The companies in Montreal have put a lot of focus on character building in recent years, and this really left an impact on the players who attended this Tour. They loved the sets (that were on a scale many had never seen!), and they delighted in the puzzles, but the characters and the stories truly made these games’ worlds memorable.

I expect we will run another Tour to Montreal in the future, but we won’t run one in 2026. However, in 2026, we will take our convention, RECON, to Laval (which is just outside of Montreal.)

If you create escape rooms or immersive games, or if you operate them, you won’t want to miss RECON Laval. It’s a chance to learn from other industry professionals and meet vendors. Plus, there will be a game inside the event, and live entertainment. It’s the best place to meet other industry professionals, share ideas, meet potential collaborators, and strategize about how to grow your business and the industry as a whole. And as an added bonus, when you join us at RECON 26, you’ll be in Laval, just minutes away for all of these world-renowned escape rooms.

The Favorite Game

For the second time this year, we have a Tour with a dominant top-ranked game.

Magnifico at Escaparium was the Tour favorite, with 75% of survey respondents ranking it #1.

Only one respondent didn’t include Magnifico in their top 5, and of those who did, only 3 people didn’t include it in their top 3.

This isn’t surprising, since it is currently the top game in the world, according to TERPECA.

The Top 5

The top 5 games stood a bit ahead of the others in the weighted ranking:

1. Magnifico (Escaparium)
2. The Forgotten Cathedral (Escaparium)
3. Wardrobe For Sale (Escaparium)
4. The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen (Escaparium)
5. Project R.E.S.E.T. (Immersia)

Escaparium took the top 4 spots with their “big” games, the epic adventures in huge sets, clocking in at over an hour long, and some much longer.

Project R.E.S.E.T stands out differently, for its unusual game mechanics.

Of note, each of the top 5 games was at least one person’s favorite game. Interestingly, no other games received any first place votes. In this way, this top 5 is decisive.

Session Variation

Escape Immerse Explore Montreal ran in two sessions, but functionally 3 cohorts of players. When we break out the data by cohort, we see some variation, which goes to show that in escape rooms, ranked placement is never absolute.

Session 1 ran a week earlier than Session 2. The Optimal ticket played the games in the order we expected to be optimal, building up to the show-stopping Escaparium games at the end of the Tour. The Essential ticket visited the companies in a different order, with the majority of Escaparium games on the middle day.

Session 1 Optimal Ticket Top 5

1. Magnifico (Escaparium)
2. The Forgotten Cathedral (Escaparium)
3. The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen (Escaparium)
4. Wardrobe For Sale (Escaparium)
5. Circus of Lost Souls (Immersia)

Looking at the data for this session alone, #3 and #4 have swapped spots, by just a hair.

Also, the #5 ranked game changes to Circus of Lost Souls (Immersia), which just barely edged out Project R.E.S.E.T.

The love for this game among the first session players surprised us, as this had previously been regarded as the weakest game in Immersia’s Boisbriand location. However, when Immersia sustained flood damage last year, they had to rebuild a portion of this game, giving them an excuse to rip out anything that didn’t play perfectly smoothly. They made puzzle upgrades, and added a lot of character to the game in other ways, leveling it up substantially. The players responded positively to the changes. Props to Immersia!

Session 2 Optimal Ticket Top 5

1. Magnifico (Escaparium)
2. The Forgotten Cathedral (Escaparium)
3. Project R.E.S.E.T. (Immersia)
4. Wardrobe For Sale (Escaparium)
5. The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen (Escaparium)

This is the group who really loved Project R.E.S.E.T. For them, it jumped up to the #3 ranked game. Otherwise, their responses match the overall data.

Session 1 Essential Ticket Top 5

There were fewer players in this cohort, so their rankings collectively have a little less influence on the overall rankings.

1. Magnifico (Escaparium)
2. The Forgotten Cathedral (Escaparium)
3. Wardrobe For Sale (Escaparium)
4. The Grand Immersia Hotel (Immersia)
5. The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen (Escaparium)

We wondered whether visiting the companies in a different order would drastically shift their rankings, but it did not. They have the same top games, with the surprise exception of The Grand Immersia Hotel in the #4 slot. This one landed exceptionally well with this group of players, pushing the Immersia games that other cohorts liked best out of the top 5.

