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.

Location: Boisbriand, Québec, Canada

Date Played: May 31, 2025

Team Size: 3-6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 75 minutes

Price: from $149.97 CAD per team for teams of 3 players to $299.94 CAD per team for teams of 6 players

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players need to walk up a flight of stairs.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

“Immersia is best known for high concept games, and The St-Onge Case continues to deliver on that reputation. This standalone sequel to one of their earliest games beautifully used puzzles to establish our understanding of the game’s mythos, and then set us on a thrilling adventure deeper into that world.”

REA Reaction

Sequel escape rooms always make me a bit nervous because it’s not always worth playing the original (if it’s even available). And if players can’t or don’t want to play the original, why not just make a completely new game?

With The St-Onge Case, Immersia managed to thread the needle and make a game that was:

• A strong sequel
• To an early game that isn’t mind-blowing in 2025, but is still worth playing (we replayed it to refresh)
• And this sequel comfortably stands on its own from the original.

There are a number of impressive things happening within The St-Onge Case. Immersia pulled off some sophisticated storytelling through strong voice acting and their always phenomenal video production skills.

However, for me the most inspiring element was how effectively Immersia used the puzzles within the first act of the game to impart all of the most relevant information both from the original game, as well as what we would need to comprehend in the second and third acts of The St-Onge Case.

Immersia consistently impresses me with their command of the subtleties of storytelling within an escape room environment. They don’t get enough credit for this… probably because what they are doing is subtle. The St-Onge Case is a must-play in one of the world’s premiere escape room markets. And while you’re there, really pay attention to what Immersia is doing. If the devil is in the details, this place is bedeviling.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• An innovative approach to world-building and storytelling through puzzles
• A complex, yet followable thriller story
• High production value

Story

Years ago while staying in a rental cabin, we’d survived an attack by a murderer named Philippe St-Onge. Our friend and fellow survivor Alex had recently found where St-Onge has been incarcerated and convinced us to join his plan to break into the secure facility and impose our own justice on the man who killed our friends and nearly took our lives.

Setting

We set out to break into a government investigative facility built around an old cabin that had been the site of many murders.

The government facility had a strong aesthetic, and the cabin built heavily on the original game, expanding that game world and the narrative around it. It really did look like the original, but so much better.

Gameplay

Immersia’s The St. Onge Case was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

 In the opening act, the gameplay showed us all the history we needed to know about the story in different ways, through different mediums. We especially enjoyed the hefty construction puzzle. Another puzzle included a cheeky nod to older escape room gameplay of the era when the original Weekend of the Shack was built; we chuckled at this Easter egg. The storytelling through puzzling in this first act – both overly and subtly – set us up for success in the rest of the experience.

 Gameplay wise, in the second act, The St-Onge Case was an old-school escape room in fancy new clothing. That is to say, it used a lot of familiar game design in new ways, often with better cluing and finer attention to detail than in the games of yore. The gameplay and puzzles flowed well.

 / The middle segment of The St. Onge Case was more escape room-y. The puzzles were fun to solve and flowed well. They made use of interesting objects. They required attention to detail that helped us really take in and appreciate the set. That said, not all the puzzles felt as deeply connected to the characters and their story as they could have been, and veered a little bit toward escape room logic. Your mileage may vary.

 The set for the second half of the game was phenomenal, and we’d never seen anything like it. Immersia built a larger, more realized version of the set of Weekend of the Shack. They included all the memorable puzzle elements of the original, but as decor and world-building rather than puzzle content. They completely avoided red herrings.

 We loved the callbacks to the original Weekend at the Shack, not just through the set, with its nods to past puzzles, but even with some of the puzzle mechanics we encountered. You don’t need to have played the original to fully enjoy The St. Onge Case, but its satisfying on another layer if you have.

 We wanted to build a deeper emotional connection to the characters referenced in the game… the ones that the main character cared about. As we neared the conclusion of the experience we unlocked beautiful, weighty props that were clearly intended to be meaningful. And yet, we didn’t hold them with the reverence that we believe Immersia wanted us to feel. With a stronger connection, the final moments of the game would have been more powerful.

/The final moments have consequences. We loved how The St. Onge Case gave us, as players, this agency. We just wished we’d had a few more moments to let all the story points gel before the decisions point.

 Immersia used early scenes masterfully to set up later ones. What felt like a less interesting, throwaway scene ended up being pivotal to the later plot.

 The video-production and acting in The St. Onge Case was top tier.

Tips For Visiting

• The St. Onge Case is located at Immersia’s Boisbriand location.
• There is a parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).

Book your hour with Immersia’s The St. Onge Case, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia comped our tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – The St-Onge Case [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Project R.E.S.E.T. is one of the best escape rooms around Montreal, Canada. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in the Montreal area.

Projet R.E.S.E.T.

