. "

Set Design, Technology & Puzzles

Ghost Patrol's set design was impeccably clean and visually pleasing. The attention to detail was apparent in so many parts of the game ranging from the environment to the puzzle flow. The early puzzles built up the knowledge base needed for the later puzzles which was just brilliant and frankly uncommon in many escape rooms. What we also loved was that it was very clear what objects were "in play" and which ones were not so we didn't lose any time debating if we had all the necessary elements to solve something. 

The technology used in the game was well hidden and just like many other aspects of this escape room, seamless. The crafty use of lighting and sound enhanced the gameplay and added to the overall immersion of the game.

Memorable Moments 

The originality and continuity of one of the main puzzle elements was great! Many other items in the room were also custom made which added to the uniqueness of the experience. On a completely different note, the odyssey began with a memorable sci-fi Easter egg. 

Room For Improvement

Ghost Patrol did extraordinarily well in most departments, however, I would have loved to have more action-oriented or "wow" moments. This is personal preference as I am not as puzzle oriented as many enthusiasts. 

Overall Thoughts

If you are ever in the San Francisco Bay Area, you should 100% play Trivium's Ghost Patrol. The game is accessible to all skill levels (unlike, say, Palace Games in the area) and is family friendly as well. The puzzle flow was world class and you'll have a blast! For this reason, we have awarded Ghost Patrol with the Achievement unlocked Award for one of top escape rooms played! 

• Set design: Great!
• Difficulty: Average
• Price: $225-275 for 4 players, +30$/ additional player
• Number of players: 4-8 (recommend 4)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

See their website here: https://www.triviumgames.com

Best Los Angeles Escape Rooms

LA is full of amazing games!

Los Angeles is known for having some of the best escape rooms in the United States in terms of quality and quantity. I've had the opportunity to play about 100 games in the LA area, including nearby Orange County (OC) and have compiled this guide to help you choose which escape rooms best suit your needs. Note that LA is huge and getting from one room to another can take well over an hour so you should plan accordingly. 

Note that I've tried my best to list what I believe to be the best rooms as of July 2021. This means that rooms I played a few years ago might no longer be a top room when compared to newer rooms but I did not retroactively change the ratings in my official ratings list. Also, I prefer rooms that focus on adventure and I typically give bonus points for anything comedic. 

Los Angeles Escape Room Standouts

Hatch Escapes: Lab Rat (Los Angeles)

If you are a fan of escape rooms, you have likely heard of Lab Rat. This whimsical game was extremely creative: you are the "rat" and the rats are conducting experiments on you! The immersion was great and we laughed a lot throughout the experience. The puzzles were on the difficult side so don't expect a walk in the park. I would say that 95% of enthusiasts highly recommend this game for all types of players. See our in-depth review here.  

• Set Design: Excellent
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Price: $40/person 
• Number of players: 2-8, private (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2018
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Quest Tavern: The Last Supper (Pomona)

LA games often have actors and I was fortunate enough to have one of the best actors I've ever seen in an escape room in "The Last Supper". He was witty, played off our interactions perfectly, and was the indisputable star of the experience! There were some genuine adrenaline rushing moments with some fine puzzles that made for a fantastic game. I tend to love rooms with actors and always give bonus points if they make me laugh. I would recommend playing this game with a lively group!

• Set Design: Good 
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: $38/person 
• # of Players: 3-8 (we recommend 3-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2021
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Not Another Escape Room: Time Machine (Brea)

Not another time machine room...or was it? Time Machine was what a proper time traveling game should be and the game mechanics were amazing! It takes a lot to wow a seasoned group of players (the team played between 200-800 rooms each) and this game was a joy to experience. We couldn't stop talking about this game even after we left because it was so clever and unique. 

