Room Escape Artist

The Toy Maker is a top escape room in Hamburg. Discover more of our favorite escape rooms featured in the Regional Recommendation Guide for Hamburg, Germany. While not near by, if you’re playing escape rooms in Germany, consider our recommendations for escape rooms in Bavaria and escape rooms in Berlin.

It’s all fun and games

Location:  Hamburg, Germany

Date Played:  April 8, 2025

Team Size:  2-6; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  €28 – €65 per person, depending on team size and day of the week

Ticketing:  Private

Accessibility Consideration:  Players need to manage stairs and a ladder, and crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push to Exit in one space, otherwise [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Having worked at a big Toys R Us-like store when I was a teen, I know first hand what it’s like to wander a toy shop after hours, surrounded by every toy and game and doll you can imagine. The Toy Maker at Big Break Hamburg nostalgically brought me back to that time. Although a few games were unfamiliar in the Jack in the Box toy shop, there were plenty of classic titles that covered just about every available inch of space, including several German-language editions of popular favorites. The best part? Playing with the many game pieces that were cleverly incorporated into puzzles. 

The story centered on the disappearance of the local toy maker and the secrets hidden in his shop. Gameplay, centered around toys, of course, was fun and inventive, even whimsical at times. One key component used to gate progress was so creatively integrated in the spaces around us, that we took turns with it, delighted when it revealed a magic moment or another puzzle. Though most puzzles were intuitive and solved smoothly, we encountered a couple that took multiple iterations – and some persistence – to solve. Only one grew a bit frustrating after a while and we finally asked to bypass it, but even that one was fun to play with.

The imaginative set design and special effects continued to impress throughout the game. One large prop was so well hidden that we walked by it numerous times without knowing it was there, its eventual reveal providing one of several “woah!” moments. And the discovery of one space – my favorite in the game – was a moment all its own, and soon had us puzzling from a completely unexpected perspective.

If you’ve ever dreamed of exploring a toy shop after everyone’s gone home, here’s your chance. The Toy Maker brought creativity and whimsy to an already playful theme, surpassing our expectations. Make sure to add this game to your must-play list.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Game aficionados
• The kid in all of us
• Players with some experience
• Players who don’t have to be part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Playful set
• Puzzle variety
• Impressive reveals

Story

After receiving an invitation to meet the local toy maker, we arrived to find out he hadn’t been seen for several weeks. We were asked to snoop around the toy shop for clues.

Setting

The game began in a quaint toy shop, filled to the brim with colorful toys, games, stuffed animals, and even a rocking horse. A large chalkboard wall took up a portion of one side of the room, while shelves of games covered most of the other walls. A cash register and an oversized puzzle book sat on a counter towards the back of the space.

Gameplay

The Toy Maker was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty. 

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observation, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

➕ The experience began with an entertaining video that perfectly fit the game’s playful theme.

➖ Though the story provided purpose for our puzzling, it was not particularly compelling or memorable. A more detailed, emotive story would have enhanced the experience.

➕  Once inside, we found the toy store packed with a variety of colorful games and puzzles on every wall and surface, every nook and cranny. So many toys! But instead of being overwhelming, we noticed an organization to the space, with targeted lighting that pointed us towards available activities.

➕ We loved the distinctive design choices and interesting, unexpected spaces that were really fun to puzzle in, including one that was especially delightful to discover.

➖ A later set contained heavily-detailed decor that made the space interesting to look at. However, most of it was not used in puzzles. We wished there were more opportunities to interact with these items.

➕ A puzzle feature reappeared multiple times; it was elegant in its simplicity, yet brilliantly applied. Though used repeatedly, it did not overstay its welcome. Instead, we enjoyed seeing what creative spin the designer employed each time, gleefully wondering what it would do next.

➕ The Toy Maker contained several dramatic reveals, with one done especially well and with the whole team positioned in the right place to view it. Not only was it hidden in plain sight, it was implemented with the safety of the team in mind.

➖ The game ended with a notably underwhelming finale, and though it effectively concluded the story, it did not match the grand moments of the rest of the game.

🚂 The Toy Maker is an original game, and is not affiliated with other games with the same name.

🧸 While this game appeals to the kid in all of us, the website notes that it is “playable for ages 16 and up.”

Tips For Visiting

• Big Break Hamburg is located inside an office building called Neuer Dovenhof. Go through the main entrance, and look to the right side of the lobby. 
• Playable in German or English
• We enjoyed the bistro menu at Restaurant Perle just around the corner from Big Break Hamburg, and the traditional pub food and lively atmosphere at Frau Möller (cash only) in the St. Georg neighborhood.

Book your hour with Big Break Hamburg’s The Toy Maker, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.