The Right Key
Southend Room Escape really have to be praised for their series of virtual online experiences. We had already played The Virus and Once Upon a Time, so shouldn't have been surprised at how good The Right Key was. As we have stated before - these rooms have been designed to be played virtually and provide a great interactive event for the hardened escape room player.
Our host for this adventure was the Spirit of Music and she was totally engaging and responsive throughout. It still amazes us watching people open padlocks one handed while controlling a camera!
For our group, there were a couple of harder puzzles and we did need a hint or two to proceed, but we loved the use of music as a method of delivering clues etc. As you can see from the pic below - we managed to escaped with about 5 minutes left on the clock.
With the prospects of lockdown running on for a couple more months, we highly recommend getting locked in with the team in Southend! You wont regret it!
Our host for this adventure was the Spirit of Music and she was totally engaging and responsive throughout. It still amazes us watching people open padlocks one handed while controlling a camera!
For our group, there were a couple of harder puzzles and we did need a hint or two to proceed, but we loved the use of music as a method of delivering clues etc. As you can see from the pic below - we managed to escaped with about 5 minutes left on the clock.
With the prospects of lockdown running on for a couple more months, we highly recommend getting locked in with the team in Southend! You wont regret it!
Once Upon a Time
Once upon a Time is the second virtual escape room designed to be played remotely whilst on lockdown. Like The Virus that we played last week, we as players took control of a virtual assistant who was able to explore the room, try combinations and open locks for us.
As we would expect from the team at Southend, there were a number of devious puzzles accompanied by the usual "Eureka" moments as we solved them bit by bit.
Like The Virus before it, we were surprised at just how involving and immersive these virtual experiences are, and even though we escaped very quickly, there was always a real sense of panic to keep the adrenalin going.
We cant wait to get back to Southend to play some of their physical games again once this is all over, but for the time being - these rooms will give you that real escape room buzz that you are craving!
As we would expect from the team at Southend, there were a number of devious puzzles accompanied by the usual "Eureka" moments as we solved them bit by bit.
Like The Virus before it, we were surprised at just how involving and immersive these virtual experiences are, and even though we escaped very quickly, there was always a real sense of panic to keep the adrenalin going.
We cant wait to get back to Southend to play some of their physical games again once this is all over, but for the time being - these rooms will give you that real escape room buzz that you are craving!
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The Virus
What do you do when you want to play an escape room with friends, but the Government have put you on lockdown for the forseeable future? Simple - you book a session with Room Escape Southend to play The Virus!
This is a new offering from the Escape Room guys, and has been specifically designed to be played over the internet via teleconferencing facilities. Once the time starts, players have access to a form of AI, who effectively does all the work for you. Want a drawer opened? just ask! Worked out a puzzle and need a combination putting in? AI is there to do whatever you want (within reason!)
Being a room meant to be be played virtually, the puzzles and tricks are less about physical props and actions, and more about instructing the AI to pan round the room carefully and show you what is happening. Of course - this coming from the devious brains at SRE - the puzzles range from simple search and collect tasks, through to some really ingenious puzzles and tricks.
As you can see - we actually managed to get out with 18 minutes spare, which was only because one of the team hit a "lightbulb moment" with one puzzle. A day later - the other two are still working out what the hell it was!
What genuinely surprised us was just how engaging this whole room was even though we were just watching it all through a small window on our laptops. We really think that the team could offer this game to anyone around the World, which could really open their audience in this very worrying time for small businesses.
So, as we still have another few weeks of lockdown to endure, why don't you round your friends up virtually and see if you can save the world by finding the antidote to the virus? Even if you don't find it - you'll definitely have had a great time trying!
This is a new offering from the Escape Room guys, and has been specifically designed to be played over the internet via teleconferencing facilities. Once the time starts, players have access to a form of AI, who effectively does all the work for you. Want a drawer opened? just ask! Worked out a puzzle and need a combination putting in? AI is there to do whatever you want (within reason!)
Being a room meant to be be played virtually, the puzzles and tricks are less about physical props and actions, and more about instructing the AI to pan round the room carefully and show you what is happening. Of course - this coming from the devious brains at SRE - the puzzles range from simple search and collect tasks, through to some really ingenious puzzles and tricks.
As you can see - we actually managed to get out with 18 minutes spare, which was only because one of the team hit a "lightbulb moment" with one puzzle. A day later - the other two are still working out what the hell it was!
What genuinely surprised us was just how engaging this whole room was even though we were just watching it all through a small window on our laptops. We really think that the team could offer this game to anyone around the World, which could really open their audience in this very worrying time for small businesses.
So, as we still have another few weeks of lockdown to endure, why don't you round your friends up virtually and see if you can save the world by finding the antidote to the virus? Even if you don't find it - you'll definitely have had a great time trying!
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The Forgotten Tomb
Room Escape Southend are well known for their scary room escapes. However, they also cater for the less brave visitors. Visiting during their ancient Egyptian theme, we entered ‘The Forgotten Tomb’, our mission - to locate the cursed Golden Skull and in doing so, lifting the curse and saving the day.
Entering the tomb, it was immediately evident that the guys at Room Escape Southend had spent a great deal of time and effort on making the room feel authentic and look well-themed. The walls and ceiling were adorned with golden ancient hieroglyphics - some of which, as we later discovered, were more useful to our quest than initially met the eye!