Immersia’s Varied Top Games

A different Immersia game was the most popular with each cohort. This speaks to the breadth of Immersia’s offerings. Each of their games feels remarkably different, and these land differently with different people. They have many high caliber games.

Their newest game The St. Onge Case opened just before the Tour, and thus wasn’t officially on the Tour, although many people added it in to their schedules. It also ranked well, but only about half of survey respondents ranked it.

Other Noteworthy Games

A lot of people asked why we didn’t include Escaparium’s The Final Stop V2 on the official Tour schedule. The answer is, when we bring 104 escape room players into a city (and 65 players at the exact same time!), for a very limited time, we have to make cuts to make the schedule logic puzzle work. In this case, we we had to cut The Final Stop V2. More than 75% of the players who filled out this survey fit it into their trip anyway, and landed comfortably in the top 10. It’s a great game.

While Sauve Qui Peut, the third company on the Tour didn’t land a game in the top 5, two of their games also sit comfortably in the top 10: Falderon Forest and The Wrath of Poseidon.

They also just launched a new game The Castle of Eternal Suffering– unfortunately after the Tour visited – and we’re already hearing incredible things about it. We look forward to playing and reviewing it soon. If you’re thinking of booking it, please note that it’s a very physical experience.

Reactions from Tour Attendees

The clearest through line in all the comments written about the games was how much of a difference the gamemaster makes. Whether they are an actor with a central role throughout the experience, or whether their in-character introduction added something to the experience, many comments came back to the staffing. Both Escaparium and Immersia have leaned into in-character gamemastering since we’d last visited Montreal, and the survey results show that their efforts were worth it.

“Magnifico made me tear up, not just while playing the game, but any subsequent time I describe it in detail. I’ve attended theater that wasn’t as emotionally impactful! It’s an exploration of storytelling within the genre of escape rooms that is breaking ground. I can’t get over it!”

“My best memory from the trip comes from The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen! Our gamemaster made a HUGE difference. They were amazing and hilarious to the point where we were all hanging out with the REDACTED throughout the game… we all talked about it for days after.”

“Circus of the Lost Souls is a beautiful, immersive space, and the puzzles are creative and fun. However, the thing that makes it really stand out is the performance of the actor.”

“Sauve Qui Peut taken as a whole is also amazing as each room has some utterly bizarre design choice that makes the whole experience of playing there an utter delight.”

“I also want to give a shout-out to Opus Memori, which was not on the tour, because I was really impressed by the fact that they never broke the illusion that you’re visiting some weird cursed manor instead of an escape room, even when paying the bill at the end.”

“Project R.E.S.E.T. blew my mind. I love it when a room does that.”

“This trip really changed my view on in-game actors towards the positive. In the past most, but not all, games that I played had felt more like in-game chaperones than characters.  Both Immersia and Escaparium effectively used actors that drove the plot and allowed for some creativity from the players.”

“I will not soon forget The Forgotten Cathedral.”

RECON 26 Tickets

If you want to play these games, come to RECON 26. We’ll have a whole community of people in town to play them with and talk about them with.

This is in addition to everything that’s happening at RECON itself… speakers sessions, discussion groups, an exhibit hall, a game, live entertainment, and more!

• August 16-17, 2026
• Laval, Québec, Canada
• Event Details

Use code REA50 to get $50 off a RECON 26 General Ticket. (This holiday coupon code expires on December 31, 2025.)

Escape Immerse Explore Orlando 2026

Just us this April for Escape Immerse Explore Orlando. Tickets are on sale now!

Orlando might not be as hyped a destination as Montreal, but it is a market on the rise.

The top escape rooms in Orlando showcase humor and character-driven storytelling. On this escape room tour, you’ll experience a variety of styles, and some incredible one-of-a-kind escape games. Last time we took a Tour to Orlando in 2023, these were the top games.

Plus, the “Orlando” Tour will be more than just Orlando. We’ll go by bus to Clearwater and Port Charlotte, cities on Florida’s west coast that are also home to top tier escape rooms.

Dates: Sunday, April 12 – Wednesday, April 15, 2026

This will be our first 4-day tour in North America. This design lets us play more games, and travel the distances between them.

More on Montreal

Check out these REPOD episodes with the creators we visited on the Montreal Tour, and whose games you can play when you visit for RECON Laval.

