Gilles' Faves
What are these?
Simply put, for every venue I ever visited during a given year (a "year" going from start of winter to end of fall), I pick one room (still running or not) for which I have the fondest memories, then I compare those "top" rooms with one another and pick the ones with the biggest lasting impressions.
Obviously, any room listed there is one I liked (I'm no masochist 😄), but this doesn't imply that any of the listed venue is objectively better than the ones which aren't. For instance, I tend to favor longer rooms, and I really like gadgets, multimedia effects and original themes. This preference is reflected in my picks. I'm also rather forgiving of technical mistakes if properly handled by management.
The list is in chronological order of play.
Obviously, any room listed there is one I liked (I'm no masochist 😄), but this doesn't imply that any of the listed venue is objectively better than the ones which aren't. For instance, I tend to favor longer rooms, and I really like gadgets, multimedia effects and original themes. This preference is reflected in my picks. I'm also rather forgiving of technical mistakes if properly handled by management.
The list is in chronological order of play.
2020 Faves
Ah, 2020. 😑 Unsurprisingly, most of the rooms I played that year were remote ones. Overall, I played 59 rooms (44 of them being virtual) in 37 venues (26 of them being virtual, and 1 - Improbable Escapes in Kingston - being both).
| Room | Casual players will enjoy... | Enthusiasts will enjoy... | That being said... |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Night of the Wolf and the Serpent 🕱 Codex 🕱 Laval |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Original theme. Absence of locks. | Might be a bit easy for veteran players. |
| Les 2 Font la Paire Escaparium Alma |
Large gaming area. Humorous theme. | Truly original theme. | That same theme could be a turn-off to some. |
| The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen Escaparium Laval |
Very large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Stunning visuals. | The first section is rather linear. |
| Evil Dead 2 (Remote) Hourglass Escapes Seattle (Washington) |
Large gaming area. Strong theme. | Well-made tribute to the subject matter. | A bit expensive for us Canadians. |
| Agent Venture: The Heist (Extended) (Remote) The Adventure Is Real London (England) |
Funny, entertaining host. | Great freedom of action. | This remains a mostly audio game. |
| The Diamond Heist (Remote) The Box Metz (France) |
Funny, entertaining host. | Varied puzzles. Adjustable difficulty. | Fairly old-school room and theme. |
| Amsterdam Catacombs (Remote) Logic Locks Amsterdam (Netherlands) |
Original gaming environment. Strong theme. | Longer duration. Adjustable difficulty. | The internet signal strength is always at risk. |
| The TriWizard Trials Improbable Escapes Kingston |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Varied puzzles. Absence of locks. | It can be hard correlating solved puzzles to their outcome. |
| Pursuit of the Assassin Artist (Remote) Omescape San Jose (California) |
Live NPCs. Lots of humor. | Very original concept. Longer duration. | A bit expensive for us Canadians. |
| Constellations (Remote) YouEscape Athens (Greece) |
Original concept. Low cost. | Very varied puzzles. | The "remote" components are on par with "pop ups". |
| The Witch's Forest (Remote) 🕱 Daydream Adventures Toronto |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Funny, entertaining host. | The game is totally linear. |
| The Beast (Remote) Emergency Exit Ashton-under-Lyne (England) |
Strong theme. Potentially scary. | Entertaining host. Clever use of multimedia. | Fairly old-school room and theme. |
2019 Faves
In 2019, I played through 62 rooms in 42 different locations. However, I decided to exclude the rooms we played during our UK vacation, because they would've filled up half of the list. Go check them out here instead. Likewise, I excluded Enigmorama because it was a one-time, multiple-company event.
