Hamilton has been home base for a lot of our escape room adventures. We even hosted our wedding reception at Escape Manor Hamilton, and it shows up five times on this list thanks to hosts who tell the story in person, great builds, and a restaurant and bar where you can grab a drink before (or even during) your game. Beyond Escape Manor, the city has a great mix of creepy graveyards, undercover missions, horror and cartoon worlds at Keymasters, Alcatraz, Next Level and Crux.
This list is ranked by our own review scores, highest first, and only includes rooms that are still open.
1. Cabin 13
Our score: 8.5/10 · Escape Manor
Your friend Alex has just inherited Grandma’s cabin, and by the time you arrive for the weekend, a demon has taken over their body. This is one of the few rooms that genuinely gives us the creeps, with puzzles that fit the story perfectly and a good mix of physical locks and supernatural effects. There are some scarier, more intense moments, so we don’t recommend it for younger groups, and more than four players may get crowded.
2. The Final Viewing
Our score: 8.5/10 · Escape Manor
A distant relative has passed away and left you a house, so you and a few friends head over to take a look. This was the first room that really had us feeling edgy, and the in-person storytelling from our host plus some personalized puzzles set it apart. A few puzzles lean more paranormal than natural, and noise from the nearby axe throwing occasionally breaks the immersion.
Read our review of The Final Viewing
3. Prohibited
Our score: 8.3/10 · Escape Manor
It’s 1925, and the only way into Nucky Johnson’s newest speakeasy is to be smart enough to find the entrance. You’ll be saying “wow, that’s so cool” before you even reach the door, and they fit an incredible amount into a small space, including a video display hidden behind a window. The room is quite dark (you’re given flashlights), there’s some simple math, and we heard some noise from neighbouring spaces.
4. The Alley
Our score: 8.3/10 · Keymasters
You’re going undercover inside Hamilton’s #1 gang operation, with only a one-hour window to get in and out. This one was difficult but fair, with clear, well laid-out puzzles, no noise from other rooms, and a host whose hints were subtle but perfectly clear. Some ambient audio would be the perfect finishing touch, and the space keeps four to eight players busy.
5. The Asylum
Our score: 8.3/10 · Escape Manor
A gurney, jars filled with who knows what, and a door slamming shut behind you set the tone for this maddening escape. Like The Final Viewing, it opens with a narrative from the host, and the puzzles are presented in unique ways, including a couple of challenges that were new to us. We also loved that the help system feels like part of the room rather than a box on the wall.
6. The Magician’s Assistant
Our score: 8.3/10 · Escape Manor
The magician’s assistant has vanished, he’s standing trial, and it’s up to you to uncover the real story. You start seated in a theatre in front of a closed red curtain, and there’s a magical feeling to the whole experience. The puzzles are fun and unique (and a few are frustrating), though we found them not quite as well thought out or plentiful as in other Escape Manor rooms.
Read our review of The Magician’s Assistant
7. Let’s Play A Game
Our score: 8/10 · Alcatraz
Called in as the detective on what looks like another gruesome Jigsaw crime scene, you soon find there are more missing pieces than found ones. This 18+ horror room is edgy, creepy and gross, with great ambience from the lighting and plastic sheeting you can’t quite see through. The room shows some signs of wear, and we’d love to see the staff get more involved than the typical jump scare.
Read our review of Let’s Play A Game
8. The Graveyard
Our score: 8/10 · Next Level
Legend has it that simply entering the graveyard curses you until you can solve its mysteries and end the curse on MaComb. It was one of the first rooms we could call a favourite, and 100+ rooms later we still bring it up when talking about immersion. It’s eerie rather than scary, some of the technology wasn’t working perfectly, and a couple of puzzles physically need three people (our host kindly stepped in).
Read our review of The Graveyard
9. The Thompsons
Our score: 7.8/10 · Next Level
Your neighbours have gone into witness protection as The Thompsons, in a room clearly modelled after The Simpsons. Stepping into this cartoon world is very immersive, and even getting around inside the room is part of the fun. One puzzle was a bit confusing, and the hosts gave us more hints than we wanted, so be clear if you’d rather solve it on your own.
Read our review of The Thompsons
10. Those Meddling Kids
Our score: 7.3/10 · Crux
As a new group of realtors, you’re sent to a house in Cruxton that’s been frozen in time and is rumoured to be haunted. The room is in better shape than the rest of the facility, with appropriate audio and lighting, a clear storyline, and a friendly host who gave the right hints at the right time. It’s linear and on the easy side, which makes it great for beginners or pairs, but experienced players may finish quickly and question the value.
