Screaming Metal

Cabinet Mysteriis (Quebec City, Canada)

Time limit: 60

Age limit: 6+

Player limit: 2-6

Difficulty: 3/5

Awards: TERPECA Finalist (2023-2024), TERPECA Nominee (2020-2022, 2025), Best of Morty (2024)

Date visited: July 2026

We had a great night in Quebec City and a terrific crepe breakfast at L'Épicurien the next morning before heading to our next escape room venue, Cabinet Mysteriis, who were kind enough to grant us a custom booking for 2 games before their official opening hours. First up, Screaming Metal, which I had no idea was about until I realised it was inspired by the world of Mad Max! As our friend the Escape Room Explorer joked, we had to go all the way to Canada to play a game based on an Aussie film! So how was it?

• Screaming Metal was a delightful surprise. In all honesty, it was supposed to be simply the appetiser to our next game, The Dreamwalkers, but we all agreed that we preferred this one more!

• We started the game locked up in a dungeon as we have been caught and imprisoned by a clan raiders in a post-apocalyptic world. While this is a common gimmick in escape rooms, the way Screaming Metal presented this beginning was very different and exciting thanks to the way we had to free ourselves and the introductory presence of a live actor, setting the tone for the remainder of the game.

• The theming was very solid, a little grimy, a little bloody... just like how I would expect the set of a Mad Max film to look. The fact that the room is probably somewhat dated now was actually advantageous to the aesthetics.

• It wasn't a particularly big room, but there were multiple spaces and a smart use of space. There was a really cool prop that served as the centrepiece of the final section that the kids really liked.

• The puzzles were another strength of the room. We enjoyed the variety and the types of puzzles, ranging from your basic hunt and seek and codebreaking to multi-part logic puzzles, practical brainteasers, tactile and dexterity challenges, and real-life problem solving. The total number of puzzles might have been slightly below average for a standard escape room, but each one was engaging, interesting, and a meaningful part of the narrative. Teamwork and strategy definitely came in handy.

• One of the most ingenious parts of the game was its utilisation of the GM. I don't want to spoil anything but I thought it was not only clever but also maximised efficiency and immersion.

• I would have liked a few more puzzles as we didn't find it to be a very hard room, though that could also be due to the smooth flow of the game. The game could also have ended with a bigger bang; it was a nice ending but I just expected a little more of a climactic finish, especially when — for a brief moment — I thought we were going to get it.

• If I were to break down each individual element of the room I would say everything was very good or excellent, but it all came together to deliver something that was even greater than the sum of its parts. The overall atmosphere and the vibe was just fantastic, perfectly capturing the essence of Mad Max. We really had a blast from start to end.

Escape time: 40 out of 60 minutes

Theming	Atmosphere	Puzzles	Creativity	Fun
A-	A-	A	A	A

Verdict: A thrilling and thematically brilliant experience that immerses you in Mad Max's post-apocalyptic world. Clever utilisation of the gamemaster and live actors adds an extra touch of interactivity and atmosphere to the varied and diegetic puzzles.

OVERALL RANK:

H	E	Z	J
A	A+	A	A