Lady Chastity's Reserve - The Four Thieves (Room 1), Clapham was my 156th escape room. I'm from Los…read moreAngeles, CA and I've played a number of rooms with live actors. Sometimes I'm weary of live actors, but they integrated their live actor/game host well. Ford, I believe her name was (or Gabriel, in line with the character everyone meets) was fabulous and fun. This was also the first time I've played a room where you win a bottle of wine and it was located in a bar establishment. That alone was well worth it! I've consider this room to be a first generation room (no tech), but they did a solid job. Escape rooms have become more and more elaborate, but if you can make a solid first generation room, I'd take that over finicky tech based rooms. It was dark, however, but you do get flashlights. Also, it's a creepy room and my group and I hate creepy, but it was a lot of fun for my group and I. Can't think of any jump scares. I'd definitely recommend them and would love to be back for more!

This escape room is quite something! It was very enjoyable and really well done. Don't worry,…read morethere's no spoilers in this review. You can gather and chill in the Four Thieves pub downstairs and wait for Gabriel to find you. You'll easily recognise him by his old timey garb and creepy stare. This escape room has an actual storyline you have to follow, a bit like those classic adventure games. Randomly searching for clues isn't as helpful as it is in most other escape rooms as only the storyline will help unlock the clues. The room is really well done, very dark and moody, slightly creepy but not too scary. Decor and props are fantastically made, the room tends to get quite hot though, so be aware of that when you dress for the day. The clues and riddles make sense and are all solvable if you stay on track. Overall a really good experience, would definitely recommend this one!

A fantastic find in our family trip to London. Loved that they are open late hours so you can see…read morethe tourist sides and do this after dinner. The rooms are different than any other types of room we had ever done. You will be in pitch darkness at times, and have to crawl or be in confined spaces. The location is in a sketchy alley under the train tracks which really makes you feel you will be the one murdered :-) But honestly, it adds to the whole immersive experience. Melissa our host in the Tinworth location was a fantastic hostess.

We did St Angelos castle at Covent Garden, and Sherlocked at Vauxhall and both are fantastic,…read moreespecially with a special price on promo's they run The staff are friendly and their experiences are very much recommended. The rooms are well thought out and among the best I've been to I would say. There's always room for improvement, but these here are great!

I was invited to join Love Popups London to test out the brand new escape room The Cabin at Escape…read moreLondon. This exit room company has two locations, one in Shadwell, and one in Shepherds Bush. This new room, set in a spooky cabin and camp site, is located in the Shepherds Bush venue, which is short walk from Shepherds Bush Market station. Here's my spoiler free review. The experience starts innocuous enough, with our full team of seven being gathered inside a large tent in the first room. This one is a very small room, barely holding our team, with very few hints and puzzles to solve. What we do find out though is that the premise is that a hunter has stolen goods from our camp while we were hiking and we had to find his cabin to get them back. We set off to quickly solve the first puzzles and burst into the second room, which is much roomier and as thus gave the entire team enough space to fan out and find things to do. We quickly set to task and seemed to blast through most hurdles quite quickly, obviously helped by our vast experience shared out amongst the large group. Every puzzle and game made sense in itself, though some were harder to find and put together in our minds than others. At no point did we feel stuck or artificially held back in any way. The props and decorations are very well done, though some of them could be utilized as clue hiding places more efficiently. For a brand new room that just opened two days before, it was incredibly well put together and very cohesive. Experienced teams will find many familiar elements, but also a few new and surprising ones that are a lot of fun to work on. Newcomers and very small teams (teams of two or three people) will probably face a steep challenge with this one as there is just so much to do, find, uncover, solve. We blasted through this room with a new record time of just 28 minutes, but do keep in mind that we are seven experienced escapees, that definitely makes a difference. I enjoyed this room very much and look forward to trying out this company's other rooms on offer.