• Set Design: Good
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: $40/person
• Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-4)
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Played in 2021
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Maze Rooms: Magic Kingdom (Los Angeles)

I played this a while back but it still stands in my memories as a beautiful and magical fairy tale experience. There were a lot of memorable moments that awed us and hopefully the experience remains the same some four years later. . The set was great, that physical element was really cool and the use of tech in that building...you'll have to play it to see what I mean. See our full review here

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: $33-49/person
• Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2017
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Quest Room: Amnesia (Redondo Beach)

This was an experience driven room that focused on storytelling and tasks with some light puzzling. What I appreciated about this game were the elements of surprise and of course the comedic twist. There aren't many puzzles so going into the game knowing this should help you decide whether this style suits your preferences. Also, it would be more fun with four or more people, which typically isn't the case with normal escape rooms.

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: $37-$60/person
• Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2021
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Stash House: A Los Angeles Crime Story (Los Angeles)

This game was pretty different from a storytelling perspective and if you are ok with some of the adult themes you should probably play this game. The set takes place in a relatively large space and the concept of the game was that you are proving your worthiness to some criminal entrepreneurs.  Overall, this game set itself apart with its unique theme and funny ending.

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Price: $30-40/person
• Number of players: 4-11 (we recommend 5-6)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Played in 2018
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Breaking Point: Headcase (Rancho Cucamonga )

Breaking Point had two great rooms with "Headcase" and "The Whitmore Estate". Their Headcase room was a revamped version of their old Patient 17 room and I think if you never played Patient 17, Headcase would be even more fun due to experiencing the physical space for the first time. You should play both of their games if in the area!  

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: $35/person
• Number of players: 2-10 (we recommend 2-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2017
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Escapade: Zoe (Fullerton)

While I am not the biggest fan of anything horror, I must give props to Zoe for making a memorable experience. The actor interaction was pretty horrifying so if you are into this type of experience, then it's a must play. See our full review here.

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: $33-49/person
• Number of players: Up to 6 (we recommend 2-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2017
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

60out: Houdini (Los Angeles)

There are a million Houdini games out there but there was one moment that made this game really stand out for me. I didn't see it coming and it perfectly fit the magic theme. This game is on the easier side and if you like magical moments, you will enjoy this game.

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Easy
• Price: $38-40/person
• Number of players: 2-5 (we recommend 2-4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Played in 2017
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

The Basement: The Study (Los Angeles)

For the longest time, The Study was my favorite room of all time. I played the version of the game in Las Vegas but I was told the LA game was pretty much the same. This game has actors and overall does an amazing job with immersion. There are some electrifying moments that you will likely never experience in any other rooms. While at "The Basement", you should also hit up "The Courtyard" and "The Elevator Shaft" which are also solid. See the full review here.

• Set Design: Great
• Difficulty: Medium-Difficult
• Price: $30-50/person
• Number of players: Max 10 (we recommend 4-6)
• Duration: 45 minutes
• Played in 2017
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Other Escape Rooms In The Area

There are so many other noteworthy games to play in LA and you can see my entire list of LA escape rooms played here. Honestly, you could play +30 games and have a great time in every single one of them. Nonetheless, here are some other honorable mentions:

• Scenario Escape: Mad Rapper (Brea): The creator of this game is an actual rapper so the theme and the custom soundtrack for this game make it very different compared to everything else out there. 
• Black Market Escape: Murder Co. (Los Angeles): I played a version of this game in 2019, and it seems that it might be different now but if you are able to stomach this intense, gory game, then it'll be quite the gruesome experience. 
• Escape Revolution: Escobar (Los Angeles): This game made us do things we would never ever do an an escape room and if you are willing to cough up the steep entry price of $90/person to play and want to see something new, try out "Escobar".

We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Los Angeles to play escape rooms!

2020 Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists

2020 was a crazy year and we wanted to look back at the positives and announce a short list of top escape rooms that we played.  The winners below are a mix of both traditional physical rooms and online based games.

Achievement unlocked medals are awarded every year to the top escape rooms played by Escape Rumors. There is no limit in terms of rooms awarded and they are sorted alphabetically.

The escape rooms with direct links have reviews. Feel free to contact us at info@escaperumors.com for any comments or questions.

Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists

Frost Base Z (Rabbit Hole, Denver, Colorado)
Frost Base Z takes place on a magnificent frozen base straight out of the movies!

Ghost Patrol (Trivium, Emeryville, California) 

The clean design along some great puzzle evolution all the way to the finale makes Ghost Patrol a satisfying experience from beginning to end!

Plight Of The Margo Part 1 & 2 (ConTRAPtions, For Collins, Colorado)
This puzzle-heavy escape room has the most intense starship set design we have ever seen, along with some serious equipment to go along with it!

Pursuit of Assassin Artist (Omescape, Online)

Pursuit of The Assassin Artist delivers a top of class experience with a novel game mechanic that will reset your expectations of an online escape room!

Starlight Motel (Escape Artist, Greenville, South Carolina)
Some fun actor interaction, sprinkled with some tense moments within a creepy motel is what makes this room standout when compared to others in the genre!

The Truth About Edith (Mad Genius Escape Co., Online)
The Truth About Edith blends a whimsical storyline, fun mini-games and a 97 year young lady all into a comedic and delightful experience not to be missed!

Virtual X-Caper (Agent November, Online)
If you are looking for a lighthearted, witty and genuinely hilarious online escape room, you should definitely play Virtual X-Caper!

Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to 2021!

2019 Achievement unlocked Medalists

We are proud to announce the Escape Rumors Achievement unlocked Medalists for 2019! In 2019, we played rooms in the US, Canada, England, Scotland, Italy, Spain and Germany and have played over 300 games over the years (almost 100 in 2019).

Achievement unlocked medals are awarded every year to the top escape rooms played by Escape Rumors. On top of being solid escape rooms, these rooms also distinguished themselves in the categories below. There is no limit in terms of rooms awarded and they are sorted alphabetically.

The escape rooms with direct links have in-depth reviews. Feel free to contact us at info@escaperumors.com for any inquiries.

Best Immersion

Atrincherados (Trenches) (Connecta Escape, Cerdanyola Del Valles, ESP)
No other game throws you into war like this one.

Enterprises (Abduction, Barcelona, ESP)
Batman and all the greatness that comes along with him.

El viaje continua (Life Continues) (Chronologic, Barcelona, ESP)
A fantastic sci-fi journey with an inspiring cinematic feel to it.

Grand Immersia Hotel (Immersia, Montreal, QC)

You've played hotel games before but you haven't had the fun actor interaction of this game.

Best Storytelling

SWAT (Open Mind, Cornellà de Llobregat, ESP)
Another great Barcelona game, this one thrusts you into the world of a SWAT team.

Whitmore Estate (Breaking Point, Rancho Cucomongo, CA) - Review Coming Soon

One of the best flowing games with a cohesive story.

Wizard Four Rise of Lord Thulsa (Escaparium, Montreal, QC)
A nice reveal and some great Harry Potter like interactions.

Wrath of Poseidon (Sauve Qui Peut, Montreal, QC)

An escape room with a strong message for the world today.

Best Puzzles

The Lab: Lockdown (RevoEscape, Scarborough, ON)
Everything is based on what you would find in real life (so no riddles to open locks).

Project Delta (AI Escape, London, ENG)
The puzzles will stump all enthusiasts, even those with +1,000 games under their belt.

Reflection of Madness (Codex, Laval, QC)
The best, by far, of many "Stranger Things" inspired rooms that we have played with a lot to do.

Best Set Design

Dodge City (Tulleys Escape, London (Crawley), ENG)
An incredibly expansive set that continuously opens up new spaces to discover.

The Grand Parlor (13th Hour, Wharton, NY/NJ)
A beautiful multi-floor game that will likely never be repeated.

Neptune's Curse (Hidden In Hamburg, Hamburg, GER)
Based on an actual boat where you realistically descend into the lower decks in search of the trident.

Ghost Hunter Ernie Hudson and the Wailing Woman (Skurrilum, Hamburg, GER)
Intricately detailed game with some astonishing reveals.

