Looking for a foolproof way to test if your friendships can survive a high-stakes challenge without actually getting booked for grand larceny? Some friends and I traded our usual quiet Tuesday plans for a stint at Prison Island over at The District Docklands, and it is easily the most fun you can legally have in a cell-room.
Think of it as a brilliant hybrid between an escape room and a live-action video game, packed with thirty-four uniquely themed challenges to complete as a team. Each cell presents a quick two to five-minute timed trial where you might complete obstacle courses, crack codes, test your memory patterns, or tackle physical hurdles. Every challenge awards points based on your success, and if you fail a room, you can simply reset the clock and try again until time runs out.
What truly set this experience apart for us was how quickly it turned our group into a frantic tactical unit. One minute I was shouting instructions while trying to balance across climbing handles, or punching glowing buttons under intense time pressure. Some rooms demand pure physical dexterity, while others require sharp logic, meaning everyone in the team gets a moment to shine. As there are no instructions for the rooms, half of the fun is working out what to do, and there were a few instances where it took us a few tries to nail the activity. One of our favourites was the ’tilt’ room, where a prison cell was put at a very steep angle and you have to crack some codes using the items in the room, all while trying to stay upright!
The pacing is fast, chaotic, and wonderfully engaging from the second you step inside. One minute you are channeling your inner secret agent, and the next you are staring blankly at a puzzle wondering how basic arithmetic or color patterns became your absolute greatest enemy.
One and a half hours later, sweating and breathless, our time on the island was finally up. Did we conquer the leaderboard? Let us just say our score was respectable enough that we avoided total humiliation.
If you are ready to cell-ebrate your inner action hero and prove your crew has the right chemistry, this is one island sentence you will happily serve.
– The Plus Ones
