OTTAWA · OTTAWA ESCAPE GAMES
The good escape games give up their weekend slots first. Below: the 9 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Explore Ottawa’s murals through a self-guided Questo game, with clues, local stories, flexible pacing, and practical advice on walking or biking.
“A very fun way to explore the city! Plenty of art and cardio... Killing 2 birds with 1 stone :) Tip: Wear comfortable shoes.”
Solve 10 phone-led puzzles across Ottawa, from City Hall to Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, at your own pace for $8.38.
“we indicate to go to an address on departure for pick-up. No precise time and no one on site when we could just start the puzzle. the address was not easy to find. Why not simplify by saying city hall. The number of kilometres to cover would have been good information to know for someone like me who is mobility impaired. When I saw that the end ended on the side of gatineau. We did the part that was getting closer to the byward market and we finished it there.Auto-translated”
Explore Ottawa’s Rockcliffe Park with a phone-based mystery game, embassy residences, riddles, scenic walks, and flexible timing for $7.20.
“While this tour says it ends at 11pm, we started at 8pm, as the sun was setting. Rockcliffe doesn't have many street lights. We found it very hard to find the clues in the dark. Plus walking through a park in the dark with a broken limestone path would be dangerous for older folks. This tour would be a lot more fun to do during the daylight. To the tour operators, please change the hours that it ends at like 8pm.”
Review of Ottawa’s $9.63 self-guided scavenger hunt, with Parliament, the Rideau Canal, puzzles, audio stories, route tips, and honest advice.
“J'y suis allée en 1987 et la restauration n'était pas avancé comme maintenant et c'est tout simplement magnifique! Ni trop long, ni trop court.”
Explore Ottawa with Crazy Dash, a flexible app-led scavenger hunt offering private play, remote help, family fun, and leaderboard points.
“Thought this was a great activity to do with our 11 year olds. The app stopped working about 1.5 hrs into the search. That was disappointing . Other than that. Great way to walk around the City and explore.”
Solve a grisly Ottawa murder while walking downtown, using your phone to follow clues, tackle puzzles, and explore at your own pace.
“Fun but could have used 2 phones instead of having everyone’s looking down at their phones. Not too much walking. Everyone was able to do it”
Solve puzzles across Ottawa landmarks on a private outdoor escape game with optional water adventure, flexible game choices, and family-friendly fun.
“Fun concept. Lack of instructions to find the starting point (7th floor of fairmont). It was a very hot day so we didn’t finish but my kids had a blast solving puzzles and finding landmarks 10,11,13. Tour manager was accommodating and helped make our experience great. Would do again on a cooler day!”
Review of Ottawa’s self-guided walking scavenger hunt, with Parliament, the Rideau Canal, monuments, 57 challenges, price, and practical tips.
“This is a total waste of time. Terrible instructions, plus the app keeps closing and then you have to start all over, it doesn’t remember your previous answers! We quit after 2nd question, completely lost and would advise anyone to find any other tour”
Review of Wacky Walks Ottawa, a two-hour app scavenger hunt with photo challenges, remote help, team play, rankings, and flexible fun.
“The hints didn't make any sense some of them made references to things you would have to already know which isn't good for tourists but at the same time is was either stuff you already knew so not great for locals but also kind of boring”
A door, a street, a phone or a dinner table.
