Montreal-area escape room named best in the world

Laval escape room Magnifico boasts enthusiastic actors and carefully-crafted set design that bring its creepy circus environment to life.

An escape room north of Montreal has just been named the best in the entire world.

The Magnifico game at the Escaparium in Laval, Que., is an immersive experience, complete with multiple actors, intricate set designs and an emotional ending that regularly brings people to tears.

It’s now taken home top international honours for the second year in a row.

“The closest thing I could compare it to is a movie,” said Escaparium owner Jonathan Driscoll. “It’s everything you see in a movie. There’s special effects and timing, the actors need to time themselves with what’s happening to get that emotional hit.”

There were major moments of elation among the big team behind the experience when Magnifico was named the world’s best at the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Awards back in December.

Now fans of the art form are flocking there from all over the globe.

“We’ve had people from Mexico, Australia, we had a group from Kuwait,” said Magnifico actor Alexandre Deguire. Staff told Global News they’ve also had guests from Indonesia and New Zealand.

Driscoll said the story and creepy circus aesthetic was inspired by the movie The Greatest Showman. He also draws inspiration from major theme parks he visits.