Location:  Boisbriand, Québec, Canada

Date Played: May 6, 2023

Team size: 2-7; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $34.99 CAD per player (adult)

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  At least one player needs to crawl.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Immersia’s latest game, Project R.E.S.E.T. was one of the darlings of our 2023 Montreal Tour, and for good reasons.

In general, Immersia has become best known for theatrical games, with a moody tone, set in a chronologically ambiguous past. Project R.E.S.E.T. checked the first two boxes, but breaking from the norm, it was set in a chronologically ambiguous future.

To top it off, Immersia built Project R.E.S.E.T. around a rarely seen game mechanic that I absolutely adore. I’m being deliberately vague, because the less you know about the way this game works, the more impactful the effect will be.

But I will say… leave it to Immersia to find the weirdest approach to an already strange mechanic. Their clever take routed around a common narrative problem and let the magic of their creation shine.

My biggest warning to players, especially experienced ones, is that it is possible to play Project R.E.S.E.T. too well and miss out on some of the magic. Be bold. Take risks. Embrace the situation and Project R.E.S.E.T. will reward you.

There are a ton of fantastic games in the Montreal area, and Project R.E.S.E.T. is another can’t miss game in North America’s top escape room region.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Sci-fi fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Because the game design is really interesting
• Because the game design is really interesting
• Because the game design is really interesting

Story

It was 2035, and we, like so many others, had committed a crime in the metaverse. With the prison system now overflowing with metacriminals, the government had launched a new project called R.E.S.E.T (rehabilitation, education and self-awareness of errors through technology). As participants in the new project, we needed to demonstrate that we could learn from our mistakes in order to regain our freedom.

Setting

We stepped inside of a strangely comfortable, yet futuristically sterile prison.

It looked like a cyberpunk living room designed by Apple in some strange future. The large window overlooking a Blade Runner-esque city without the smog really sold the fiction.

Gameplay

Immersia’s Project R.E.S.E.T. was a unusually structured escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving environmental puzzles. It was especially important to understand how our actions affected our world.

Also, patience was a virtue.

Analysis

 The scenario took itself seriously, while still being humorous. Inside the game, the visual and audio content was funny. The tone walked this fine line well.

Project R.E.S.E.T. had a sterile, minimalist aesthetic, but the set design was much more involved than it originally appeared. It was brilliantly crafted to facilitate the unique gameplay.

 The puzzles in Project R.E.S.E.T. were unusual. They required us to pay attention to our environment and think outside the box.

 A lot of information was presented on an iPad, which caused two issues. First, it was easy to miss. Only 1 person was holding the iPad at any given time, so information displayed on it wasn’t readily accessible to everyone. Second, the player with the iPad was focused on a small screen rather than greater gamespace.

 We especially enjoyed when we could acquire a prop, ostensibly from outside the confines of our space.

 The stakes felt high. We didn’t want to make an unforced error. It could cost us a lot of time and effort.

 It would be possible to win Project R.E.S.E.T. without ever experiencing the core game mechanic and the brilliance of the game design. It lacked a moment where the players have to (knowingly or not) make a mistake to gain crucial information.

Project R.E.S.E.T. reminded us of an important point, valid inside or outside of the metaverse: We must all learn from our mistakes.

/ Project R.E.S.E.T. was frustrating… but it was meant to be. Frustration isn’t the most fun emotion. It doesn’t create a natural high either. However, Immersia did it well and succeeded at crafting a game that made us think and feel.

Tips For Visiting

• Project R.E.S.E.T is located at Immersia’s Boisbriand location.
• There is a parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• Immersia offers lockers in their lobby. For Project R.E.S.E.T. especially, make sure you lock up any belonging rather than carry them into the game with you.

Book your hour with Immersia’s Project R.E.S.E.T., and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia comped our tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – Project R.E.S.E.T. [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Le Game Show

Location:  Laval, Québec, Canada

Date Played: May 11, 2023

Team size: 2-4; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $32.99 CAD per player (adult)

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  Players needs to crouch or crawl briefly.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Immersia takes escape rooms seriously. Entering one of their games – even their older games – you can feel the weight of the worlds that they build. They are an unusual company because everything that they do is about craft.

In The Game Show, we found the answer to the question: “How would Immersia build a typical escape room?”

And the answer was: they clearly are not interested in making traditional escape games. Immersia took those concepts and turned them on their side. They lampooned the clichés, taking comedy as seriously as they have any other genre.

At the end of Escape Immerse Explore Montreal 2023 (our escape room tour), a few different guests pulled me aside and said, “you have to play The Game Show.” I had no idea why, but when I’m told that there is something for me in an escape room, I generally don’t ask questions. And I am glad that I didn’t because The Game Show rewards experienced escape room players in ways that we rarely see. It didn’t reward our skills; it poked fun at tradition. It showed us just how weird escape rooms can get.

In return, I loved it. Not in a, “this is the my favorite game” sort of way. It’s not a mind-blowing experience. It’s an amusing and a novel one, with some rough edges. A few puzzles felt imprecise or underwhelming, and one or two spots would have benefitted from some padding.

