German market town home to two of the world's best escape rooms

When the weather makes activities outside a cold and icy prospect, many head to escape rooms to test their mental mettle. Now, an unsuspecting German town has been named as having two of the best escape rooms in the world.

The world’s best escape rooms in 2024

To determine which escape rooms are the best, TERPECA used the in-depth reviews of 1.391 different contributors around the world. The reviewers tried 412.340 different rooms, of which 1.042 were nominated for awards. These were then whittled down further into the top 100.

For 2024, Le Cirque Magnifico from Escaparium in Laval, Canada, was chosen as the best escape room in the world. In the 150-minute-long room, groups of four to six players try to beat the puzzles and riddles offered by its circus-themed setting.

"With a breathtaking set, charming characters, fantastic puzzles and a story that still makes me a bit teary when I think about it, the only word that could possibly describe this game is magnificent," a reviewer quoted by TERPECA noted. Una Aventura de Leyenda by Mayto Kingdom in Spain, another escape room offered by Escaparium, The Forgotten Catherdral, and Molly’s Game by Down the Hatch in the Netherlands rounded out the top four.

Bad Steben named Germany’s escape room capital

We’ve all heard of Bad Steben, right? Right? Well, now it'll never escape you. The unsuspecting market town in Bavaria has been named home to not one, but two of the top 10 best escape rooms in the world.

Die Legende vom Herzlosen Piraten (The Tale of the Heartless Pirate) escape room in Bad Steben was named the 6th best in the world and best in Germany. A reviewer called the pirate and treasure-hunt-themed escape room a “beautifully balanced delight”. 

The Metropolis 2099 escape room, also in Bad Steben, made it to ninth-best in the world. The 90-minute game, in which “dreamers” search for a metropolis for a beloved and missing pop star was dubbed no less than “a masterpiece with great puzzles”. 

While Bad Steben may be a little off the beaten track for those in most German cities, visitors have recommended the town as well worth a weekend trip for anyone looking to escape.

Best escape rooms in Germany and the world

In all, here are the 10 best escape rooms in the world:

1. Le Cirque Magnifico - Escaparium (Laval, Canada)
2. Una Aventura de Leyenda - Mayto Kingdom (Vitoria-Gastiez, Spain)
3. The Forgotten Cathedral - Escaparium (Laval, Canada)
4. Molly’s Game - Down the Hatch (Voorburg, the Netherlands)
5. La Taberna - The City Escape Room (Terrassa, Spain)
6. Die Legende vom Herzlosen Piraten - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben, Germany)
7. The Dome - Mama Bazooka (Bunschoten, the Netherlands)
8. Chapel & Catacombs - Lockhill (Athens, Greece)
9. Metropolis 2099 - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben, Germany)
10. K.O.N.G Protocol - Escape Barcelona (Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain)

Here are the best escape rooms in Germany, all of which are featured in the top 300:

• 6. Die Legende vom Herzlosen Piraten - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben)
• 9. Metropolis 2099 - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben)
• 27. Asylum of Fear - Escape Stories (Wuppertal)
• 31. Der Spielzeugmacher - Big Break Hamburg (Hamburg)
• 39. The Dark Forest - Escape Stories (Wuppertal)
• 46. Tomb Hunter - Finest Escape (Bamberg)
• 56. Geisterjäger Brandon Darkmoor - The Room (Berlin)
• 71. Kuriosum: Artefakt der Finsternis - Escape Room Witten (Witten, North Rhine-Westphalia)

To see which other escape games made the top 100 check out the TERPECA website.

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