The game is non-linear as all puzzles were available for us to tackle in whichever order we chose, something we found refreshingly different. The tomb’s secrets focus mainly around logic-based puzzles with less of the physical challenges than other escape games we’ve experienced. However, there was plenty to do in this game and we found some of the puzzles particularly fiendish. Admittedly, we did ask our host for a couple clues to help us along the way.
When it comes to escape games, we pride ourselves on our success rate in completing the game within the available time limit. The Forgotten Tomb proved no exception as we completed our mission with 14 minutes to spare - the ancient pharaohs would have been proud! Room Escape Southend continue to deliver quality escape experiences and we can’t wait to try their next offering!
Entering the tomb, it was immediately evident that the guys at Room Escape Southend had spent a great deal of time and effort on making the room feel authentic and look well-themed. The walls and ceiling were adorned with golden ancient hieroglyphics - some of which, as we later discovered, were more useful to our quest than initially met the eye!
The game is non-linear as all puzzles were available for us to tackle in whichever order we chose, something we found refreshingly different. The tomb’s secrets focus mainly around logic-based puzzles with less of the physical challenges than other escape games we’ve experienced. However, there was plenty to do in this game and we found some of the puzzles particularly fiendish. Admittedly, we did ask our host for a couple clues to help us along the way.
When it comes to escape games, we pride ourselves on our success rate in completing the game within the available time limit. The Forgotten Tomb proved no exception as we completed our mission with 14 minutes to spare - the ancient pharaohs would have been proud! Room Escape Southend continue to deliver quality escape experiences and we can’t wait to try their next offering!
The Catacombs
Being members of the escape room community, we always find it funny when people state that they wont do a scary themed room as they don’t like being scared. For us it is often the sole reason for choosing to play a particular room, which helps us decide which experiences to try up and down the country
One escape room company that have always embraced the scare element in their rooms is Escape Room Southend and we have had a number of great scares across a number of their rooms. Therefore when they advertised that The Catacombs would be their most scary yet, we knew we had to get down to Southend shortly after it opened.
Something that always amazes us with SRE, is how they manage to completely redesign each room and provide exciting new tunnels and rooms that totally change the layout and bring a sense of discovery to each room. The theming and design is all created in house - and provides a mixture of practical effects, locks and codes and of course some brain teasing puzzles.
Obviously having done so many of their rooms, there were a couple of tricks that we have seen before, but these were all presented with a new twist so that we still had to work out the appropriate way to use the effect.
Being a scary room, there is the small matter of the various jump scares and lighting blackouts that happen during the game. Once again - the team at SRE have a number of different ways for the live actors to interrupt the proceedings and we all had a number of very impactful jump scares during our game, although not quite as many as our favourite SRE game so far – The Chapel (see review below)
All in – we had an absolute blast in this room and escaped with just over 9 minutes spare. The creative team have a few family friendly events lined up over Summer including Rob the Toy Shop and a Zombie Easter, but we are sure they have another ingeniously scary adventure lined up for us later in the year.
One escape room company that have always embraced the scare element in their rooms is Escape Room Southend and we have had a number of great scares across a number of their rooms. Therefore when they advertised that The Catacombs would be their most scary yet, we knew we had to get down to Southend shortly after it opened.
Something that always amazes us with SRE, is how they manage to completely redesign each room and provide exciting new tunnels and rooms that totally change the layout and bring a sense of discovery to each room. The theming and design is all created in house - and provides a mixture of practical effects, locks and codes and of course some brain teasing puzzles.
Obviously having done so many of their rooms, there were a couple of tricks that we have seen before, but these were all presented with a new twist so that we still had to work out the appropriate way to use the effect.
Being a scary room, there is the small matter of the various jump scares and lighting blackouts that happen during the game. Once again - the team at SRE have a number of different ways for the live actors to interrupt the proceedings and we all had a number of very impactful jump scares during our game, although not quite as many as our favourite SRE game so far – The Chapel (see review below)
All in – we had an absolute blast in this room and escaped with just over 9 minutes spare. The creative team have a few family friendly events lined up over Summer including Rob the Toy Shop and a Zombie Easter, but we are sure they have another ingeniously scary adventure lined up for us later in the year.
The Cottage
The Cottage is the latest room by Room Escape Southend, and it is based on that feeling of relief in finding an abandoned house for shelter after being lost in the woods. But we were soon to find out that relief was not what we should be feeling. We were in danger, and as usual for Room Escape Southend, we were not alone!
Funnily for the rest of us, one member of our team was constantly subjected to scares, the rest of us could only look on and be thankful that it wasn’t us, but wondered......would they be next? The logic of this game was that we didn’t have time to do one puzzle before the next, it was a manic free for all, and needed everyone to split up and work on the many different puzzles, so we could quickly find a telephone number to free ourselves from the lurking hillbillies.
The creativeness of this room ensured that the group were not crowding around one puzzle and forced individual members of the group to enter parts of the room alone. This always creates tension and fear about what is lurking ahead.
This is Room Escape Southend’s 28th room in less than four years of operating. They never stand still and have given ScareTOUR some big frights every time we visit. We cannot wait to visit again in early 2020 to experience their scariest room yet, The Catacombs!
So, if you have never been to Room Escape Southend, it is an absolute must and even if you have visited, with the constant change in rooms, you are always in for new experience.
