About

After moving slowly southwards through the UK, I seem to have finally come to rest in London. I’ve always liked puzzles and thinking, and I enjoy a bit of theatrics and the pressure of the clock so, when I found out about this new form of immersive entertainment, I was drawn in straight away.

I first came across the delights of escape rooms at clueQuest (back when it was a single room in an industrial area in Tottenham). I was hooked immediately but unfortunately had to wait for the rest of London to catch up.

The blog started out as a review of games in London but has slowly expanded its scope to include London news, reviews of games from around the UK, reviews of adjacent entertainment (such as immersive theatre and urban street games) and, more recently, escape tourist guides to European cities. Basically, anything that I find interesting and I think might be of interest to other enthusiasts.

I’ll try my hardest to avoid spoilers but, should you feel that any of the articles give away too much, let me know and I’ll reword appropriately. Almost everything in here is my own work and, where it’s not, that’s made very clear in the article. All my reviews are my opinion. If you want to get in touch, then feel free to comment on the posts, or email me on ken@thelogicescapesme.com.

Thanks for reading!

Ken

Game Operators

If you run or are setting up an escape room in/around London, please do get in touch. I’d love to hear your plans, and I’m happy to offer advice, cover your game in my monthly updates and retweet opening offers. If you’re outside London, then I’m happy to be invited along to play your game, whether that’s to beta-test it or to provide feedback. I’ll almost always then publish a review but, if you’re in early beta-testing, I’m happy to agree to some level of privacy. I’m a little stricter if you’re inside London – I won’t beta test London rooms.

While I will accept complimentary games (it’s an expensive hobby and it’s sometimes hard to convince friends to join me on yet another escape room trip!), I will only do so if you’re happy for me to publish a review. Obviously, in the event that the game is complimentary, I will try my level best to make sure that doesn’t influence the rating, and I will always make that clear in the review so that I keep things as transparent as possible.

I will *not* beta-test London games, as I don’t think that’s fair on the readers or venues.

Media

If you want to quote text from my website, you’re more than welcome, but please do attribute it back to me, and it would be great if you could drop me an email to let me know. I have a press-pack full of useful information – if you want that or any specific comments on escape rooms, then get in touch (via email). If you’re looking for hard data, I have a wide selection of information that I can provide – just let me know what angle you’re using for the story and I’ll try my best to provide you with something relevant.

Mainly for vanity purposes, past media appearances include:

  • TV
    • An interview with Duncan Golestani on BBC World News (5 Jan ’19)
    • An interview with Carrie Grant on BBC 1’s The One Show (31 Oct ’18)
    • What Britain’s Buying (Channel 4 programme on the latest spending trends)
  • News
  • Conferences
    • I spoke at the UK escape room conference, ERIC, in 2017, 2018 and 2019 presenting the Players’ Perspective, appear on the Enthusiast Panel and delivering the Stats of the Nation, an analysis of the UK industry.
    • I spoke at the European escape room conference, Up the Game, in 2017, 2018, and 2019 presenting the Players’ Perspective and appearing on the Enthusiast Panel.
  • Radio
    • An interview with Kirsty Lang on BBC Radio 4’s Frontrow show (23 Oct ’18)
    • An interview with Simon Mayo on BBC Radio 2’s Drivetime show (16 Jan ’17)
    • An introduction to Escape Rooms on Secklow Sounds (Milton Keynes local radio station)
    • Interview on the Canadian RED podcast.

Disclosures

I occasionally do consultancy work for escape room companies. I shied away from doing that for a long time because of a potential conflict of interest but I’ve come to the conclusion that I can genuinely help to create better experiences and, more importantly, it’s fun!  Where I’ve consulted on a game design, I obviously won’t review the game and will cease to review further games from that company.

I also run exitgames.co.uk but try my hardest to keep them separate: Exit Games for the news, The Logic Escapes Me for reviews!

18 Comments


  1. // Reply

    You should come to Israel to try out the room there are over 300 which is a massive amount for a country with so few people, most rooms are in the centre of the country and its easy to get round, every room is available in English.


  2. // Reply

    Hi! Really enjoying reading through your blog. We went to Budapest last year and completed 9 games whilst in the city in a group of 4. Thinking of going away again for the purpose of escape games, but it would only be myself and my husband. Is there any specific European city you would recommend? The price is so reasonable in Budapest and probably hundreds more rooms to do, but I’d like to go somewhere new!


  3. // Reply

    Hi Ken,
    I enjoy your blog as well, and it helped us with finding out about ClueQuest when we visited London – had a great time.
    I second the suggestion for you to come to Israel. Between 400+ rooms, the escape room trend got here to a level I haven’t seen anywhere else.
    Thanks for your blog.


  4. // Reply

    Hi.

    I wold like to thank You for information witch I find on Your blog.
    Me and my friend were in Aberdeen and We want to play some good Escape Room game. Unfortunately the firm from your blog was close for New Year holidays and We can’t play.
    I hope that someday I will visit London or other cities from your list and I will be able to play in new rooms.
    As we are the lovers of Escape Rooms from Poland, We have made more than 330 rooms, especially in Poland but in other countries like Budapest, Hong Kong, Lisboa. I would like to invite you to Poland where We have more then 900 Rooms around the country. Especial in big cities like Warszawa, Wroclaw, Poznan, Krakow. I invite you because they are worth a visit. If you will be any questions I can help you to choice the best rooms.
    Best Regards


    1. // Reply

      Thanks – we visited Warsaw last year and had plenty of fun. At some point we might make it back to play some of the games outside the capital so it would be great to be able to ask a local for advice!