Most Creative

Atlantis (Escape Room LA, Los Angeles, CA) - Review Coming Soon

A solid game that has a great atmosphere and feel to it.

Mad Rapper (Scenario Escape, Brea, CA)
This music themed game is so unique and different from everything else.

Narcos (Unreal Room Escape, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, ESP)
A sprawling house with some great elements that will get your adrenaline pumping.

OriGENES (ClueQuest, London, ENG)
Finally, a "Honey, I Shrunk The Kids" room with a cartoony twist.

Special Ops: Mysterious Market (The Escape Game, Minneapolis, MN)
One of the best spy themed games we have played with a memorable finale.

Congratulations to all the winners and we look forward to a great 2020!

13th Hour: Dungeon, Great Room, Grand Parlor (Wharton, NJ)

Guest post by Matt Kimmel:

13th Hour Escape Rooms (formerly The Haunted Scarehouse) began as a haunted house, but as escape rooms became popular, expanded and built five escape rooms, with a sixth opening soon. We were able to play three. The company has a unifying horror theme, weaving a story about the notorious killer, John Hayden, and his family through each of their rooms. From their website:

"The Dungeon
Our newest room, the Dungeon offers a unique challenge that is only for the tough. Faint of heart beware. You start your game blindfolded and led to your cells. You get chained and locked into your cells unaware of your surroundings. Do you have what it takes to escape?

The Great Room
This is the Hayden families room of murders. This section of the farmhouse is known as the Great Room. This massive section of the farmhouse will challenge your witts in all fashions. Multiple sections, secret passage ways and puzzles you never experienced before will have your team running mad. What terrible secrets lies within the Great Room. Just what were the Hayden family members up too. 

The Grand Parlor
You all have been chosen, chosen for a simple task of wit and courage. It seems someone has misplaced Bishop Hayden’s ashes. As uncaring as this may seem, it’s actually very important. Bishop and Edna Hayden were a killing team back in their time and they must be reunited in the afterlife. If you find Bishop’s urn and they are reunited, we will let you leave without harm. If not, you will all become part of the Hayden farmhouse forever!"

Set Design, Technology & Puzzles 

The Dungeon
This one starts with a split-team experience, where each group member is placed in their own cell after being captured by John Hayden and must escape. The dimly lit, derelict basement isn't visually stunning, but it does a very good job at looking like a dingy murder basement. The puzzles were straightforward, and often amounted to using information found across the room to translate a list into a 4 or 8 digit code. The set design included multiple levels and secret doors, with at least one puzzle taking advantage of the multilevel set. There are stairs, so if anyone in your group has mobility concerns, make sure to check with them.

The Great Room
The Great Room is a more ornate room which continues to take advantage of multilevel set design. The technology here is more impressive; the venue's roots as a haunted house are on full display, and they're not afraid to use moving elements beyond simple opening boxes and doors.

The Grand Parlor
This room is the venue's newest room, and it shows in the variety of technology and big set pieces used. It's another multilevel room which uses its space fantastically, letting players use certain areas by seeing them prior to the players gaining physical access to them. The layout is impressive and the games opens up wonderfully. There are a lot of puzzles to manage and our team of four had more than our hands full with this one.

Memorable Moments 

The Dungeon 
The item discovered upon winning is a great use of the initial room setup. You'll know it when you see it.

The Great Room
Discovering a puzzle that is mostly inside a secret passage.

The Grand Parlor
First accessing the parlor room. What a great set piece!

Room For Improvement

The rooms were overall very good, but The Dungeon repeated very similar puzzles several times. The Dungeon and the Great Room lack ceilings (if you look up, you'll see straight up to the roof), and as a result, you can hear groups in other rooms yelling back and forth to each other. At times, the rooms also felt a little heavy on padlocks.

Overall Thoughts

The Grand Parlor Room was a masterpiece, including a variety of puzzles, setpiece elements, and technologies. The Great Room was a close second, and in almost any other location would've been a strong standout. The Dungeon was the oldest and simplest of the three, but it still had a couple unexpected tricks and turns and was quite enjoyable.

