Circus Magnifico | A giant escape game

Do you think you’ve covered most of the city escape games? Escaparium, in Laval, recently lifted the curtain on a new concept pushing the genre further. Pay attention to the eyes, the experience of Cirque Magnifico does things in a big way, with the intervention of three actors throughout the game, which extends over two and a half hours!

“It’s a bit like a cross between a play and an escape game. We follow a story that develops, in which we feel like a hero,” underlines owner Jonathan Driscoll, who went to draw inspiration from all over the world with his team in order to create the best possible circuit.

Unlike classic formulas often focused on one room, once through the doors of the marquee, participants navigate from room to room and from one atmosphere to another, in elaborate settings, enveloped in lights, sounds and smells. .

We meet strange characters, weaving together a continuous story, but who also give a helping hand to players who are perplexed by the puzzles to be solved.

And there is plenty to do! We will juggle between observations and logical deductions to move forward within ingeniously designed rooms.

Four to six players can wander through the corridors of the Cirque Magnificoand they will not be too much: certain challenges will require inevitable collaboration when it comes to pushing the right levers. The immersive side is a promise kept; apart from the interaction with the actors and the neat atmospheres (we loved the site of the caravans under the starry sky), we feel drawn in and stimulated by the game. Our small team of testers came away slightly exhausted – not necessarily physically , but mentally, especially when players indulge in sleight of hand.

A neophyte in escape games will perhaps prefer to cut their teeth on other themes with simpler and classic concepts; there is no shortage of them. Because note that infiltrating under the big top constitutes a certain commitment, to the tune of $160 per participant. A sum justified by the presence of a trio of actors, the intervention of around thirty people over a year and a half to set up this experience, and an investment of more than 1.2 million. Colossal figures for an escape game, fueling an ambitious project and capable of seducing fans of the genre looking for a “full-packed” formula.

Mr. Driscoll also hopes to win the designation of Best World Escape Game this year, awarded by the Top Escape Rooms Project jury.

The experience Cirque Magnifico is offered on certain days at Escaparium, generally in the evening, from Thursday to Saturday; $160 per participant (4 to 6 players).

Visit the Escaparium Laval website