While the colder weather might make you want to hibernate at home, many head to escape rooms to keep their minds active. Luckily, there are some great options to choose from in the Netherlands, as nine escape rooms have been named among the 100 best in the world.

Top escape rooms of 2024

To determine which escape rooms are the best, TERPECA used the in-depth reviews of 1.391 different contributors around the world. The reviewers tried 412.340 different rooms, of which 1.042 were nominated for awards. These were then whittled down further into a top 100.

For 2024, Le Cirque Magnifico from Escaparium in Laval, Canada, was chosen as the best escape room in the world. In the 150-minute-long room, groups of four to six players try to beat the puzzles and riddles offered by its circus-themed setting.

"With a breathtaking set, charming characters, fantastic puzzles and a story that still makes me a bit teary when I think about it, the only word that could possibly describe this game is magnificent," a reviewer quoted by TERPECA noted. Una Aventura de Leyenda by Mayto Kingdom in Spain, and another escape room offered by Escaparium, The Forgotten Cathedral rounded out the top three.

Voorburg home to the Netherlands’ best escape room

For the Netherlands, nine escape rooms were named in the top 100 with Molly’s Game at Down the Hatch Immersive Experiences in Voorburg ranked as the best in the country and the fourth-best in the world. Located near The Hague, the room is available in both Dutch and English, with a reviewer calling it “a masterclass in storytelling and immersion”.

“The seamless integration of puzzles with the narrative makes it a thrilling and unforgettable experience that will have you talking long after the game ends," noted the TERPECA reviewer. What’s more, another Dutch escape room made it into the world’s top 10: The Dome at Mama Bazooka, which was named TERPECA’s best escape room in the world in both 2019 and 2020. Taking seventh position for 2024, the escape room in Bunschoten, near Amersfoort is said to be “ahead of its time and still remains amazing to this day”.

Best escape rooms in the Netherlands and the world

In all, here are the top 10 escape rooms in the world:

1. Le Cirque Magnifico - Escaparium (Laval, Canada)
2. Una Aventura de Leyenda - Mayto Kingdom (Vitoria-Gastiez, Spain)
3. The Forgotten Cathedral - Escaparium (Laval, Canada)
4. Molly’s Game - Down the Hatch (Voorburg, the Netherlands)
5. La Taberna - The City Escape Room (Terrassa, Spain)
6. Die Legende vom Herzlosen Piraten - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben, Germany)
7. The Dome - Mama Bazooka (Bunschoten, the Netherlands)
8. Chapel & Catacombs - Lockhill (Athens, Greece)
9. Metropolis 2099 - Dream Labs Adventures (Bad Steben, Germany)
10. K.O.N.G Protocol - Escape Barcelona (Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Spain)

Here are the best escape rooms in the Netherlands, all of which feature in the top 100:

• 4. Molly’s Game - Down the Hatch (Voorburg)
• 7. The Dome - Mama Bazooka (Bunschoten)
• 13. Pray - Escape Room Katwijk (Katwijk)
• 17. Stay in the Dark - Darkpark (Vlaardingen)
• 25. The Non Believers - Your Escape (Leiden)
• 32. The Alchemist - Sherlocked (Amsterdam)
• 59. The Asylum - Silent Town (Burgum)
• 70. Lost and Found - Kamer 237 (Volkel)
• 91. The End - Darkpark (Zoetermeer)

To see which other escape games made the top 100 check out the TERPECA website.