We have two episodes with Jonathan Driscoll and Sacha St. Denis of Escaparium:

We also interviewed Maxime and Roxane Filion of Immersia:

The post The Top Escape Rooms of Montreal 2025 Edition [Tour Survey Results] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Fairy Family Dinner

We played this escape room a few days ahead of Escape Immerse Explore: Montreal 2021, before the game was officially open to the public. At the time of review publication, it isn’t yet available for booking on Sauve Qui Peut’s website.

Location:  Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, QC, Canada

Date Played: October 8, 2021

Team size: we recommend 4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $36 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Falderon Forest was a compact, gorgeous, and innovative game with a sense of humor.

The stars of this Falderon Forest were the environment and the interaction design. Each player was given a different tool (sword, crystal ball, magic tome, or wand) to engage with the world. They were unique and offered each individual their own opportunities to interact with the environment. All of that was set in a game world that felt like a fantasy land, each space selling its fiction remarkably well.

Sauve Qui Peut added personality to the game with an adaptive hint system that was both funny and responsive, while also smoothing over difficulty for teams that needed it. This worked well… when a player was actively listening for it, but could be missed if no one was paying attention.

We were the first team to play Falderon Forest in English, and our playthrough was buggy, but Sauve Qui Peut handled the bugs well. When we saw other teams play it on our Escape, Immerse, Explore: Montreal 2021 tour, they had resolved most (but not all) of the bugs. I expect that all of the issues will be resolved, but go in knowing that Falderon Forest is a technological beast, and sometimes that invites issues.

The greater Montreal area has a ton of incredible escape games, and any conversation about the top games in the region must include Falderon Forest. This is a must-play game in a region that is worth traveling to.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Technophiles
• Comedy fans
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• Adorable, impressive magical set
• The tone was hilarious
• Use of magical items

Story

As intrepid adventurers, our party had wandered into a fairy forest. The fairies were in crisis and needed help restoring the forest’s magic.

Setting

The fairy forest was gorgeous, and felt considerably larger than it was. Sauve Qui Peut did some magical construction to bring this space to life, as years of escape room experience has shown just how hard it is to make a compelling forest set.

As we pushed deeper into the game, each new location that we found was equally gorgeous and creative.

The set for Falderon Forest was small, but Sauve Qui Peut made it feel big enough.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Falderon Forest was an usual escape room that blurred the lines between clues, hints, and fun.

It also had adaptive difficulty. Teams that play more quickly will be presented with additional puzzles in the last act.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, puzzling, and interacting with the fairies who live in this world. Listening and engaging was crucial to success.

Analysis

 The magical items were distinct, but all equally relevant, and all important to the gameplay. We’ve seen the “magical item” or “special power”mechanic a number of times, and Falderon Forest had the most balanced implementation we’ve encountered to date. Each magical item made its bearer feel powerful in turn.

 The fairies were hilarious. They each had a distinct character, which was set up in the opening act and became stronger throughout the game. The voicing was spot on. The playful banter made this experience.

 While we enjoyed the tone of Falderon Forest, we expect it won’t be for everyone. You have to engage with it to appreciate it, and for some players it will likely be more distracting and annoying than entertaining and fun.

 It could be hard to parse the banter from the clue structure from the hints. We needed to pay close attention, and at times it was frustrating.

 Sauve Qui Peut created a compelling forest set that felt a lot larger than it was. The forest contained exquisitely detailed fairy dwellings that added character and intrigue at a smaller scale. This forest also kept a secret well hidden.

/ The middle act was adorable, but uncomfortable. We appreciated how Sauve Qui Peut constructed proportions that made us feel like giants in this world. It gave the set an unusual and endearing vibe. That said, it was challenging to maneuver and teammates were always in the way. We quickly became uncomfortable hunched over one area with a more complex puzzle.

 Access was a consistent challenge in the middle act. Every puzzle and interaction was somehow hard to get to. We were continually doing the dance of teammates (and our magical items): you go in, I step aside, someone else moves out of the way… but passes the magical item to the person in position.

 The middle section dragged a bit. It included 2 challenging, layered puzzles. One was more tedious than fun, and felt decidedly less magical than the rest of that act.

 We encountered one gating issue whereby we could take a fun set interaction before it was truly available.

