Courtyard Escapes Ltd 50-51 High Street, Stourbridge DY8 1DE

"Our group has played several escape rooms and have pretty much enjoyed all of them, however, I can't deny that we were a little bit disappointed with this place. Very strange welcome when we arrived as the guy just stared at us and barely spoke, which felt very odd and a little uncomfortable. We played the "Chocolate Fix" game, which wasn't a complete disaster as we did for the most part enjoy it, but there were too many things not quite working properly and overall it needs a bit of TLC. We had to seek help a few times only to discover that we had actually done things correctly but the kit had failed. It became apparent that the attendant wasn't actually monitoring our game as he was oblivious to this and when his help was requested, kept asking us to do things we had already completed. It was still fun, as has been every escape room we have ever played, but if we had to rank the 30+ experiences we have taken part in, we could only think of one that we would have ranked below this one. We were on holiday in the area and had intended to come back a day or so later to play the other game but, having been a little underwhelmed by the chocolate experience, decided we could almost certainly do better elsewhere."

"Played the Chocolate Factory escape with 2 teenagers and 2 pre-teens. We had great fun and the game was levelled suitably for the children with them being able to get fully involved in the solving of clues to achieve our successfully escape."

"Just got back from a brilliant experience at Courtyard Escapes. We booked the chocolate room for our U11 Girls football team’s Christmas party. Our plans were slightly compromised at the last minute by England progressing in the World Cup, but the CE team couldn’t have been more accommodating. They brought our game times forward, spun up a projector and speakers, and allowed us to stay on for the match. Nothing was too much trouble - one of the team even ran out in the cold to collect pizzas for us!! The escape room itself was a genuine challenge, so we’ll need to go back to try again! The break out area is really cozy too. All in all, the staff, venue, and room made this a great party experience for our group and I would recommend it to anyone! Great value all round. Thanks team - you guys rock!!"

"Me and my friends completed the chocolate factory room. It's rated as a 3 star difficulty, we got out with 10 minutes to spare. I've done a few of these escape rooms to date, from different companies. I've rated this a four star just because our host seemed to be watching another room at the same time as ours. So there were some small delays, when asking for clues. You also communicate through a walkie talkie. While other companies you just talk and the host can hear you. I personally prefer this. I recommend this room to beginners and maybe teenagers. Me and my friends had a good time. This place is situated down an ally way, which can be difficult to find."

"Its very unassuming from the street, tucked down an ally behind the main high street where you wouldn't ever think to look without the instructions for finding the venue (park at the Tesco or the nearby council carpark). Once you get in and up the stairs however, the staging area is beautifully decked out (see photo). The staff are extremely friendly and talkative and its clear that they enjoy their work. We did the Chocolate Factory room as a group of 2 adults 1 9 year old child. The puzzles are age appropriate - some maths, some logic, some hidden object and of course, the obligatory locks, keypads and buttons. We found it quite challenging to complete, though much of it was from our own errors and things like mis-counting. Chocolate Factory is formed of 3 small 'room' areas and a connecting corridor. I would suggest that a full group of 6 may find themselves a little squashed. There is nothing fearful or concerning in this room at all and a well behaved younger child would likely be content to be involved. Lockers are provided for your personal effects, as you are not permitted to take things into the rooms. I was not asked to remove my smart watch (but mine isn't capable of taking photos). I don't know if the normal policy would be to ask you to do so however! Speaking to the two hosts after our experience, its good to hear that the venue already has plans, both for expansion and 'refreshing' their offerings. We will certainly be back for the second room once we have an adult group! I would consider the experience good value for money - the total cost for our group being about double what a cinema visit would have cost us (before popcorn ......) and considerably more 'involved' - its amazing how fast that hour goes!"