Overall, The Game Show is a must play for experienced escape room players in the Montreal area. It’s as novel as it is odd. Approach it accordingly.

Who is this for?

• Escape room fans
• Gameshow lovers
• Comedy appreciators
• Best for players with at least some experience

Why play?

• It’s funny
• Immersia plays with a number of gameshow and escape room tropes
• It’s serious about being silly

Story

In this satirical scenario, we had been cast as candidates on a gameshow… where we were locked into escape room scenarios. With the crows watching, we had 60 minutes to escape!

The Game Show was heavily inspired by the Canadian game show Uh Oh! that aired from 1997 to 2003.

Setting

The game opened in a wild west-themed escape room with wood paneled walls adorned with wanted posters. It looked like one of many such escape rooms we’ve played over the years. From there, we progressed into new stereotypical escape room scenes, entirely unrelated to the scene that came before.

Gameplay

Immersia’s The Game Show was a satirical escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

The set and gameplay made fun of standard escape room themes and tropes. This will be most appreciated by more experienced players.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, communicating, solving puzzles, and smiling for the camera.

Analysis

 The game show set up was hilarious. The introductory video clearly established key characters including the emcee, Captain Punishment (inspired by The Punisher) and us as the contestants. The set up was clear while also being totally ridiculous!

 Immersia poked fun at escape room tropes throughout the experience. We especially loved one dexterity puzzle that required expert ingenuity, but was pure misdirection.

 The puzzles were engaging. Each scene worked in the game show staging with game show-esque escape room puzzles. These were some of our favorite solves.

 In the middle scene, one team challenge was a let down. Knowing how the original design would have pushed players buttons, the modification was necessary, but the current form was dull.

 In the final scene, one puzzle wasn’t precise enough, which made it more annoying than funny.

 We would have appreciated a bit more padding for a crawling transition.

 The concluding video scene that presented our prize for winning… spot on. Hindsight is 2020.

 The Game Show was full of Easter Eggs… for escape rooms generally and for Immersia’s brand. In this way players are in the know if they are escape room enthusiasts or just Immersia’s best customers.

Tips For Visiting

• The Game Show is located at Immersia’s Laval location.
• There is a parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).

Book your hour with Immersia’s The Game Show, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

The post Immersia – The Game Show [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

To kick off Season 3, we chat with Maxime and Roxane Filion of Immersia Escape Games. Their escape games truly impressed us on our recent trip to Montreal. In this episode they talk about their immersive approach to game design, their diverse gaming influences, and how they measure success. Maxime and Roxane are also passionate about their creations and about this industry. Moreover, they have a shared vision of what escape games can be, and they are striving to build that future.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season, Morty App and Virtual Escape Games. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Morty

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings.

Special Badge for REPOD listeners:

You can learn more at MortyApp.com/REPOD to sign up and get a special badge for our listeners (works for existing users also).

Virtual Escape Games

Virtual Escape Games specializes in virtual team-building adventures for teams anywhere around the globe, 24/7. And now introducing brand new non-hosted games for 1-6 players.

Discount Code for REPOD listeners:

• REA20 for 20% off a non-hosted game for 1-6 players
• TB20 for 20% off a team-building adventure for any size team!