| Room | Casual players will enjoy... | Enthusiasts will enjoy... | That being said... |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camping Mortel Mission Évasion Saguenay |
Quality scenery. Dark theme. | Lots of stuff to do. | Theme might be a turn-off. Lots of physical locks. |
| Grand Immersia Hotel Immersia Boisbriand |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. Multimedia elements. | Interesting theme. Varied puzzles. | Might be too easy for a large and/or experienced team. |
| The Forgotten Station 🕱 Immersia Laval |
Fairly original theme. Could be a good room to introduce newbies to the hobby. | Fierce competitive mode. | A lot less impressive than its fellow rooms, immersion-wise. |
| Underground Bar Sauve Qui Peut Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Strongly original theme. | Definitely not for everyone. Uneven puzzles. |
| AI Martyrdom Escape REVO Toronto |
Large gaming area. Realistic scenery. Auto-adjustable difficulty. | Scoring system. Realistic problem-solving. | Might turn out to be too "realistic" for one's tastes. |
| Love Without Late Fees 🕱 The Tape Escape 🕱 Toronto |
Original game theme and mechanics. | Multiple endings. Replayability. | A bit more like interactive theater than an Escape Room proper. |
| Le Secret des Dunes À Double Tour Quebec City |
Quality scenery. Strong theme. | Clever handling of game space. | The Game Master might make or break your game experience. |
| The Final Viewing Escape Manor Ottawa |
Large gaming area. Dark yet funny theme. | Effective mix of automated and man-made effects. | Not for a younger crowd. |
| The Reflection of Madness 🕱 Codex 🕱 Laval |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Fairly original theme. Varied puzzles. | Theme might be less appealing to non-geeks. |
| Bloody Mary: Last Call 🕱 Missions Morpheus 🕱 Montréal |
Large gaming area. Strong theme. | Varied puzzles. Harder on purpose. | Might be a bit too much to chew for newbie players. |
| Deliverance Room Escape Ottawa Ottawa |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Varied puzzles. | Lots of physical locks. |
Faves from previous years
| Room | Casual players will enjoy... | Enthusiasts will enjoy... | That being said... |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 (2 rooms, 2 locations) | |||
| The Cabin Jigsaw Escape Ottawa |
Good scenery. Varied puzzles. | Quality puzzles. | One might end up feeling a bit cramped in there. |
| 2016 (11 rooms, 8 locations) | |||
| Pirate Ship 🕱 Mission Liberté Mont-Tremblant |
Good scenery. Varied puzzles. | Lots to do. | Quite expensive, especially compared to the big city. |
| Au Pays des Merveilles À Double Tour Quebec City |
Quality scenery. Interacting with a live character. | Switching between different gameplay. | The low success rate borders on being unreasonable. |
| Boom Room Room Escape Ottawa Ottawa |
Large gaming area. Varied puzzles. | Quality puzzles. | The theme doesn't feel relating that much to the puzzles. |
| 2017 (38 rooms, 24 locations) | |||
| The $1,000,000 Payday 🕱 Tick-Tock Escape 🕱 Ottawa |
Varied puzzles. Easy to obtain a "basic" victory. | Original scoring system. Good replayability potential. | It can be disappointing, not being able to learn about your missed puzzles. |
| Project X (long version) 🕱 Obsidem 🕱 Montreal |
Longer gameplay. Feeling of truly being on a spy mission. | Scoring system. Interesting props and tools. | Half your group might end up stuck waiting after the other. |
| Capone's Hideout 🕱 Dossier 325 🕱 Gatineau |
Quality scenery and ambiance. | Parallel puzzle sequences. | It's a very "classic" room, filled with locks. |
| POP! 🕱 Ezkapaz Montreal |
Funny theme. Varied puzzles. | Truly original theme. | That same theme could be seen as boring to some people. |
| Perdu en Mer La Société Rimouski |
Varied puzzles. Multimedia elements. | Fairly original theme. | Bit far, isn't it? |
| Domination: In God we Trust 🕱 Missions Morpheus 🕱 Montreal |