Funnily for the rest of us, one member of our team was constantly subjected to scares, the rest of us could only look on and be thankful that it wasn’t us, but wondered......would they be next? The logic of this game was that we didn’t have time to do one puzzle before the next, it was a manic free for all, and needed everyone to split up and work on the many different puzzles, so we could quickly find a telephone number to free ourselves from the lurking hillbillies.
The creativeness of this room ensured that the group were not crowding around one puzzle and forced individual members of the group to enter parts of the room alone. This always creates tension and fear about what is lurking ahead.
This is Room Escape Southend’s 28th room in less than four years of operating. They never stand still and have given ScareTOUR some big frights every time we visit. We cannot wait to visit again in early 2020 to experience their scariest room yet, The Catacombs!
So, if you have never been to Room Escape Southend, it is an absolute must and even if you have visited, with the constant change in rooms, you are always in for new experience.
The Chapel
The last room we played on our visit, was the brand new experience - The Chapel, which has to be the scariest escape room experience ever from the Southend Room Escape team. The theming and design through this experience, was just incredible, with the concept of a boarded up chapel stalked by sunlight hating vampires.
This was also one of the hardest games we have experienced from this team. We had a number of genuine "what do we do now" moments, especially in the pitch dark opening with the team separated by lock and key. The game play really tested our ability to work together as a team and we have to admit to asking for a couple of clues along the way.
Of course - this was a horror themed escape room, so the staff clearly seemed to take perverse pleasure in scaring us. Creatures and sounds would appear from nowhere, and would always catch us off guard, as we were usually concentrating on a puzzle or a clue, and not ready to be scared witless!
Sadly, as we approached the end we "solved" the final puzzle, but ran out of time just as we were entering the digits into the mechanism. Another ten seconds and we would have escaped those pesky vampires!
The Chapel was easily our favourite room from the SRE team and one that any scare or escape room fan would love!
This was also one of the hardest games we have experienced from this team. We had a number of genuine "what do we do now" moments, especially in the pitch dark opening with the team separated by lock and key. The game play really tested our ability to work together as a team and we have to admit to asking for a couple of clues along the way.
Of course - this was a horror themed escape room, so the staff clearly seemed to take perverse pleasure in scaring us. Creatures and sounds would appear from nowhere, and would always catch us off guard, as we were usually concentrating on a puzzle or a clue, and not ready to be scared witless!
Sadly, as we approached the end we "solved" the final puzzle, but ran out of time just as we were entering the digits into the mechanism. Another ten seconds and we would have escaped those pesky vampires!
The Chapel was easily our favourite room from the SRE team and one that any scare or escape room fan would love!
The Cellar
The Christmas West Street experience was their last show in their original venue and as such, the Southend Room Escape team have a new larger premises in a busier part of the seafront town. Now located on a bustling high street, the new experience, boasts a more welcoming waiting room/lobby as well as several different rooms. One fun feature to mention is that anyone who has played any of their previous games, will recognise the corridors of the venue - each decked out in different past experiences such as The Asylum, Escape from the Mummys Tombs and Down the Rabbit Hole.
The Cellar is their one hour mini game, designed for up to 4 people. We experienced it as a group of 3 and managed to get out with 9 minutes spare (although we needed a major clue for the final puzzle). As we would expect, the clues were a mix of difficulties, and included puzzle elements alongside physical activities. We were certainly kept busy throughout the game and the time just flew by.
Although not themed as a horror experience, the game was quite suspenseful as the start involved us being chained to the wall in different parts of the room, so would appeal to those looking for a thrill without being scared out of their wits!
The Cellar is their one hour mini game, designed for up to 4 people. We experienced it as a group of 3 and managed to get out with 9 minutes spare (although we needed a major clue for the final puzzle). As we would expect, the clues were a mix of difficulties, and included puzzle elements alongside physical activities. We were certainly kept busy throughout the game and the time just flew by.
Although not themed as a horror experience, the game was quite suspenseful as the start involved us being chained to the wall in different parts of the room, so would appeal to those looking for a thrill without being scared out of their wits!
A Christmas on West Street
For the Christmas season, the Room Escape Southend team turned their Haunting on West Street experience into something a little more festive. With Christmas decorations in all the rooms, the experience was actually very different to the main West St show. Ok, so we knew the layout and the rooms, but all the puzzles were brand new and some left us scratching our heads for longer than we would normally. We now know that if they ever bring back a game including coloured balls, to wait until the end of the game before actually counting them. As every time we thought we had the answer we would find another batch and have to start counting again!
As usual, the attention to detail was spot on throughout the game, including seasonal music, some Christmas scares and a great atmosphere.
For a makeover of an existing set of rooms, we were surprised at how fresh A Christmas on West Street felt. This could have been a simple Christmas overlay but it was clear that the team had thought about some very different puzzles making it totally different to what we had experienced before. Therefore we were pleased to escape with 11 minutes spare!
As usual, the attention to detail was spot on throughout the game, including seasonal music, some Christmas scares and a great atmosphere.
For a makeover of an existing set of rooms, we were surprised at how fresh A Christmas on West Street felt. This could have been a simple Christmas overlay but it was clear that the team had thought about some very different puzzles making it totally different to what we had experienced before. Therefore we were pleased to escape with 11 minutes spare!
A Haunting on West Street
Our second adventure by Southend Room Escape was their more permanent installation – A Haunting on West Street.
