Company:
Escape in Time

Location:
Wentworth Street, Liverpool Street, London, E1 7EZ

Synopsis:
Beneath the dark streets of London Town lies an old film studio, lost in time, waiting for you to release its secrets.

Date we visited:
28 June 2017

Price at time of visit:
£30pp

Goats attended:
Daiman, Jenny, Paul, Bharath

Did we escape?
Yes, with almost 7 minutes to spare

Value for money

7/10It’s on the pricier end of the scale but it’s a really fun and distinct game that’s totally worth checking out.

 Daiman

8/10At £30 pp this is at the upper end of price, however this game was so good you will not be disappointed.

Jenny

7/10At £30pp it’s pricier than the norm. But after a slow start, this develops into a really good room that justifies the cost. There was a live actor, multiple rooms, clever games and good theming.

Paul

7/10This room is definitely on the pricier side of the scale. If price is a big factor for you then this is probably not the room for you. However I think the room provides an enjoyable experience which justifies the price.

 Bharath

Theming

8/10This game is set in a B-movie studio and absolutely has that feel about it. It’s full of functional, era-relevant equipment and there’s some subtle music that instills a sense of unease. It’s the sort of place where you can imagine something bad happening!

 Daiman

7/10The synopsis of the game was that you were hired to solve the disappearances of crew members on the set of a movie. Even though essentially some rooms were offices or a cutting room floor the company went all out on set decorations. The theming was consistent throughout and this added to the experience greatly.

Jenny

8/10They’ve put a lot of effort in to make the sets feel real. I particularly liked the second room which actually felt quite atmospheric.

Paul

8/10The hosts have definitely put some thought into this room, especially in the first room, taking you back to a 70’s movie production room feel. The atmosphere felt consistent with the theming of the room with sinister music/sounds.

 Bharath

Uniqueness

8/10There’s an atmosphere to this game that I haven’t felt anywhere else, it’s grimy and unpredictable. Coupled with a set that feels real, Secret Studio is a game that’ll have you looking over your shoulder for the duration.

 Daiman

8/10I really liked the interactive elements of the game. Especially with the added creepy parts. The set designs and puzzles have been seen before but the way they portrayed them added to the uniqueness.

Jenny

8/10One of the puzzles had a clever method of solving it which I have never seen used before in an escape room. I won’t spoil it but I will say that it can be solved in a snap…

Paul

7/10The hosts tried to crank up the scare factor and I think they succeeded. They used the room darkness well and there were times where you were over conscious about your surroundings.

 Bharath

Puzzles

6/10The puzzles were inoffensive and there were some nice innovative touches where you’re asked to do things that you would actually do in that space. I had a real issue with a puzzle that used a level of tech that was so out of sync with everything else that it totally threw me out of the moment. What you had to do with that tech also made little sense given the situation. It was so frustrating because of how well everything else in the room meshed together.

 Daiman

6/10The puzzles kept to the theme throughout and it was the standard linear design. I particularly liked the logic to the games. Some were trickier than others but I really enjoyed every task in this room. I think the only puzzle that let this room down was an interactive TV screen.

Jenny

7/10There were some clever games in Secret Studio. Along with the one I mentioned above, I particularly liked the puzzle involving the stack of retro TVs. The puzzles were varied, ranging from using technology to the standard hunting for things to just needing logical thinking.

Paul

6/10The puzzles were fun, but nothing special or unique about them. There was one puzzle that we solved quicker than normal, by accident/luck. Apart from one puzzle, the puzzles were consistent with the theme.

 Bharath

The good

The tone. Whilst it isn’t a ‘scary’ game as such, it feels spooky as hell and it’s amazing how the creators have pulled that off without relying on stereotypical plots etc.

 Daiman

I absolutely loved the story and the way they kept to the theming. I thought the puzzles were good and I really liked how passionate the hosts were. I highly recommend this game.

Jenny

It was a well thought out room. The addition of the live actor added another dimension to the game. The host was very passionate about the game.

Paul

I did enjoy this room. Having an actor in the room added a layer to the experience. Also, the way they implemented the scare factor through the theming and atmosphere.

 Bharath

The bad

The moment involving what was considered a high-tech feature for this room – it’s a truly immersion shattering moment and I would hope that this gets replaced at some point with something more appropriate to the theme and space.

 Daiman

I really liked this room so it’s hard to choose a negative. The only issue was the interactive TV screen.

Jenny

I didn’t find the first room, apart from the retro TV’s, that exciting. We unintentionally shortcutted one of the puzzles due to a poor design where the paths crossed too close together.

Paul

The one puzzle that didn’t fit the theming and logic of the room. The wire connections in one of the early puzzles felt loose with some of the sockets not working properly. However, you could argue that added to the theming of a low budget studio.

 Bharath

Overall scores