Quality scenery. Multimedia elements. | Lots to do. Harder on purpose. | Might be a bit too much to chew for newbie players. |
| Serial Killer Charade Room Escape Ottawa Ottawa |
Large gaming area. Varied puzzles. Hair-raising theme. | Quality puzzles. | The theme won't work with everyone, especially younger children. |
| Tyranno Industries Escaparium Montreal |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. Multimedia elements. | Theme that's both popular and original. | You might end up feeling railroaded by the storyline. |
| 2018 (52 rooms, 35 locations) | |||
| The Breakout Escaparium Saguenay |
Large gaming area. Varied puzzles. | Quality puzzles. | It's a remake of a Montreal room, with a rather classical theme. |
| Weekend at the Shack Immersia Laval |
Quality scenery. Multimedia elements. | Feeling of immersion. | Puzzle quality occasionnally leaves to be desired. |
| Back to the Fossils 🕱 Escape Manor (Museum of Nature) 🕱 Ottawa |
Very large gaming area. Friendly setting. | Original gaming environment. | The puzzles aren't particularly original. |
| Escape the Diefenbunker Escape Manor (Cold War Museum) Carp |
Very large gaming area. Variable difficulty levels. | Original gaming environment. | The puzzles aren't particularly original. |
| Feet to the Fire 🕱 Chamber of Secrets 🕱 Pembroke |
Nice downtown stroll. Historical angle. | Good puzzle integration with the external components. | It might feel a bit too easy for seasoned players. |
| Apocalypse: Tempus Fugit 🕱 Missions Morpheus 🕱 Montréal |
Quality scenery. | Fairly original theme. Harder on purpose. | It's not as impressive as some of its older siblings. |
| Shipwrecked Unlocked Ottawa |
Available "Family Mode". Good difficulty ramp-up. | Original scoring system. Lots of puzzles. | You don't feel the room's theme much, in spite of its nice looks. |
| Vortex Past Sauve Qui Peut St-Jean-sur-Richelieu |
Great scenery. | Complete absence of locks. | It might get a bit cramped, and puzzles might seem a tad repetitive. |
| The Wizard Four and the Book of the Black Arts Escaparium Montréal |
Large gaming area. Great scenery. Multimedia elements. | Popular theme. | Sound quality sometimes leave to be desired. |
| De-Composed 🕱 Room Escape Ottawa Ottawa |
Multiplayer Virtual Reality escape game | Same | The game only has a few, fairly easy puzzles. |
| Spaceship Graveyard 🕱 Codex 🕱 Laval |
Large gaming area. Quality scenery. | Feeling of immersion. Varied puzzles. | The endgame didn't leave me as satisfied. |
Technical Problems - How Common Are They?
Here's a list of every room I played where we ran into some sort of technical problem - a broken puzzle, a device not working problem, and so on.
The codeword [Redressed] indicates that my group was somehow compensated in-game for the trouble (by getting more time, or getting a clue, etc) in an appropriate and satisfactory manner. [Fixed] means the problem was corrected but that no other compensation was given (or deemed necessary).
The codeword [Redressed] indicates that my group was somehow compensated in-game for the trouble (by getting more time, or getting a clue, etc) in an appropriate and satisfactory manner. [Fixed] means the problem was corrected but that no other compensation was given (or deemed necessary).
- Pirate Ship - Mission Liberté - Mont-Tremblant
Physical clue that didn't work for us as expected.
- Au Pays des Merveilles - À Double Tour - Quebec City
Sliding panes that got stuck.
- Prison Break - A/MAZE - Montreal
Dexterity puzzle that got into an unwinnable state. [Redressed]
- The Magician's Studio - Mystery Motel - Ottawa
Curtain wasn't closed tightly, giving us access to a clue ahead of time.
- The Heist - Hideaway Adventure Lounge - Ottawa
In-game electronic tablet wasn't working properly. [Fixed]
- Perdu En Mer - La Société - Rimouski
In-game computer could get locked by pressing a certain (undocumented) key. [Fixed]
- Galleon Buccaneers - Maître du Jeu - Gatineau
Mechanical puzzle got stuck. [Redressed]
- Treasure of the Templars - Maître du Jeu - Gatineau
Electronic lock that opened ahead of time.
