9 puzzling escape rooms in Dubai

Some people choose the cinema for their method of escapism, but Escape Reality offers something much more immersive. Located at Indigo Sky on Sheikh Zayed Road, choose from eight distinctly themed rooms. The venue can also host large groups of over 40 players, making it a great choice for birthdays and special occasions with friends and family. Be warned though, the games here are known to be tricky with fast-solving sums!

From an underground bunker to the home of a maniac, or a post-modern museum, Phobia at Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) lives up to its name with a range of fear-inspired thrills. Go ahead and face your fears. Afraid of the dark? The horror movie-inspired Dark Room will send shivers down your spine while you’re locked in complete darkness. Alternatively, you can geek out in Vault, inspired by the popular Fallout computer game franchise. Book ahead to avoid disappointment and check twice as the brand has two separate venues in JLT.

Things get even more interactive when there are live actors in the mix. Escape House (as you might guess) has a more homely setting in a villa on Al Wasl Road. The concept, however, is the same, with a 60-minute timer ticking down while you solve a series of puzzles and clues to find freedom. Make sure you have your brave face on because you'll also have the chance to secure footage of your daring escape through the creepy, foggy corners of the villa.

While several Dubai’s horror-centric escape rooms have an adults-only policy, Escape The Room offers family-friendly games for puzzlers aged eight and above. Even younger players can join in, but have to be accompanied by an adult – and parents might want to check some of the themes first. There are five varied rooms available, though Lost in Time is our favourite for epic sci-fi adventures.

Bucking the trend of only having hour-long puzzles, this brain-taxing escape room venue in Jumeirah has 120-minute rooms. Does twice the time mean double the challenge? Get locked in and find out. Movie lovers will relish the chance to re-enact moments from the movie Se7en, with a skin-tingling room of the same name. You can even take some of the action home, with a huge range of board games for sale.

One of the few Dubai escape rooms to actually have a ‘local’ themed room (The Basement), Countdown Challenge at Jumeirah Beach Residences presents thrilling spins on every visit. The room follows the story of Uncle Saeed, who has committed a crime. The journey follows surprising twists and turns, and your team must discover the truth in order to escape the room. Most venues have at least one horror or paranormal-themed room, but this venue is primarily focused on real-life crime scenarios.

You might have visited Hungarian Games in Al Quoz and not even realised that there are escape rooms on offer. The cosy cafe space is popular as a board game haven, with hundreds of games available to try, and even a golf simulator to mix things up. When it comes to thrilling escapes however, the objective is familiar – find and decode clues, and puzzle your way to freedom in 60 minutes or less. The overall space can also host groups of 60 people, so get planning your parties.