Ontario Escape Reviews

06/22/2015

Escape Maze

Room "Miss Kitty's Parlour" - 45 Minutes

Production Value:
Perhaps to be expected at this point, Escape Maze have yet again incorporated authentic looking and feeling props in Miss Kitty's Parlour. In fact, the majority of the props within the room, those used purely for aesthetic purposes and incorporated into puzzles, were found throughout the farm on which the site is located. Although the production here isn't near as technologically impressive as it is at a number of venues littered across the GTA, Miss Kitty's Parlour still scores high by designing a beautifully accurate game room relative to the time period they've opted to depict. (Score: 20/25)

Puzzles: There's a logical and coherent path for players to follow in Miss Kitty's Parlour, but this remains one of the easier rooms we've had a chance to test in our travels. Our group managed to escape the room in a mere 27 minutes, feeling confident in our team's ability throughout to solve each puzzle efficiently and effectively. In typical Escape Maze fashion, puzzles were designed with a hands-on approach in mind, allowing players to use objects within the room to solve the tasks before them as opposed to being wrapped up with the more common switches and computers. (Score: 21/25)

Fun Factor: As we always do at Escape Maze, we had both a fun and entertaining time escaping Miss Kitty's Parlour. Unlike many other rooms we have participated in to date, puzzles allowed team members to work together without feeling frustrated, and nothing felt overly challenging purely for the sake of being so. The goal here is to have fun. A few of the puzzles were of a variety we had not yet encountered at an escape, adding an extra level of excitement in our quest to escape. Although, this was more of a beginner style room, we foresee it being enjoyable for groups of all experience levels. (Score: 23/25)

Theme: Perhaps Escape Maze's best quality is their undeniable ability to recreate set pieces from the Gold Rush era they depict. An introductory video, prior to playing provides hopeful escapees with a brief backstory, adding further to the authentic feel inside the walls of Escape Maze. Everything in Miss Kitty's Parlour was relevant and accurate to the time period, and nothing felt tacked on in an effort to make the room feel more flushed out. This is a wonderful example that entrepreneurs don't need to travel abroad for high tech gadgets, nor do they need to pump unnecessary finances into their venue. At Escape Maze, players are transported to a place and time in history, a welcome change of pace amidst a over saturation of modern stylized games. We hope they continue to stick with their grassroots theme, and we look forward to escaping their future rooms. (Score: 24/25)

FINAL GRADE: 88/100

88%

06/15/2015

Escape Maze

Room: "One Room Schoolhouse" - 45 Minutes

Escape Maze is the first location we have visited outside the GTA, and it stands as one of the most visually appealing and original venues to date. It has quietly become a hidden gem on the outtskirts of Peterborough, Ontario. The cost at Escape Maze is $25 per person, but please be aware it is currently open for business on weekends only.

Production Value: Escape Maze goes above and beyond in depicting the Gold Rush setting they've adopted, helping to fully immerse players in the experience. This is immediately evident upon entering both the venue itself and each individual room. The production value within the One Room Schoolhouse in particular delivers everything you would expect of a classroom during the time period, making use of original, historically accurate props and decor. It's both a charming and educational feast for the eyes, something overlooked in a number of different venues. As the name of the room clearly states, players are limited here to the confines of just a single room, but the creative landscape within ensures that does not detract from the overall experience. It very much feels like a 45 minute trip back in time, a welcome breath of fresh air amidst a plethora of more modern venues popping up around the GTA. (Score: 22/25)

Puzzles: Escape Maze and the One Room Schoolhouse quite clearly have a knack for playing to their strengths. Their puzzles are just the right amount of challenging without ever inducing a headache, allowing players to both exercise their brains and enjoy the ride. There's a logical progression from puzzle to puzzle that helps players along without them feeling overwhelmed, but the creators have done a sterling job of not spoon feeding the answers to players. Moreover, the puzzles, much like the entirety of the venue itself, have been designed using authentic tools and props adjacent to the time period, and none of the players surroundings stick out like a sore thumb amidst an otherwise accurate workspace (Score: 23/25)

Fun Factor: Much like a number of other rooms we have tested, your group's pleasure within the One Room Schoolhouse will be dependent upon their ability to work with what they're given. It's imperative that you make use of everything you're given and play off the contents of the room. Our team got stuck in the early stages of our mission due to a foolish mistake, but as we took a step back and looked at the room from a more logical perspective, our escape route began to unfold. It's a relatively challenging offering, but one that offers a very viable probability of escape given players put their heads together and work as a team without allowing themselves to become too hung up on one challenge in particular. Given players act as such, it's difficult to imagine not walking out of the One Room Schoolhouse, successful or otherwise, feeling unsatisfied. (Score: 22/25)