As we have come to expect from the team, this room was full of detailed theming and of course lots of hidden clues. The puzzles were definitely more advanced that the pop-up room we had just experienced, and we definitely needed a little bit of help at times.
We sound like a broken record but as usual – the less you know about this room the better, so this review is deliberately short and spoiler free. The room will get a changeover soon for Christmas before being ripped out completely in the new year so there are only a few weeks left to experience it.
As we have come to expect from the team, this room was full of detailed theming and of course lots of hidden clues. The puzzles were definitely more advanced that the pop-up room we had just experienced, and we definitely needed a little bit of help at times.
We sound like a broken record but as usual – the less you know about this room the better, so this review is deliberately short and spoiler free. The room will get a changeover soon for Christmas before being ripped out completely in the new year so there are only a few weeks left to experience it.
Annie's Attic
Annie’s Attic was a new Halloween pop up attraction located in an attic room above the Spread Eagle pub in Southend. Designed as a taster experience of their more elaborate scary themed room escape adventures, the experience was due to last for just 30 minutes, but this experienced team managed to get out in just twelve!
What probably helped us, was that we were the first group to test the room and were allowed to use our mobile phones to light the way. We recommended to the team that they change this dynamic for the rest of the weekend and we understand that later teams had a harder experience starting with just one torch. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Southend Room Escape adventure without some scares, and the knockings and faint whispers added a really creepy atmosphere to the whole experience.
So, if you have never done a scary themed escape room, then this was a perfect introduction. The puzzles would definitely suit a beginner to the genre but also left us scratching our heads a few times!
The team are currently in the process of moving to a new larger venue, so we look forward to experiencing more of these small pop up events in the future.
What probably helped us, was that we were the first group to test the room and were allowed to use our mobile phones to light the way. We recommended to the team that they change this dynamic for the rest of the weekend and we understand that later teams had a harder experience starting with just one torch. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Southend Room Escape adventure without some scares, and the knockings and faint whispers added a really creepy atmosphere to the whole experience.
So, if you have never done a scary themed escape room, then this was a perfect introduction. The puzzles would definitely suit a beginner to the genre but also left us scratching our heads a few times!
The team are currently in the process of moving to a new larger venue, so we look forward to experiencing more of these small pop up events in the future.
The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb
We usually head down to Essex like clockwork each time Southend Room Escape open a new room, but due to ScareCON preparations we were just a little bit too busy to make the break. So of course when they announced that the room would be closing at the end of August, we grabbed our friends from Wicked Experiences, and checked into the tomb.
From the moment we stepped inside the door, it was clear that no effort had been spared in the attention to detail. Hieroglyphics adorned the walls, sand covered the floor and a number of devious tricks and puzzles awaited us. Of course, now the room has closed we don't have to be so careful about spoiling any of the effects as it is all being ripped out ready for their new game - A Haunting on West Street.
As with any experience like this - there were several puzzles that we "got" immediately, while others we puzzled over for what seemed like an eternity. Especially within the cramped confines of some of the tomb rooms, and we ended up back and forth through tunnels, being plunged in and out of darkness with almost gleeful delight from the hosts (we think they must like watching us scream!) We must also mention the "inhabitants" of the tomb that made all of us run and shout away at different times during the game. The gameplay throughout was pretty linear and most puzzles needed solving in order to progress deeper into the tomb. Although as people were often in different rooms, sometimes a puzzle would be solved that half of the party had no real idea how it had been achieved. A minor point - and regardless of that - we managed to get all the pieces of the Golden seal and lock up the tomb and close the curse with just over 9 minutes spare.
Southend Room Escape have excelled themselves with this attraction - especially as (for once) there were no padlocks involved at all. The more physical nature of the tasks and the clues made for a really cohesive and believable experience. We cant wait to see what they come up with next!
From the moment we stepped inside the door, it was clear that no effort had been spared in the attention to detail. Hieroglyphics adorned the walls, sand covered the floor and a number of devious tricks and puzzles awaited us. Of course, now the room has closed we don't have to be so careful about spoiling any of the effects as it is all being ripped out ready for their new game - A Haunting on West Street.
As with any experience like this - there were several puzzles that we "got" immediately, while others we puzzled over for what seemed like an eternity. Especially within the cramped confines of some of the tomb rooms, and we ended up back and forth through tunnels, being plunged in and out of darkness with almost gleeful delight from the hosts (we think they must like watching us scream!) We must also mention the "inhabitants" of the tomb that made all of us run and shout away at different times during the game. The gameplay throughout was pretty linear and most puzzles needed solving in order to progress deeper into the tomb. Although as people were often in different rooms, sometimes a puzzle would be solved that half of the party had no real idea how it had been achieved. A minor point - and regardless of that - we managed to get all the pieces of the Golden seal and lock up the tomb and close the curse with just over 9 minutes spare.
Southend Room Escape have excelled themselves with this attraction - especially as (for once) there were no padlocks involved at all. The more physical nature of the tasks and the clues made for a really cohesive and believable experience. We cant wait to see what they come up with next!
Apartment 666
It’s a new year, and like clockwork, Room Escape Southend have changed the theme of their main experience once again. And what a change this is – the quaint old-fashioned cabin has been completely gutted, and been replaced with a bright and modern apartment, tastefully presented and appointed. We wouldn’t have minded living their ourselves – if it wasn’t for the ominous number 666 and the strange disappearance of the previous owner…
Once inside and the clock was ticking, it was our usual frenzied hunt for clues, trying to attempt to make sense of the puzzles ahead of us. As we have come to expect from Room Escape Southend, some of the puzzles were easy and some of them required us to cash in one of the 4 clues we were allowed during the game. We had many “oh of course” moments throughout the experience and several “oh why were we so stupid” moments – especially when at one point we were literally so stumped that we begun to believe we would never get out.