 I like logic puzzles, but I don’t typically enjoy them in escape rooms. Sauve Qui Peut succeeded at making a logic puzzle interactive, collaborative, and engaging. Furthermore, if a team just can’t solve it (and some can’t – it’s still a logic puzzle, after all), the adaptive difficulty would lighten the puzzle without teams ever realizing it. This was hands down the most entertaining logic puzzle I’ve encountered in an escape room.

Every team has to work for the finale in the last act of Falderon Forest. With the adaptive difficulty, a team that’s behind will be hinted, and a team that’s ahead will be presented with additional layers of puzzle content. In this way, each team can experience pressure and excitement.

Falderon Forest ended with an exciting, festive and appropriately playful celebration that nailed the tone of the game and felt like a true finale.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Falderon Forest, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Falderon Forest [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: February 3, 2020

Team size: 2-8; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

I feel so weird about Denderah’s Secret. We found enjoyment in this escape room even though it rarely passed an opportunity to do stuff that we routinely say “shouldn’t be done that way in escape rooms.”

Before we go further, I need to clarify that this was one of Sauve Qui Peut’s earliest games. As far as early games go, it was great. And this company has come a long way since designing this escape game. With that in mind…

The set is impressive, especially given how long it’s been in operation. Had we seen it when it was new, it would have blown us away. However, a pair of small areas were essentially undesigned and there was a lot of wear.

The puzzles all worked, but two interactions went against our safety recommendations… and you had better have someone who can Sudoku because, oh my, do you need to Sudoku. This isn’t a spoiler, it’s a fact.

We were laughing the whole way through Denderah’s Secret because it felt like the embodiment of what we regularly get on stage and tell people not to do. If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t hate it. Denderah’s Secret was fun because Sauve Qui Peut knows how to keep things interesting. That said, there was a lot of opportunity for this to become a much better game.

Sauve Qui Peut has so many amazing games. Denderah’s Secret doesn’t have to make your playlist. It is still kind of interesting, and by playing it, we better understood how Sauve Qui Peut has evolved. While my brain is telling me not to recommend it, my heart still had a good time.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Tomb raiders
• Any experience level

Why play?

• A charming Egyptian set
• Solid, basic escape room gameplay

Story

Our parents were renowned Egyptologists and we had grown up listening to their stories. As we grew up, we followed in their footsteps and set off to Egypt to unravel the mysteries of the ancient structures that have long captivated the world.

One of our parent’s stories, “Denderah’s Secret,” had always captured our imaginations, and that became the focal point of our work.

Setting

Denderah’s Secret was a big Egyptian sandbox of a set. As usual, Sauve Qui Peut’s gorgeous wall murals added depth and setting that murals almost never accomplish.

As we explored the tomb, almost all of it looked and felt appropriately Egyptian.

That said, there were a few small portions of the game that were essentially undesigned.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Denderah’s Secret was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

 The ancient Egyptian sets of Denderah’s Secret looked magnificent, even with some significant wear. Sauve Qui Peut transformed its rooms with expansive murals and the scale of the props and set pieces.

 The painting throughout Denderah’s Secret was fantastic. The wall murals were gorgeous.

 Two late-game sections were under-designed, especially given what had come before it.

/ There were a lot of glyphs in Denderah’s Secret. They were different enough that we could distinguish them. That said, with the escape game’s age, some had started to lose their definition and could have used a touch up.

 Denderah’s Secret‘s gameplay was dated. It included a long process puzzle that jammed gameplay, multiple trick locks, and the standard pitfalls of the one classic Egyptian trope. It also asked us to interact with the set in a way that seemed… unwise.

 We were disappointed to rely on laminated paper cluing within this gorgeous set.

 Although the reveals weren’t surprising, they looked great, which added excitement.

While we appreciated Sauve Qui Peut’s early foray into allowing players to affect the game by making a choice, it wasn’t refined. It was easy to unknowingly make a choice before uncovering enough to make an informed decision.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Denderah’s Secret, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Denderah’s Secret [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: February 3, 2020

Team size: 2-4; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Dream Weekend surprised us.

After a humorous introduction, the opening scene was profoundly underwhelming, but that gave way to some incredible moments.

From the set to the puzzles, the first act of Dream Weekend felt like a dated, lame escape room. David more or less checked out and lounged on that bed, convinced that Sauve Qui Peut had finally produced a total dud. He was wrong.

As the rest of the game unfolded, we were awed by the ingenuity that went into the story, set, and puzzles.