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• David mentions Immersia wasn’t on our radar when we were first planning the Montreal tour. [1:13]
• Roxane talks about how their unique style is influenced by theater. [2:08]
• Maxime talks about video games were also part of his inspiration. [2:59]
• Peih-Gee talks about the “entertainment” value that she felt in their onboarding. [3:50]
• Roxane and Maxime discuss the video production in their games, which was part of the early vision for their games. They explain how making these videos is so fun and so unlike what their video producer does in his day job. [4:51]
• Roxane mentions how they were inspired by Disney and the videos explaining Disney attractions. [6:37]
• Peih-Gee hates janky videos, and especially janky intro videos. She compliments Roxane and Maxime on their lobby videos, which are not janky. [7:30]
• Peih-Gee asks about the costs of producing videos and Roxane says that they budget for video as part of the room buildout. Maxime adds that it’s important to have talented people in your network. Roxane mentions partnering with a local business to save on costs. [8:48]
• Maxime says that they take theme inspiration from tv (Evil Genius), movies, video games, and board games. Their first game Weekend at the Shack has a typical kidnapping theme. It was inspired by a video game and a board game they played when they were young. It’s a melting pot of inspirations. [10:22]
• Grand Immersia Hotel is a blend of The Grand Budapest Hotel and a Netflix series that was inspired by a true story. It’s an unlikely combination that works. David says this is what he’s wanted people to do for years. By combining themes you change the vibe, setting, and story. [12:38]
• Peih-Gee appreciates being cast as herself in Immersia’s games. Roxane mentions how much effort they put into narrative, and how hard it is to understand the story while trying to be a character. [14:05]
• David asks about hooks for games and Maxime says he looks for wow moments, surprises, and unexpected ahas because that’s what people remember. Maxime mentions (without spoiling!) that there’s a twist in Grand Immersia Hotel. Twists can be simple, but they are essential. Immersia doesn’t tell you the whole story upfront. [17:02]
• Roxane explains that they didn’t have a big budget when they started, so they had to make wow moments without budget. They had to change their original vision to be something they could afford to build. That’s why Weekend at the Shack is set in a shack. [19:04]
• David asks about the challenges in designing for bilingual rooms. Maxime says they have to think in both languages. It’s a giveaway that something is important if it appears in both languages. Because of this they sometimes prefer to swap different clues in for French vs English groups. For their new game they are shooting in French only and dubbing the English. They also have to make sure if they change something in one language, they also change it in the other. [20:35]
• David talks about his experience playing escape games in French. Lisa speaks French very well and he can mostly understand, so they do ok, but always struggle on wordplay. [23:02]
• They mostly film in French, or do voiceovers in both languages, and Maxime’s sister dubs herself in a lot of the videos. In the Grand Immersia Hotel they have a character wearing a mask and then it’s easy to dub over it – nobody can see it. [23:32]
• David asks about the friendly Montreal community of owners. Roxane talks about how they recommend the other locations in their area because they trust that other companies have good games. Since players can only play these games once, they want to keep the players engaged with the games in the area until they have time to build more games for the customers. Maxime says they are friends with owners like them who are passionate about escape rooms. This includes Jonathan from Escaparium and Steven from Sauve Qui Peut. They watched the TERPECAs at Escaparium and were so happy for their wins. [26:51]
• David notes how Montreal seems to have unique themes between the different companies. Maxime says they do talk. In fact, Escaparium renamed a scenario (The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen) so that it would sound different from the one Immersia had just released (Circus of the Lost Souls.) [29:30]
• Immersia is a family business. Roxane and Maxime say it works well because everyone has different skill sets. Some people are involved all the time and others only come in for certain things, like new builds. [31:25]
• The family’s first escape game was for Roxane’s bachelorette party. It was so much fun that they wanted to play more. However, they were looking for an immersive experience and that didn’t exist in Montreal at that time, so that’s why they built their own. [32:30]
• Maxime says everyone is involved in game creation, story, and puzzles. Others are only involved in operations, technology, and HR. Maxime does most of the marketing, but everyone shares ideas. His sister is less involved. She’s a former Olympic athlete, a 2-time Olympic medalist, in fact. [33:46]
• David asks about Maxime’s marketing background. Maxime says a lot has changed in recent years. Today we need to be conscious that most traffic to our website is from mobile, meaning it’s on a tiny vertical screen. Peih-Gee confirms that she’s always looking for another escape room right after she plays one, and that means she’s on her phone. [36:07]
• Roxane looks at the finances and she tries to give Maxime the best budget possible. She can tell when a room isn’t doing as well. They tried a competitive room and it was expensive to build and not very popular, so they noticed it wouldn’t be profitable and decided to change it. [38:20]
• In their initial business plan they gave each game a lifespan of 2 years. One indicator of success is sustainability over time. Weekend at the Shack has been running for over 5 years and it’s still popular. They look at NPS and see that this game scores the highest, which is a demonstration of success beyond money. People enjoy this game. [39:50]
• David reminds diehard fans that what the typical fan base loves is not always the same as what they love. Maxime notes that Errol agrees in his RECON talk. [41:05]
• Roxane mentions that their new room is a game show and it wouldn’t be the most popular with enthusiasts, but they built it anyway for other reasons, on a limited budget and a small space. They took a risk with something new. They’ve gotten positive responses, but one repeat customer did not like the game at all because it wasn’t what they were expecting. You have to be careful with surprises and not thwart expectations too much. [41:29]
• David wants to expand the definition of escape room to include more variety and have genres. [43:40]
• David mentions the Patreon Spoilers Club episode that dug deep into The Salutem Medicina Institute. [44:35] (Join our Patreon to get access to this deep dive conversation!)
• Roxane tells us they want to create more storytelling in their next games. Maxime adds that they’ve opened another report game. But also, in the next things they build, they are looking to create more immersion and explore the feeling of being taken by surprise. [44:54]
• Maxime lists all the places he wants to travel to play escape games. [47:22]

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• Room Escape Artist Escape Immerse Explore tour to Montreal
• Room Escape Artist review of Weekend at the Shack at Immersia
• Room Escape Artist review of The Grand Immersia Hotel at Immersia
• Room Escape Artist review of Circus of Lost Souls at Immersia
• Room Escape Artist review of The Lost Island of the Voodoo Queen at Escaparium
• Room Escape Artist review of The Salutem Medicina Institute at Immersia
• TERPECA: Top Escape Room Project Enthusiast Choice Awards

RECON 21 Talks

Immersia Scenario Videos

About Maxime & Roxane

Maxime Filion: With a bachelor’s degree in business administration and 7 years working in the digital marketing space, I had a dream. I wanted to start a business but couldn’t find the right project. As a video game and immersive entertainment enthusiast, the moment I discovered escape rooms I knew this was something special. What was a new passion became an incredible business opportunity and so I convinced family members to start this journey. Now 6 years later here we are in the top 40 escape room companies in the world 2 years running and well over 100k participants.