One of the key things we love about Room Escape Southend’s rooms is the scare element that they put in, and every time the lights went out we found ourselves cowering in the dark as someone (or more likely something) stalked the room trying to find us. The use of UV in these sections making the scares even more terrifying – especially when suddenly confronted in the darkness.
As with any puzzle that requires a code or sequence – there were a couple of times where we were able to guess the last number and we did solve one puzzle too quickly by guessing the sequence. It’s going to be interesting in their next room – as the team have promised there will be no combination locks at all – so then we will have to get everything right!
We really enjoyed Apartment 666 as it shared a lot of the same DNA as The Asylum – our favourite room from 2 years ago. It was fiendishly difficult in places, but with some great reveals and some fun scare moments all combining to create an immersive experience. As you can see from the picture below – we escaped with just under 3 minutes to go. Roll on the next theme change in April!
Once inside and the clock was ticking, it was our usual frenzied hunt for clues, trying to attempt to make sense of the puzzles ahead of us. As we have come to expect from Room Escape Southend, some of the puzzles were easy and some of them required us to cash in one of the 4 clues we were allowed during the game. We had many “oh of course” moments throughout the experience and several “oh why were we so stupid” moments – especially when at one point we were literally so stumped that we begun to believe we would never get out.
One of the key things we love about Room Escape Southend’s rooms is the scare element that they put in, and every time the lights went out we found ourselves cowering in the dark as someone (or more likely something) stalked the room trying to find us. The use of UV in these sections making the scares even more terrifying – especially when suddenly confronted in the darkness.
As with any puzzle that requires a code or sequence – there were a couple of times where we were able to guess the last number and we did solve one puzzle too quickly by guessing the sequence. It’s going to be interesting in their next room – as the team have promised there will be no combination locks at all – so then we will have to get everything right!
We really enjoyed Apartment 666 as it shared a lot of the same DNA as The Asylum – our favourite room from 2 years ago. It was fiendishly difficult in places, but with some great reveals and some fun scare moments all combining to create an immersive experience. As you can see from the picture below – we escaped with just under 3 minutes to go. Roll on the next theme change in April!
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Murder Hotel
Following the success of their usual horror themed experiences, Southend Room Escape teamed up with the Horror on Sea Film Festival to present a new mini experience called Murder Hotel.
Set in an actual hotel bedroom, we were challenged to find out who the murderer was and make sure we got out alive – as you can see from the picture below – we were all murdered! Our major downfall in this was the hiding place for one of the major clues that would have allowed us to progress through to escape. We hunted high and low and just couldn’t find it, and we weren’t allowed any clues due to the twists in the story, that meant not everyone involved with the attraction were what they seemed.
Apart from the moment of pure frustration when we knew we wouldn’t get out, we thoroughly enjoyed this little mini adventure and hopefully it gave visitors to the festival, a taste of what the team can do in their main room.It also showed that an effective room escape can be created in just about any room, so kudos to the team for trying out something new and exciting.
Set in an actual hotel bedroom, we were challenged to find out who the murderer was and make sure we got out alive – as you can see from the picture below – we were all murdered! Our major downfall in this was the hiding place for one of the major clues that would have allowed us to progress through to escape. We hunted high and low and just couldn’t find it, and we weren’t allowed any clues due to the twists in the story, that meant not everyone involved with the attraction were what they seemed.
Apart from the moment of pure frustration when we knew we wouldn’t get out, we thoroughly enjoyed this little mini adventure and hopefully it gave visitors to the festival, a taste of what the team can do in their main room.It also showed that an effective room escape can be created in just about any room, so kudos to the team for trying out something new and exciting.
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A Zombie Christmas - Room Escape Southend
Normally our reviews of room escape adventures are spolier free and will only hint at what happens once inside. Room escapes by their very nature rely on surprise and mystery and we never want to ruin that. But when it turns out that the room we have visited has just closed down to prepare for their next experience - Apartment 666, we knew we could give away a little more.
Using the main cabin set from the last experience (see below), we were given two simple instructions. First off - try to escape, and secondly (maybe more importantly) avoid being touched by the deranged Santa chained to the wall. Sound easy? Not really, especially when the chain holding him got longer every 10 minutes, and one of the puzzles required us to keep passing by him to identify which key to use next!
We were given one simple clue - Santa could be mesmerised if we were to sing Christmas Carols to him. So throughout the experience the four of us would burst into spontaneous rounds of Jingle Bells, All I Want for Christmas is You and by the end of the event we were down to the name calling section of The Pogue's Fairytale of New York!
If it sounds crazy - it was, but we had an absolute blast from beginning to end. The puzzles weren't as complex as some of the previous experiences, but even with a reduced group we got out with time to spare.
Despite using the same cabin set, there were plenty of theming changes across the rooms including lots of fake snow which really helped create a Christmas vibe. We were also decked out with bad Christmas cracker hats - all we needed was a sofa to fall asleep on in front of the telly!