Dream Weekend was far from flawless, but it was incredibly inventive. Once it had some momentum, it was a delight. If you’re in the region, this is one of many games at Sauve Qui Peut that’s worth checking out.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Fantastic sets and scene transitions
• Cool puzzles
• An amazing and clever set piece

Story

Elodie’s parents had planned a “dream weekend,” a vacation away from home and without any technology. By disconnecting, they could all reconnect. This may have been her parents’ dream, but it was Elodie’s nightmare.

Setting

Dream Weekend opened up in a bland bedroom. It had all of the right components, but there wasn’t much of anything special or exciting about it… It didn’t stay bland.

Dream Weekend transformed into an exciting and innovative space that would be wrong to spoil.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Dream Weekend was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing and making connections.

Analysis

Sauve Qui Peut established the story of Dream Weekend on a screen with a scene unlike any we’d seen before. It was humorous, bizarrely captivating, and entirely appropriate for the story of this escape room. (Of note, to fully appreciate this scene, you need to read French… but it’s still great fun if you can’t.) 

 Sauve Qui Peut built a whimsical set for Dream Weekend. It transformed in unexpected ways.

 With the exception of the story setup, the initial act of Dream Weekend was underwhelming. It looked mundane at best. Fortunately, it improved dramatically from there.

 Although the world of Dream Weekend appeared uninteresting at first glance, it delivered surprising and delightful reveals. These included set transitions, visual word play, and unusual decor.

 Some of the early puzzles harkened back to the earliest days of escape room gameplay. We were searching through worn paper props for codes.

The whimsical gameplay of the later acts left us all smiles. We especially enjoyed what we didn’t find when we opened one late-game lock.

/ Dream Weekend lacked a finale that could stand up to the strong moments earlier in the escape room. That said, Sauve Qui Peut did bring the game full circle, which we enjoyed.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• For the full experience, all players need to be able to duck and climb over small barriers.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Dream Weekend, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Dream Weekend [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

The future is really hard.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada

Date Played: February 3, 2020

Team size: 3-8; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

We lost in Vortex Future. It wasn’t even close. That doesn’t mean that it was a bad game.

Like Sauve Qui Peut’s Vortex Past, Vortex Future was a compact, puzzle-centric experience in a beautiful setting. However, stylistically the two games played completely differently from one another. Where Vortex Past felt like solving a puzzle box, Vortex Future felt like solving a puzzle hunt without the meta puzzles.

Vortex Future was a puzzler’s game in the purest sense. There wasn’t any searching; each puzzle was presented and labeled at its own station. They varied broadly in complexity. While there were 2 or 3 that we didn’t care for because of execution or style, they were generally high-quality challenges.

So, why did we lose? Well, knowing nothing about Vortex Future, we played too lackadaisically. We burned too much time on a puzzle in the main game before finally taking a much-needed hint. We probably needed 10 to 15 minutes for the final puzzle, which we didn’t have. The final puzzle was totally solvable, but it was also one of the most, if not the most, challenging puzzles that we’ve ever faced in an escape room. As soon as we recognized the challenge for what it was, we knew we were doomed.

If you’re a strong puzzler, there’s a lot to love in Vortex Future. We lost and still enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. I think that we could have won this game if we had realized what we were up against and had approached it with the respect that it deserved.

If you’re a newbie or you’re more into the scenery and adventure aspects of escape rooms and aren’t crazy about games that present heavy puzzling… then try out some of Sauve Qui Peut’s other offerings.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Puzzle hunters
• Scenery snobs
• Sci-fi fans
• Experienced players
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Innovative, challenging puzzle design
• Clean and beautiful presentation
• If you’re looking for a hard escape game, this was a very hard escape game

Story

It was the year 2089 and we had to board a disabled space station designed to detect threats to Earth. Humanity was counting on us to restore the station’s power and functionality.

Setting

Vortex Future was a beautiful, compact space station lined with cleanly presented puzzle modules. Each station had the same 1 through 8 number inputs and took up the same amount of wall space.

The artistry in Sauve Qui Peut’s design was how they used this same structure to present so many different challenges.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Vortex Future was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around puzzling. Every puzzle was clearly presented without any searching. We simply had to figure out how to solve them.

Analysis

 Vortex Future was a puzzler’s escape room. This was one of the hardest escape rooms that we’ve ever played.

The spaceship set of Vortex Future looked clean, sleek, and polished.