Roxane Filion: I’m co-owner of Immersia Escape Games and a singer and musician as well.

• Facebook: @ImmersiaJeuxDevasion
• Instagram: @immersia_jeuxdevasion
• Website: immersia.ca/en

Other recommended podcasts

Escape This Podcast

Escape This Podcast is a show that’s a mix between tabletop roleplaying and escape room puzzles.

No Proscenium Podcast

Your guide to the ever-evolving world of immersive art & entertainment

Support REPOD

• Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content.
• Support Perplexor’s Puzzles and REPOD by using our affiliate code “REPOD” for 10% off purchases.
• Please rate and review our podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post REPOD S3E1 – Art Meets Gameplay at Immersia Escape Games appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update: If you want to hear more about The Salutem Medicina Institute back us on Patreon at the “Search Win!” level to get access to a Spoiler’s Club Episode about this game. Reality Escape Pod co-hosts David and Peih-Gee talk all about it with the creator, spoilers and all.

The Salutem Medicina Institute is one of the best escape rooms around Montreal, Canada. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in the Montreal area.

Dr. Milgram will see you now.

Location:  Boisbriand, QC, Canada

Date Played: October 10, 2021

Team size: 2-5; we recommend 4-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $31.99 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

So often an escape room story is conveyed through heavy and lengthy exposition, but the truth of the medium is that story moments experienced are always more powerful than story moments told.

The Salutem Medicina Institute was a marvel of escape room narrative design. With next to no dialog, Immersia built a fully realized narrative that we experienced in our core.

The Salutem Medicina Institute had a beautifully rundown medical set where each door creaked, and everything felt foreboding. That environment was given life by two key elements:

• The in-character gamemaster nailed the performance with a blend of authority, darkness, and a dash of humor.
• The video, which was the heart of the experience, expertly pulled us into the story.

All of this was underpinned by solid but unremarkable puzzles that looked and felt right. This wasn’t a game that you play for the puzzles; you play it for the experience and for the memory.

As a company, Immersia has grown into masters of building worlds and stories within them. The Salutem Medicina Institute wasn’t big or bombastic like The Hotel Grand Immersia. It was more subtle. I strongly encourage you to play it looking for the nuance, because that permeates this experience.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Players looking for something different

Why play?

• The core structure of this game was genius
• Masterful worldbuilding through set, story, character, and video

Story

The Salutem Medicina Institute has operated with absolute secrecy about its work. All anyone knows about it is that they run clinical trials of their revolutionary new drug, and that no one has ever leaked information about the drug or the clinical trial. Authorities believe that the Institute buys the silence of their participants.

We had enrolled in the clinical trial.

Setting

The Salutem Medicina Institute felt like an ominous doctor’s office set in an ambiguous era, as Immersia is prone to do. In some ways, the world felt like it was set in the 1930s, 50s, and 80s… but it all came together smoothly.

The details were absolutely everywhere: some seen, others heard, and many more felt. The deeper we went into this world, the more it sucked us in.

The use of video tied the world together, breathing life and intensity into the foreboding walls.

Gameplay

Immersia’s The Salutem Medicina Institute was a narrative-driven escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, puzzling, communication, and taking in the experience.

Analysis

 The structure of this experience was genius in that it all came to make sense as we played through it, without any exposition. There was an aha, not for a single puzzle, but for the entire game. At whatever moment we each experienced it, it was brutally impactful.

 The set, though minimal, was deliberately crafted for an ominous atmosphere.

 Spatially, the game bottlenecked in one place. With a larger team, it was challenging for everyone to gain the full impact of each scene.

 The gamemaster’s performance set the tone for the experience with no words, and surprisingly few actions. It was impressive.

 / Your team will select someone for a specific role without any information. While this set the tone well, it can put some teams in a precarious situation later.

 The puzzles carried the narrative forward.

 One series of puzzles dragged a bit, as it required exact transfer of complex information a few too many times.

 There was opportunity to vary the style of puzzles in the middle segment. It felt like we solved many versions of the same idea.

 Even the hint button belonged in this world.

 There was a push/ pull of feeling like we could make a choice, but also knowing that there was only one way forward in the escape game scenario. While immersion-breaking for some, and frustrating for others, this design decision allowed Immersia to present the narrative in full to each team, letting each player take it all in.

 In The Salutem Medicina Institute players confront heavy material. This will not be the right game for all players.

