So there’s a little bit more to the Surrey Quays/South Bermondsey area than just the shopping centre, which is where you find the Modern Fables escape room. It’s a little challenge to locate the venue, walking along paths that were pretty deserted, except for having to dodge the cyclists.
Upon arriving at the industrial site looking warehouse, we enter ’The Escapists’ bar. Our bartender, Alfie, explains to us that his friend Lavinia (the actual bar owner), has disappeared and he’s just helping out till she comes back. Alfie is worried that the unusual and mysterious forces that Lavinia was looking into may have something to do with her absence.
Alfie was a great in-character host, introducing the story while fitting in general escape room house keeping.
The room sets and design fit the room theme of horror fiction, in a creepy, low-light manner. There were a variety of different elements including riddles, searching and locks. Those who like cryptic crosswords will definitely enjoy this room as key clues are located in the riddles and you need to really understand the details to figure out the next steps. The reading though can make it challenging to catch and hear everything with a large group as we had, and I think the room works better for smaller groups.
I enjoyed the story and thought the rooms and clues were inter-woven well, with the build up to the final puzzle. The atmosphere, lights and sound really immerse you into the story. I would love to know more about what exactly happened to Lavinia and the other characters we came across while escaping.
We finished in around 35 minutes (close to the record time), and were given a sweet(!) goody bag at the end.
Thanks to lovepopupslondon and Modern Fables for the experience.
