Room Escape Artist

My work is a game, a very serious game

Location: Madrid, Spain

Date Played: June 19, 2026

Team Size: 2-6; we recommend 2-4

Duration: 80 minutes

Price: €26-42 per player depending on team size

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: All players must navigate narrow passages.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push To Exit

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

If you’ve ever dreamt of stepping into the strange mind of M.C. Escher, El Laberinto is the game for you. This was the art film of escape rooms – edgy, surreal, experimental, and confident in its unusual tone. This experience won’t be for everyone, yet it was never trying to be a crowd-pleasing blockbuster.

I want to see more escape rooms that stray far, far away from the classic themes, aiming not to lure in customers with the all-too-familiar premise of a pirate ship or a prison break but instead with new worlds altogether. El Laberinto had a clear creative voice. It had a unique way of navigating space, filled with surprise and delight. It was effective in its contrasts. The puzzles were creative and got us to explore the world of El Laberinto in intriguing and unexpected ways.

I won’t lie, this was a deeply weird experience — and that’s exactly what made it so memorable. It was truly unlike any other escape room I’ve played, and its original ideas were presented with solid execution and strong passion.

Descifra Escape Room warns that El Laberinto should only be attempted by more experienced players who have played at least 15 escape rooms. While it wasn’t an unreasonably difficult game, do heed this warning, as there was plenty to puzzle through here, and also certain interesting design choices that players will only fully appreciate once they’ve seen what “normal” looks like… because this hidden gem is something entirely different.

Who is this for?

• Puzzle lovers
• Scenery snobs
• Best for players with at least some experience
• Fans of M.C. Escher

Why play?

• An unusual take on a “maze”
• Surreal and unexpected environments
• Creative gameplay

Story

We entered the strange and fragmented mind of M.C. Escher in an attempt to puzzle him back to consciousness.

Setting

El Laberinto was set in a strange maze that abstractly represented the inside of a man’s mind…. and yes, it was as peculiar and intriguing as it sounds. Along the way, we encountered a range of interesting environments.

To note, while El Laberinto is nominally themed around M.C. Escher’s brain, this was not an “Escher game” in any sense that it recreated real-life versions of Escher artwork, or anything in the direction of a Museum of Illusions.

Gameplay

Descifra Escape Room’s El Laberinto was a standard escape room with a high level of difficulty.

Core gameplay revolved around solving puzzles, making connections, and navigating the maze. There was a unique mechanic around unlocking and exploring the physical space.

Analysis

➕ El Laberinto took place in a playful and surreal environment that was especially effective in its sharp contrasts in pattern, texture, and tone. It was not a small game, yet it felt wildly larger than it actually was due to a creatively compact layout. We never quite knew what to expect.

➕/➖ A novel navigation mechanic was fitting for the theme. While there was plenty to discover upfront, there was also room to even more fully take advantage of the unique features of this mechanic.

➕ Creative puzzles naturally emerged from the environment, and each space felt meaningfully designed around the gameplay that it housed.

➕ A communication puzzle embodied the strange humor that made this experience shine.

❓ A different sort of puzzle didn’t pose too much of a challenge for our team, but I could foresee it being a frustrating bottleneck for some teams.

➕ A well-timed environmental aha was a true lightbulb moment. In El Laberinto, everything was connected.

➖ While we enjoyed the layers surrounding a simple physical challenge, we wish it had been differently implemented to provide a clearer output.

➕/➖ The final puzzle was satisfying in structure, yet anticlimactic in the actual action we took. This sequence would have benefited from a more dramatic final twist or effect.

Tips For Visiting

• This game is available in English and Spanish.

Book your session with Descifra Escape’s El Laberinto, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.