For international visitors: Please note that this blog’s recs are intended for a Singapore-based audience. I wouldn’t recommend Singapore as a destination for traditional escape room tourism; it has few must-plays on an international scale. (None of my personal top rooms are in Singapore.)

At the international level, I would recommend Inmers Escape Room’s Break Through The Soil, Grounded Escape Room’s Abandoned Sanatorium 废弃疗养院, and Virtual Room’s three VR offerings, but those aren’t traditional escape rooms.

Please use the Contact form if you have specific questions about which rooms to try, how scary/difficult a particular room is, etc.

I’ve also noticed people searching for walkthroughs. I won’t give spoilers for rooms. However, if you failed to escape from a room, don’t want to try again, and the escape room company didn’t tell you the answers, drop me a line and we can chat about it.

Puzzle kit review: Stillwaters Odyssey: Chapters One and Two

This is a combined review for the separate kit games Chapter One: The Whispers Below and Chapter Two: The Invitation

It’s always exciting to see local puzzle kit creators, and I was really hoping to like these games. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend these wholeheartedly.

Both kits feature high production values, which perhaps accounts for their price. It’s exciting to open the hefty envelopes, and the glossy intro cards are impressive — but the puzzles don’t justify the material, and some would actually be easier with thinner paper.

My main complaints are about the puzzles themselves. There are some fun ideas, especially in Chapter Two, but the overall impression is of a lack of rigour and playtesting. There are some unsatisfying intuitive leaps, and a general looseness in how cluephrases should be interpreted.

I did appreciate the digital aspect of the game, as well as how the narrative continues between the chapters (though it has no real link to the puzzles). I also enjoyed certain clever physical aspects of Chapter Two’s kit.

Overall, however, Chapter One is a flimsy experience that is NOT RECOMMENDED. Chapter Two has fun moves that make it WORTH A TRY, but you’ll have to excuse the lack of rigour.

Puzzle difficulty: 3/5
Puzzle logic: 2.5/5

Use of multimedia: 4/5
Storyline integration: 2.5/5

Their suggested number of players: 2 to 4
My suggested number of players: 1 to 3

Social strategy games at WSBG Asia this Saturday

Joker Game is bringing social strategy games to this weekend’s boardgames event WSBG Asia, with a session from 7pm to 9:30pm on Saturday, July 11. If you have a S$5 Visitor Pass to the overall event, you can join the Joker Game session for another S$5.

If you’re a fan of reality social strategy gameshows like Devil’s Plan or The Genius, but haven’t already tried a Joker Game session in Singapore, this is an accessible chance!

Grounded 关你密室 – Abandoned Sanatorium 废弃疗养院

Their description: For the sake of views, we sneak into the abandoned Yinshan Sanatorium at night. Illegal experiments once turned patients into bloodthirsty monsters. A trap is triggered, the creatures awaken, and they begin hunting us. With no way out, we activate the sterilization system and barely escape alive.

This is Grounded’s scariest and most expensive game — but it’s worth it. It’s a good representation of China-style horror games, and I’d consider it Singapore’s third-best immersive experience (after the two rooms at Inmers).

Known in China as《怪物病院》, this game boasts an atmospheric set; great special effects and setpieces; cool individual experiences (单线任务); impressive NPC performances; and a solid narrative (to the extent that I wish there had been a post-game debrief).

Similar to Trail of Death 尸踪少女, there aren’t many puzzles; the gameplay is powered by narrative tasks instead.

(Playing both this and Trail of Death made me think about playstyle norms in different countries. Singapore players might be used to searching wildly, but China-style horror experiences are more guided: you should wait for audio cues before moving around too much, and only go where the lighting leads you.)

Important information is conveyed through audio voiceovers that are only played once — but the gamemaster will provide help via walkie-talkie if needed. We played in Chinese; the audio was fairly clear, though local players who are less confident with Mandarin might want to play in English instead.

If you’ve played horror rooms in China before, this may not seem groundbreaking. But the experience was still thrilling, and there were enough fun interactive touches to set it apart.

I’d say the game does earn its S$79 (S$88 during peak hours) price, though our playthrough took rather less than 80 minutes.

I’d still prioritise the two Inmers rooms, which have larger sets, stronger narrative throughlines, and much bigger roles for the NPCs. Still, Abandoned Sanatorium is a comparable experience and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for horror fans. (Don’t play this unless you enjoy horror.)

Atmosphere and setting: 4/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 4.5/5
Storyline integration: 4/5

Their suggested number of players: 4 to 10
My suggested number of players: 4 to 6; would be too crowded otherwise

Grounded 关你密室 – Trail of Death 尸踪少女

Their description: You are a student at Wu Cheng High School. Caught in a storm while exploring the hills, you and your classmates take shelter in an abandoned restroom. Strange things begin to happen — flickering lights, eerie knocking, and faces appearing in the mirror. Trapped inside, you must uncover the truth behind an old murder and the restless spirit within.

In addition to three rooms in Orchard Gateway’s main building, Grounded Escape Room 关你密室 (formerly Not Your Business Escape Room) has taken over the third floor (!) of Orchard Gateway @ Emerald with six horror rooms.

The rooms are from China, but available in both English and Chinese. They range from S$29 for 45 minutes and no NPC, to S$79 for 80 minutes and an optional NPC.

The second-scariest (and second most expensive) game, Trail of Death 尸踪少女 is apparently available in China as《诡厕2·尸踪》. It’s the experience-focused kind of China room; there were a few puzzles, but they aren’t the focus. You’re there for a terrifying adventure, instead.

While the set isn’t huge, it’s very atmospheric and uses the twisty space well. There are some cool setpieces, and the special effects are great overall. (There are one or two points where flashing lights might be uncomfortable, though.) The optional NPC is a valuable part of the experience, so I wouldn’t recommend opting-out.

Important information is conveyed through audio voiceovers that are only played once, so be alert. We played the English version; this was mostly clear, though a few parts had muddier audio. The narrative was fine, though not as interesting as some of Grounded’s other rooms.

We were a bit overenthusiastic/not too good at following cues, which meant we missed parts of the experience. To avoid our mistakes, don’t move in the dark unless you’re explicitly told to do so. If you’re told to stay somewhere, stay there.

At S$59 per person for 75 minutes (S$68 during peak hours), this room isn’t as good value as those by Inmers. I’d prioritise the Inmers rooms, especially since they’re closing at the end of 2026.

If you’ve already played at Inmers and aren’t visiting China (or Johor Bahru) soon, though, then Trail of Death can be RECOMMENDED for horror fans. (Don’t play this unless you enjoy horror.) We enjoyed it enough to then book their scariest room for another day.

Since this room wasn’t puzzle-focused, I’m skipping that part of my usual rubric.

Atmosphere and setting: 4/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 4/5
Storyline integration: 3.5/5

Their suggested number of players: 4 to 10
My suggested number of players: 4 or 5; would be too crowded otherwise

New games in town

I have no idea when I’ll get around to playing these, so just for reference…

Not Your Business Escape Room 关你密室 at Somerset has rebranded as Grounded Escape Room and opened six (!!) new horror-themed rooms, ranging from S$29 for 45 minutes and no NPC, to S$79 for 80 minutes and an optional NPC. Given that the highest price point is similar to Inmers but the NPCs are optional, I’d personally prioritise Inmers, since their NPCs are key to the plot and presumably provide a stronger story. But I’m still keen to check out Grounded’s new rooms at some point.

Captivate Escape Rooms has also swapped out some of their older rooms for new ones, all at the same S$25 price.