11 of the best escape rooms to try in Portsmouth and Hampshire

Whether you are an experienced operator or novices, they are a great way to kill an hour or two.

A boom in recent years has seen a number of escape rooms open up across Portsmouth and the rest of Hampshire.

If you are thinking of trying your hand at one, or looking for your next adventure, here is a list of ones to try in our area.

Other World Escapes

Located in the city centre in Commercial Road, it is easily accessible – however getting out might be a different question!

It offers a number of different themed escape rooms, including Vermilion Diamonds which has a 1930’s steampunk vibe or you can try your hand at getting out of the Chipshop, the Pub or the Divide.

For those who book to try the Divide escape room 10 per cent of your booking fee will go to The LifeHouse to support their efforts to help homelessness and those suffering with addiction in Portsmouth.

The number of people who can participate vary from room to room, so check with Other World Escapes before booking.

You can learn more about the fish and chip themed escape room here

239 – 241 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4BJ – visit Other World Escapes website here.

Other World Escapes also has a site in Southampton – it is located in 22 East Street, Southampton, SO14 3HG.

The Real Escape

Also located in Commercial Road in Portsmouth city centre, this company also offers portable escape room games called MindSet.

It offers four different themed rooms for customers to choose from.

This includes the spy style Mission HQ, the nautical Chamber of the Deep, the fantastical Guardians of the Elixir and Dr. Ryddle’s Memories.

All rooms are for between two and six people.

The portable MindSet offers up to 12 unique and perplexing challenges and is suitable for any size business, SME up to large corporate – from five up to 250 players.

Find out more about the portable MindSet here

The Real Escape can be found in 257-259 Commercial Road, Portsmouth, PO1 4BP – visit the website here

Exciting Escapes

You can find out if it lives up to its name by visiting this company in London Road, North End.

It has five different escape rooms including the roaring 20s set Dark Deeds and Groceries, Murder at the Movies, the spooky The Voices We Here… and the Millennium Meltdown.

As well it offers you a chance to go head-to-head with your friends and family, with 'paired’ rooms. Who’s quickest at puzzle solving under pressure? Put your skills to the test!

There is also fancy dress!

Find out more about Exciting Escapes here

Exciting Escapes can be found in 48 London Road, North End, Portsmouth, PO2 0LN. Visit its website here.

The company also has escape rooms in 21-23 Wote Street, Basingstoke, RG21 7NE, as well as Chiltern House, Feathers Yard, Basingstoke, RG21 7AT, and 100 High Street, Shirley, Southampton, SO16 4FB.

Houdini's Escape Room Experience

According to its website this company has been voted Tripadvisor’s number one escape room in the world.

It has escape rooms in Southampton as well as three other locations around the country.

It has three different themed rooms which includes Escape from Alcatraz – it has an ominous 21 per cent success rate.

As well as Escape from Titanic, with the slightly more promising 35 per cent success rate, and the new Extinct​ (Escape from Jurassic Island), which has a 18 per cent success rate.

The rooms are split over two locations in Southampton:

- Alactraz & Titanic, 19 Onslow Road, Southampton, SO14 0JD

- Alactraz & Extinct, Tenpin, Auckland Road, Southampton, SO15 0SD

For more information visit Houdini’s Escape Room Experience’s website here.

Elusion Rooms

This escape room is in Southampton city centre and has a five star rating on TripAdvisor based on 479 reviews.

Elusion Rooms have four themed rooms currently – with a virtual reality one coming soon.

This includes Pandora Heist, the nautical themed Cursed Waters, escape from a serial killer in Seven Sins and the Alien inspired From Beyond.

The first two rooms are family friend, while Seven Sins is aimed at players 15+ and From Beyond is for 14+.

They range from 2-8 players depending on the rooms.

Elusion Rooms can be found in 68 Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GD. Visit the website here for more information.

ClueCrypted Escape Room

Located in the New Forest dare you take on this escape room?

In ClueCypted deadly virus outbreaks have broken out across the world and you have been captured by research scientists working for the PARC (Pandemic Avoidance Research Centre) hoping to find a cure. Can you escape?

The room is for two to six players and is of a medium difficulty, you have 60 minutes to escape.

ClueCrypted is in Unit 7 Milton Business Centre, Wick Drive, New Milton, BH25 6RH. Visit its website here for more information.

ClueCapers Limited

This escape room is located in Winchester.

It has three different themed rooms which include Mission to Winchintzy, A Curious Inheritance and Treehouse Retrieval.

According to the company’s website up to 18 people can be visiting parallel dimensions via ClueCapers at any one time.

ClueCapers is located in 1 The Broadway, Winchester, SO23 9BE. Visit the website here for more information.

Locked in a Room

Another of the escape rooms in Southampton.

It has two different themes – Timelock which involves secret government projects in an abandoned Westquay and Parallax, which features a time-travelling scientist who has been kidnapped.

Locked in a Room is located in Unit 11c, Lower Level, Westquay Shopping Centre, Southampton, SO15 1QE.

For more information visited the company’s website here.

Sneaky Dog Escapes

This escape room can also be found in Southampton.

It offers virtual reality escape experiences with a physical room coming soon.

The traditional escape room will have a Who Dunnit theme.

While with the virtual reality escape rooms, the company has a partnership with video game developer Ubisoft.

Two of these VR rooms are set in the Assassin’s Creed universe but aren’t video games, they are escape rooms – they include Escape The Lost Pyramid and Beyond Medusa's Gate.

Other experiences not tied to the Assasin’s Creed games include House of Fear, set in an abandoned cabin in the woods, Sanctum and Cyberpunk.

Sneaky Dog Escapes can be found in 40 Victoria Road, Woolston, Southampton, SO19 9DX. For more information visit their website by clicking this link here.

Genius Escapes

This escape room can be found in Chandler's Ford.

Can you get out of the Nuclear Nightmare in 60 minutes?

Will you and your team mates be able to use your problem-solving skills to solve the problems and prevent a nuclear disaster?

Genius Escapes is located in 2 The Central Precinct, Chandler’s Ford, SO53 2GA. Visit their website here for more information.

Escapes for Good

This company do portable pop-up escape rooms for charity in Hampshire.

All the money raised goes to charity and most props are charity shop bought or recycled.

Since launching in September they have raised £5,000 for good causes.