• Set design: Great! Less good if you don't enjoy a haunted house aesthetic, since all the rooms share a horror theme
• Difficulty: Ranges from easy to medium, nothing that is unusually punishing
• Price: $29/person +$/person to make the room private
• Number of players: up to 6-10 (recommend 3-6) depending on room. Some puzzles benefit from multiple players.
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: The Dungeon: ★★★★, The Great Room: ★★★★½, The Grand Parlor ★★★★★

See their website here: https://13thhourescape.com/

Disclosure: 13th Hour graciously provided discounted tickets

Best Escape Rooms In Barcelona: A Traveller's Guide

Sagrada Familia view from the Ayre Hotel Rooftop

This summer, we were lucky enough to make it to Barcelona to play 10 outstanding games. Combined with the two escape rooms that we played earlier in the year made for a dozen in this beautiful city. Each of the games we played could have been a stand out in many other cities and we can confidently say that Barcelona is our favorite escape room city so far.

Our Spanish skills are: nada for myself and basic for Sarah. We worked tirelessly to coordinate games with owners to see who could provide translations and scoured a ton of Spanish-only blogs to source the best rooms (Google usually translates the page). When companies were not able to translate their game, we brought along some locals to help us out. We were lucky to hit all the escape rooms that we wanted and we noted the quality of translations further down in this post.  We hope that enthusiasts who don't speak Spanish (and speak some English) can benefit from our research to be able to enjoy these world class games.

Note that all the games we played had amazing set designs so we'll refrain from commenting on that aspect.

Special thanks to the Barcelona bloggers Victor and Maria from El Quinto Elemento and Eulalia from Die Helden for recommendations and translations. Also, local enthusiasts Francesc, Eugenia, Carles, Jonatan for playing with us. You saved us so many times!

Impressions & Observations During Our Barcelona Escape Room Trip

The Start Of The Game
For many of the games we played, you can not enter the building until your start time. More often than not, there was no lobby to wait in and no one will take you in early which almost never happens in the US. At your start time, you ring the doorbell, enter the building and boom... the game begins! This method was much more immersive than sitting in a lobby but also makes logistics tougher on the escape room company given they need single game locations. Also, this probably wouldn't work for corporate crowds so this might not be as practical to implement in America.

Getting Around
The metro system is excellent. It was very quick, clean and we didn't have to wait more than 5 minutes for a train to arrive. However, there are a lot of games that are within 20 miles (30km) of Barcelona that are outside of the metro system but worth doing. For those, you could rent a car or use taxis (what we did). Uber no longer exists as we know it in Barcelona but there are a ton of taxis in the city and you could also try the Free Now app (formerly the myTaxi app) . We did have an issue returning from Badalona which was 8 miles (13km) away where Free Now had no drivers. It was 12pm on a Friday and we waited 30 minutes to get a taxi back to the city.

English Translations
All but one location had Game Masters who spoke pretty good English. Even the place where the game was not translated, the GM spoke English so we were lucky. Puzzles were generally decently translated, most videos had English subtitles and a only one video and audio track was in Spanish only. While our guide should be accurate for when we played the games, you should confirm with the escape room about the current state of translations.

Cash Is King
We also experienced this in Italy but most places accepted a deposit online (20%) and then would ask for the rest of the balance in cash after the game was over. If you want to play a ton of games, make sure you have enough cash for your entire group. We tried to take money out at an ATM but our US-debit and credit card was not accepted so we were lucky to have a local friend with us to help out.

More Action, Less Puzzling
If you want to feel like you're in a movie and appreciate the sense of discovering new spaces, book your flight to BCN right now. Actor interaction was great and often times the climax at the end did not disappoint. However, if you are more puzzle-centric (i.e. you do puzzles outside of escape rooms for fun and prefer mental challenges), don't like actors or crawling, then you might not be so gung ho about all these games.