In Vortex Future, Sauve Qui Peut demonstrated just how much a puzzle designer can accomplish with a simple input interface. While these stations looked similar, and resolved with a consistent interaction, the paths to solve them were incredibly varied.

One puzzle felt light on cluing. We spent too long thinking we were making progress, only to find that we hadn’t learned anything about the puzzle at all. Coupled with the puzzle’s harsh sound quality, this was especially frustrating.

 One puzzle had a misleading visual interface, given the ultimate puzzle resolution. This puzzle really dashed our expectations.

 In one puzzle, the only viable solving method (that we found) was tedious and trial & error-y.

 Vortex Future required us to learn the logic of the game world, but think outside the box to solve the puzzles. This resulted in immensely satisfying puzzle solves.

In a few instances the inputs were finicky, which caused us some confusion.

While we got hung up on a few puzzles, overall they were fair, inventive, and unusual escape room puzzles that we enjoyed solving.

The final puzzle was probably the most challenging puzzle that we’ve seen in an escape room to date. It was tangible, team-centric, and the type of thing many experienced puzzlers would know exactly how to approach… but it was a beast of a puzzle nonetheless. I think we would have been able to solve it if we got to it with at least 10 – maybe 15 – minutes on the clock.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• This game would be extremely difficult for colorblind players.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Vortex Future, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Vortex Future [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: February 3, 2020

Team size: 3-8; we recommend 2-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Vortex Past was a unique escape room that felt like solving a giant puzzle box. There were no words because we had traveled to a pre-writing time. Each puzzle required us to play with it, interpret the feedback that we received, and determine what to do from there. This was progressive discovery in its purest form.

I love solving puzzling boxes. I mean, I proposed to Lisa with a one-of-a-kind puzzle box that I helped design… so I’m stating my stylistic bias up front.

Additionally, the beautiful set of Vortex Past rivaled its gameplay in uniqueness. At times, I completely stopped playing just so that I could take in the beauty of my surroundings.

I can also easily imagine some disliking Vortex Past. The small set didn’t have tons of puzzles. If everything clicks, you could find yourself winning quite quickly. If the puzzling style isn’t one that works for you and your team, then you might be in for a bumpy ride.

The magic of Sauve Qui Peut is that none of their games feel even slightly similar in style, design, or gameplay. From a gameplay standpoint, Sauve Qui Peut easily ranks among the most innovative escape room companies that we’ve ever encountered. Part of what comes with that incredible diversity is that not everyone will feel the same way about the individual, wonderful games at this company. My recommendation is to play a few games at Sauve Qui Peut and try to embrace each for what it’s striving to achieve.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Players with at least some experience

Why play?

• We’ve never played a game like it
• Compact, yet stunning set
• Vortex Past was one massive progressive discovery puzzle. It felt like a giant puzzle box.

Story

An unknown element unlike anything found elsewhere on Earth had been identified inside of an equatorial cave. The planet had endured a series of natural disasters that seemed to stem from this mysterious element.

We were sent back in time to attempt to neutralize the element when it first arrived to prevent future calamities.

Setting

Vortex Past was a gorgeous cavern filled with stalactites, iridescent stone, and running water. This was the definition of a small, yet mighty set.

Additionally, the puzzles were completely baked into the environment, so we weren’t just looking at the set, we were engaging with it throughout the experience.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Vortex Past was an unusual escape room because the gameplay was more reminiscent of a puzzle box than a classic escape room. It had a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing and making connections.

Analysis

 The gorgeous set had the water glistening against the rocks. We felt transported back to an ancient cave.

 The gameplay was progressive discovery. As we explored our surroundings, triggering responses from the set, we felt as though we were solving our way out of a life-sized puzzle box. Vortex Past required us to reframe our thinking, the result of which was immensely satisfying discoveries.

Vortex Past gave feedback when we interacted with its puzzles. Interpreting the feedback was a natural part of solving the puzzle.

 Although Vortex Past gave immediate feedback to our actions, it didn’t provide enough by way of light and sound cues for its own responses, which were at times delayed, and not always exactly where our attention had been focused.

 In the ancient land of Vortex Past, we encountered symbols, but no written words. The puzzle style felt natural within the gamespace and the story world. The puzzles were also well themed.

The handwritten symbols were sometimes faded, and in one instance, a bit messy.

We especially enjoyed divining a solution.

