Is There Such a Thing as the Best Escape Room in the World?
Team Building at Escape the 6 in Mississagua
I think we may have accidentally shot ourselves in the foot. From review sites, awards, escape room builders trying to top each other and all the hype that comes from that title of number 1.
The escape room industry has created a quest for something that may not even exist: the best escape room in the world.
But is there really a “best” escape room? That’s like asking for the best movie ever made, the best play, or even the best city. It depends on what you’re looking for, what you connect with and who you experience it with.
Playing at Escape Room with Friends at Looking Glass Adventures in Toronto
Yet many enthusiasts go searching for that elusive unicorn. They follow recommendations, read rankings, and travel from venue to venue, playing one incredible game after another — always chasing the next experience. We see it all the time at Looking Glass Adventures- especially in summer. We love connecting with enthusiasts and always have a great time, however sometimes I wonder if it’s worth the stress to book 8 games in a day and hardly have time for a meal between your next experience. Or even missing some fun tourist sights along the way.
And I’m no different.
Before becoming an escape room owner, I was an enthusiast myself. My career started after playing a flurry of escape rooms and discovering this strange, wonderful world.
The first game I played was… not great. But something happened that changed everything. At one point, I moved a chair to reach something that was just out of reach. I don’t even know if it was intentional, but that a-ha moment created something I had never experienced before: the feeling that I was inside the puzzle.
Our first ever escape room in 2015- Escape the Danforth at Looking Glass Adventures
We immediately wanted to play another. The owner didn’t oblige- he wanted to close up to visit his girlfriend on her birthday. I think it was less than a week before we had our next game booked.
The next game was carefully researched. We wanted something better. Something bigger. Something that would recreate that feeling but on a more grand scale.
And that’s when the seed was planted.
“I’m going to find the best escape room in Toronto”
“I’m going to find the best escape room in Toronto,” I thought.
Our next escape room was miles better. Even if it included a leaf blower and LEGO pieces inside a WWII bunker (yes, really) but it was an exhilarating hour. We finished with our faces flushed, adrenaline still running, and followed it up with a ridiculous photoshoot where we were clearly still riding the endorphin rush.
That feeling was addictive.
Over the years, I think many of us have been trying to recreate those first magical moments. The surprises, the discoveries, the excitement of realizing what an escape room could be. That feeling of being inside a game and forgetting everything else- even if it’s just for 60 minutes.
But eventually, I learned something important:
You can’t recreate your first escape room experiences. Finding ‘better’ games and even playing the ‘best’ games don’t necessarily mean you’ll have a better time. And once I stopped chasing the idea of finding “the best,” I actually started enjoying escape rooms even more.
The Looking Glass Adventures Team doing some team building at an escape room in Toronto
Because every venue has something unique.
Sometimes it’s the craftsmanship. Sometimes it’s the creativity of the puzzles. Sometimes it’s the story behind how the business started or the people who poured their passion into creating it.
And sometimes, the best part isn’t even the room itself.
It’s the people you bring with you.
The friends or family who laugh when everything goes wrong. The family member who surprises everyone with a brilliant solution. The teammate who gets completely immersed in the story and maybe even a little carried away.
Those moments are impossible to rank.
So my advice to players is this: don’t spend all your time chasing the elusive unicorn of “the best escape room in the world.” You might find some incredible experiences along the way, but you may also find yourself disappointed because the hype has become bigger than the adventure.
The best escape room isn’t always the one with the highest ranking or the most awards.
Sometimes it’s simply the one where for one unforgettable hour, you and your team are sharing an adventure, working together and experiencing something just unique that only your team can experience together.
Setting up our ‘new’ venue at 2944 Danforth in 2017 at Looking Glass Adventures- where we’re currently located!
