Company The Escape Key

My first room at The Escape Key and it set a high bar. Friendly, knowledgeable staff, excellent North East set design, and a multi-room layout that uses every inch well. Puzzles flow cleanly, the non-linear finish still tracks with the story, and the period tech is used smartly. Solid medium challenge and great value.

Super fun experience that I’d happily recommend. There are a couple of jump scares, but they can remove them if you ask, and it’s not a horror room anyway. The Game Master had great energy, kept us on track, and tailored help to exactly what we needed. Tip: expect a bit of fractions work.

Cracking set and a GM who was both funny and razor-sharp with hints. We asked to tone down the jump scares and they happily did, which kept our nervous friend smiling. Smart puzzles, great flow, and we left buzzing.

We’ve done a bunch of rooms and this still surprised us with its unique touches. The intro videos and film-like audio ramp up the pressure, and one person will need to do a short commando crawl, so plan your team accordingly. Loved it.

Loved the retro tech and the way every room actually does something, not just looks pretty. Heads-up: there’s a short crawl, which I did but my knees didn’t love. Still, the puzzles connect well and the finale is sweet.

Brilliant room that feels tough at first, then steadily opens up as the tasks start clicking. Totally immersive with loads of retro kit and proper hands-on moments. We walked out grinning and are already eyeing our next visit.

Loved the Newcastle history woven through the room, plus that view is a neat touch. Puzzles flowed nicely and felt purposeful. It’s a bit pricey, but the quality shows.

Cinematic from the first second. The bunker set, the audio, the mission vibe—it all clicks and you feel the clock breathing down your neck in the best way. We left buzzing after the launch sequence. Five stars without blinking.

If you like hands-on puzzles, this is your jam. So many tactile moments and that bunker aesthetic is chef’s kiss. Took our teen and they loved the pressure without any scares.

Great room with steady momentum and no filler fluff. A few playful startles, not scary, and the story lands well at the end. Slightly shorter than I expected but super satisfying.