 One sequencing issue stalled our momentum as we completed the final interaction in the game.

The finale was wholly unexpected and unexpectedly joyous.

I want to call out the chlorinated water feature in Vortex Past. Almost no escape rooms chlorinate, but they absolutely should. Water features can become breeding grounds for bacteria and I am pleased to see that Sauve Qui Peut recognized this and handled it appropriately.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• Players must be able to duck through a very low doorway for the full experience.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Vortex Past, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Vortex Past [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Putain and other French wordplay.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: April 8, 2019

Team size: 3-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Underground Bar was all about sex, drugs, and booze… and let’s just say… it didn’t beat around the bush.

What opened as a fairly traditional puzzle-focused escape room in a bar transitioned into something considerably more outlandish. It was a great time… until the final minutes.

The quality of the closing set and puzzle were well beneath the rest of the game, causing an otherwise wild ride to fizzle.

Did it ruin the game? Not at all.

Would it have been way better if the closing of this game were on the level of everything else that we played at Sauve Qui Peut? Absolutely.

If you’re over 18, near Montreal, into playing an adult game, and you’re with a group of people whom you’re open to playing this kind of game with… then you absolutely should.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Strip club goers
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Beautiful and detailed set
• Unexpected reveal
• It’s 18+ for alcohol, drug, and sexual content

Story

Our department had suspected this Manhattan bar of being an epicenter for crime. We were dispatched to investigate it and learn what kind of criminal was calling this bar home.

Setting

We began The Underground Bar outside of the bar before progressing inside. It was a good-looking space that made use of wall-sized murals that actually added depth and character to the environment.

From there, things got a bit seedy… which was how it was supposed to get.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s The Underground Bar was a standard escape room with a section that had 18+ theming. It had a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

The opening scene of The Underground Bar set the tone for a clandestine operation. The puzzle flow worked elegantly.

The wall art in The Underground Bar was phenomenal. It was beautiful and gave the set some depth without ever creating red herrings. We’re not usually big on murals, but this one worked.

The puzzles were well themed for the setting.

The final act was a letdown. The gamespace was crowded and uninteresting. The gameplay felt dry, especially considering the previous act. Our momentum ground to a halt.

While most of the clue structure was built into the set, one complex, layered puzzle relied almost entirely on a journal. While not exactly a runbook, it had a lot of the same problems. It was too compact to engage the entire team in the only available puzzle. The game bottlenecked at this point.

One puzzle initially posed a stiff challenge, but after trying a few different angles we quickly came to a satisfying conclusion.

Sauve Qui Peut hid its secrets well. The Underground Bar included some phenomenal opens.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• You can most of this game in English. You will need French (or hints) for 2 puzzles.
• You must be 18 years old to play this game. The theming is sexual. Choose your teammates wisely.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s The Underground Bar, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – The Underground Bar [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

No more teachers; no more books

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada

Date Played: April 8, 2019

Team size: 4-8; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock *

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Sauve Qui Peut’s Final Exam was surprising. We had been told that it would be more physical and it absolutely delivered. This escape game was all about agility, dexterity, and teamwork.

This was a truly different game that asked us to take some risks as we explored its eccentric gameplay. We had to climb a ladder and crawl… and there were confined spaces. Not everyone had to crawl or enter tight spaces, but everyone needed to climb and the tight crawlspaces were where Final Exam was most interesting.

Along with this experimental gameplay came some frustrations. One core mechanism was particularly quirky. Another key moment was muddied up by a bit of unnecessary confusion.

All in all, this was a nutty game. While we were a bit dubious of it in the opening act, we grew to love it. We recommend it to anyone near Montreal with the willingness to explore this strange maze to its fullest.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Agile players
• Any experience level

Why play?

• To experience a crazy puzzle construct
• Unusual design elements
• Playfulness

Story

We had all aced our final geography examination, but our teacher suspected that we had cheated. We’d earned our grades fair and square, but he’d failed us anyway.

To avoid summer school, we’d plotted to break into school, hack his computer, and clear our records. Failure of any kind was not an option.

Setting

Sauve Qui Peut’s Final Exam opened up in a schoolyard at night. It was a fenced-in play area beside a brick wall. It wasn’t the most elegant of sets, but it absolutely conveyed schoolyard.

