REVIEW: Derailed at Lucardo Manchester

Stand back, a new Escape Room review is now approaching the platform. Destination: Lucardo Manchester!

It’s always fun for us Lucardo Game Hosts to hop from one venue to another, and this week I had the amazing opportunity to try out the newest game in Manchester: Derailed.

This train-themed murder-mystery room is truly one of a kind at Lucardo, and has been a huge hit since it opened back in December.

If you’ve not checked out Derailed yet, you can find the official game storyline below:

Your team have been hired by a most-wanted criminal to pose as detectives and help them get revenge on one of their enemies. You need to find anything on the train that might lead them to an answer of which one killed their partner-in-crime. It’s risky but you’ll be very well paid. But hurry! The real detectives will be here very soon. Will you find an answer in time or will you spend life behind bars?

 A Game in Two Halves

For me, the best thing about Derailed is that the game runs in two distinct halves, creating a unique, exciting, fast-paced adventure unlike any other here at Lucardo.

The first half of the hour-long room sees players rushing around a train platform, solving as many puzzles as they can in the allotted time to collect loot – namely, diamonds, jewellery, and other snazzy bling. If you’ve played our other collection games such as Space Evader or Claus for Concern you’ll get the gist, they’re jam-packed with puzzles and require a lot of quick thinking and high-energy solving!

For the second half of the game, players board the train carriage to hunt for the missing pieces of the mystery. This is where the game switches to a more linear puzzle style, great for fans of OG escape rooms. Can you make it out on time?

My Review

Unlike the sneaky sleuthing I did before playing The Orphanage at Manchester, I’m proud to say that I knew absolutely NOTHING about Derailed before stepping onto the platform. I’d seen a bit of the transformation of the room prior to the props being added, but all those puzzles were a complete mystery. The best way to go about it, for sure!

Derailed definitely plays out like a love letter to escape rooms, brimming with games to suit every kind of player, and unusual, masterfully-created puzzles we’re sure you’ll never have seen before. The room itself also looks exactly like an old-timey train carriage and platform – it’s almost impossible to picture it as the space that once housed the Gem Runner bank.

As always, I must take a moment to give a shout-out to our fantastic hosts at Lucardo Manchester, especially Game Host Sarah for guiding us through the high-stakes train escape. Thank you, Sarah! – you’re so fantastic at what you do!

Book Your Ticket Today

If you’re competitive, you’ll love to see that Lucardo Manchester has an active leaderboard for both its Derailed and Space Evader games, which guests can sit and admire in reception. Somehow, my team made it onto the Derailed leaderboard yesterday, giving us that proud moment of satisfaction seeing our name pop up on the screen.

Want to see if you can beat our record? Well, next time you’re looking for a fun day out in Manchester, definitely head to Lucardo to tackle Derailed. It’s book-able on the Lucardo website here, and you can always send us a message if you’d like more information.

Good luck!

To book your next escape room adventure in Manchester or Rawtenstall, visit lucardo.com. For any queries, you can call us on 01706 551600. Be sure to also stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram, as well as the blog, for many more fun insights, news, giveaways, and more!

Written by Madeleine Lily