Theme: Escape Maze is one of only two venues we have visited to date that treats players to a video pre-mission detailing the backstory of their surroundings. As the video depicts, the the One Room Schoolhouse, along with the other games Escape Maze has to offer, is operating at the height of the Gold Rush. It's both a unique and appealing setting, and one which sets Escape Maze apart from every game we have played to date. Why you're locked in the One Room Schooolhouse isn't detailed and won't be something you uncover, but that does little to detract from the enjoyment of the task of escaping it all the same. It's fascinating to say the least how the creators have brought an often overlooked time period to life with such precision, and for that we commend them. On top of it all, players are even gifted the opportunity to dress up post-game from an extensive wardrobe of country-themed attire and props for what is a hilarious photo opportunity. Escape Maze go above and beyond in making players feel engulfed in the atmosphere they've created. (Score: 24/25)

FINAL GRADE: 91/100

91%.

06/10/2015

Omescape

Room: "The Penitentiary" – 60 Minutes

Let's start off by saying that Omescape is one of Toronto's premiere escape venues, continuing to have great strengths, but within its beauty and positive qualities are glaring weaknesses. The price of this room is set at Omescapes standard cost of $29.95 per person with a $3 reduction on weekdays and $5 check in discount available always. This is one of the pricier venues in the GTA.

Production Value: The Penitentiary is a beautifully crafted escape room that’s made up of a number of different quadrants and cells. Technology was the clear focus in this latest release from Omescape, and in that sense it is leaps and bounds better than plenty of its competition. However, where the technological aspects of the Penitentiary shine, the room is burdened somewhat by an oversaturation of puzzles. Without the right team assembled, escaping from here within the allotted 60 minutes may prove difficult due to the multitude of challenges put before players. In addition, while it isn’t a major hindrance, some of the decor feels out place given the overall ambience of the room. (Score: 23/25)

Puzzles: As outlined above, The Penitentiary makes use of some brilliant technology in their puzzles, as well as some very basic puzzles sprinkled in that our group had not yet experienced. The room certainly has the flavor to be one of the best in the area, but a lot of that is dependent on the sequential order in which you complete puzzles, which was a major fault during our time and somewhat crippled the experience. We managed to escape one specific area with some simple guesswork and bypass several puzzles in the process not once, but twice. This complicated things heavily, making multiple important aspects of the room useless, and in turn, robbing us of a clear direction with which to proceed. One other puzzle in the latter stages was also missing any form of guidance, making the puzzle itself more of a headache than anything. Make no mistake, the puzzles that are effectively placed are wonderfully designed and technologically brilliant. With a little more coherence and direction offered to players, The Penitentiary could very well be a worthwhile rewarding experience, but as of now, there’s work to be done. (Score: 19/25)

Fun Factor: The Penitentiary, for lack of a better description, is a fun, but flawed escape game. Our group of seven players experienced flashes of excitement throughout, but many of the room’s flaws prevented us from truly enjoying ourselves at times, ultimately putting a damper on our experience. For every success, there was a pair of missteps, and while it’s possible other groups may find the room far more satisfactory, it’s difficult for us to recommend it as one of our favorites. If you’re out of options, give it a whirl, but otherwise you may be best served looking elsewhere at one of the four other rooms offered at Omescape. (Score: 17/25)

Theme: Thematically, The Penitentiary presents players with a solid, believable backstory, and the presentation of that storyline is unmistakably gorgeous. Our group in particular tends to gravitate towards the darker, eerier rooms Ontario escape venues have to offer, and while The Penitentiary at Omescape was certainly near the top of our list of rooms to enter, it felt a smidge too disjointed to really engage its players. (Score: 23/25)

FINAL GRADE: 82/100

82%

06/09/2015

Ontario Escape Review Team and friends at Omescape!

06/09/2015

Ontario Escape Review Team and special guests at Freeing Toronto!

06/09/2015

Freeing Canada Station - Toronto

Room: "Black Swan" - 45 minutes

Freeing Canada is a franchise that features venues in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Macau, India, Italy, Vancouver and now Richmond Hill, located just north of Toronto. We have been anticipating the arrival of Freeing Canada's into the Toronto area since it was announced in 2014. The cost of each room at Freeing Canada is $25 on weekdays and $28 on weekends.

