10 of the world's wildest escape rooms

Since the first escape room was developed, the competition and creativity has only intensified. Puzzlers and mystery masters around the world create wilder and more complicated escape rooms every year. We've compiled a list of 10 of the world's wildest escape rooms that are guaranteed to make you pack your bags and book a plane ticket to one of these 10 destinations.

1. "Kingdom of Cats - Aldgate, England

We all have that friend. He or she who is just A little bit Too crazy about cats. Can't place which of your friends it is? Then you're probably that friend. Put aside the eternal discussion about cats versus dogs and head to Aldgate in England for a cat-crazy escape room. In this escape room story, you're trapped in the mysterious "Cat Kingdom" - a fantasy land where giant cats rule and no human is to be found for miles. You have been caught trespassing and the penalty for humans is death by 1000 scratches. You must work with the other animals in the kingdom and solve puzzles to escape before King Jasper's judgement falls upon you. With a 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, it's widely agreed that "Kingdom of Cats" is a cat-tastic delight.

2. "Paradox Project - Athens, Greece

What's the first thing you think of when someone says Athens? Hercules? The Acropolis? Or maybe a Greek salad? FORGET THOSE THINGS. Say goodbye to the traditional escape ROOM and say hello to the Paradox Project's escape HOUSE. The Greek story takes place in an entire two-storey house just outside Athens. And there's no game master to greet you, because as soon as you step through the entrance, the game starts. Instead, video instructions pull you into the story. Through SMS hints and rooms where you have to use all your senses, you and your team must fight your way out of the house before the three hours are up. With a slightly longer game length than traditional escape rooms, "Paradox Project" is generally anything but traditional. Reviews from TripAdvisor also state that there are three different kinds of solutions that trigger three different ending videos, but the website doesn't say what else the escape room involves or deals with. Mysterious enough for you?

3. "Steal The Car" - Montreal, Canada

Don't let the northern destination fool you, because the "Steal The Car" escape room has a mafia storyline in the best Italian style. "Steal The Car" is one of four parts of the so-called "Mafia Challenge". Like Mystery Makers' Mystery Hunt, the escape room takes place outdoors in and around the so-called Big Vanko's car. In this escape room, you have 20 minutes to prove your innocence to the police by finding evidence that the actual perpetrator is Big Vanko. The problem is that he is a man of mystery and all you know about him is what car he drives. The challenge for you and your team is to break into Big Vanko's car before he comes back. The materials needed to clear your name are just a car door away. With a rating of 4.7 out of 5 on TripAdvisor, the Canadian escape room is ideal for any Godfather fan.

4. "Death Row - Louisiana, USA

In America, everything is just bigger. This is not the case for this escape room, which starts with a confinement in a small, dark room. In this escape room, you are an inmate awaiting your turn in the electric chair, having been sentenced to the death penalty in true southern style. But because the prison is overcrowded, you have been placed in an abandoned section. The guards say that the section was closed due to a gas leak, but rumour has it that it was because another inmate once escaped. Now you must follow in his footsteps to escape being grilled in the electric chair. What sounds like a claustrophobic's nightmare is classified as EXTREME in their fear-factor categorisation according to the developers themselves, and the description alone makes the hairs on the back of our neck stand up.

5. "Arizona Sunshine Virtual Reality - Louisiana, USA

We stay in Louisiana, but we move into a slightly different world than the aforementioned escape room. Despite the cheerful and warm title, we might as well say now that it has nothing to do with the escape room storyline. Based on award-winning Virtual Reality technology, "Arizona Sunshine" is a digitally superior experience without cables. The story transports players directly into the heart of a zombie apocalypse. Move freely and interact with each other using full-body tracking, 4D effects and a wide range of weapons in a dystopian space. Can your team hold out long enough to set a new record against the brain-hungry undead?

6. Bates Motel - Pennsylvania, USA

Are you a fan of Hitchcock's horror classic Psycho? Or is the black and white 60s film too outdated for you and have you binge watched Bates Motel on Netflix instead? Whichever one you recognise, the escape room "Bates Motel" is definitely worth a visit. The escape room has been developed in collaboration with a handful of the people behind the award-winning film Psycho to resemble the motel as closely as possible. In addition to the classic puzzles, Bates Motel also features a series of rooms with incredibly detailed digital sound, lighting, CGI effects and hidden doorways that set the escape room apart from the norm. You and your team have 60 minutes to escape the hotel before Norman Bates finds you and replays the whole knife-in-the-shower scene.

7. "The Architect - Amsterdam, Holland

The Dutch escape room developed by Sherlocked-The Architect has a slightly different, less horror-influenced storyline that is perfect for the gamer with bad nerves. The reviews speak for themselves, as "The Architect" has been rated 5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor. The mystery takes place in an old office that hasn't been used since 1934 and used to be the office of architect HP Berlage. Rumour has it that Berlage was a member of a super secret lodge for architects - the Society of the Crossed Keys. A group that supposedly guarded the world's most powerful secrets until Berlage died in 1934. No one has seen or heard of the lodge or their secrets since. It is now suspected that the remaining secrets of the Lodge may be hidden inside the escape room, which you and your teammates must investigate.

8. "The Elevator Shaft - Los Angeles, USA

Los Angeles is known for Hollywood and the epicentre of creativity, which is evident in the idea behind "The Elevator Shaft" escape room. The story behind this escape room is deeply disturbing and technically complex. Three months ago, the story's protagonist, Edward, hired a man named John Peterson to help him make some technical modifications to an elevator shaft on the property. John quickly realised that the changes he was being asked to make were actually a little too creepy. When he confronted Edward, he was told that he couldn't leave until the project was complete or his wife and daughter would pay the price.

The project is complete and John is long dead. You are locked in the lift shaft and must follow the steps John left for you before you are crushed under the weight of a 6 tonne steel lift. According to the reviews, the escape room brings a wild sense of realism and intensity. They also warn that players may get wet, so leave the tuxedo and expensive dress at home if you decide to hop to California to try this intense escape room.

9. "Very Bad Night" - Paris, France

Many people take a weekend trip to Paris, but instead of the boring walks in the French capital, take a look at this escape room. "Very Bad Night" is a slightly atypical escape room, yet perhaps related to a situation many of us have been in. In this escape room, the story unfolds with you waking up in an unknown apartment. It seems you drank too much the night before and you have no idea what happened. In fact, you don't even know where you are. But time is running out and it's up to you players to get the situation under control before the owner of the apartment returns. The escape room also contains elements and puzzles that are below the belt, making this experience ideal for you and your friends. Maybe you can even use your own experiences?

10. "Ghosthunter Brandon Darkmoor - Berlin, Germany

The last escape room on the list is for those who want an experience with the supernatural. The German escape room caters specifically to fans of Ghostbusters and The Twilight Zone. In this escape room, players take on the role of interns with the famous ghost hunter Brandon Darkmoor. You were expecting an ordinary internship, but encountered the exact opposite. On your very first day, you are sent to a case in a building that used to be an asylum centre. The centre suffered a terrible fire in 1987, in which everyone survived - except one person. Former opera singer Anna Morana has haunted the basement ever since. It's up to you and your teammates to help her soul find eternal peace.

There are a whole host of wild escape rooms out there in the big wide world. If you're not ready to pack your suitcase and travel far for an entertaining escape room, you can of course also try one of our escape rooms in Copenhagen.