Once a popular go-to for office socials and team-bonding outings, escape rooms and immersive experiences are gradually, cleverly reestablishing themselves in the digital sphere. It’s great news for gamers; now you can crack codes, solve mysteries and save the day – all from your sofa.
Part escape-room game, part immersive experience, The Mermaid's Tongue requires at-home audiences to work in teams to find a missing artefact before a society of faceless villains gets their hands on it. The 90-minute experience is the brainchild of immersive theatre connoisseurs Swamp Motel, the company that previously wowed us with their acclaimed production Plymouth Point (April and May 2020).
Players: Two to six
Cost: £15pp
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Young theatre company District Theatre has made the leap online to launch Murder on the 28th Floor, a 40-minute interactive whodunnit, held over Zoom, that’s set in an your very own, currently abandoned office (if your boss is willing to hand over the keys). Roaming the empty corridors are wig-and-mask-clad actors who will set, then hopefully help you solve, a murder mystery. Participants will interrogate potential suspects, solve crimes and play silly games, all while keeping their eyes peeled for bodies…
Players: minimum 10, maximum 200
Cost: £20pp
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The team behind British theatre company Darkfield are dab hands at creating immersive experiences that transport their audience out of their comfort zone and into thrilling new worlds and situations. Unperturbed by this year’s live performance restrictions, the company has launched a new series under the umbrella name Darkfield Radio, which can be experienced at home. The first in the series, Double, is a 20-minute game mysteriously described as a troubling exercise in familiarity for two people sitting opposite each other on either side of a kitchen table. You’ll each need a set of headphones, a smartphone and, as the show is live, to be available to play at specific performance times.
Players: Two
Cost: £10 for two
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Launched in autumn 2020, Darkfield Radio’s latest experience, Visitors, is a 20-minute immersive audio experience for two. Further details of the experience remain shrouded in mystery, but judging by its nominations for two awards from Raindance Film Festival 2020 – Outstanding Achievement in Audio and Best Narrative Experience – we can expect to be impressed. All you need is a smartphone (to download the Darkfield Radio app), headphones, and availability to tune in at the exact time the show is taking place – for this is still live theatre after all.
Players: Two
Cost: £10 for two
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Still secretly hoping for a letter to arrive by owl, admitting you to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? This digital escape-room game, played on Google Forms (yes, really), is perhaps the next best thing. Created by a librarian at Peters Township Public Library in McMurray, Pennsylvania, the experience includes team-building challenges, quizzes, puzzles, and a chance to explore the world of Harry Potter from home.
Players: One or in a team on one screen
Cost: Free
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Book a virtual session with Escape Live and your team can take on one of 15 rooms, deciphering Shakespeare’s scripts, fighting pirates or escaping the jungle. Experiences last 60 minutes and are played over Zoom.
Players: Two to six
Cost: £20 - £85 per group of six
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Trapped In The Web offers five themed rooms, each with its own storyline, clues to crack and puzzles to complete. Taking one to three hours to complete, the experiences are a little longer than other escape-room games, but for the chance to immerse ourselves in a form of sorely missed entertainment (one experience is set in a theatre, another at a summer music festival), we’ll happily take our time. It’s also a great option for large groups; the games are played over Zoom and one adventure can hold up to 100 players.
Players: Two to eight players recommended
Cost: £8.99pp
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The Panic Room offers a host of family-friendly online escape-room games, set in gothic castles, the world of Sherlock Holmes, and even in a crime scene heavily decked out for Christmas. A great option for those who need a little longer to crack clues, The Panic Room’s adventures have no time limit (though it's advisable to set aside a minimum of two hours).
Players: One to six
Cost: £15pp
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