Physical Nature of The Game
While I am not expert in European Law, I am pretty confident that there are less litigation risks in Barcelona than anywhere in the US. This may be the reason why there were quite a few more physical tasks like climbing, crawling and using heavy tools which are not dangerous at all, but perhaps avoided in the US.

Private Bookings
Like most of Europe (outside of the UK), all the games we played had private bookings. You could probably get away with two players but for economic reasons they require you to book for three or four.

Horror Themed Games
In our research and from talking with local enthusiasts, it seemed that there were a lot of top games in the horror genre. We did not try any of these because it's not our cup of tea, but if you enjoy a good scare you can make an entire trip with just horror themed rooms. You can even get kidnapped from a parking lot and hurled into the back of a van, getting tased in the process. Or have to drive out for an hour in the middle of the night to an abandoned shack in the forest (without knowing beforehand).

Do Other Things 
If you are visiting Barcelona for the first time, please try not to stuff only escape rooms in your schedule. I started off doing this and eventually kept half my days free to see the city. Some ideas:

• Sandeman's 2.5 hour Free Walking Tour: I've done this in many European cities and they are normally great. Get to see the city and learn some cool things about the Catalan people.
• Sagrada Familia: Large unfinished Gaudi church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Construction began and 1882 (!) and anticipated to be completed in 2026. Buy your tickets ahead of time and maybe go to the rooftop of the Ayre Hotel for the best view (a local secret I'm told). It's worth the 15 euro drink.
• Food: Of course you will eat amazing local food such as jamon serrano and paella, but like any metropolitan area, there is great food from all over the world so don't try to only eat local food 3x a day.

Barcelona Escape Room Recap

We gave five rooms the highest possible rating of 5 gold stars. This is the most we have given for any area in the world that we have played (which is skewed towards North America but includes some major cities like London, Rome and Hamburg).

Unreal Room Escape: La Mina
First, prepare to get dirty. Second, there are a LOT of things to do with some nice surprises. The excitement of doing a million things was extremely fulfilling and oh so much fun. The set was on the larger side and they really, really maximize the space that they have to an impressive level. Show up only at your timeslot.

See the full review here

• Translation: The intro video and a few clues were not translated but we were told they rectified this after our feedback
• Difficulty: Easy/Medium
• Price: 16€-33€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-7, private (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Escape Barcelona: Alien Origen
You wanted a movie-like experience? You got a movie-like experience! The fantastic start and strong finish will forever be in our memories. The tasks were more video game-like which may not be favored by puzzle-centric players. Still, it was a blast to play if you want to run around a spaceship.

See the full review here

• Translation: Perfect 
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 17€-25€ ($20-$29)/person 
• # of Players: 4-10 (we recommend exactly 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Abduction 4: Enterprises
Holy Batman! Yes finally a Batman room! The atmosphere was great and there were some moments that Batman fans will love. This was also one of the most physical games we have played and wished that more places incorporated this style. We cheered each other along the way and the ending was frantic and so fulfilling. You could get away with two players if you are fit but it would be tough for one challenge.

• Translation: Not offered in English (we got by with locals but the GM spoke perfect English so ask before booking)
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 23€-32€ 
• Number of players: 3-8 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 70 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Open Mind: SWAT
SWAT thrusts you into the action the moment you begin and you get to do things that you don't normally do in American escape rooms. This is a great game for two players that starts off with a lot of physical tasks and transitions to more cerebral puzzles. Show up only at your timeslot.

• Translation: Great (intro video had subtitles)
• Difficulty: Easy/Medium
• Price: 17€-33€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-7 (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 80 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Chronologic 2: El viaje continua ("Life Continues")
Time travel theme with some very fun moments. There were a lot of sci-fi Easter eggs throughout the game and the ending was spot on. Communicating with the computer and reading some articles required Spanish while everything else was language agnostic. They owners did such an amazing job building and decorating the place to make it immersive that you forget you are in a normal building.