Production Value: Immediately upon entering Black Swan we were immersed in the detailed storyline, one which relates to and shares plot points with the feature film of the same name. Black Swan was one of the smaller escape rooms our team has played to date, but it was spacious enough that it never felt cramped or claustrophobic. It was a rich, well detailed site, and one which cast a unique shadow of mystery upon us. It features an extra component not found in other games that is dependent on your team's attentiveness to the story arc you uncover. Players are asked to both escape the room and decipher the mystery within, a concept that added a unique multi-layer challenge that never felt overbearing. (Score: 22/25)

Puzzles: The first thing that comes to mind when recalling our experience with Black Swan is that it had a wonderful focus on gradual puzzle development that was both unexpected and rewarding. As our team moved throughout the room, we utilized all of its contents within, each playing a vital role in the solving of its puzzles. This was a perfect example of an escape room that did not over complicate things for its participants, nor did it require a completely linear path to be coherent. The game flowed smoothly without causing any headaches or inducing any frustration. A multitude of unique puzzles and their logical, sensible design language helped Black Swan become one of our favourite rooms of 2015. (Score: 22/25)

Fun Factor: Black Swan was, without question, a very memorable experience. Despite the narrow 45 minute window (which truth be told could be enlarged to a full 60) to compete the mission, we encountered limited frustration, allowing us to fully engross ourselves in the experience and soak in everything the room had to offer. We very narrowly failed to escape, but had a fantastic time deciphering the twists and turns of the expertly crafted storyline. Although it wasn't the most advanced room from a technological standpoint that our team has encountered, the designers made excellent use of their budget and arsenal to create a fun and memorable experience for players of all skill levels. (Score: 23/25)

Theme: If you've seen the film Black Swan, you will find that the room borrows heavily from its general ambience and backstory. That being said, it captivates players in its own unique way, allowing hopeful puzzle solvers to step into the limelight and decipher the mystery within. It's an engrossing story that is chock full of surprises, and one which stands out from the more predictable escape settings found at venues throughout the province. It's a little brighter and more upbeat than our preferred type of missions, but we walked out feeling elated despite our failure all the same. (Score: 22/25)

FINAL GRADE: 89/100

89%

06/09/2015

Omescape

Room: "The Penitentiary" – 60 Minutes

Let's start off by saying that Omescape is one of Toronto's premiere escape venues, continuing to have great strengths, but within its beauty and positive qualities are glaring weaknesses. The price of this room is set at Omescapes standard cost of $29.95 per person with a $3 reduction on weekdays and $5 check in discount available always. This is one of the pricier venues in the GTA.

Production Value: The Penitentiary is a beautifully crafted escape room that’s made up of a number of different quadrants and cells. Technology was the clear focus in this latest release from Omescape, and in that sense it is leaps and bounds better than plenty of its competition. However, where the technological aspects of the Penitentiary shine, the room is burdened somewhat by an oversaturation of puzzles. Without the right team assembled, escaping from here within the allotted 60 minutes may prove difficult due to the multitude of challenges put before players. In addition, while it isn’t a major hindrance, some of the decor feels out place given the overall ambience of the room. (Score: 23/25)

Puzzles: As outlined above, The Penitentiary makes use of some brilliant technology in their puzzles, as well as some very basic puzzles sprinkled in that our group had not yet experienced. The room certainly has the flavor to be one of the best in the area, but a lot of that is dependent on the sequential order in which you complete puzzles, which was a major fault during our time and somewhat crippled the experience. We managed to escape one specific area with some simple guesswork and bypass several puzzles in the process not once, but twice. This complicated things heavily, making multiple important aspects of the room useless, and in turn, robbing us of a clear direction with which to proceed. One other puzzle in the latter stages was also missing any form of guidance, making the puzzle itself more of a headache than anything. Make no mistake, the puzzles that are effectively placed are wonderfully designed and technologically brilliant. With a little more coherence and direction offered to players, The Penitentiary could very well be a worthwhile rewarding experience, but as of now, there’s work to be done. (Score: 19/25)

