Melbourne’s newly opened Escape Room gives visitors the opportunity to test out their puzzle skills and powers of deduction. 

Review by OLIVIA CLARKE

Walking to the Escape Room, Melbourne’s only puzzle room experience, I’m starting to feel that subtlety is definitely a theme.

Going to the Flemington “room” itself made me feel slightly anxious that I had been scammed or something similar. Rest assured, you eventually discover you’re in the right place. But if you didn’t know any better, you would think you were just walking into a friend’s place. All part of the low-key experience, I imagine.

Based on the Escape Rooms dotted throughout Europe, Melbourne’s opened earlier this year, with a second Escape Room opening in South Melbourne. I went with the original in Flemington.

When you arrive you’re taken through the instructions and led into the room, which is completely dark. The challenge is to work through the puzzles in the room and use that knowledge to escape.

It feels mysterious and a bit eerie – you definitely have to keep your wits about you. Throughout the whole challenge there is an air of secrecy.

While not giving away the puzzles and challenges, you really need to stretch your creative brain to progress through the room successfully. You can go in a duo up to a group of six. Going with a trusted friend or two (perhaps one you won’t stop being friends with after being locked with them in a room for an hour), is good for you to bounce ideas off.

Although, rest assured you’re not actually locked in there. The team is always on hand to help you out if you get stuck. I found the challenges engaging, and I managed to progress through every one.

It was refreshing to undertake problem-solving on a large scale. Every challenge tests you in different ways – everyone in your group should have their chance to glory in their own ingenuity.

You will have to work together, thus bring some friends who you’ll work well with. Communication and working proactively together is a key to solving the Room.

While we weren't given a specific time limit (though the website says you have 70 minutes),  I felt accomplished thinking that I was moving through the challenges in relatively good time. It shouldn’t take you longer than an hour to complete.

Once you get outside, you can enjoy a firm sense of achievement. Although with it being so popular (booked out until late November/early December) it’s clear other Melbournians are keen to try it out.

Of course, no spoilers here, but I definitely would recommend the Escape Room for when you’re feeling like an interactive experience that will test you and your cranium to solve problems.

It feels good to say I have actually done an “experience”, albeit one that didn’t involve me jumping off something stupidly high. This is a quirky alternative for those who are up for an experience, but aren’t as keen on skydiving or bungee jumping.

Bring your friends and an expectation of an intriguing hour or so, and you shouldn’t leave  disappointed.

Olivia Clarke is mojo's deputy editor