Room Escape Artist

Missing is one of the best escape rooms around Montreal, Canada. Here are our recommendations for great escape rooms in the Montreal area.

M1ss1ng

Location:  Blainville, QC, Canada

Date Played: October 13, 2021

Team size: 3-5; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $28.99 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: one player needs to be able to crouch in a small space, and all players need to step over/ through an obstacle

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Missing was unapologetically styled after Stranger Things. Whether we’re talking about the aesthetics, gameplay, or the story beats, it truly did that world justice.

Enigma-tic told their own story within the look, vibe, and structure of Stranger Things. In doing so, it delivered a couple of the most memorable sequences that I’ve seen in an escape room. These were truly special moments that were wrapped in well-executed traditional escape room gameplay.

Enigma-tic wasn’t on our radar when we went up to Montreal for this year’s escape room tour. The folks on our tour told us we needed to play it, and they were right. This is a company that needs to be on your playlist if you’re in Montreal.

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Stranger Things fans
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Great solo moment
• Pays homage to Stranger Things really well
• Multiplayer challenges
• A surprising sequence

Story

Our dear friend had disappeared; no one had seen her for more than a week. The town seemed to agree that she’d run away, but those of us who were her friends knew that the truth would be much darker than that.

Setting

Missing had strong and overt Stranger Things vibes. While it never used any of the character names, the setting did an incredible job of making us feel like we were in that world. The 80s family room felt like it could have been in any house on that show, and the Christmas light letter wall was spot-on.

Gameplay

Enigma-tic’s Missing was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observing, making connections, puzzling, and communicating well.

Analysis

➕ We’ve played a handful of Stranger Things-inspired escape games over the years, and none of them captured the show’s vibe as well as Missing did. While it never used character names, it was overtly of this world, which was a lot of fun.

➕ Enigma-tic nailed the 80s basement set. It felt lived in and familiar.

➕ Missing was at its best during the communication puzzles, each one with its own different twist.

➖ There was one sequence that rang for only one player, but in this instance, uneven information didn’t add anything. The full team would get more out of the experience if it were on speaker.

➕ The solo experience in this game delivered. It was dramatic and exciting, but also safe, and well clued so as not to stall the team’s adventure.

➖ One expertly designed interaction just needed more button-y buttons to call attention to the intended gameplay.

➕ Enigma-tic can scale this escape room up or down for teams of different sizes. They do this brilliantly in one late-game sequence such that each team experiences the full effect of a carefully orchestrated moment.

➕ Missing unhinged something extra that we didn’t see coming. This element was choreographed perfectly to surprise and thrill us.

➖ While the culminating sequence was fun and collaborative, it didn’t provide the plot resolution we were seeking.

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.

Book your hour with Enigma-tic’s Missing, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.