Escape Manor in Brisbane – Escape From Death Row

Escape rooms are of course legendary and whenever they enter a discussion, the company Escape Manor in Brisbane would invariably come up. Friends and friends of friends, who’ve tried a few, said it offers the most immersive experience of the bunch in the city. So, when my work colleagues organised an experience here in celebration of a project we completed, I was keen, particularly as I’d never experienced an escape room before!

I had absolutely no expectations going into Escape Manor, other than watching American horror movies based around escape rooms. I knew you had to escape, but not exactly how. It wasn’t until we arrived at the lobby at Escape Manor that I found out we were soon to enter the Death Row escape room, which my colleague Ylana had booked.

The Lobby

The lobby is a cool introduction to Escape Manor Brisbane, as it’s a dimly lit lounge with the Escape Manor symbol, which, as you can see, has an air of mystery about it. As I sat down I suddenly felt like a sucker who had been lured into a vortex of mystery and possibly even horror. I’d love it if all lobbies made me feel this way!

Even better, the lobby has a bar, and as we were celebrating a milestone, we each ordered a drink. Escape Manor in Brisbane doesn’t serve drinks in glass, so I ordered a can of Balter XPA, which I usually enjoy. Escape Manor also sells wine, mixed spirits, soft drinks, water, chocolate bars and chips.

Additionally, as you might be waiting a wee bit for your experience, Escape Manor has provided games to play. A couple of the girls were amusing us with their game of Jenga while we were chatting. There are also Rubick’s Cubes and chess and checkers games that I saw.  

Our Guide

An entertaining chap – who could well accused of overacting – took us into the elevator and down into our escape room, Death Row. Here we were given some housekeeping instructions, told what we could and couldn’t do and then locked inside a room that had jail bars on one side. Of course, escape rooms don’t typically have a guide that sticks around, so he promptly left us to squirm our way out.

The Atmosphere – Escape Manor in Brisbane

We were inside a fairly spacious cell, which contained bars on one side. Beyond this, was another, smaller room that we had to reach, which contained a timer. Forty-five minutes was our time limit to escape the cells of Death Row. Or not. This gave the atmosphere a sense of urgency, which is a major part of escape rooms.

The room was fairly spartan, as cells often are, although there were perhaps a few more objects lying about. If you know much about escape rooms you’ll know that these are typically clues. The second room contained an electric chair, a kind of hidden back passage and various objects around the room, which were more clues.

There were some nice touches in the escape room about prison life and some of the clues elaborated upon this. In all, I’d say if you’re looking for a scary escape room in Brisbane, this one’s not it. A little creepy maybe, but not scary.  

Tactics

While I enjoyed my first escape room experience, I would approach it differently next time. A few of our team of six paired up, while some of us (like me), wandered about, intermittently joining in. I took more of a ‘sit back’ approach, while some of the other eager beavers got us out of trouble.

I was more looking for hidden things, hidden passages, but really our experience was more about solving puzzles. I’d say teamwork is a great idea if you want to beat the clock, and definitely put your puzzle-solving headband on for this experience!

One thing about the Escape Manor in Brisbane is that you’re provided with walkie-talkies in case you need assistance. However, we didn’t ask for any, as my team stubbornly solved clues while the clock was ticking. Of course, it’s more fun if you can do it yourselves but help is there if you need it.

My Experience Overall

To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive about doing an escape room with my work colleagues, as there are some stronger personalities in the team. However, when things kicked off, this feeling soon dissipated as we were consumed with our task.

Based on my experience I’d say don’t be afraid to get involved! Sitting back I felt a little bored in the second room, as by then everyone was busy solving a task. Yes, I’ve heard no two escape rooms are alike but then again I’ve been told they’re more about solving puzzles overall. This might sound obvious to you, but it wasn’t to a newcomer like me! Let me know if you’re experience has been different.

In all, I recommend Death Row but next time I’d like to experience more of a wow factor, as in revolving doors or something a little scarier. I heard Cabin 13 is pretty cool so maybe I’ll try that one!

Did We Escape in Time?

No! We did solve the final clue but we went about 30 seconds over our time limit. Seeing as we didn’t get any help, I thought it wasn’t a bad effort.

Was it Difficult?

Yes, although it wasn’t super difficult. I felt it was a good level that should provide you with enough entertainment for close to an hour.  

Was This a Scary Escape Room in Brisbane?

In case you’ve just skipped to this part and missed what I said earlier, no, it’s not a scary escape room. A little creepy, sure, but not scary.

A Few Fast Facts

• There is no onsite parking at Escape Manor in Brisbane. However, there is nearby parking at the Myer Centre for $10
• Escape Manor costs $44 per person.  
• The escape rooms are designed for 2 – 6 guests, although Escape Manor can accommodate larger groups. Contact them for more info.
• Escape Manor in Brisbane is wheelchair friendly, but does not recommend more than one wheelchair attendee at a time. Additionally, the Asylum and Magician’s Secret escape rooms are not wheelchair friendly.
• Anyone under 16 must have written permission before joining.
• There are six escape rooms at Escape Manor in Brisbane including Death Row.
• Escape Manor in Brisbane can also bring an escape experience to you! Check out their website to find out more.
• Escape Manor caters for group events and they even do online escape rooms!
• You’re not allowed to take photos or video inside the escape rooms. You can get a shot taken of your group in the escape room at the end (like we did here).