As a huge fan of escape rooms, I headed to Amnesia Escape Games in the Byward Market to try their new Ehscape To Canada Room. The newly opened room is the second room available at Amnesia Escape Games, with a third room schedule to open later this fall.
Upon booking, I was highly impressed with the reservation system which easily lets you modify your reservation using their website so that you can change the date or time instead of having to call in to cancel your reservation and rebook a new date and time like many other escape room companies require you to do.
Right in the market Amnesia Escape Games is conveniently located, and has two small lounge spaces where you can sit and wait until you enter your room.
One many difference from Amnesia Escape Games is their two rooms right now are designed to allow for larger groups, with the Disenchanted Forest allowing up to 10 people, and Ehscape To Canada allowing up to 8 people compared to the more standard room size of 6 people. For tourists with limited English knowledge, the Disenchanted Forest would be perfect as the entire room is done without the use of language, and focuses on a more immersive environment where you will not need to read clues.
Perfect for the Canada 150 celebrations going on right now, the theme of Ehscape To Canada is you arrive at Ottawa International Airport and Canadian Border Services computer system is down, so you are tested for your “Canadian-ness”. Fail and you will be deported to the USA and Trump.
This room would be perfect for tourists as you would learn a few facts about Canada while attempting to escape. Unlike many other escape rooms, you are allowed no clues if you want to successful escape the room within 45 minutes, and at times your team will be divided so it does require everyone to work together to solve the puzzles.
The room itself is well designed in the sense you never feel confused on what to do next, yet solving the clues can sometimes be challenging as there are plenty of red herrings scattered throughout the escape room. As a non-frightening room, that is also educational it would be perfect novices at escape rooms. That being said, my group of veteran escape room participants (all of us completing over 10 rooms) found there be ample challenge for us too.