Curio

Escape Rooms Canberra (Canberra, Australia)

Time limit: 60 minutes

Age limit: Recommended 6+

Player limit: 2-7 (Recommended 3-6)

Difficulty: 2.5/5 (success rate 61%)

Awards: TERPECA Nominee (2022, 2024), Best of Morty (2024)

Date visited: June 2025

After experiencing the mini masterpiece that is The Vault, we headed straight into the last room at Escape Rooms Canberra (ERC) and the final room of our Canberra trip — Curio. This one has another intriguing premise, in which you are the assistant of a renowned magician and must race against the clock to fix the machine she relies on for her tricks, the eponymous C.U.R.I.O., in order to bring back her disappeared audience!

As much as I loved The Vault, I think Curio just edges it as my favourite room in Canberra. Part of it probably has to do with the magic theme, something I've always loved, though most magic-themed escape rooms I've played so far haven't really done it justice because they tend to all go down the Harry Potter route as opposed to the Prestige route. And that's what this room reminded me of — Christopher Nolan's The Prestige (starring Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale). The look and feel of the room felt like it came from that time and that world.

Curio kicked off with a bang in the box office area of the magic show venue. I absolutely adored the theming, which had an unsettling, eerie vibe that you get from those old travelling circus sideshows. From there, the room just continued to ramp up with one impressive prop after another, making the most of its magical theme and delivering numerous cool surprises. And just like The Vault, the puzzles in Curio all make sense in the theme, the space, and the narrative.

Finally, the room crescendos with a magic trick or two of its own, capping off a truly fantastical and memorable experience. I really don't want to give away any more than that, so you'll just have to check out the room for yourself.

My only complaint is that I wish the room could have been a tad longer. Like all of ERC's rooms, we finished in around 35 minutes, though that's really our own fault for excitedly rushing through it. We hear the owner is in the process of building a new room, and we can't wait to return to try it.

Escape time: 35 minutes and 14 seconds

Theming	Atmosphere	Puzzles	Creativity	Fun
A+	A	A	A	A+

Verdict: A magical room with fantastic theming, awesome puzzles, and several "wow" moments. One of the best rooms in Canberra and Australia.

OVERALL RANK:

H	E	Z	J
A+	A	A+	A+