Escape Plan is a thoroughly well-named escape room in the Rich Mix arts hub over in Shoreditch.
And being in a building with its own cinema, they’ve picked the perfect film to draw inspiration from: The Great Escape. Thus, three of their four escape rooms are themed after World War II, with a sort-of narrative that runs through each of them in turn. If you play all three, you’ll start out in a German prisoner camp, before eventually ending up single-handedly winning the war. You know, if you solve all the clues and such. They’re genuinely some of the best escape rooms we’ve played in London, thanks to stellar props and brilliantly detailed theming.
The lineup is as follows:
The Adventure Begins
You’re a P.O.W. All you’ve got is the desire to break free, and the diary of the only inmate to have ever done it. Using his clues and a bit of physical prowess you need to think, decode and crawl your way to freedom.
The Battle For Britain
It’s August 1940, and it seems that ol’ Johnny Luftwaffe has decided to play silly buggers again, and started bombing the daylights out of the country. As the only survivors in your airbase, you need to mobilise the remaining shattered fragments of the RAF, and somehow thwart the imminent second attack.
Roll Out the Barrel
Having defeated the Luftwaffe and essentially won the war, it’s time for a knees up. Except those dastardly champagne Charlies at top brass have hidden all the booze. Luckily the Air Commodore is away on business and whilst the cat’s away…the mice have 60 minutes to break in to his office, find the stash, and roll out the barrel.
Pushed For Time
Curveball alert – Escape Plan’s newest room doesn’t take place in the 1940s. In fact, it doesn’t take place in any fixed time, because it’ll require you to first repair – then learn to operate – a time-travelling elevator to jump through the centuries, mess with the essence of time itself, and hopefully avert a murder.
There’s excellent attention to detail, the sets and props are highly impressive, and the puzzles are highly creative – they don’t just follow the typical escape room tropes, and you’ll find there’s something for everyone in your team to get stuck into, from cryptic word puzzles to physical challenges and head-scratching lateral numbers. And don’t panic, the (very friendly) hosts will give juuust the right amount of guidance so as to make sure you have a lightbulb go off in your head, without them just giving away the answer. And most importantly, the ending always feels very tense.
All told? It’s a great hour of pure escapism.
NOTE: Escape Plan is open now, seven days a week. You can find out more, and make a booking on the Escape Plan website.
Rich Mix | 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA
Fancy a drink before/after? Head to one of the best bars in Shoreditch…