- Disarm the Bomb - Évasion Montréal - Montreal
In-game computer skipped two puzzle sequences. [Redressed]
- L'Entrevue - inXtremis - Sherbrooke
Important light source malfunctioning. [Fixed]
- Serial Killer Charade - Room Escape Ottawa - Ottawa
Dry-erase marker not working. [Fixed]
- Tyranno Industries - Escaparium Montreal - Montreal
Electronically-locked gate which opened too early.
- Le Kidnapping - Déserteur - Terrebonne
Measuring device not provided the proper measurements [Redressed]
- Satan's Lair - Mystery Room - Montreal
No working lights in the room. [Redressed]
- The British Colonel #1: God Râ Shows the Way - Le Cube Secret - Laval
A secret passageway that shouldn't open in this scenario, did.
- The Krylon Crew vs the Determined Detectives - Unlocked - Ottawa
The panel containing the detectives' final key started off already open. (Fortunately it seemed out-of-play, so no one searched it.)
- The Tomb - Escape Manor - Ottawa
The final treasure was already unlocked when we found it (it locked itself back in place afterwards).
- Zombie Uprising - Chamber of Secrets - Pembroke
An indicator light didn't turn on, leading to some confusion.
- Mission Impossible - Escapade Ultime - Gatineau
A mechanism meant to hand us a key didn't work, forcing us to squeeze it out ourselves.
- Apocalypse - Missions Morpheus - Montreal
An electronic component didn't properly trigger on the first attempt. [Redressed]
- The Container - Cübe - Montreal
A mechanism didn't trigger when we performed the right action. [Redressed]
- Mental - SOS Aventures - St-Jérôme
Electrical wires (you had to connect) didn't properly hold in place.
- Operation Mindfall - Ezkapaz - Montreal
This outdoor game's path happened to go across a bike race. [Redressed]
- Ward Chipman's Treasure - Parc-nature du Bois-de-Liesse - Montreal
An important clue fell off the tree is was hung in. [Redressed]
- The Lord and Lady of the Manor's Cabinet - Escape Manor - Ottawa
The combination lock on a diary wouldn't lock at all.
- The Wizard Four and the Book of the Black Arts - Escaparium - Montreal
An "old tome" meant to stay shut had become readable, showing its true nature (a dictionary with a few scribbles and missing pages) and leading to some confusion.
- Opération: Biscuit - Maître du Jeu - Gatineau
A mechanical puzzle got a bit loose, becoming unwinnable.
- "Home Run" Operation - Échappe-Toi - Laval
A compartment that was supposed to start off locked, wasn't.
- La Chambre Rouge - Évade-Toi - St-Jérôme
An electronic component didn't properly trigger on the first attempt. [Fixed]
- Fortuna - Évasion Top Chrono - St-Jérôme
A clue-releasing mechanism triggered too early.
- The Castle - Jigsaw Escape - Ottawa
A clue-releasing mechanism didn't trigger when it should have. [Fixed]
- Space Invaders - Escape Manor Junior - Ottawa
Sliding door that should have started locked was stuck open for the entire game.
- Grand Immersia Hotel - Immersia - Boisbriand
None of the in-game screens worked. Video was provided through out-of-game laptops. [Redressed]
- Shelter 2039 - Vortex - Montreal
A couple pieces of scenery broke down as we manipulated them.
- Dream Weekend - Sauve Qui Peut - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
One piece of a puzzle broke down as we solved it, slowing down our interaction with said puzzle.
- The Pit - The Escapement - Margate
A panel held by a maglock suddenly opened by mistake, then locked itself again with one of the players stuck on the other side. [Fixed]
- Wizarding School - Breakin' Escape Rooms - London
Several containers meant to be held by maglocks wouldn't stay closed.
- The Secret Lab - Locked In Edinburgh - Edinburgh
The final manipulation triggering the endgame just wouldn't work, try as we might. [Redressed]
- Univers - L'Emprise - Saint-Hyacinthe
A game component supposed to trigger mid-game had to be left on since the very beginning. A passage supposed to open itself after a specific action kept popping open by mistake.
