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.
Their description: Legend tells the story of two pretty sisters, Minah and Linah, who were inseparable. On one unfortunate day, one of them got kidnapped from their abode by pirates.
Being a Laksamana (an Admiral), you have been commanded by the King to investigate the kidnapping and disappearance of the sisters at the Pirates’ lair.
Whispers from the village says that the Sisters’ Islands emerged after a storm broke out after the kidnapping.
Unravel the mystery of the missing inseparable Sisters and the two mysterious islands that emerged overnight!
Sisters Island is a decent little adventure, if admittedly rough around the edges. There’s an attempt at sticking to a pirate-y setting (despite the fact that they couldn’t alter the rooms too much), a good mix of puzzles, and some fun flourishes. Unfortunately there’s also one egregiously anachronistic use of tech, and the room’s most rigorous puzzle is simultaneously the easiest to misinterpret.
Do note that searching skills are a must — although at least the hiding places aren’t unfair. Some aspects of this room also make it unsuitable for people with mobility issues.
I can’t actually talk about my favourite parts of the room without spoiling them, so I’ll just say that there are fun surprises in store, some of which may even impress experienced teams. Even if you think you already know the story of Sisters Island, this room is still solidly WORTH A TRY.
Puzzle difficulty: 3/5
Puzzle logic: 3/5
Multimedia aspect of puzzles: 2/5
Atmosphere and setting: 2/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 2.5/5
Storyline integration: 2/5
Their suggested number of players: Up to 10
My suggested number of players: 2 to 4
Amazing Chambers is arguably more interesting as an industry case study than for its rooms themselves. Housed in a heritage building in Kampong Glam, it drew some flak from those who felt that this was a disrespectful use of the historical premises. Its defence: All its rooms are based on historical events or local folktales, with a focus on Malay culture. This is relatively rare in Singapore, with Amazing Chambers being only the second company (after Unravel) with a complete set of locally-themed rooms.
In the three rooms I’ve played so far, I did learn some new things about local folktales. Each room also ends on a strong narrative note. It’s a shame, then, that most puzzles weren’t integrated that gracefully into the storyline — and that the rooms include wildly anachronistic tech or setting details. (When it comes to creating a convincing setting, the company is probably also constrained by having to respect the heritage building’s original fittings.)
What about the rest of the experience? Amazing Chambers is affiliated with Trapped SG, and it does show. Its rooms have a slightly old-school feel despite the use of high-tech aspects, and some unfortunate flaws. Yet there are also standout puzzles, fun moments of discovery, and creative touches.
Overall, there are enough cool aspects that beginner teams will (hopefully) have a fun time — though jaded veterans may be harder to win over. Neither a company to dismiss nor one to rave about, Amazing Chambers is solidly WORTH A VISIT. Keep your expectations in check, and you’ll have more fun.
(You’ll also have to forgive their somewhat unfriendly customer policies, such as the possibility that you’ll have to play with strangers, and their S$2 deposit for lockers.)
Staff: Friendly and helpful. They are careful not to reveal too much when you call for help.
Hints: Via intercom phone.
Will your group be combined with strangers? Yes.
Rooms tried: 3 out of 7 current rooms
Recommended team size: 2 to 4 people
Specific room reviews
1603: Changi Naval Battle
Badang the Magnificent
Battle of Bukit Chandhu
Princess Radin Mas Ayu
Sang Nila Utama and The Lost Crown
Si Tanggang, The Ungrateful
Sisters Island
Amazing Chambers
http://amazingchambers.sg/
I don’t usually post about rooms before I play them, but given the slow decline of Singapore’s escape room industry, I’m very intrigued by this new entrant: Amazing Chambers, which has seven (!!) rooms, each themed after a local myth or historical event.
Since I haven’t actually played these yet (and don’t know when I’ll be able to try them — though I’m eager to do so soon), this isn’t a recommendation — just a public service announcement of sorts. If you’ve already tried these rooms, do feel free to leave a comment!
Their description: A spaceship hurtles towards earth containing a badass Alien species looking for a fight. Can you flush the aliens out of the airlock before the craft reaches its destination?
Remember: Everyone can hear you scream at Captivate.
Captivate’s latest room is an interesting one to review. What first strikes you is that it makes some effort to create a spaceship feel — though I wouldn’t overstate this.
The puzzles are hard to generalise about. Some are kind of clever; some are rigorous but not especially tied to the narrative; some are cool; some are cute; some are quite immersion-breaking. The endgame is impressively clever but has a minor design flaw that we didn’t like.
Overall, Alien vs Human is a decent if occasionally flawed experience, with some fun flourishes and moments of discovery, and enough content to earn a longer runtime of 75 minutes. It’s definitely at least WORTH A TRY. Frankly, in Singapore’s current shrinking escape room landscape, it’s possibly even RECOMMENDED.
