Are you a fan of rifling through retro film production offices in search of a missing editor (who may have been abducted by supernatural forces) by following a trail of cryptic clues and puzzles?
Or do you, more generally, like fun?
Then either way you’ll enjoy an hour well spent at Secret Studio, a fiendishly good escape room just off Brick Lane.
It’s from the same team behind the completely madcap escape room inspired by Sir Francis Drake, Escape From The Golden Hinde (which is staged on board a replica of his pirate ship moored up by Borough Market). If you’ve already played that – and seeing as it involves living pirates, cannons and the occasional shot of rum, we highly recommend you do – you’ll already know that Secret Studio isn’t a regular escape room, it’s a cool escape room. They’ve got a tongue-in-cheek sense of humour. They have a penchant for the past. And their props aren’t your typical ‘padlock on a filing cabinet’ shtick – instead they repurpose genuine antiques and vintage objects in charmingly inventive ways.
Book into the original Secret Studio escape room in Spitalfields, Escape In Time, and your challenge will begin with finding the venue itself. We can reveal it’s somewhere on Wentworth Street (conveniently close to Discount Suit Company or The Buxton for a post-escape debrief), but you’ll need to follow a couple of emailed instructions to narrow it down further than that. Knock on the correct nondescript door, ask to see the correct deceased tenant within, and you’ll be led into Secret Studio HQ, where a genuinely affable host will run through the basics and lay the scene for the story that’s about to unfold.
In a nutshell, you’re stepping into the editing studio of a film production company that, to be honest, has seen better days. In fact, a lot of the equipment in here doesn’t seem to have been updated since the 70s. No time for a Changing Rooms-style makeover, though – the editor has seemingly disappeared without a trace, though not before conveniently leaving a trail of subtle clues for you to unpick.
We can’t tell you what happens next. Obviously. But suffice to say that as London’s escape rooms go, this is up there with the very best we’ve played. Those quirky old props aren’t just set dressing; you’ll get to interact with them in fun and unexpected ways. There are impressive elements of realism to the whole thing, alongside plenty of surprises. And the puzzles are frequently suited to lateral, out-the-box thinkers rather than logical, puzzle-solving types – so you’ll have a great time even if you’re not a crossword wizard.
We’ll say no more. Only that with hundreds of five-star player reviews – and now a glowing report here that’ll be read by literally tens of people – this Studio won’t stay secret for long…
NOTE: Secret Studio runs daily, and it’s recommended to play in teams of 3-6. Groups of up to 27 can book and play across four identical rooms simultaneously. It costs £38pp to play, but they frequently have offers running. You can find out more, and book, on the Secret Studio website.
Secret Studio | Somewhere on Wentworth Street, London, E1 7SA
You’ll need sustenance after escaping this room… hit up one of the best restaurants in Spitalfields