Room Escape Artist

Inked

Location: Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Québec, Canada

Date Played: June 4, 2025

Team Size: 2-4; we recommend 2-3

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $33.95 CAD per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  None as far as we could tell.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Detention in Riverdale was a family-friendly escape game set within an illustrated Archie Comics-inspired school. Nearly everything in the game environment looked like it had been sketched and colored. The aesthetic was as playful as the gameplay.

We had a great time in Detention in Riverdale, but had two issues with the game.

The first one is big. In the starting area, there was a piece of emergency equipment that was decorated to blur the line between real life and its actual purpose. With all of the experience that we have playing escape rooms, we were still unsure if this was part of the game, or emergency equipment. This felt unwise to me, especially in a family-focused game.

The second issue was smaller in comparison: there was a lot of AI art in Detention in Riverdale… and in some cases it was painfully clear that it was AI art from all of the glitching and irregularity. It wouldn’t have taken that much effort to clean up some of the more egregious elements within this image… but that work wasn’t done, which was not a great look.

Overall, Detention in Riverdale was a fun game in a playful environment. It had some really excellent puzzles. It would be a great choice to bring a family to. My top recommendation at Paradox42 is At Mimi’s Cupcakes, and for experienced players, I also recommend Chaos in Wonderland over Detention in Riverdale. However, if you enjoy those games, this is another fun game to play while you’re at this venue.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Archie fans
• Any experience level

Why play?

• Fun, “sketchy” game environment
• Family friendly
• Solid puzzle play

Story

Our friend Tommy was always stirring up trouble but never suffering any consequences. We once again found ourselves in detention without Tommy. We decided to see if we could figure out how to escape like he did.

Setting

In Archie Comics fashion, Detention in Riverdale was set within an illustrated school. Paradox42 had a pretty significant black paint budget in this game, adding sketchy lines to just about everything. The effect was great. It looked like it we had set foot inside of a comic book.

Gameplay

Paradox42’s Detention in Riverdale was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around observing, making connections, and solving puzzles.

Analysis

➕ Paradox42 set the tone for this game with a fun, in-character introduction.

➕ The set was adorable. It felt like we were inside a comic book. This was a fun vibe. It elevated the typically mundane school room theme into something more interesting and playful.

❌ Paradox42 extended their playful theming to an emergency exit button in one area of the set. This made us question whether it was in play. It wasn’t, thankfully. However, for clarity around safety, it should be distinctive from the set dressing.

➕ Detention in Riverdale had a gentle on ramp, making it easy for newer teams to quickly start solving puzzles.

➖ In addition to the beautifully painted room, there was also some obvious and flawed AI art. This was off-putting and detracted from an otherwise adorable set. It also factored into puzzles, which was uncomfortable. In one case, we needed a hint because we instinctively chose not to look too hard at the AI art because it was ugly; this was a mistake.

➕ Detention in Riverdale was a puzzle-focused escape room. Our favorite puzzles had hidden depth. In one instance, we loved when a solution balanced perfectly. In another, the solution was music to our ears.

➖ Detention in Riverdale ended abruptly. It seemed like a finale scene had been constructed, but was maybe a “ghost scene” (like a ghost puzzle)?

Tips For Visiting

• There is a parking lot.
• This game is available in English or French.

Book your hour with Paradox42’s Detention in Riverdale, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Paradox42 provided media discounted tickets for this game.