• Translation: Not offered in English (we brought a translator)
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Price: 18€-30€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-5, private (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 75 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Unreal Room Escape: Narcos
Thrown right into the game from the start, the actor got real chummy chummy with me. Perhaps I instigated with some ribbing so he made me uneasy which was on point with the theme. There were some nice props and role playing in this game that we hadn't seen before. Fun start and ending and like La Mina, a great sense of opening new areas to discover. Show up only at your timeslot.

• Translation: Perfect 
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 16€-33€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-7, private (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Abduction 3: The Exam
Everyone says, the less you know the better. Also much more physical than most rooms. You should make sure you get to play this when you visit the city because it was real fun and different.

• Translation: Fine
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 17€-42.50€/person 
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Connecta Escape: Atrincherados ("The Trenches")

One of the most immersive war games with a clever use of space. You will get dirty and you will have to crawl more than you would like. The actor was screaming at us a lot, which i guess simulates what it would be like in a war. Located 10 minutes south of Sabadell in Cerdanyola Del Valles and also the same company as Escapem.

• Translation: Average, 90% of the game is translated
• Difficulty: Medium/High
• Price: 20€-40€/person 
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating:★★★★★

Chronologic 1: La creación ("The Creation")

The first room created by the company and, although older, it had some nice moments. I struggled with this one since there was a lot of Spanish reading required but could appreciate the puzzles after they were explained to me.

• Translation: Not offered in English (we brought a translator)
• Difficulty: Difficult
• Price: 16€-30€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-5 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 60 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Escapem: Bajo Zero ("Below Zero")
You start off in a helicopter and transition to a snowy setting which was a first for us. They even had the AC blasting to make the temperature drop. Some fun concepts and the spacing was a bit tight so two player groups are best. Located in Sabadell.

• Translation: Good except one hint seemed to be wonky
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 16€-30€ ($18-$38)/person 
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 2)
• Duration: 70 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★½

Golden Pop: Catacombas

The lobby looked exactly like the cinema area with popcorn for you to eat but strangely enough we could only enter when it was our time. The intro video of Spanish Indiana Jones was well done with English subtitles (although they blasted the volume so loud it hurt our ears) and the huge cavern had some nice reveals. The game has apparently gone through major changes since the ownership change so the version we played might not be the same that you will play. I was also a little lost due to all the audio being in Spanish and I followed the lead of my teammates.

You can enter only during your time slot

• Translation: Not great (intro video had subtitles) and audio was Spanish only
• Difficulty: ???
• Price: 22€-25€/person 
• Number of players: 2-8 (we recommend 2-3)
• Duration: 80 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★

Thanks Eulalia (local blogger from "Die Helden Room Escapers") for translating!

Cinemaescape: Barum Dum
This Lord Of The Rings inspired room was fun but we expected more action and suspense. There were no words in the game so it is fine for English speakers - the intro was only in Spanish but consisted of mostly trailers for other escape rooms. We almost didn't get to play due to a tech issue but after about a 45 minute wait the issue was fixed!

• Translation: No Spanish needed except for intro
• Difficulty: Medium
• Price: 13€-31€/person 
• Number of players: 2-6 (we recommend 4)
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Overall Rating: ★★★★

Carles and Eugenia, some local enthusiasts and me doing a grumpy Gimli pose

Other Escape Rooms In The Area

Some other rooms that we heard great things about during our research and talks with local but did not play were:

In Barcelona:

• Horror Box: Catelepsia, a 2-player game in coffins
• Maximum Escape: Refuge 27 and Spaceship Ulysses, Russian games similar to 60out in the US
• Fear: Zombie Outbreak

In Mataro (20 miles east of Barcelona)

• Cubick: The Interview and The Exam, TERPECA winning games
• Mystery Box: Ghostbusters
• Roomanji, Jumanji-like game

In Pineda de Mar (34 mile east of Barcelona)

• Futura, Bioshock like world

We hope this post helps out anyone who is hoping to venture off to Barcelona to play world class escape rooms!