Break Free Stoke - Review 2025
Break Free in Stoke have debuted a new extreme horror themed escape room called Sanity's End: Ward 117 and we recently were invited along to experience it.
Even before the games had started we started to have some reservations, as we were read the waiver and were warned that it might not be wise to wear anything we didn't want to get dirty! We also had to state that despite choosing the most extreme level of the experience - we specifically requested that there be no electric shocks!
As we were preparing to go in, the team leader had to choose roles for each person and each were hooded and left to our starting point in the game. Some sat down, some stood up, some chained up!
What then followed was a nice introduction recording which set up the story and prepared us for what we were about to experience. Of course being in pitch darkness with hoods on, meant the actor/games master could have some fun with us, and we had a couple of scares before the game play started.
So the game itself was pretty linear with puzzles and tricks to complete in one room, and/or working together as a team to help out the people in the adjacent cell. We did find that one half of the team were able to progress much further than the other half, which was frustrating for the ones still locked in a cell (one still manacled!)
One of the things that made this scary was the constant presence of an actor playing multiple roles in the asylum. He was a doctor, a little child, a crazed patient etc and we never knew who he would be next. He was also very unpredictable in his actions ,and at one point this reviewer had half a jug of water thrown in their face. This wasn't a light splash - I was genuinely soaked!
Fortunately we got through to the end with a couple of small clues and we finally escaped through the final door chased by a very unusual power tool (it certainly was different from a standard chainsaw!)
All in, we enjoyed the escape room and the story it was telling throughout. For a room that has a very low pass rate for completion (either with people quitting or not escaping in the hour) we are proud of our achievement. But going forward, if we were to do another room by this team, we would probably choose a lower level of intensity and hopefully get out a little dryer!
The room runs until Halloween then will be reverted back to a regular escape room.
Even before the games had started we started to have some reservations, as we were read the waiver and were warned that it might not be wise to wear anything we didn't want to get dirty! We also had to state that despite choosing the most extreme level of the experience - we specifically requested that there be no electric shocks!
As we were preparing to go in, the team leader had to choose roles for each person and each were hooded and left to our starting point in the game. Some sat down, some stood up, some chained up!
What then followed was a nice introduction recording which set up the story and prepared us for what we were about to experience. Of course being in pitch darkness with hoods on, meant the actor/games master could have some fun with us, and we had a couple of scares before the game play started.
So the game itself was pretty linear with puzzles and tricks to complete in one room, and/or working together as a team to help out the people in the adjacent cell. We did find that one half of the team were able to progress much further than the other half, which was frustrating for the ones still locked in a cell (one still manacled!)
One of the things that made this scary was the constant presence of an actor playing multiple roles in the asylum. He was a doctor, a little child, a crazed patient etc and we never knew who he would be next. He was also very unpredictable in his actions ,and at one point this reviewer had half a jug of water thrown in their face. This wasn't a light splash - I was genuinely soaked!
Fortunately we got through to the end with a couple of small clues and we finally escaped through the final door chased by a very unusual power tool (it certainly was different from a standard chainsaw!)
All in, we enjoyed the escape room and the story it was telling throughout. For a room that has a very low pass rate for completion (either with people quitting or not escaping in the hour) we are proud of our achievement. But going forward, if we were to do another room by this team, we would probably choose a lower level of intensity and hopefully get out a little dryer!
The room runs until Halloween then will be reverted back to a regular escape room.
Links:
Official website
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