It’s a phenomenon that started in Japan and has spread rapidly around the world: the escape room, a physical game where participants solve puzzles and riddles against the clock to break out of virtual prisons, dungeons and other “locations”. The number of rooms across the UK has soared to around 1,200 this year, a growth of 40% since 2017, according to Ken Ferguson of Exit Games, and continues to grow. In 2013 there were just seven.

Sherlock: The Game is Now, London

Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, the writers of the hit TV series Sherlock, have teamed up with Time Run – the company behind some of London’s best escape games – to create an immersive challenge based on the show. Sherlock: The Game is Now is a 90-minute escape experience featuring sets and locations from the series, and new video and audio from cast members. The game opens in December in a secret central London location, but tickets are already selling fast despite the high price tag – December has sold out, while January has some slots left, and tickets until the end of May went on sale this week.

“It’s the most anticipated game in the history of escape rooms,” says Ferguson. “The company behind it has always pushed boundaries, with amazing sets and actors – and it’s the first time intellectual property has been taken and made into a game. It will appeal to escape room fans as well as dedicated Sherlock fans. London needed a flagship game and this is going to be huge.”

It is not the only TV-themed escape room to open this year: the BBC is working with Escape Hunt to launch a Doctor Who game in Bristol in December, and in Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford and Reading in early 2019.
• From £54pp, teams of four to six, over-10s, thegameisnow.com

The Crystal Maze, Manchester and London

This game faithfully recreates the cult 1990s game show, with teams guided by a Maze Master to tackle fun mental and physical challenges in four zones over about 80 minutes. The more challenges each team wins, the more crystals they accrue, and the more time they get to catch tokens in the Crystal Dome. Top scores are recorded on an online Wall of Fame. There is also a branch in London.
Ken Ferguson’s expert verdict “As a Crystal Maze-mad kid, this is everything I wanted it to be.”
• Manchester from £30pp, London from £50pp, teams of one to eight, over-13s, the-crystal-maze.com

Escape in the Towers, Canterbury

As locations go, this one is hard to beat: Escape in the Towers is set in the real cells of Canterbury’s 1830s former jail. The sinister storyline involves a dangerous doctor and an old crime and punishment lab, and there is an hour to escape. Tickets include entry to the Westgate Towers Museum & Viewpoint – this medieval gatehouse is the biggest surviving city gate in England.
Expert’s verdict “A game worthy of its amazing setting.”
• From £19pp, teams of two to five, over-12s, onepoundlane.co.uk

History Mystery, Norfolk

The Queenmaker is the first escape game in a real church: St Andrew’s in Blickling, near Aylsham. Anne Boleyn worshipped here as a child and the unusual plot is based on that heritage – players must solve the puzzles within the hour to advance the marriage of Anne and Henry VIII, learning a little history along the way. History Mystery has other games at heritage locations including the 14th-century undercroft at the Museum of Norwich and the Norwich Guildhall, and is planning new games in other historic cities.
Expert’s verdict “The masters of making history fun.”
• From £12.50pp, teams of two to 10, over-10s, historymysterygame.com

Extremescape, near Stockport

For spectacular set design, it is hard to beat Extremescape in Disley, Cheshire. In the Pirate Ship game, players are marooned in an 18th-century Spanish galleon. In the Lost Tomb, the action takes place in an abandoned Mexican gold mine and a Mayan tomb. A new Viking room will be up and running by the end of the year. Teams have 90 minutes to escape the rooms, making it a great-value experience.
Expert’s verdict “Jaw-dropping moments and amazing sets.”
• From £15, teams of two to eight, over-15s, extremescape.co.uk

Department of Magic, Edinburgh

Magic is an emerging trend in escape games, most inspired by Harry Potter. One of the best is the Department of Magic in Edinburgh (where JK Rowling began writing the books). In the Prophecies Quest game, players have 50 minutes to move through rooms, solving puzzles and riddles in order to collect prophecies and defeat the Dark Lord. In Dark Lord Resurrection, a new game that launched last month, the tables are turned and players are on the side of dark magic. Non-gamers are welcome at the Magic Potion tavern for a pint of “Butterbrew”.
Expert’s verdict “A must for Harry Potter fans.”
• From £14pp, teams of two to five, best for over-10s, departmentofmysteries.com

The Panic Room, Gravesend

The Panic Room has 15 escape games, but Dino Land is the biggest and best to date. It takes place indoors and out, and features actors and some very real-looking dinosaurs. Players take on the role of rangers in a dinosaur park – the animals have escaped and teams have 75 minutes to get to safety.
Expert’s verdict “The closest you’ll come to starring in your own film.”
• From £18.75pp, teams of two to eight, over-eights, thepanicroom.net

Escapologic: Nottingham and Leicester

Most escape rooms are exciting and challenging – but not frightening. Escapologic games are different: they are designed to thrill. Butcher is the scariest of the lot – set in a serial killer’s lair complete with bucketloads of blood, dark spaces, sudden noises and unexpected movements. It is as much a test of nerve as logic – one in five people drop out before the hour is up. Best for fans of horror films - and grown-up families only.
Expert’s verdict: “The scariest game I’ve ever played!”
• From £16pp, teams of two to five, over-18s, escapologic.com

Coastal Challenge, Pembrokeshire

One for adventurous escape roomers who are ready to take things to the next level: a 24-hour survival game near St Davids in Pembrokeshire. In Much Better Adventures’ Coastal Challenge, teams have to crack codes and unlock clues to find equipment that will help them on each stage of their journey – a journey that includes abseiling down cliffs, coasteering and climbing, kayaking and fishing, and swimming in sea caves. There is an element of bushcraft, too: participants build campfires and beach shelters before spending a night under the stars.
Expert’s verdict “When one hour of mental challenge isn’t enough …”
• From £215pp, next one 8 September 2019, teams of four to eight (individual bookings welcome), over-16s, muchbetteradventures.com

Lady Chastity’s Reserve, Brighton

One for adults only: Lady Chastity’s Reserve is an escape game played in secret rooms in a pub in Brighton (and a few pubs in London), and includes clues, comedy, immersive theatre and sordid secrets. Players explore Lady Chastity’s lair and try to win a bottle of her aphrodisiac wine. The Brighton venue is the World’s End, which has three floors of games, from retro arcades to virtual reality booths. There is another top Brighton escape game on the same road: Bewilder Box in the Hobgoblin pub features Red Dwarf’s Norman Lovett and Knightmare’s Hugo Myatt.
Expert’s verdict “As much an experience as an escape room.”
• Brighton games from £21pp, teams of up to six, over-18s, handmademysteries.com