This was my first escape room, having been invited by Love Popups London to give the new Overthrone…read moreroom a go. Being a bit of a Game of Thrones/fantasy nerd, I jumped at the chance. Besides, I'd been wanting to try an escape room for absolutely ages. The location was interesting to find, and I liked that one of the staff members joked that it was the first challenge (it's on a high street, just there's no flashy signage). Speaking of the staff, I have to say (and I'm sorry I've forgotten her name), but she was absolutely brilliant. Enthusiastic, supportive, and extremely friendly. It made me feel very welcome, and I would gladly return here to do more rooms and I just felt very much at home. So, onto Overthrone. Now I don't want to give away any details and spoil the experience for players. I will say that it was really a brilliant laugh, and some of the tricks were just fantastic (one in particular which was just genius, and I would really really love to tell you about!!). If you've not done an escape room before, this is a brilliant starter room. There was a photo on the wall that some team had done it in 16 minutes - they must have been a professional escape room team or something as we managed to just complete it with a couple of minutes to spare. Now I just really want to get another team together and go back and do more rooms. I think I've got the bug!!

We did St Angelos castle at Covent Garden, and Sherlocked at Vauxhall and both are fantastic,…read moreespecially with a special price on promo's they run The staff are friendly and their experiences are very much recommended. The rooms are well thought out and among the best I've been to I would say. There's always room for improvement, but these here are great!

I was invited to play Komnata's Doctor Frankenstein room by Love Popups London the other day. The…read moreroom's premise is quite simple, the Professor has been trying to create artificial life, but just as he was close to a breakthrough, he has gone missing. We have one hour to unravel the mystery of what happened to him. The room itself has a very steampunk feel to it, which is really well done with lots of details and decorations. It's a bit dark in the beginning, as finding the light source is part of the game, but once you've gotten past this first hurdle, it's a quite well lit room with lots to discover. The storyline is very linear with lots of hints and instructions built into the room itself, which makes it very suitable for beginners, younger players, or couples. Children from 12 years are allowed to play this room without adult supervision, and it would definitely be solvable for a group of teenagers. So many different puzzles, riddles and clever machinery are part of this room, we didn't feel bored or stuck for a second and blasted through the plot in just 34 minutes. As all four of us have played A LOT of escape rooms though, we didn't think it was too easy at all. As experienced players I would just recommend having less players on your team. An experienced couple will likely get a good 45+ minutes out of this gorgeous room. The props and decorations all looked really well done, well placed, and within theme. A very solid room that was a lot of fun to play! I just wish there was a little more to do so we could have stayed in it longer as it was just so enjoyable!

