Escape Rooms began online before being brought into real life in Japan in 2007. Ever since then Escape Rooms have grown in popularity all over the world. The concept? There’s a high tension storyline, you’re trapped in a room and you have an hour to get out. Using intuition, detective skills and team work its immersive theatre taken to another level.
Exciting quests for adventurous explorers
Escape room challenges have become ever more popular and elaborate with some of the quests bordering on an immersive theatre experience. Perfect for a team building office day out and much more physical and exciting than a trip to the pub for a day spent with friends, here are our top tips for escaping everyday London and immersing yourself in a race against the clock.
The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience
22-32 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EU
Fans of the popular 90s TV show will know exactly what to expect here: run around like loons, complete a variety of tricksy challenges and end up wearing some sensational satin bomber jackets. What more could you possibly want? The more challenges you complete successfully, the more Crystals you win and the more time you’ll have for the final test in *drumroll* The Crystal Dome. If you ever fancied competing in the TV show yourself this will be a childhood dream come true.
Tickets are from £55 per person and can be purchased here.
Enigma Quests: The School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
2-12 Wilson Street, London, EC2M 7LS
Attention all Potterheads: do you secretly believe your magical abilities exceed those of normal muggles? You now have a chance to graduate from the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and prove to everyone that you are a true witch or wizard. Instead of escaping, the goal here is to pass six exams on your way to becoming a wizard, including Runes, Potions, Charms and, of course, Defence Against the Dark Arts. Your team will face obstacles and tests requiring cooperation and bravery and of course every minute counts.
Tickets start at £90 per team and can be purchased here.
Enigma Quests also offer a range of other themes for escape rooms which you can explore here.
Moriarty’s Game
The Marylebone Pub, 93 Marylebone High Street, London, W1U 4RE
HiddenCity prize themselves on turning a city into an experience. Their variously themed scavenger hunts take players all over the city while simultaneously educating them about little-known areas of London. In this Sherlock Holmes inspired challenge, the famous detective’s arch nemesis Professor James Moriarty invites you to solve a trail of clues that you will receive as messages directly to your phone. In teams of up to four people, explore exhibitions celebrating contemporary architecture, drink in Georgian public houses or scrutinise 15th century art in a Mayfair townhouse while you try to find Moriarty’s safehouse. Rather on the difficult side, this challenge is for over 18’s only and will take 3-4 hours including two breaks.
Tickets start at £25 per player.
No Escape London
51 Oxford Street, London, W1D 2EF
Tapping into people's common fear of the dentist, this horror themed experience will have you trapped in a murderous orthodontist’s surgery. You have one hour to escape from the deranged Dr. Basher, using teamwork and quick thinking to survive. Groups of 4-6 are ideal for this intense experience and with only a 20% success rate you'll need your wits about you to escape.
If this doesn’t tickle your scare buds then there are 6 other themes to explore.
Tickets start at £38 per person and can be purchased here.
Fox in a Box
14 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AZ
From breaking out of a prison cell to escaping the Zodiac Killer, Fox in a Box rooms are bound to get the blood pumping. With varying levels of difficulty these escape rooms are suitable for the whole family. It’s time to team up and getting practicing, you’ll only have one hour to solves clues, puzzles and riddles to get out as fast as you can!
Tickets start from £64 for 2 people.