Escape Games Canada – The Missing Will: An RPG-Style Escape Room Experience

Among Toronto’s many escape rooms, Escape Games Canada is well-known for its high-quality mechanisms and diverse themes. The Missing Will is their only game adapted from an existing IP. Even if you’re unfamiliar with the original board game, it doesn’t affect the experience at all. The story revolves around breaking a family curse and defeating the final villain, immersing players in a game with a strong sense of ritual.

Quick Overview

Location: Toronto · Escape Games Canada
Duration: Around 75 minutes
Format: Role-playing + score-based system
Group Size: Best with 4–6 players; larger groups have a clear advantage
Language Requirement: Very low; minimal reading or listening needed

Unique Gameplay: RPG + Score System

Unlike traditional escape rooms, The Missing Will feels more like a tabletop RPG:

Character Selection: Before entering, players gather in the mansion’s courtyard to choose one of eight roles. Each role comes with an ID card that must be “activated,” giving the experience a strong game-like ritual.
Main Story + Side Quests: The main storyline runs throughout, but each character also has personal puzzles. Solving them grants tokens that can reduce the difficulty of the main puzzles.
Score System: The faster you solve, the higher your team’s score. Larger groups can split tasks, making progress much quicker.

Setting & Mechanisms

Environment: Dimly lit but spacious, with multiple rooms. Background music plays continuously, enhancing immersion.
Puzzle Design: 100% mechanism-driven, no combination locks at all. Puzzles vary in type and difficulty—some quick and easy, others requiring more teamwork and logical thinking.
Flow: Extremely smooth, with no mechanical glitches or bugs disrupting the experience.

Highlights

Innovative RPG-style role system, adding immersion and variety.
Large number of puzzles testing different skills (logic, observation, memory, reflexes).
Designed for cooperation, making teamwork essential and rewarding.

Things to Note

The final boss fight ends with a sliding puzzle (Huarong Dao), which feels disconnected from the storyline and anticlimactic.
Most character roles don’t differ much—only one unlocks a unique item leading to an alternate ending.

Who Should Play

Tabletop RPG Fans: The role-playing element and score-based system will feel familiar and exciting.
Large Groups & Team-Building: The format rewards collaboration and division of labor.
Non-Horror Players: Entirely mechanism-driven, no scary elements at all.

Final Verdict

The Missing Will stands out for blending RPG elements with smooth, mechanism-based puzzles. While the ending feels a bit underwhelming, the overall gameplay is polished, dynamic, and highly collaborative. For those seeking a non-horror, cooperative, and innovative escape room, this theme is well worth trying.

One-line Highlight: An RPG-flavored escape room where teamwork and role-play are the keys to victory.

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