My husband is British and he had told me about the TV show which sounded awesome. Then one day, we…read morehappened to check into our hotel in London and what was on by chance but a Crystal Maze marathon! I caught both new and old episodes while we freshened up. Amazing! So I was delighted when I read about the live experience and I couldn't wait to play! I love escape rooms and this sounded right up my alley. We tried to convince my siblings-in-law to participate with us, but after several failed attempts, we just decided to carry forward and sign up just the two of us. We booked a weekday night slot at 9:15 pm in December. We reserved the last two spaces on a team of 8. The website and email confirmation says to arrive 30 minutes early to register, so we did, but signing the liability waiver only took a couple of minutes. I don't think you really need to arrive that early. They don't have a water fountain inside and I was so thirsty; they only sell a tiny bottles of water for 2 pounds, so we walked to nearby M&S to pick one up. When we got back, the rest of our team still hadn't arrived, so clearly, they're not stickler on this arrival time thing. We met our teammates, which were 4 people out on a team work outing. I'm not sure what happened to their other 2 members, but this worked out better since we each got to play more challenges. Each team gets to play 16 challenges total (from 4 different categories: Physical, Mental, Mystery and Skill) in 4 different zones -- just like the TV show! We had an amazing, theatrical host that really brought the game to life! We whizzed around through to the different challenges, following our wildly, fun host! The most impressive part of the game is just how detailed everything is! The zones look just like the ones from the TV show! In the aztec zone, you actually slide down the temple into sand! Be sure to look up down and all around! It's just like Disneyland in their attention to detail. I loved it! You start the game in the locker room where you can put on the bright colored jackets from the TV show to take some photos, but you'll leave your jacket behind. It's pretty hot running around. TIP: Just wear a t-shirt inside and comfy shoes you can run in. Then stash your stuff in the free lockers. You can't bring your phone inside either. Then you'll watch a fun intro video that introduces you to the show if you're unfamiliar, and then you'll meet your host, The Maze Master, and elect your Team Master. I was our Team Master who helps decide what challenge the team will take on (you'll always have a choice) and who from the team will take on the challenge. I was pretty easy going about it, especially since I didn't know other 4 members (but they were cool and it's easy to get along and make friends during the game). The challenges were fun whether you were playing yourself or just coaching on your teammate! In most of the games, it's easy to play along with and help your teammate out, so it's quite fun for everyone. Don't worry about getting locked in like the TV show; your team will audibly help you count down the time and tell you to get out if needed. The rooms are small, so it's always easy to get out in town. Also, if you do get locked in (our team didn't), the host will give a simple puzzle or riddles to solve apparently, so you can can rejoin the game. If you can't solve it, you'll lose a crystal. Hosts are also known to give out free crystals to teams as well though, so I really wouldn't worry about it. Each game you win, you earn a crystal which gets you 5 seconds in the Crystal Dome -- just like from the game. Our team of 6 ended up with 10 crystals (we were told most teams earn 6), We entered the Crystal Dome to try and catch as many gold tickets as we can (there's only gold tickets in this one). We ended up with 98! I think we were one of the high scores for the day! It didn't really matter; it was a load of fun! I thoroughly loved this! I asked how much of the game (ie: what percentage of challenges did we see), and they said it was only 40%! I'd definitely love to play it again and I think you'd definitely have some new experiences! It was such a blast! I highly recommend it!

If you've yet to go to the maze I would highly recommend it. I've been 3 times now - the first when…read moreit first opened, the next on my birthday in Nov 2016, and the last time a couple of weeks ago. In between my second and third time they updated some of the games so I wasn't having to replay ones I'd already done, and they do have the timing and characters down to a tee. It does feel like being on a cheapened version of the show, and for someone who was too young when it was on TV, it's made that one dream definitely come true. Expect 2 games each (you can sometimes fit in more) as there are 4 zones and 8 in a team. I've found its a good idea to plan ahead for the types of games people want or an order to run through, so you waste less time talking and get plenty of time to play the games. It is expensive for what it is but as an 'experience' it's comparable to other activities. The Maze Masters are all fantastic and really help you enjoy the experience.

one of the best escape rooms ive done! multiple rooms, each intricately decorated and had plenty of…read morepuzzles. me and my partner did the da vinci themed room, we had a bit of a hard time but our host helped us through and we were able to escape. this was such a fun experience and i recommend this escape room spot!

Starting with the props, to the person and the puzzles, it was all good! I entered to find a really…read morecool foyer with a map wall, fun props and simple puzzles inspired by Da Vinci's inventions which you can play with. I quite liked that you can start with those to mentally get ready while you wait. The person who worked there was very nice and answered all our questions with a smile. He introduced us to the game in which we would be finding the Holy Grail by solving puzzles set up by 'Da Vinci' himself. The puzzles were really inventive and I won't spoil it, but one moment in the game feels like magic. I have done a bunch of the escape games in London, but the challenges in this one felt fresh and fun and there was some real originality. I found the room challenges to be fairly straightforward and clear and the Da Vinci theme was well-done. We only asked for one hint and finished with 11 minutes to spare, so I think the difficulty level was perfect for us. I particularly liked the physical games just because they were quite fun, but all of them were good and there was a fair amount of all types of puzzles. Love Popups London gave me the opportunity to try this game and I definitely got lucky, it was one of the best in London that I have tried! The production values were excellent and the problems were varied and fun to solve. I would definitely recommend this game!

