/THE BEST OF MANCHESTER

ESCAPE rooms have become relentlessly popular in the last few years, challenging friends and families of all ages to solve puzzles and clues in their quest for freedom. They’ve popped up all over Manchester, in shopping centres, under railway arches, and taking over old office buildings.

The aim of the game is to escape from a ‘locked’ room by solving riddles, searching for keys, looking for clues, and generally trying to outsmart the puzzles set up for you. Each escape room generally has a different theme, which is what keeps us all coming back for more.

Fans of TV shows from the 1990s such as Crystal Maze and Fort Boyard will be familiar with the concept.

Although it’s obviously all for fun - they won’t leave you in there if you can’t solve the clues - it definitely gets the adrenaline pumping.

On Tripadvisor, escape rooms dominate the top ten activities in Manchester, and with the biggest one in the city to date opening in the Printworks next month, the city simply cannot get enough. Lucardo When Lucardo opened in 2016, it claimed to be the hardest one to solve in the city. With themes including magic, bank heists, and murder mystery, it’s certainly one of the most popular.

You’ll find it inside Virginia House on Great Ancoats Street, opposite the Frog & Bucket comedy club and right next door to the Crown & Kettle pub.

Teams can be between two and six people large, and will be given 60 minutes to solve their way out.

Choose your team wisely - you don’t want to end up bickering with your mum because someone forgot the code to a padlock.

There are five different rooms to choose from - you can enter into a dream, attend the University of Magic, or steal a Russian diamond.

There’s also a smaller site in Rawtenstall. Breakout Manchester Breakout Manchester is one of the biggest and most varied in the city.

They have two locations now - one is on Brazennose Street, close to the town hall, while the other is on High Street, opposite the Arndale market.

That means plenty of different rooms, each with its own theme and difficulty level, to choose from.

For crime-lovers, you could find yourself framed for murder, hunting a killer, or working as a world-class spy.

Those who are fans of adrenaline can tackle rooms themed around apocalyptic disease, missile strikes, mad scientists, and creepy cabins.

Each room is ranked on a five-star difficulty level, and there’s the chance to book two simultaneous rooms and race another team if you fancy it.

It’s recommended that teams are of no more than five people here. Tick Tock Unlock Tick Tock Unlock is small, but offers thoroughly thought-out game rooms. It’s the boutique hotel of the breakout room world.

It follows much the same format as the others - small teams (between three and six people) and 60 minutes to find your way out.

There are only two rooms to choose from here. You can either find yourself stuck on a strange and unforgiving island with no way out, or come face-to-face with the undead while you try to save humanity.

Tick Tock Unlock have now got four locations across the north of the UK Leeds is the biggest, with other sites in Glasgow and Liverpool.

They’re also the first to utilise VR technology in one of their games, though you’ll have to travel to Leeds for that one. Escape Room Manchester As escape rooms go, Escape Room Manchester has definitely got the most impressive location.

You’ll find this one in an arch near Victoria Station, just off Chapel Street. It’s neighbours with Bijou Club and through that multi-storey arched window you’ll have a view across the river.

Games-wise, most here are dark and mysterious. The easier games include Prison Break and Slaughter House, then there’s the more challenging Room 13 and The Secret Lab.

Again, you’ll have an hour to solve the live puzzle.