- Hollywood - La Clef de l'Énigme - Sainte-Julie
A secret compartment supposed to pop open didn't do so in any noticeable manner.
- The Death Cure: Donald Trump Death - Escape Room Gatineau - Gatineau
An electronic safe just wouldn't open, even with the right combination. [Fixed]
- Atlantis: 90°S, 0°E - Missions Morpheus - Montreal
A clue meant to appear after a specific manipulation wasn't visible. [Fixed]
- The Great Elf Escape - Unlocked - Ottawa
A locked drawer gave way as we pulled on it.
- Deliverance - Room Escape Ottawa - Ottawa
A key supposed to appear after a specific action, didn't. [Fixed]
- La Revanche de Gontran - Saint-Étienne-des-Grès
A key supposed to appear after a specific action, didn't. [Fixed]
- Coming Home - Hero's Engine - Remote
The Zoom account was forced into an upgrade by Microsoft, mid-game. [Fixed]
- Blood Diamonds - Maître du Jeu - Gatineau
A visual effect supposed to be triggered by solving a puzzle had to be triggered manually by the GM. [Fixed]
- The Beast - Emergency Exit - Remote
A special effect never triggered for us.
- Opus Luminum - Ezkapaz - Remote
The remote UI's initial state showed way too much stuff. [Fixed]
Physical clue that didn't work for us as expected.
Sliding panes that got stuck.
Dexterity puzzle that got into an unwinnable state. [Redressed]
Curtain wasn't closed tightly, giving us access to a clue ahead of time.
In-game electronic tablet wasn't working properly. [Fixed]
In-game computer could get locked by pressing a certain (undocumented) key. [Fixed]
Mechanical puzzle got stuck. [Redressed]
Electronic lock that opened ahead of time.
In-game computer skipped two puzzle sequences. [Redressed]
Important light source malfunctioning. [Fixed]
Dry-erase marker not working. [Fixed]
Electronically-locked gate which opened too early.
Measuring device not provided the proper measurements [Redressed]
No working lights in the room. [Redressed]
A secret passageway that shouldn't open in this scenario, did.
The panel containing the detectives' final key started off already open. (Fortunately it seemed out-of-play, so no one searched it.)
The final treasure was already unlocked when we found it (it locked itself back in place afterwards).
An indicator light didn't turn on, leading to some confusion.
A mechanism meant to hand us a key didn't work, forcing us to squeeze it out ourselves.
An electronic component didn't properly trigger on the first attempt. [Redressed]
A mechanism didn't trigger when we performed the right action. [Redressed]
Electrical wires (you had to connect) didn't properly hold in place.
This outdoor game's path happened to go across a bike race. [Redressed]
An important clue fell off the tree is was hung in. [Redressed]
The combination lock on a diary wouldn't lock at all.
An "old tome" meant to stay shut had become readable, showing its true nature (a dictionary with a few scribbles and missing pages) and leading to some confusion.
A mechanical puzzle got a bit loose, becoming unwinnable.
A compartment that was supposed to start off locked, wasn't.
An electronic component didn't properly trigger on the first attempt. [Fixed]
A clue-releasing mechanism triggered too early.
A clue-releasing mechanism didn't trigger when it should have. [Fixed]
Sliding door that should have started locked was stuck open for the entire game.
None of the in-game screens worked. Video was provided through out-of-game laptops. [Redressed]
A couple pieces of scenery broke down as we manipulated them.
One piece of a puzzle broke down as we solved it, slowing down our interaction with said puzzle.
A panel held by a maglock suddenly opened by mistake, then locked itself again with one of the players stuck on the other side. [Fixed]
Several containers meant to be held by maglocks wouldn't stay closed.
The final manipulation triggering the endgame just wouldn't work, try as we might. [Redressed]
A game component supposed to trigger mid-game had to be left on since the very beginning. A passage supposed to open itself after a specific action kept popping open by mistake.