Every time we do a Room Escape Southend event, we are surprised at the attention to detail that ranges from the sets and props through to the complexity of clues and puzzles, and A Zombie Christmas can now be added to the list of amazing themed experiences they have operated in the last 2 years. Their next room is designed to be their scariest yet and we cant wait to get back down to Essex to try it out. If its anything like any of their last rooms, it is going to be amazing!
Using the main cabin set from the last experience (see below), we were given two simple instructions. First off - try to escape, and secondly (maybe more importantly) avoid being touched by the deranged Santa chained to the wall. Sound easy? Not really, especially when the chain holding him got longer every 10 minutes, and one of the puzzles required us to keep passing by him to identify which key to use next!
We were given one simple clue - Santa could be mesmerised if we were to sing Christmas Carols to him. So throughout the experience the four of us would burst into spontaneous rounds of Jingle Bells, All I Want for Christmas is You and by the end of the event we were down to the name calling section of The Pogue's Fairytale of New York!
If it sounds crazy - it was, but we had an absolute blast from beginning to end. The puzzles weren't as complex as some of the previous experiences, but even with a reduced group we got out with time to spare.
Despite using the same cabin set, there were plenty of theming changes across the rooms including lots of fake snow which really helped create a Christmas vibe. We were also decked out with bad Christmas cracker hats - all we needed was a sofa to fall asleep on in front of the telly!
Every time we do a Room Escape Southend event, we are surprised at the attention to detail that ranges from the sets and props through to the complexity of clues and puzzles, and A Zombie Christmas can now be added to the list of amazing themed experiences they have operated in the last 2 years. Their next room is designed to be their scariest yet and we cant wait to get back down to Essex to try it out. If its anything like any of their last rooms, it is going to be amazing!
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The Cabin - Room Escape Southend
In the short time that Room Escape Southend have been running, they have changed their room to many different themes. From zombies to killer clowns, the imagination of the team seems endless and the line-up for the upcoming year shows no signs of stopping. The key thing about all their themes is an underlying darkness, and with The Cabin the team have gone full out for a horror movie vibe.
Once inside the venue, the main reception has now been converted to be part of the main storyline and with the formalities out the way (such as having our phones and anything that can emit light taken off us) the game was on.
Locked inside the titular cabin we soon started the usual clue hunt that precedes most room escapes, whilst admiring the attention to detail in the theming throughout. The rooms have been totally decked out in wood panelling and feel so authentic that it’s difficult to picture that you are still in a retail unit in Southend. Sounds, lighting and effects all add to the atmosphere and when the lights start to go out, the fear gets cranked up to another level.
Without giving too much away- the Cabin had a lot of secrets to reveal and we had many OMG moments as different parts of the scenario were opened to us. We also had a huge number of WTF moments because, of course, we weren’t alone in that Cabin, and the scares came thick and fact throughout. We can’t praise the team enough for the way they mix the puzzles with the scares to create such an immersive and terrifying experience.
To say much more would really ruin the surprises and unique element that this room holds. The puzzles were deceptively difficult in places and we only just escaped with seconds to spare. It didn’t help that one of the team couldn’t get their head round the way page numbers work! It was a rookie mistake that cost us a lot of time meaning our final few minutes in the room were frantic as we tried to solve the last puzzles with the clock ticking down rapidly. Fortunately, we made it out with seconds to spare!
So if you are looking for a challenging room escape with a number of quality scares along the way – we would definitely recommend Room Escape Southend!
Once inside the venue, the main reception has now been converted to be part of the main storyline and with the formalities out the way (such as having our phones and anything that can emit light taken off us) the game was on.
Locked inside the titular cabin we soon started the usual clue hunt that precedes most room escapes, whilst admiring the attention to detail in the theming throughout. The rooms have been totally decked out in wood panelling and feel so authentic that it’s difficult to picture that you are still in a retail unit in Southend. Sounds, lighting and effects all add to the atmosphere and when the lights start to go out, the fear gets cranked up to another level.
Without giving too much away- the Cabin had a lot of secrets to reveal and we had many OMG moments as different parts of the scenario were opened to us. We also had a huge number of WTF moments because, of course, we weren’t alone in that Cabin, and the scares came thick and fact throughout. We can’t praise the team enough for the way they mix the puzzles with the scares to create such an immersive and terrifying experience.
To say much more would really ruin the surprises and unique element that this room holds. The puzzles were deceptively difficult in places and we only just escaped with seconds to spare. It didn’t help that one of the team couldn’t get their head round the way page numbers work! It was a rookie mistake that cost us a lot of time meaning our final few minutes in the room were frantic as we tried to solve the last puzzles with the clock ticking down rapidly. Fortunately, we made it out with seconds to spare!
So if you are looking for a challenging room escape with a number of quality scares along the way – we would definitely recommend Room Escape Southend!
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Zombie Run
Zombie Run was a new event created by the talented Room Escape Southend team. Of course, coming from a room escape background, the event included a number of puzzles and clues that we had to solve along the way (all while being chased by a horde of ravenous zombies.)
One of the outstanding things to mention was that the event was set inside the Roots Hall football stadium and our journey took us through many backstage areas including the changing rooms, private boxes, dark corridors and or course through the terraces themselves. It was quite surreal being chased around an empty football stadium by zombies. Definitely something unique!
Being big fans of zombies and room escapes, we genuinely had a blast throughout the whole experience, but we think that some people who had come just for the zombies may have been a bit stumped with some of the puzzles. Fortunately they were a mix of treasure hunt, mathematical and physical, but we managed to lose one game which meant we had no chance of completing the final mission and winning the game overall. We may have escaped but we didn't save the world.