Namco Funscape is situated near the London Eye and the other tourist attractions that can be…read morepackaged together for discounted rates (like the Aquarium, London Dungeon, Shrek's Adventure, etc). It is basically an arcade with some old school games and a little bar area believe it or not! lol (+) Was really cool seeing the mega sized Galaga game, since I loved playing that at the arcade as a kid in the 80's. (+) those crane machines are stupid fun and we ended up winning a couple of the plushes. lol Again, just stupid fun. :) (-) place was not very clean and actually kind of gross in spots (-) a lot of the machines were down and not operating including that Galaga game I would have LOVED to play (boo.) (-) Yelp! check in offered 2 free euro tokens to use for machines (no cash value). I decided what the hell since we were there killing time until we could get in line to ride the London Eye. Sheesh. I had to really jump through some hoops to get the 2 tokens lol. Sign up for wifi, click this, sign right here.... ...and then they only worked on select games and definitely NOT the crane machines, which is what we were there playing and spending our money on! Definitely wasn't worth the hassle. Again though, we were killing time ATM. (-) the blood curdling shrieks of kids in repeated succession can be too much to bear here at times lol no. I am 1000% f*cking serious...but I guess it IS an arcade... This could be a lot better if they would clean the place up and fix the machines. Still, it was mindless fun for a bit but I can't give it more than... 2 stars.

In the hustle and bustle of touristy Westminster and the South Bank today, I saw lots of families…read morewith happy smiley faces in the morning, which had started to look a little weary and in need of a rest. Namco Station is a little potential lifesaver for parents needing a quick break. It's located in the old County Hall building but has an unassuming entrance.It has 3 floors of perfect kiddie entertainment providing you have the cash to feed the machines. There's dodgems and bowling for all the family. Kids will have fun on the video games though I did spot a granny having a go at Dance Revolution! The lowest floor has pool tables and a little restaurant for food and drink - mostly fast food style and cafe fare, I saw adverts for private karaoke but I'm not sure how that operates. I do miss some of the older games but I'm always up for a few bumps in dodgems

A fantastic escape room challenge that requires quite a bit of close team work to be solved…read more I absolutely loved our experience with the Mystery Cube. It's a bit out of the way from central London, but easily reached by Tube. Located in Wimbledon it's easy walking distance from either South Wimbledon or Morden stops on the Northern Line. So don't let the location put you off, it's a real gem! The theme is very well executed and the staff are great at introducing you to the concept. I can't say too much about the actual puzzles and clues obviously, firstly because that would give all the fun parts away and secondly because the Mystery Cube erased my memory after our successful escape. Communication is absolutely key with this one, your team will need to work on different puzzles independently as well as together, so keep each other informed on what you're doing, keep records of every clue you find and which ones you used to keep on top of everything. And most of all, don't panic! This was definitely one of my absolute favourites and I highly recommend it.

TOTALLY AMAZING EXPERIENCE! One of the fastest hours ever and sooooo much fun. Couldn't recommend…read morethis more and as a couple we did not feel handicapped (as most escape rooms start with 3). The location was something I first wondered about but it was very easy to get there by tube and the office block added to the mystery!!!

Courtesy of Love Pop Ups London, I got to try out Escape London's Escape The Seven Seas room as…read morewell as their Taken room at the Shadwell location, and what a ride it was! Both rooms were very well designed with lots of puzzles and challenges in them. I have more elaborate reviews on my blog, but for this platform I will stick with brevity. Seven Seas has a pirate theme in which our team had to escape from prison cells, find the captain's chamber, discover the treasure and then flee before being discovered by the pirates. The room is unfortunately very dimly lit, which makes using the combination locks quite challenging, but the challenges in the room itself are really well done and so much fun to work on. In Taken, we had to rescue our friend "Bob" from the clutches of a serial killer. Again, the room is really well designed and super fun to work through. Some of the gimmicks were outstanding, other could do with being polished up a bit. Taken is definitely a more streamlined and high-pressure room, while Seven Seas is more immersive and sticks to its theme with fierce dedication, but both were a lot of fun to play. A very enjoyable experience, I definitely recommend this escape room company, they know what they're doing!