Tips For Visiting

• Note that this game is at Immersia’s Boisbriand Location.
• There is a parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• Immersia’s website reminds players: “This scenario is considered 16 years and over because it contains graphic images and moments that may be considered inappropriate for young people under the age of 16.” Be warned that you will confront heavy subject matter within this experience, which could be troubling for some players.

Book your hour with Immersia’s The Salutem Medicina Institute, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia comped our tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – The Salutem Medicina Institute [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Update 2/15/22: If you enjoy The Grand Immersia Hotel, we hope you’ll check out our interview with Immersia’s owners Maxime & Roxane Filion on The Reality Escape Pod.

The Grand Immersia Hotel is a real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar, created by Immersia in Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada.

Room Escape Artist reviewed the real-life version of this game in March of 2020 and awarded it a 2020 Golden Lock Award. This is a review of the online adaptation.

Format

Style of Play: real-life escape room livestreamed and played through an avatar

Required Equipment: computer with internet connection

Recommended Team Size: 2-5

Play Time: 60 minutes

Price: 99.96 CAD for group of 4 / 24.99 CAD each additional connection

Booking: book online for a specific time slot

Description

This is an avatar-led game that takes you through multiple spaces in the soon-to-open Grand Immersia Hotel. It combined Zoom with a standard inventory system in Telescape.

Hivemind Review Scale

Read more about our Hivemind Review format.

Joel Smileypeacefun Reaction

In this outstanding game, we had to sneak around a hotel without being caught. It was quite a challenge, given the game felt like the size of an actual hotel floor.

At its best, all the puzzles translated well to remote online gameplay. It’s smart how they presented a good number of puzzles that were all doable, rather than having fewer puzzles with a frustrating difficulty.

At its worst, the large spaces within the game felt underused. I found myself wanting to explore the rooms in greater detail than we ended up doing. Instead, a lot of drawers, shelves, and other props were just straight-up empty. I left with a feeling of missed potential from underusing the set.

This large-scale, puzzle-friendly game with a little in-game character interaction definitely made for a good time.

Tammy McLeod’s Reaction

This was a traditional escape room converted to an avatar-style online game. Our avatar played his part convincingly, and the experience was translated well to the new format. The puzzles played smoothly and despite the slightly cheesy videos, I had a lot of fun.

The Lone Puzzler’s Reaction

A quite enjoyable large game environment with a very immersive story and set. The game itself was perhaps a bit easier than I expected – plenty of puzzles, but most a bit on the simpler side. The fast pace and heart-racing nature of some of the game interactions made up for this as it truly felt (even via an avatar) that you were in the middle of something big. The intermixing of video and other tech tricks definitely increased the adventure while also leading you through the space. The avatar interaction was very good although a few times it felt like we were being herded along and a little lighter touch may have added to the feeling of independent discovery. Overall a very solid and entertaining game.

Cara Mandel’s Reaction

The Grand Immersia Hotel was, in a word, “epic.” I found myself wishing I were there playing in person. And I liked the game enough that I can say with certainty I’d be willing to play again in person should that opportunity ever arise. The setting was expansive and immersive. The puzzles were enjoyable, but not overly challenging. The story was fun and the video content helped us feel immersed within it. My only note (and I want to clarify that this may vary from computer to computer) was with the Telescape sound effects. Each time a new object was found the sound that played was so loud and piercing that I actually had to remove my headset. Unfortunately, I spent a good portion of gameplay googling to try and find a way to turn down the volume in my Chrome Browser without lowering volume in Zoom. Ultimately, the solution to this is an add-on for Mac users. So my gift to you is the suggestion to install this (or a similar) plugin prior to playing so you can adjust volume in-game.

David Spira’s Reaction

I played this game both in real life and digitally. The Grand Immersia Hotel was a remarkably faithful avatar adaption of this phenomenal 2020 Golden Lock Award-winning escape room. It’s a great game.

If you don’t see yourself getting to Montreal, then play it online. It’s good fun, and lovingly crafted.

That said… if you think that you’ll make it to Montreal when the world settles down, then I’d encourage you to wait and play it in real life. It will be a part of our 2021 Escape Immerse Explore Tour to Montreal. These premium games are so much more magical in person.

Disclosure: Immersia provided the Hivemind reviewers with a complimentary play.

The post Immersia – The Grand Immersia Hotel [Hivemind Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Puzzling in the Moonlight

Location:  Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: February 2, 2020

Team size: 3-8; we recommend 3-6

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: 30.99 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Circus of the Lost Souls was one of those games that captured my attention as soon as I stepped through the door. The beautiful circus exterior felt magical and inspired me to want to play.

The set and hint system were an utter delight. The hinting was so well executed that Lisa and I wanted to take hints simply to interact with the character… and it was good that the hinting was strong because it needed to support a few weak puzzles.

There was a puzzle that was among the most sloggy that we’ve seen, and another puzzle that had a great aesthetic, but the logical underpinning was noticeably broken. (It seemed like the folks at Immersia were aware and still trying to figure out how to revise it.)