It was nice to see the Room Escape Southend team do something a little different and they have to be commended for what they achieved with the venue. Fortunately for us it was just the right amount of running and we weren't too breathless by the end of it!
One of the outstanding things to mention was that the event was set inside the Roots Hall football stadium and our journey took us through many backstage areas including the changing rooms, private boxes, dark corridors and or course through the terraces themselves. It was quite surreal being chased around an empty football stadium by zombies. Definitely something unique!
Being big fans of zombies and room escapes, we genuinely had a blast throughout the whole experience, but we think that some people who had come just for the zombies may have been a bit stumped with some of the puzzles. Fortunately they were a mix of treasure hunt, mathematical and physical, but we managed to lose one game which meant we had no chance of completing the final mission and winning the game overall. We may have escaped but we didn't save the world.
It was nice to see the Room Escape Southend team do something a little different and they have to be commended for what they achieved with the venue. Fortunately for us it was just the right amount of running and we weren't too breathless by the end of it!
Down the Rabbit Hole
One of the unique selling points of Southend Room Escape is that they regulary switch out their room to keep the experience fresh. In the past we have had zombies, killer clowns and possessed mental asylum patients but this time it was twisted children's stories
As you would expect from a story called Down The Rabbit Hole, our experience would include visits from The Red Queen, The Mad Hatter and even Alice herself. As usual with this venue, their appearances usually coincided right when we were in the middle of a complex puzzle, and the sudden need to run away or avoid something kept us on edge from beginning to end.
As always, the rooms and clues were a combination of locks, puzzles, and combinations, but also included some physical elements including the use of hand tools. There are also forfeits for certain actions and one of the team "may" have ended up chained to a wall for part of the show! (At least it gave me some peace to solve one particular code we had all been struggling over! - Ed)
The mix of live elements, clever puzzles and humour all fitted together to make a fun experience - but one we couldn't actually escape from!. Afterwards we were told that we were missing one physical puzzle clue that would have allowed us to escape in time. As it was - we were left to the mercy of the White Rabbit and his huge pointy teeth! Despite not escaping we still had a complete blast!
Down The Rabbit Hole will run for a couple more weeks before the room is switched over to The Cabin, which has clearly been inspired by The Evil Dead. As soon as the new room is up and running we shall be back to try it again!
As you would expect from a story called Down The Rabbit Hole, our experience would include visits from The Red Queen, The Mad Hatter and even Alice herself. As usual with this venue, their appearances usually coincided right when we were in the middle of a complex puzzle, and the sudden need to run away or avoid something kept us on edge from beginning to end.
As always, the rooms and clues were a combination of locks, puzzles, and combinations, but also included some physical elements including the use of hand tools. There are also forfeits for certain actions and one of the team "may" have ended up chained to a wall for part of the show! (At least it gave me some peace to solve one particular code we had all been struggling over! - Ed)
The mix of live elements, clever puzzles and humour all fitted together to make a fun experience - but one we couldn't actually escape from!. Afterwards we were told that we were missing one physical puzzle clue that would have allowed us to escape in time. As it was - we were left to the mercy of the White Rabbit and his huge pointy teeth! Despite not escaping we still had a complete blast!
Down The Rabbit Hole will run for a couple more weeks before the room is switched over to The Cabin, which has clearly been inspired by The Evil Dead. As soon as the new room is up and running we shall be back to try it again!
The Asylum
A couple of months ago we managed to avoid being eaten by a zombie, and escaped from Escape Room Southend with at least half an hour spare. We had a great time, but missed a few of the tricks that the organisers had planned, as we escaped so quickly.
This time we wouldn't be so lucky, and as you can see from the pictures below - we escaped with just 12 seconds to spare. This therefore gave us enough time to witness all the tricks the team had for us - we almost wish we hadn't!
As with any room escapes, the least known about the room the better, and but amongst the usual mix of clues, puzzles and padlocks, this room also had some completely unique experiences that all culminated in a powerful finale that was as terrifying as it was clever. We only just escaped, and even once outside the room, it took us a while to really process what we had just experienced over the last hour. In fact, thinking about it now, there are elements of this room escape that still send shudders down our spine!
Sadly the experience won't be around for long as the Room Escape Southend team regularly swap out the themes of their rooms, and The Asylum will soon be replaced with an evil Christmas story. Which means you really don't have long to experience this. Don't miss out!
This time we wouldn't be so lucky, and as you can see from the pictures below - we escaped with just 12 seconds to spare. This therefore gave us enough time to witness all the tricks the team had for us - we almost wish we hadn't!
As with any room escapes, the least known about the room the better, and but amongst the usual mix of clues, puzzles and padlocks, this room also had some completely unique experiences that all culminated in a powerful finale that was as terrifying as it was clever. We only just escaped, and even once outside the room, it took us a while to really process what we had just experienced over the last hour. In fact, thinking about it now, there are elements of this room escape that still send shudders down our spine!
Sadly the experience won't be around for long as the Room Escape Southend team regularly swap out the themes of their rooms, and The Asylum will soon be replaced with an evil Christmas story. Which means you really don't have long to experience this. Don't miss out!