From there, we climbed our way into our classroom… and beyond that, well… spoilers… really strange… really fun spoilers.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Final Exam was a standard escape room that required more physical prowess than most escape rooms. It had a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, puzzling, communicating, and maneuvering around tight spaces for significant periods of time.

Analysis

Final Exam had a playful premise that made returning to school fun.

 Final Exam incorporated physical solves including dexterity and agility. We especially liked how these solves required teamwork. One physically skilled person couldn’t solve these puzzles alone.

In one instance, different clue paths jumped over one another, resulting in unnecessary confusion.

While Sauve Qui Peut telegraphed some of the early gameplay, they surprised us with a reveal that changed the nature of the game. It was elegant and exciting.

Final Exam felt video game-y… in a fun way. This entire aspect of the game was unexpected.

While many of the puzzles made sense in the schoolyard and classroom theming, others felt arbitrary and oddly out of place, given that theming.

We solved one puzzle correctly, but the solve didn’t trigger because our choice of tool was correct, but off by a fraction of an inch. This slowed the roll of our momentum.

/ Final Exam ended anticlimactically. Because of the teamwork aspect of the final puzzle, we weren’t all together when we freed ourselves from the classroom, having cleared our names. One person stepped into freedom triumphantly without the rest of the team. That said, the exit was designed such that everyone who wished to experience the unusual element of Final Exam had the opportunity to explore this.

*The entrance door to Final Exam was never locked. There was also an emergency exit door at a particular juncture. That said, Final Exam required at least some players to spend time in confined spaces. Not everyone will be comfortable with these spaces or their emergency exit options.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• This game is more physical than most escape rooms. Everyone needs to be able to climb a ladder. At least 2 people need to be able to crawl.
• You can play this game in English or French.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Final Exam, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

The post Sauve Qui Peut – Final Exam [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

9 out of 10 gods recommend Trident.

Location:  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Canada

Date Played: April 8, 2019

Team size: 3-8; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $30 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Sauve Qui Peut had a style unto themselves. Their games were unusual and quirky. Wrath Of Poseidon was our favorite of the 3 games that we played with them. (They had 9 games at the location we visited.)

The second half of this game was vibrant. Wrath Of Poseidon was uneven in many ways. This unevenness paid off in the end, however, even adding to our experience.

If you’re in Montreal, Sauve Qui Peut is a bit outside the city. If you have a car, I highly recommend visiting them. Wrath Of Poseidon made us feel happy.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Players with at least some experience

Why play?

• The second act
• The details

Story

Poseidon, the vengeful god of the seas, was furious with humanity for polluting his kingdom. In retaliation, he intended to flood the lands. The only way to save humanity would be to steal his legendary trident spear.

Setting

Wrath of Poseidon was a game in 2 acts. It began in a submarine. Then we experienced a transition of mythic proportions.

The submarine setting was great. It had a bronze sort of steampunk aesthetic that made it feel different from your more traditional naval vessel escape game.

The second act… well, if I spoiled it for you, I’d be a jerk. Rest assured, it was awesome and I would love to talk about it.

Gameplay

Sauve Qui Peut’s Wrath Of Poseidon was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

The premise of Wrath Of Poseidon was fantastical, but meaningful. The story was light but certainly present.

We especially liked the puzzle that asked us to remember the why of this escape room and act according to that premise.

While some later puzzles integrated seamlessly, many of the early puzzles lacked inspiration. They didn’t make a ton of sense in the world. We had to dive deep in this dark submarine to find the threads of gameplay.

Although Sauve Qui Peut built a polished world for Wrath Of Poseidon, at times the clue structure felt slapped on. For example, handwritten numbers on objects felt unrefined given the level of detail in other parts of the experience.

Sauve Qui Peut designed mechanisms brilliantly so that one solve enabled a later one to work properly. The gating worked well and the second solve blew us away.

We tripped up on ghost puzzles. This added some unnecessary confusion… but I also think that it would be difficult to fully remove this.

Wrath Of Poseidon was a beautiful escape room. Every set was carefully crafted and artistically detailed.

 Wrath Of Poseidon delivered a spectacular reveal. We stopped playing to take it in.

Tips For Visiting

• There is metered street parking.
• You can play this game in English or French. However, if you don’t read French, there is one important instruction that you may miss.

Book your hour with Sauve Qui Peut’s Wrath Of Poseidon, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Sauve Qui Peut comped our tickets for this game.

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