Puzzle difficulty: 4/5
Puzzle logic: 3.5/5
Multimedia aspect of puzzles: 3/5
Atmosphere and setting: 3/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 2.5/5
Storyline integration: 1.5/5
Their suggested number of players: 2 to 12
My suggested number of players: 2 to 4
Both Captivate and Xcape have opened new rooms, but sadly I probably won’t be playing them any time soon.
However, following a couple of trips to KL, the Escaping Malaysia page has been updated with reviews of the rest of Breakout’s rooms, and two horror rooms at LOST in KL (one of which is also available at LOST in JB).
I’m still wondering whether to mention Breakout’s not-an-escape-room Hauntu experience somewhere, given that it features negligible puzzling. In the meantime, here’s a link to my TripAdvisor review. The first chapter is closing at the end of June, so I’d recommend checking it out soon! (I, for one, am looking forward to the sequel.)
Their description: Trapped inside your own mind, inside your own dream! Test subjects of a secret organization that is feeding you hallucinogenic drugs, you are lost between reality and dream.
Your guard is gone for 2 hours and you have to find the antidote and return to reality so you can escape! Nothing makes sense though…
Just when you thought you found the solution, a door transports you to another universe, you will have to fight against your own logic, because the dream can become a nightmare!
When I heard about Lockdown’s two-hour VR room, my first thought was: How does anyone survive two hours in VR?? That was despite the fact that I’m keen on VR experiences. At $45 per person, the game is by far the cheapest dollar-for-hour VR experience around, but its long runtime can be daunting.
The good news is that the physical toll of VR wasn’t as great as I feared, and two hours passes faster than you’d expect. There’s plenty to do, ranging from environment exploration and tool usage to more standard escape-room-style puzzles. Indeed, the two-hour time limit is barely enough to complete the game — not due to time-wasting aspects, but simply the sheer volume of content. If you often feel let down by content-light escape rooms that end too early, then you should try Illusion for a thorough challenge. Some puzzles are admittedly challenging for the wrong reasons, but the overall puzzle standard isn’t bad.
Illusion is made by the same company behind Lockdown’s other VR escape room offering, Abandoned Mine, and starts out in a familiar environment: dingy, kind of ominous, vaguely industrial. Unlike Abandoned Mine, however, Illusion makes good use of the VR medium to take players to a vast range of environments as the game progresses. There are also some cool moments and transitions that are only possible because of the game’s VR nature.
If you’re interested in how VR can be used to its fullest potential in creating adventures, my top recommendation remains Virtual Room Singapore’s two excellent, haptic-feedback-heavy, multi-environment games, with their exciting use of non-conventional physics — the only problem being that they aren’t escape rooms per se. If you’re happy with a decent escape room adventure that takes place via VR, and/or would like to challenge yourself with a content-heavy room, then Illusion is RECOMMENDED. If you’re not already a fan of VR, though, this game is unlikely to change your mind.
Puzzle difficulty: 4/5
Puzzle logic: 3.5/5
Gameplay variation: 3.5/5
Atmosphere and setting: 4/5
Exciting moments, effective use of VR: 3.5/5
Storyline integration: 3/5
Their suggested number of players: 2 to 5
My suggested number of players: 2 to 5
Their description: This is why you should stop playing so much video games during the day. You are now trapped in your dream and this is a game where you must win in order to wake up!
Bearcraft combines rigorous logic puzzles with a pleasant if fairly minimalist setting. I can’t stress enough that your enjoyment of the game will be directly related to how much you like solving logic puzzles in an escape room. There’s still some hands-on interaction and a couple of cute surprises, but the room is ultimately much more of a cerebral experience than an adventure.
At the risk of repeating myself from my other Lockdown reviews: if you don’t mind the use of a tablet and logic-heavy puzzles, Bearcraft is WORTH A TRY. If you actually enjoy rigorous logic puzzles and don’t mind a less immersive room, it’s RECOMMENDED.
Puzzle difficulty: 4/5
Puzzle logic: 4/5
Multimedia aspect of puzzles: 2/5
Atmosphere and setting: 2/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 2/5
Storyline integration: 2/5
Their suggested number of players: 3 to 8
My suggested number of players: 2 to 4
Their description: A super villian has planted a bomb in a nuclear facility. It is up to the Bears of Justice to save the day!
Lockdown rates this as their hardest room, and that’s certainly the case. But there aren’t unreasonable leaps of logic required, at least. On the contrary, all the puzzles are scrupulously logical, to the extent that teams that aren’t fond of logic-based puzzles might find not find this room’s puzzles to their taste — though at least one puzzle has quite an inspired aha which I enjoyed.