Another great experience courtesy of @lovepopupslondon and also @escapelond. This is their second…read morelocation from the Shepherds Bush location. For this visit we got to check out two of their three escape rooms.. Escape the Seven Seas and also Taken. Both of these rooms provide a totally different experience and I would definitely be interested in coming back to do the witchcraft and wizardry one too. As a group of experienced players we still found the clues both challenging and fun to complete.. Kris our games master was on hard to provide help if we needed it.. As the competitive streak within all of us we wanted to see if we could get on the leaders board.. So close yet so far!! 46mins for the escape the Seven Seas and Taken in 35 mins.. Would definitely recommend a visit especially for a big group as you can all tackle a different room to share your experiences.

We visited Escape Plan on our UK escape room tour in Oct 2019 and played their "The Battle for…read moreBritain - KENNINGTON" room. THE STORY This escape room is based on the Luftwaffe attack on Britain back on August 18th, 1940. We are the only survivors of the first wave of the bombing and we must strategize how to mobilize our full force of RAF to save London and successful bomb the enemies. We have an hour before they will attack again! HIT THE BULLSEYE -All the puzzles were unique in this room. They were all relevant to the storyline and very entertaining to solve. -The entire room was not linear so our group each had our glory moment to be proud of for solving a different puzzle. The great thing was that we still had a chance to come together for the end. -The "centerpiece" of the room was an impressive design. -The urgency was felt as game progressed, much like the story line. -Great mixture of combo locks and tech (only used at places that made sense). -Unusual way of "winning" the game. -Props used were all related to the timeline of the story. -Love the flow and the "flow tracking device". MISSED THE MARK -The hint system could be a bit off due the various number of puzzles being solved by different players at the same time. The game master's camera may not be able to clearly see the status of all the puzzle solving at one time. Maybe create a laser pointer that can be controlled from the control room to point to the puzzle that's being hinted on. -If only a bit more of a "wow" element could be added to the ending, this would have had a perfect finish! TAKE A SHOT? This is a great game to demonstrate that a room does not have to have an insane amount of tech or crazy movie set like set designs in order to be an awesome escape room. We felt immersed in the storyline and puzzles that none of the "fancy" additions mattered. If you love a challenge with tons of puzzles and want to test how you can work alone and/or with a team, you'll truly enjoy this room.

So you may by now experienced one or two at least escape rooms as these within the last few years…read morehas been popping all over the town. So how does one stand out from another? This is the question I keep asking myself and I guess I will only find out by testing as many of them as I can. Gladly of course. Myself and a couple of friends Bianca and Jamie (a few pulled out last minute) tried out Escape Plan's room. The room is based in the barracks of a P.O.W camp and you and your comrades (lets get into character here) have 60 minutes to escape! The story starts when you enter the room and you find out that only one person has ever escape, Bob Hails and to help you, he has written a journal which you find.  Once inside the room, you are faced with riddles, locks and puzzles which you have to solve. The one thing I like about this room is that each clue is linked to a particular lock, so this means that there can be lots of people to solve different parts of the clues within the room. As a three person group we felt there was more than enough things to keep us challenged. The game master is always watching as he tells you before you enter and will always help you out if he feels that you are struggling. I also love that every prop they have inside the room are real artefacts from the 1940 so please handle with care... apparently someone has dropped a real grenade once and I don't know why anyone would think of dropping that! The one thing which I think is very important to mention is that this room is very accessible to those with mobility issues, theres a lift to the room as well as enough space for a wheelchair to manoeuvre so definitely a plus in my books. I think as a group of three we was all challenged to partake in every part of the game and we escaped with just over 14 minutes to spare, I think the different level of experienced we had really helped and working together is very important. I think no more that 4 people would be a reasonable number to play this room without over filing with players. I visited this room with LovePopUp London and while the experience was kindly gifted to us by Escape Planall my reviews are my own and I would definitely rate this room a 4* out of 5. I really enjoyed the different clues and also the final puzzle was definitely one to experience!