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More on KentOnline
Escape rooms have become the ultimate real-life gaming sensation in recent years. They test your intelligence, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and at times even your physical endurance.
According to reviews on TripAdvisor Kent is filled with five-star escape rooms. From child friendly games to 18+ live actor horror events, we found the best 11 panic rooms you need to try this autumn.
The Panic Room, Gravesend
Five stars - 3,727 reviews
The Panic Room in Gravesend has by far the most reviews on TripAdvisor and have still maintained a five star rating. As well as your traditional escape rooms, it has expanded to included Battle Masters axe throwing and a Don't Panic gift shop.
Throughout the pandemic it developed a series of murder mystery games, online puzzles and 40 different escape room titles - these are all still available to purchase now.
For a small team, a physical game at the unit in Gravesend would set you back £35 per person, but the larger the team, the cheaper the price.
The Gravesend business is now expanding across the pond too, taking over an escape room near Niagara Falls. The people who run it hope to replicate the success they have had in Kent the in the USA.
Alexander Souter, managing director said: "From day one we put our all into our business. Customer experience and service have always been a very high priority which shows with people coming back for more and those that played with us back in 2016, still play our games today.
"We offer all of the bells and whistles of a great escape room experience while also backing it up with round the clock customer service and a real variety of experiences or things to do.
"Be it Escape Rooms, Axe Throwing or visiting our Experience Gift Store!"
They also plan to expand within Gravesend, and Alexander added: "This will bring more local jobs and more people to visit the area which in turn will help grow Gravesend as a town."
The Escapement, Margate
Five stars - 1,966 reviews
The Escapement is one of the top-rated escape rooms in Kent, with nearly 2,000 five star reviews. It is a live action escape game with secret passages, riddles and puzzles. There are three rooms to choose from - 'Egyptian Exodus', 'Pirates of Polaris' and 'The Pit'.
Each experience is crafted to create a movie set like environment with creative lighting and THX cinematic audio throughout, combined with industry leading game design and theatrics.
A game with two players costs £30 per person for 90 minutes and each game is given a difficulty rating out of five.
Owner Mica Deacon said: "We started out playing escape rooms and fell in love with the genre. The missing elements for us were the story lines, the quality of the props and the sheer lack of decent sets and staging.
"We decided we wanted to build our own rooms and include what we thought was missing from the industry. Before us, decadent sprawling sets weren’t really a thing.
"Most games were old furniture and a bunch of locked boxes. Our beautiful and authentic sets get a lot of attention, our use of tech is still way ahead of almost anyone in the industry and we have headlined the annual escape room industry conference to flex our technological prowess for the past three years.
"We also put a huge focus on customer service, we don’t rush customers through so we can cram games in. We take our time and allow maximum times in the games meaning that everybody escapes and we have a 100% success rate.
"In the future we are opening two more escape rooms venues, the first of which is our indoor games at our Broadstairs venue which will be bigger and even more immersive than ever before. We hope to have this open within the next four weeks."
Escape Kent, Canterbury
Five stars - 1,783 reviews
TripAdvisor ranked Escape Kent as Canterbury's number one fun activity. The business hosts eight different escape rooms, five online games, merchandise and now a second site 'Prison Island' in Maidstone.
Prison Island has more physically testing sections, unlike most typical escape rooms and so offers something different for the more daring adventurer.
Two players costs £25 per person, but if you gather up to eight players it will cost just £20 for the 60 minute game.
Get Lost Escape Rooms, Dover
Five stars - 777 reviews
This game in Dover is home to two on-site experiences. This is the cheapest option so far - just £15 for a team of up to eight players!
'The Director's Cut' room is a cinema themed game based around a private film screening.
However, if sci-fi is more your thing, 'The Hunt' is a space themed room where the choices you make during the mission will determine the alliance that will become your new home.
TimeQuest: Live Escape Room, Paddock Wood
Five stars - 625 reviews
TimeQuest in Paddock Wood earned the TripAdvisor certificate of excellence from 2018-19 and has held the Travellers choice award since 2020.
Rooms are advertised as missions with five different physical rooms, including a Christmas themed room 'Elf Magic 2: The Santa Clause'.
This escape room, located at The Hop Farm, is unique in the fact that they offer corporate team building activities and design a bespoke escape game experience for each business.
Pressure Point Escape Rooms, Ashford
Five stars - 482 reviews
Pressure Point Escape Rooms is also rated five stars. This is not one for the kids though as games are designed with adults in mind.
They allow children to play from the age of 12 up, but anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
There are two rooms on offer - 'Murder on the Dance Floor' and 'The Moonlit Wild' - and designer Mike and Keri assure you won't find games like them anywhere else in the country!
Clue Cracker, Royal Tunbridge Wells
Five stars - 460 reviews
Clue Cracker is ranked the number one fun and games activity in Tunbridge Wells according to TripAdvisor.
It boasts four physical games and four online games with a price of £30 per person with two players.
Ian Balaam left his review on Trip Advisor and said: "We have completed all three brilliantly themed rooms with varying levels of success. They are all amazing and different."
Hysteria Escape Rooms, Chatham
Five stars - 400 reviews
Hysteria is rated the number one fun and games in Chatham on TripAdvisor.
They host three rooms - 'Aftermath', 'Motel California' and 'Citizen Erased' which is an extended 75 minute game.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by a paying adult and The Zombie themed room includes some scares so could be the perfect Halloween treat.
Escape In The Towers, Canterbury
Five stars - 367 reviews
This escape room is set within Canterbury's former city jail at One Pound Lane and has been featured in The Guardian as one of the best escape rooms in the country.
They have two indoor games and the new 'Magna Carta Murder' which takes players up onto the rooftop of the old prison.
Tickets are £31 per person but this includes free entry to the Westgate Towers Museum and a 10% discount on food and drink in The Pound Bar and Kitchen.
Clever Dilemma, Faversham
Five stars - 361 reviews
Clever Dilemma in Faversham is also rated five stars on TripAdvisor.
The two rooms are heavily themed. In 'Dracula' you must travel throughout the night to Bran Castle, find the cure and escape before sunrise. Meanwhile 'Murder at the Wild West Guest Saloon' is based on the local Sheriff's mission to find gold.
The minimum age for this attraction is 11 and all those under the age of 16 have to be accompanied by a paying adult.
Mythologic Escape Rooms, Gillingham
Five stars - 195 reviews
Mythologic is a brand new escape room in Gillingham that is quickly climbing the ranks on TripAdvisor.
They host five games including some horror themed rooms and a Christmas special called 'The Christmas Caper'.
For an adult Halloween activity, this venue includes an over 18 live actors room where you have to face a killer clown in the sewers.
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