Immersia is a fantastic company, and I have a feeling that this game will improve with time. In the state that we played it, Circus of the Lost Souls was a mixed bag. We loved so much, but found a lot of the play too tedious for the playful environment.

If you have time for one game at Immersia, make it The Grand Immersia Hotel. If you have room for a second game, Circus of the Lost Souls is worth playing. Take hints liberally when you get stuck on a puzzle and embrace all of the wonderful ambiance and character. That’s what Immersia does best.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Players with at least some experience
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• A gorgeous set
• Brilliant, tactile interactions
• The hint system was overflowing with personality

Story

The Filioni Circus was once the greatest circus in the world, awing and tantalizing all who witnessed the talents of the performers… until the circus suddenly closed.

We went to the fairgrounds to have a look around and found that the circus and the souls of its lost performers were ensorcelled by Viviera, world-renowned mentalist… and she wanted our souls as well.

Setting

The grounds of the Circus of the Lost Souls were a beautiful moon-lit world filled with tents and carts.

This sprawling circus setting was ambitious and lots of fun to wander. Every nook and cranny had texture and personality, reflecting a different aspect of the circus.

Gameplay

Immersia’s Circus of the Lost Souls was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

The Circus of the Lost Souls’ opening gamespace was the circus’ midway, a beautiful exterior that left us clamoring to know what was inside of the various structures.

 The circus props were cute, fun, and interactive. We found the scaled-up props especially amusing.

 The second act felt under-designed. We were underwhelmed by the set, props, and puzzles within the space. One of these puzzles only allowed a single player to interact with it. A different puzzle sequence had fatally flawed cluing. It was clear that Immersia had tried to refine it, and the concept had merit, but it needed to be entirely reworked.

 Immersia created a thematic dexterity challenge. We enjoyed how one prop transformed to give this puzzle additional dimensions.

In multiple puzzles, upon making a mistake, we had to go back to the beginning of what quickly became long and tedious sequences.

Immersia created an adorable, playful hint system for Circus of Lost Souls. The gamemaster could adapt it to the team. It added so much charm to the experience.

/ The clock in the moon was a cool idea. That said, we wanted the moon to be more of a natural timer; there were ways to do it.

Throughout the game, it appeared as though Immersia had defaced their sets with scribbles. Although we had fun resolving this oddity, we wished it had been executed more cleanly within the game’s aesthetic, and had been justified in the narrative.

Circus of Lost Souls had a tangible and satisfying meta puzzle. This was an unusual mechanic. It was chaotic, but also organized, and worked well in a circus.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• Note that this game is at Immersia’s Boisbriand location.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).

Book your hour with Immersia’s Circus of the Lost Souls, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – Circus of the Lost Souls [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Killer Party

Location:  Laval, Quebec, Canada

Date Played: February 1, 2020

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from 25.99 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Weekend at the Shack was one of Immersia’s earlier games. While it wasn’t as impressive as the Circus of the Lost Souls or the Grand Immersia Hotel, this escape room was brimming with personality.

Immsersia committed to building a strikingly realistic set and infused the game with convincing audiovisual theatrics. The net effect was that we cared about the characters that we encountered over the screen.

Even a week after playing, I can barely remember any of the puzzles. They were adequate, old-school challenges. They weren’t the point.

Ultimately, Weekend at the Shack was far more than the sum of its parts. We attribute that to Immersia’s commitment to experience. If puzzling is what draws you to escape rooms, I will confidently recommend passing on Weekend at the Shack. However, if you’re willing to surrender to the experience and let the theatrics lead, then I recommend checking out Weekend at the Shack, if you’ve already played Circus of the Lost Souls or the Grand Immersia Hotel. This was a different game and we enjoyed it for what it was.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Story seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Horror fans
• Searchers

Why play?

• A believable set
• Fantastic acting
• Strong storytelling

Story

For our friend’s 30th birthday a group of us had decided to rent a shack up north for a weekend. It was going to be the best weekend ever! Nothing could wreck our amazing weekend!

Setting

Weekend at the Shack honestly looked like a rentable shack. The furniture, decor, and layout felt completely real.

The kitchen was the most realistic kitchen that we’ve ever seen in an escape room.

This may not have been the most complicated set to build, but Immersia nailed it and it helped sell the fiction.

Gameplay

Immersia’s Weekend at the Shack was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

 Weekend at the Shack opened with a silly intro video that introduced us to the characters. In just a few minutes, Immersia made us care about these characters just enough to make them matter.

 The opening set looked genuine… like humans actually lived there.

 Immersia used video clips throughout Weekend at the Shack for character building and to add intensity. These were well produced and served the gameplay.

Immersia created a backstory for their serial killer. Their character development made this more interesting than another SAW-knockoff murder basement.

There was a cheap scare that didn’t make sense as a part of this story.

