Expectations were high for this widely recommended room, which sees a former veterinary school re-imagined as a mysterious science facility that conceals a dark secret. Was it everything we hoped for?
- Location: Edinburgh
- Players: 4 – 10
- We played: May 2019 as a team of 4
Great things about The Secret Lab
- Our levels of excitement rose as we entered The Secret Lab: it’s great to see an escape room that has taken an atmospheric, historic space (in this case, the kennels of a former veterinary college) and used it in an intelligent and impressive way. The spacious, cage-lined room not only complemented the science-experiment-gone-awry story, it helped to add structure to the game, giving a useful sense of progression as we advanced from cage to cage.
- The sheer number and complexity of puzzles make this room a meaty challenge, even for escape room veterans. With a team of four experienced players we were kept busy – sometimes frantically so – for most of the 60 minutes. The difficulty level was further increased by having our team separated for the first part of the game and faced with different tricky tasks until we managed to reunite.
- The Secret Lab is a tactile, technology-packed room that’s filled with unusual gadgets to discover and use. This extends to the way in which hints are delivered – it’s much more enjoyable to have your hints come from a piece of machinery that’s context-appropriate than from the usual walkie-talkie or television screen.
On the other hand…
- The Secret Lab has its fair share – at least – of padlocks, which might disappoint some who like rooms with more seamless mechanisms. The padlocks did feel appropriate to the context, however, and it was always easy to tell which code should be used where.
Who should try this room?
With a great density and variety of puzzles, this room is ideal for a group of experienced escapists who are up for a challenge.
Rating – 9/10
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