Shape and Escape: Dubai most physically challenging escape rooms

Escape rooms that give you a workout, whilst you’re working out the clues…

Time is a precious commodity. It’s hard to fit in all the work, life admin, shopping, meditation, hydration breaks, DEWA-paying, meetings that could have been emails and YouTube tutorials – we’re supposed to do as adults. So hacks that streamline this never-ending to-do list are holistic living gold dust. We present to you the workout x fun time collab, escape rooms that put your mind and body on an emotional treadmill. All the gains, less of the pain.

TepFactor

This JBR adventuretainment facility operates as a series of challenge rooms, each making their own unique demands on your brain, brawn, patience, fitness, logic, skill and ability to work as a team. There are 21 conundrums to unravel within the artificial cave network – and teams of two-to-six players can take as long as they want, with as many tries as they want (it’s charged by the hour) to beat them, but, Pro Tep: keep an eye on the time if you want to climb the leaderboard.

Bahar Plaza, JBR, Dubai, Mon to Thurs 12pm to 10pm, Fri to Sun 12am to 12pm, adults Dhs99. tepfactor.ae

BlackOut Escape Rooms

One of the keys to making sure you’re on track with your exercise goal is keeping that heart rate in the training zones. Something, the absolutely harrowing BlackOut Escape Games, is only too happy to oblige with. Want play a game? The centre offers multiple puzzle quests, each with their own fiendishly conceived mysteries loosely themed around horror movies and a cast of live actors cranking the intensity of the scare lair up to 11.

KML Building, Al Meydan Rd, Al Quoz, 10am to 2am, Dhs220 per person. @blackoutbycave 

Prison Island (Sharjah)

Your opportunity to live out those Prison Break fantasies awaits in City Center Al Zahia Sharjah. Here a series of Crystal Maze-style escape rooms require you to flex your muscles, brain and problem solving skills in an effort to ‘Beat the Bars’. Just remember the five Prison Island ‘Cs’ – crawl, code-break, clamber, communicate with your team, and cheat whenever the guards aren’t looking. Inmate, you have your orders.

City Center Al Zahia Sharjah, from Dhs99 (juniors, Dhs125 for adults), prisonisland.ae

Impossible Mission at Phobia Dubai

No idea what IP they could be suggesting with this title, but the Impossible Mission escape room at Phobia Dubai offers your team of two-to-six players the chance to make like Com Truise and pull-off a high stakes art heist. The mission, if you choose to accept it, will test your timing, dexterity, and deciphering skills – as you race against a 60-minute countdown.

JLT, Red Diamond building, 11am to 11pm, from Dhs160, teams two to six. phobia.ae

Images: Provided