Our hints came from another character who existed just outside of our experience. Immersia tailored the interactions with this individual to the tone of our group. They committed to making these interactions – whether we needed hints or not – an engaging and funny part of the experience. This was a thoughtful, integrated hint system that added to our experience in Weekend at the Shack regardless of our skill with the puzzles.

 Much of the gameplay in Weekend at the Shack felt dated. The escape room relied heavily on searching and paper-based cluing. The puzzles weren’t memorable.

 A few of the props were badly worn.

Near the end of Weekend at the Shack, we encountered a decision point. The choices were clear and the fact that we were making a choice was as well. Immersia set us up for this decision from the opening moments of our experience. In this way, it was more meaningful than simply choosing to be brave or moral.

Tips For Visiting

• There is parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• While there are jump scares in this game, Immersia can intensify, lessen, or even remove them entirely, based on your comfort level. While we advocate for playing the escape room as designed, and believe that the jump scares add to the experience, Weekend at the Shack is far more than a collection of scares. It stands on its own even if the scares are removed from the experience.
• Note that this game is at Immersia’s Laval Location.

Book your hour with Immersia’s Weekend at the Shack, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – Weekend at the Shack [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

The version of Piccadilly Cabaret reviewed by REA in 2020 was closed for a major refresh and re-released in 2023. We played the updated game on October 23, 2024, and were impressed with the significant improvements made by Immersia. They kept the best elements – the story, theming, transitions, and character-driven hint system – and then transformed the rest. Puzzles that were “forgettable” and “dated” were replaced by layered and creative puzzles that fit the theme and kept us fully engaged. There were no paper & pencil puzzles; instead we found interactive tasks and puzzles that were fun to solve and kept the narrative moving. The revised set was much more detailed, with a completely rebuilt second act that only retained a couple of props from the previous version. While not at the same level as Immersia’s most recent games, Piccadilly Cabaret is a solid escape room experience and worth checking out.

Update 2/15/22: If you enjoy The Piccadilly Cabaret, we hope you’ll check out our interview with Immersia’s owners Maxime & Roxane Filion on The Reality Escape Pod.

A haunting performance.

Location:  Laval, Canada

Date Played: February 1, 2020

Team size: 2-6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: from 25.99 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

The Piccadilly Cabaret was more than the sum of its parts.

The puzzles were completely forgettable, but the overall experience was so very memorable.

I have a longstanding fascination with simple things executed beautifully; The Piccadilly Cabaret really spoke to that.

With games like The Grand Immersia Hotel, Immersia has greatly advanced the complexity and intensity of their escape experience design. If you only have time for one game with Immersia, it probably should be The Grand Immersia Hotel. That said, their earlier lineup offered so much subtle beauty that I must recommend playing at least one or two of them. Immersia’s roots are strong and deserving of appreciation.

Who is this for?

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

Why play?

• Phenomenal yet subtle atmospheric moments.
• A brilliant approach to story and set design.

Story

It was the 1930 and we were devoted fans of the late diva Emma Albani. It was the anniversary of her death and the cabaret that she had made famous was scheduled for demolition. We’d decided to take a crack at sneaking into the old, condemned building to see if we could find her dressing room before everything was destroyed.

Setting

The Piccadilly Cabaret was minimal yet effective. Everything in this game felt right, even when there wasn’t a lot of detail. This really speaks to how smart Immersia was when deciding upon the setting for The Piccadilly Cabaret.

Additionally, the most memorable moments of this game were born of Immersia’s set design.

Gameplay

Immersia’s The Piccadilly Cabaret was a standard escape room with an easier level of difficulty.

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

Analysis

The story behind The Piccadilly Cabaret was original and clever.

The set for The Piccadilly Cabaret was minimal, but it felt right. It had enough details to sell the scene. The lighting was atmospheric and functional.

 Immersia created a character who doubled as a hinting and timekeeping mechanism. The set up made sense with the scenario. While not flashy, it was well-executed. It was also entertaining. Through our interactions with this character, Immersia could also deliver our team a more personalized experience, crafting the interactions to meet our needs.

 We enjoyed the transition from act 1 to act 2.

In the second act, Immersia enhanced the atmosphere was a few well-timed interactions. These were subtle, but powerful moments.

Many of the puzzles felt dated. These included multiple searching and counting puzzles that felt “set atop” rather than integrated into the experience.

 Although the gameplay worked, the puzzles were largely forgettable. This was in part because much of the cluing was paper-based, rather than a built into the set and props. The puzzles weren’t native to the gamespace.

While The Piccadilly Cabaret didn’t require any outside knowledge, one key late game challenge would have been rough without it.

The final sequence was illuminating.

Tips For Visiting

• There is parking lot.
• This game is entirely bilingual (French and English).
• For the full experience, players must be able to climb up and over a small obstacle.
• Note that this game is at Immersia’s Laval Location.

Book your hour with Immersia’s The Piccadilly Cabaret, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Immersia provided media discounted tickets for this game.

The post Immersia – The Piccadilly Cabaret [Review] appeared first on Room Escape Artist.