The Final Stop - V2

Escaparium (Laval, Canada)

Time limit: 75 minutes

Age limit: Recommended 10+ (Under 16 requires adult)

Player limit: 3-8

Difficulty: Hard

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

Date visited: July 2026

I'm excited.

Our two-week trip in Canada finally brought us to Escaparium Laval, the No. 1 escape room company in the world. We played 6 games across 2 days here, starting with their lowest-ranked game, Final Stop - V2 (ranked 203 by TERPECA in 2025). As the name suggests, this is the second version of the game, available since June 2023, which revamped the set, redid the puzzles, and added live actor interaction. So how was our first taste of Escaparium Laval?

• Marvellous! I had modest expectations considering this was the lowest ranked of Escaparium's "Big Seven" (including Escape Plan in Dorval) and those expectations were blown out of the water. This was a super polished, well-made game with an intriguing storyline, a strong set, and wonderful live acting that took the experience to another level.

• The story is simple: There's a new automated metro system and we (the players) are among the first to try it, starting off from Escaparium Station.

• Naturally, we started off this game on a train, and it very much looked and felt like a train, not just from the decor but the simulated sense of movement. There was one minor tech fault that messed up the views from the windows (which we informed our GM after the game), but it did not detract from the brilliant tech and design.

• The rest of the set was really good too. As with all of Escaparium's sets, they certainly did not skimp on the budget. Whenever you step into one of their games, it's like walking onto a movie set or a Universal Studios/Disneyland experience. It's not just the quality of the build, but the attention to detail to the layered textures and overall aesthetic, as well as the lighting and sound effects that enhance the experience without being a distraction.

• In terms of size, I think this was probably one of the smaller games we played at Escaparium Laval, but it's still far bigger than most "regular" escape rooms we've played. The high ceilings at Escaparium Laval are definitely a huge advantage and they make the most of it not — only in terms of creating immersive theming but also the puzzles.

• Speaking of puzzles, this was our first attempt at Escaparium-style puzzles (considering Escape Plan at Escaparium Montreal had no conventional puzzles and Opus Memori at Ezkapaz was a more traditional room) and we enjoyed them a lot! This game was entirely linear and had a very clear line of progression. The puzzles started off surprisingly simple and straightforward, really not too unlike those we'd seen in other games, but once the live actor was introduced, the game took a sharp turn and became much more thought-provoking and interactive.

• What I will say is that Escaparium does better than most escape rooms in making their puzzles not just thematic but diegetic, if not mimetic. You are rarely — if ever — solving a puzzle simply because you're in an escape room. There's always some reason why the puzzle is relevant and solving it always progresses the narrative in some way.

• The aforementioned already make The Final Stop - V2 an excellent game, but what lifted it to the next level for us was our sensational GM and live actor. In fact, he was so professional and believable that it took me a second to register at the end of the game that they were the same person! In this game, the live actor is not just there to provide a jump scare or two, but a fully fleshed-out character who is an integral part of the story, someone you must interact with in order to solve puzzles and progress. He's not just an NPC who delivers fixed lines then disappears, but someone who will improvise and distract, delay, or offer hints based on how well you are doing.

• It should be pointed out here that Escaparium games are not about how fast you can finish them. Their aim is to always give your team the best possible experience, and part of that means making the most of the time you've paid for. For their newer games, in particular, the live actors are trained to manage the playing time of teams to ensure they finish as closely to the allotted game time as possible. In The Final Stop - V2, for instance, we had moved too quickly through the initial part of the game, so our live actor started being uncooperative and even played games with the kids to slow us down.

• Of course, the performance of the live actor can have a significant impact on how players view their experience, so I can understand it if some people don't enjoy their live-actor interactions. Perhaps we were just lucky and got a very good one.

• Ultimately, the set, effects, puzzles, flow, and live acting blended into a very cohesive story where we felt real tension and stakes as the game reached its thrilling climax. And when it was all over, we all felt a genuine sense of relief and satisfaction. That's not something a lot of escape rooms can deliver.

• We had a really fun time in The Final Stop - V2 and could not have hoped for a better start to Escaparium Laval. Every element of the game just came together so smoothly such that even if you don't like the game subjectively for whatever reason, it's hard to not objectively call it a great game.

Escape time: 67 out of 75 minutes

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

Verdict: A seamless package of theme-park-level set design, tech and effects, fun, interactive puzzles, and superb improvisational live acting. Combined with a cinematic plot, escalating urgency, and a banger of a climax, The Final Stop - V2 has everything you'd want from a world class escape room.

OVERALL RANK:

H	E	Z	J
A+	A	A+	A+