      1. // Reply

        Hi there, I am looking for a great physical escape room for newbies in London. Is there any you could recommend please?


        1. // Reply

          Depends what you mean by physical. I think of it in three ways:
          – mechanical style puzzles (e.g. put cogs together in a particular way)
          – physical challenges (skill or exertion)
          – physical interactions with the room (input solutions via physical items)

          There aren’t many of those in London but I’d suggestion
          Escape Rooms Angel: Dark Side of the Moon (about as much physical activity as you’ll get in a game)
          Agent November: Major X Ploe-Shun (it’s outdoors so is at least a bit physical as you wander round a park)
          Trapped in a Room with a Zombie (not really physical but you’ll be jumping out of the way of the zombie!)
          Time Run – Celestial Chain (lots of physical interactions but not physical exertion)

          Happy to think a bit more if you describe examples of what sort of thing you’re looking for.


  5. // Reply

    To be honest we are unsure. This will be our first ever room so we have no idea what to expect and have no expectations etc. We did narrow it done to Room 33, clue quest black sheep and a time run room. We just like the idea of a more physical room either mechanical or exertion.


    1. // Reply

      You won’t find any real exertion but Escape Rooms Angel Dark Side of the Moon is probably your best bet. Time Run is always a good option although it’s more mechanical than exertion. They’re running a discount at the moment – 30% off if you book by the end of January (see the discounts article I posted a week or two ago.


  6. // Reply

    Hi there. Would you consider making a review trip to Denmark?

    We are the at the moment the largest provider of Escape Rooms in Denmark, with 17 rooms (3 themes) and a mobile game.

    BR. breakoutroom dk


    1. // Reply

      Hi Mikkel,

      I’ve thought about it in the past – I get a surprising number of people asking for recommendations in Copenhagen – but it’s incredibly expensive to play games in the city compared to most of Europe so it’s never appeared very high up my list of destinations. Maybe some day I’ll make it over!


  7. // Reply

    Hello Ken,

    We are a group of escapers based in Barcelona. We are currently surrounded by 150+ escape rooms, lots of them wth excellent quality. In order to help increase the visibility of this part of Europe in the world of escape rooms, we have translated our website and now all reviews and ranking are in English. The games here are incredibly cheap compared to other regions (50-90 euros per room) and many of them are similar to the best ones in London or Paris. Check foodinisbcn.com and if you come to town let us know!


  8. // Reply

    Hi there,

    First of all – my regards on your wonderful blog. It has been a very usefull and interesting reading for me. If you come and visit Sofia, Bulgaria, it would be my pleasure to show you some of the best escape rooms we have here. I am visiting London at the beggining of August together with my boyfriend. We are experiences escapers and we visit an escape room in every country we travell to. We want to book a game in London but I have some troubles to decide which one. What would you reccomend, with the following criteria: suitable for two players, possibli near the city center or Hyde park, with challenging puzzles and perhaps different in some way from the usual rooms.

    Thank you in Advance!


    1. // Reply

      (I dropped you a reply by email a while back – let me know if you didn’t receive it)


  9. // Reply

    Hi Ken,

    We have opened an Escape Room in Hull, if you’d like to come try it? We availability usually during the week but can see you live in London – if you ever get up to Hull, come try our room – Doll House. Or email us when you can 🙂

    Regards,
    Take The Exit


  10. // Reply

    Hi Ken, we are the “Uscitori Mascherati”. Do you remember us? 🙂
    We used your rewievs for playing in Vienna, and talked about escape rooms in Italy via email (we don’t use that account anymore). Then, we used themagain for playing in Berlin, Scotland and Amsterdam.
    Here some advice for Rome (in the last year a lot of new escape room opened, if you want to go and visit). We follow the tripadvisor list.
    For each game, better ask in advance if the game masters speak english.
    Yes=we like it. No=We don’t like it. Don’t know=we didn’t play it.
    Questhouse: infected yes, Alice yes.
    Escape room Roma: l’annegatore no, prometheus no. Other Two rooms: don’t know.
    Mentalmente escape room: in Frascati, a Town near Rome. La piramide di Zafira yes, il vecchio luna Park yes.
    Exitus: the experiment yes, zero room yes.
    Game over: 11 rooms in 3 location very close each other. la tomba di tutankhamon yes, Jack lo squartatore yes, top secret yes, trono di spade yes, walking Death yes, il labirinto del Minotauro yes, il tempio proibito di montezuma no, il manicomio abbandonato no, la fabbrica di cioccolata no, space wars don’t know, pirati dei Caraibi don’t know.
    Campo dei fiori: egyptian yes, secret of tomb yes, armageddon don’t know.
    Magic: Two differente locations. fuga da azkaban yes, v per vendetta yes, lo studio di houdini no, la piccola amily no, indiana Jones no.
    Fugacemente cinecittà: all rooms no.
    Roma Talenti: all rooms no.
    Fugacemente Morena: galeone pirata yes, ultimo horcroux yes, dexter no.
    Nox: all rooms no.
    Adventure rooms: all rooms no.
    Escape oddity: all rooms no.
    Resolute: all rooms no.
    Escape roma: all rooms no.
    Intrappola.to: all rooms no.
    Lucifer: no.
    La casa degli enigmi: c’era una volta yes, il segreto dei templari yes, la bambola assassina no.
    Experience: all rooms don’t know.
    La notte del giudizio: don’t know.
    La porta magica: no.
    GetOut: all rooms no.
    Locked real escape: all rooms no.
    Other rooms: don’t know.


  11. // Reply

    If you ever visit Timisoara (especially considering it will be the European cultural capital in 2021), make sure you come by our place to test out some of our rooms, would love your feedback.

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