The Circus of Terrors
Unlike many other room escape attractions, Room Escape Southend like to change things round every few months to keep things fresh. From their first opening last year, they are now on the 4th scenario in the one room, and have covered a number of different themes including zombies, an evil Santa and of course the terrifying possessed mental patient we experienced in The Asylum.
Circus of Terrors is their latest adventure and is certainly their trickiest. With all of their experiences, clues are available where required and we have to admit that we did lean on the ringmaster for help. Although we are sure he was just happy to help as he had been chained to the wall by a killer clown earlier in the show!
The puzzles themselves were the usual mixture of combinations, riddles, number puzzles and more, and as we struggled to solve them we had to remember that at any time the clown could come along to catch us, confuse us or just plain ridicule us. The constant knowledge that he could appear at any time and the unpredictably of his actions made for a compelling and exciting show.
To say much more would give away some of the secrets, but we managed to get out of the room with just three seconds spare, and, without the clown getting any of us.
Although not as genuinely scary as The Asylum, The Circus of Terrors certainly had its moments and challenged the 6 of us for a full hour (including the 10 minutes solid this reviewer was sat cross legged in a black box staring at a particular clue hidden in blue light!)
The Circus remains around for a few more weeks before the attraction plunges back into full on scares with Down the Rabbit Hole, a horror zombie experience based loosely on the Alice in Wonderland classic.
Circus of Terrors is their latest adventure and is certainly their trickiest. With all of their experiences, clues are available where required and we have to admit that we did lean on the ringmaster for help. Although we are sure he was just happy to help as he had been chained to the wall by a killer clown earlier in the show!
The puzzles themselves were the usual mixture of combinations, riddles, number puzzles and more, and as we struggled to solve them we had to remember that at any time the clown could come along to catch us, confuse us or just plain ridicule us. The constant knowledge that he could appear at any time and the unpredictably of his actions made for a compelling and exciting show.
To say much more would give away some of the secrets, but we managed to get out of the room with just three seconds spare, and, without the clown getting any of us.
Although not as genuinely scary as The Asylum, The Circus of Terrors certainly had its moments and challenged the 6 of us for a full hour (including the 10 minutes solid this reviewer was sat cross legged in a black box staring at a particular clue hidden in blue light!)
The Circus remains around for a few more weeks before the attraction plunges back into full on scares with Down the Rabbit Hole, a horror zombie experience based loosely on the Alice in Wonderland classic.
Trapped with a Zombie
Room escape adventures have become very popular in recent years, and provide a fun session of clue breaking and teamwork for the whole family. Of course, more and more attractions have taken the genre into darker more horror related realms, and so on a warm sunny day in Essex, we were faced with the prospect of being locked in a room with a zombie!
Like other events, once inside and the door was locked, the first thing the team needed to do was start searching to try and unravel the clues. The first few minutes of any room escape are always some of the craziest as drawers are pulled open, things are moved and slowly people start to put the pieces together to find the way out. Of course, we were all so busy searching that in the first few minutes we sort of forgot about the zombie (until he unceremoniously crashed our party with a bang!)
We spent the rest of the time dodging this angry and very realistic looking zombie whilst trying to sort out the clues. The team at this room escape had been particularly devious, and the clues were some of the most obscure we have seen. It didn't help that any concentration or thinking time we had would suddenly be broken as the hungry zombie lurched at us!
Through some active team work and a lot of brain scratching (and perhaps a little bit of luck) we managed to escape the room in under 28 minutes, which surprised even us. It was great to say that we has escaped but it would have been interesting to see how we would have coped if we had got stuck and the zombies chain had kept getting longer. Even at 28 mins he was VERY close to us at times!
For a new and independent venture, we were really impressed with the whole set up and enjoyed the witty and (sometimes) helpful banter from the scientist guides. Coming up soon is an even scarier Asylum themed room, and we will definitely come back to see if we can get out any quicker!
Like other events, once inside and the door was locked, the first thing the team needed to do was start searching to try and unravel the clues. The first few minutes of any room escape are always some of the craziest as drawers are pulled open, things are moved and slowly people start to put the pieces together to find the way out. Of course, we were all so busy searching that in the first few minutes we sort of forgot about the zombie (until he unceremoniously crashed our party with a bang!)
We spent the rest of the time dodging this angry and very realistic looking zombie whilst trying to sort out the clues. The team at this room escape had been particularly devious, and the clues were some of the most obscure we have seen. It didn't help that any concentration or thinking time we had would suddenly be broken as the hungry zombie lurched at us!
Through some active team work and a lot of brain scratching (and perhaps a little bit of luck) we managed to escape the room in under 28 minutes, which surprised even us. It was great to say that we has escaped but it would have been interesting to see how we would have coped if we had got stuck and the zombies chain had kept getting longer. Even at 28 mins he was VERY close to us at times!
For a new and independent venture, we were really impressed with the whole set up and enjoyed the witty and (sometimes) helpful banter from the scientist guides. Coming up soon is an even scarier Asylum themed room, and we will definitely come back to see if we can get out any quicker!
Links:
Official Website: www.roomescapesouthend.com
ScareTOUR review of Down The Rabbit Hole
ScareTOUR review of The Asylum
ScareTOUR review of The Circus of Terrors
ScareTOUR review of Trapped with a Zombie
ScareTOUR review of Down The Rabbit Hole
ScareTOUR review of The Asylum
ScareTOUR review of The Circus of Terrors
ScareTOUR review of Trapped with a Zombie
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