There’s some clever incorporation of puzzles and reveals into the physical setting, with a few dramatic touches and a sustained attempt at maintaining the narrative. But as is the case with all rooms in this outlet, the tablet remains a somewhat immersion-breaking layer between players and the room. If that doesn’t bother you, Bears of Justice provides a very rigorous experience that’s WORTH A TRY, or even RECOMMENDED if you prioritise puzzles over setting and are a fan of logic puzzles.
Puzzle difficulty: 4/5
Puzzle logic: 5/5
Multimedia aspect of puzzles: 2/5
Atmosphere and setting: 2.5/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 3/5
Storyline integration: 2.5/5
Their suggested number of players: 3 to 8
My suggested number of players: 2 to 4
Their description: The murder of a little known Belgium detective in Singapore has captured the world’s attention. Mysterious murders on railway stations are normally limited to novels or movies. Especially those with devious clues left by an evil killer. Buy a ticket for the Singapore Express today.
Despite the references to Poirot and other well-known murder mystery properties, this train-themed room is very light on narrative, particularly when it comes to ‘figuring out’ the murderer and weapon — let’s just say that the way you arrive at these answers is wholly unrelated to detective work. (It’s also incredibly vulnerable to brute-forcing, alas.) If you can forgive that, however, then you might still be in for a fun ride.
The playing space is small, if set up decently; the decor is haphazard, though with charming touches. It’s the puzzles themselves that make the room worth playing. There’s a good mix of puzzle types and difficulty levels, with small surprises in store — delivered by puzzle-solving rather than room technology. And while the puzzles may not make much in-narrative sense, each individual puzzle is certainly logical from a solving perspective. (The puzzle flow, however, might be a bit head-scratching; our group managed to bypass one puzzle altogether, and you could end up skipping even more.)
Though neither perfect nor even very polished, there was something about Murder on the Singapore Express that left me charmed and satisfied. Despite the low scores below, I’d still say the room is RECOMMENDED if you’re willing to forgive the flaws — most importantly, don’t expect to be investigating a murder mystery.
Puzzle difficulty: 3.5/5
Puzzle logic: 5/5
Multimedia aspect of puzzles: 2/5
Atmosphere and setting: 2/5
Exciting flourishes, use of technology or physical aspects: 1.5/5
Storyline integration: 2/5
Their suggested number of players: 2 to 8
My suggested number of players: 2 to 4. The room might start feeling crowded with more people.
NOTE: This game was played at the invitation of Murder Mystery SG.
Their description: Castle Lumiere is no ordinary castle. Owned by Baron Quinn Fontaine, it appears to have a ‘magical shield’ that stops and kills anyone who attempts to enter. A dinner meeting is set-up by the Baron you are determined to attend. You know the place is both mysterious and magical. And, although you have no idea who else will be coming, you know that you have to be there!
Murder Mystery SG offers tabletop murder mystery games, similar in format to two of the games at LOST in JB’s Crime Scene branch.
Unlike Xcape’s Shanghai 1943 or LOST in JB’s main case The Tenants Upstairs, Murder Mystery SG’s games do not take place in a real ‘crime scene’ with hands-on searching. Instead, their sit-down games have maps and clue cards. Players take on the roles of suspects and must find the murderer in their midst, investigating the case by spending tokens to look at clue cards. Everyone has individual goals, and everyone is allowed to lie. Interestingly, there is no detective role, so you really can’t be sure whom to trust.
At their invitation, a group of us played one of their cases in December. You have the option of using their premises in Hougang — which we did — or finding/providing your own space.
Perhaps the greatest strength of the case we played is that every character has a fully-developed backstory and secrets to hide, making for a balanced and engrossing experience regardless of which role you get. Individual goals come with points assigned, allowing for a more complex endgame than just whether or not the team succeeds in finding the murderer.
Another interesting mechanic is the use of image-only clue cards, forcing players to analyse evidence for themselves. (LOST in JB, by comparison, has captioned cards, removing a bit of the ambiguity.) It’s possible to miss out crucial details or misinterpret evidence, which adds an additional layer of complexity.
What about the case itself? Not all of us were fans of certain broad case aspects (though I personally didn’t mind). The case solution included some clever elements, but also some questionable aspects. I enjoyed the process of the game, so my overall experience wasn’t that affected by the conclusion; players who focus strongly on the outcome might feel differently.
In conclusion, I’d still prioritise the set-based games Shanghai 1943 and The Tenants Upstairs — but if you’ve played those and are eager for more in the same vein, Murder Mystery SG might be the closest alternative. Some of us are certainly planning to check out their other cases…
(My team had some minor quibbles about production values, but Murder Mystery SG is apparently in the midst of printing an updated version of the game materials.)
Case difficulty: 4/5
Case logic: 3/5
Their suggested number of players: 5 to 8
My suggested number of players: 7 to 8