Fun Factor: The Penitentiary, for lack of a better description, is a fun, but flawed escape game. Our group of seven players experienced flashes of excitement throughout, but many of the room’s flaws prevented us from truly enjoying ourselves at times, ultimately putting a damper on our experience. For every success, there was a pair of missteps, and while it’s possible other groups may find the room far more satisfactory, it’s difficult for us to recommend it as one of our favorites. If you’re out of options, give it a whirl, but otherwise you may be best served looking elsewhere at one of the four other rooms offered at Omescape. (Score: 17/25)

Theme: Thematically, The Penitentiary presents players with a solid, believable backstory, and the presentation of that storyline is unmistakably gorgeous. Our group in particular tends to gravitate towards the darker, eerier rooms Ontario escape venues have to offer, and while The Penitentiary at Omescape was certainly near the top of our list of rooms to enter, it felt a smidge too disjointed to really engage its players. (Score: 23/25)

FINAL GRADE: 82/100

82%

06/06/2015

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06/06/2015

Escape Games

Room: “The Unknown” (18+) – 60 Minutes

The Unknown is the most recent offering from Escape Games, one of Ontario’s premiere real life escape destinations. Considered a “premium” mission, it’s a tad pricier than Escape Games’ more traditional rooms at $28 a person (min. 4 players), and is only available to players 18 years or older due to its “extreme content.”

Please note that before entering The Unknown the contents of your mission remain a secret, so this review will be spoiler-free in an effort to keep the mystery intact.

Production Value: To be perfectly honest, it’s difficult to find fault in The Unknown. The room was gorgeous in every sense of the word, from the picture perfect lighting down to its strikingly realistic props, and it’s immediately evident upon entering the room that this is no ordinary escape mission. The Unknown immerses players with a level of interaction no other escape room we’ve played to date has done, feeling more like you’ve been dropped into the pages of a Goosebumps choose your own adventure novel than watching a clock tick down from 60 while you search for a couple of keys. There’s both choice and room for human error present in The Unknown, a welcome change of pace from traditional escape offerings, elevating it from one of many on the docket to a room that simply must be played. (Score: 24/25)

Puzzles: In terms of its difficulty and success rate, The Unknown is a tough room to pigeonhole. The ease of solving the challenges put before you could vary immensely depending on the experience of the players involved and their familiarity with one another. A level of teamwork is imperative, and having players able to rise to the occasion under pressure will bode well for groups looking to make a successful escape. The degree of difficulty in The Unknown begins to ramp up as the minutes tick by, but won’t ever leave players feeling defeated or quite in the clear. It’s a game whose puzzles promote logical thinking as much as they do quick wit, allowing its participants the opportunity to work at their own pace, but never for too long without looking over their shoulder. Make no mistake, The Unknown is challenging, but with the right team assembled, it should prove more triumph than forfeit. (Score: 23/25)

Fun Factor: Without giving too much away, The Unknown firmly remains the best experience we’ve had to date. There’s a certain uniqueness to the experience that can’t be detailed here that will leave players exhilarated upon both their entrance and their exit. While our group failed to successfully escape (albeit narrowly), we exited in high spirits, focused more upon the tremendous experience in the rear view mirror than our defeat within. The Unknown does a marvelous job of bringing its roller coaster of a scenario to life, allowing players to forget the outside world and fully immerse themselves in the challenges before them. (Score: 25/25)

Theme: Similarly, without spoiling the experience for those yet to play, it’s difficult to say much about the premise of The Unknown, but rest assured the picture painted here is done with as much precision as one can reasonably expect. The story and setting depicted to players at the onset of the mission is one unlike any room we’ve set in foot in prior, and despite a few potentially claustrophobic moments for some players, the overall ambience of the room itself was remarkable. Everything that should have been present within the walls of The Unknown was, and nothing felt disjointed or tacked on for the sake of pushing the game forward. The creators made excellent use of the contents of the room and allowed each to be called upon when needed. The Unknown wants players to feel like the characters in a movie playing out its script to their own accord, and from the opening sequence to its spellbinding climax, its as much of an escape game as it is an unforgettable, team-driven experience. (Score: 25/25)

Final Grade: 97/100
97%

06/03/2015

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This page was created to give Ontarians an honest and well documented view into the best Escape games Ontario, Canada has to offer! It’s sole purpose is to help groups to find not only the best venues to invest in, but to give insight into which locations would suit each group of participants. Our hopes are that by reviewing the countless venues Ontario has to offer, we can help you create a fun night out and a great adventure for all! We hope you will enjoy this page and stay tuned for many updates to come!

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