A secret compartment supposed to pop open didn't do so in any noticeable manner.
An electronic safe just wouldn't open, even with the right combination. [Fixed]
A clue meant to appear after a specific manipulation wasn't visible. [Fixed]
A locked drawer gave way as we pulled on it.
A key supposed to appear after a specific action, didn't. [Fixed]
A key supposed to appear after a specific action, didn't. [Fixed]
The Zoom account was forced into an upgrade by Microsoft, mid-game. [Fixed]
A visual effect supposed to be triggered by solving a puzzle had to be triggered manually by the GM. [Fixed]
A special effect never triggered for us.
The remote UI's initial state showed way too much stuff. [Fixed]
Human Errors - How Common Are They?
An now a list of every room where we suffered from a mistake that someone in charge made. I try to only list cases where the mistake was admitted or rather obvious, and not speculation ("this was too easy/hard, someone must've screwed up").
Once again, the codeword [Redressed] indicates that my group was somehow compensated in-game afterwards.
Once again, the codeword [Redressed] indicates that my group was somehow compensated in-game afterwards.
- Prison Break - Escape Manor - Ottawa
Received the wrong clue for our current situation. (We were stuck on a prerequisite puzzle.)
- Perdu En Mer - La Société - Rimouski
Received the wrong clue for our current situation. (We were missing some elements needed for the puzzle. They didn't notice.)
- Save the Rave - Lockdown - Ottawa
A tool was left in the wrong spot during room setup. (We got access to it too soon.)
- Ehscape to Canada - Amnesia - Ottawa
A door was left unlocked during room setup.
- Crime Scene 2: Chaos City - Find the Key - Montreal
We had to wait about 7 minutes after asking for a hint. [Redressed]
- Mission Impossible - Escapade Ultime - Gatineau
A door meant to be locked wasn't. [Redressed]
A clue needed to open a lock had been put inside the very box it was keep locked.
- Shipwrecked (Expert Mode) - Unlocked - Ottawa
The wrong version of a critical clue had been placed in the room. [Redressed]
- Dream Weekend - Sauve Qui Peut - Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
We were given one clue too many than we were supposed to.
- The Time Team Trilogy Chapter 2 - Lockdown - Ottawa
A lock was left open by mistake.
- The Distillery - Locked In Edinburgh - Edinburgh
Player notes from a previous playthrough were left in the room, under a game element.
- La Chambre-Forte - L'Emprise - Saint-Hyacinthe
A lock was left open by mistake.
- Univers - L'Emprise - St-Hyacinthe
We weren't told about the technical issue and its workaround until much later in the game.
- The Diamond Heist - The Box - Remote
One lock was left open during room setup.
- Constellations - YouEscape - Remote
Our host forgot to properly empty a container after we opened it. [Redressed]
- Seabed - YouEscape - Remote
Our host misremembered our starting time.
- Colors Part 2 - YouEscape - Remote
Two locks were swapped by mistake (so the code we got didn't open the right box).
Received the wrong clue for our current situation. (We were stuck on a prerequisite puzzle.)
Received the wrong clue for our current situation. (We were missing some elements needed for the puzzle. They didn't notice.)
A tool was left in the wrong spot during room setup. (We got access to it too soon.)
A door was left unlocked during room setup.
We had to wait about 7 minutes after asking for a hint. [Redressed]
A door meant to be locked wasn't. [Redressed]
A clue needed to open a lock had been put inside the very box it was keep locked.
A clue needed to open a lock had been put inside the very box it was keep locked.
The wrong version of a critical clue had been placed in the room. [Redressed]
We were given one clue too many than we were supposed to.
A lock was left open by mistake.
Player notes from a previous playthrough were left in the room, under a game element.
A lock was left open by mistake.
We weren't told about the technical issue and its workaround until much later in the game.
One lock was left open during room setup.
Our host forgot to properly empty a container after we opened it. [Redressed]
Our host misremembered our starting time.
Two locks were swapped by mistake (so the code we got didn't open the right box).
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