Red Herring Escape Rooms Crown Melbourne - an escape room experience

Escape rooms have become a staple of Melbourne’s entertainment scene over the past decade, evolving from niche puzzle experiences into mainstream group activities that appeal to couples, friends and corporate teams alike. With venues scattered across the CBD, inner suburbs and major entertainment precincts, there is no shortage of choice. Red Herring Escape Rooms, located within the Crown Melbourne complex, sits firmly within this modern entertainment ecosystem and aims to deliver an experience that is approachable, atmospheric and integrated with a broader night out.

We recently booked an experience at Red Herring Escape Rooms at Crown Melbourne, and while the experience was enjoyable overall, it also raised some interesting questions about how escape rooms are designed, guided and paced in 2026.

Highlights	A polished escape room at Crown Melbourne with atmosphere, guided puzzles and solid value, ideal for couples and casual players looking for fun over frustration.
Cost	$88 for two people following 20% discount
Location	Crown Casino, 1/8 Whiteman Street, Southbank VIC 3006
Website	https://www.holeymoley.com.au/activities/red-herring

Location and First Impressions

Red Herring Escape Rooms is located within Crown Melbourne, positioned conveniently next to Holey Moley and Juke’s, and surrounded by a cluster of entertainment venues including Strike Bowling, Archie Brothers Cirque Electric and Hotel Hijinx. This is clearly part of a broader entertainment family designed to encourage visitors to make an afternoon or evening of it rather than simply dropping in for a single activity.

From a location perspective, it is hard to fault. Crown is easily accessible by public transport, offers ample parking and is already a popular destination for dining, drinks and casual entertainment. For anyone planning a date night, group catch up or post dinner activity, Red Herring fits neatly into an existing itinerary without requiring additional travel or planning.

The venue itself feels modern and polished, which suggests it is a relatively recent addition to the area. The branding is slick, the check in process is streamlined, and the overall atmosphere aligns with Crown’s broader entertainment aesthetic rather than the more gritty or independent feel of some older escape room operators around Melbourne.

Booking, Pricing and Value

One of the more appealing aspects of our experience was the pricing. Red Herring was offering a 20 percent discount after Boxing Day, which allowed us to secure a spot for two people for $88. In the current market, where escape room pricing can often feel steep, particularly for smaller groups, this felt reasonable and competitive.

For couples or pairs, escape rooms can sometimes feel disproportionately expensive compared to larger group bookings. In this case, the discount helped bridge that gap and made the experience feel like good value, particularly given the additional perks offered at the end of the game.

The booking process itself was straightforward, with clear session times and room descriptions. Everything felt designed to reduce friction and make it easy for casual visitors to commit without overthinking the experience.

Choosing the Room, Old Haunt

We chose to play Old Haunt, which is described as follows. You and your friends are trapped in a deserted home and you find yourself in an abandoned world with a strange past and uncertain future. Can you solve the riddles before the past catches you. The room is rated difficulty three out of five, with elements focusing on lateral thinking, logic and deduction, and is recommended for ages fifteen and up due to adult themes.

Having not done an escape room for many years, despite having completed quite a few in the past, we deliberately chose the easiest of the three rooms available. This felt like a sensible re entry point, especially given how much escape room design has changed over the years with increased use of technology, automation and guided systems.

The theme of Old Haunt leans more toward atmosphere and tension rather than outright horror. While it is designed to feel dark and haunted, it is not a jump scare heavy experience, which makes it accessible to a wider audience including those who might be hesitant about horror themed rooms.

Introduction and Game Setup

Before entering the room, we were given a clear introduction and set of instructions. We were told that we could not use our phones to take photos or videos, which is standard practice across most escape room venues, but we were allowed to keep them with us. This felt practical and less intrusive than requiring phones to be locked away entirely.

The staff briefing was concise and professional, setting expectations without giving too much away. There was a clear emphasis on immersion, and the transition from briefing to entering the room felt smooth.

One notable aspect that was highlighted early was the use of simple AI within the escape room system. We were told that the room would actively monitor our progress and provide prompts or assistance to keep us moving along, and in some cases, would simply provide answers to puzzles if we were falling behind.

This approach is increasingly common in modern escape rooms, particularly those catering to casual players or high throughput venues, but it does have implications for how success and failure are perceived during the game.

Inside the Escape Room Experience

Once inside Old Haunt, the room design immediately established the intended atmosphere. The space was dimly lit, with a haunted house aesthetic that relied on darkness, sound and set dressing rather than overt scares. While not frightening, it was immersive enough to create a sense of tension and urgency.

The puzzles themselves were varied, with approximately six to seven puzzles in total. The first puzzle involved working out specific dates to unlock a key for a music player. This puzzle set the tone for the room, requiring careful observation and logical deduction rather than physical manipulation or reflex based challenges.

Despite our efforts, we struggled to fully work out this initial puzzle. This is where the AI guidance became noticeable. At certain points, hints or prompts would appear, and in some cases, the system would effectively move us forward without us being entirely certain whether we had solved the puzzle correctly or had been assisted past it.

Throughout the game, we were given three opportunities to ask for help. However, the distinction between requested help and automated assistance was not always clear. This occasionally created a sense of uncertainty about our progress, and whether our solutions were genuinely correct or simply sufficient to trigger the next stage.

Puzzle Design and Player Agency

Some of the puzzles were satisfying to solve and delivered a genuine sense of achievement when the logic clicked. These moments reminded us why escape rooms can be so enjoyable, particularly when collaboration and communication lead to a breakthrough.

However, there were also puzzles that were designed to be solved through trial and error. This was not immediately apparent during gameplay, and only became clear during the post game explanation. While trial and error can be a valid design choice, it can feel slightly unfair if players are not given enough context to understand that experimentation is the intended approach.

This ties back to the broader issue of player agency. When an escape room uses AI or automated systems to keep players moving, it can blur the line between genuine problem solving and guided progression. For newer players, this can be reassuring and prevent frustration. For more experienced players, it can feel slightly unearned.

Completion and Post Game Experience

At the conclusion of the game, we were told that we were one of the few groups that had successfully escaped the room, with ten minutes still left on the clock. This feedback left us feeling somewhat incredulous, given the level of assistance we believed the room provided to keep players progressing.

That said, the sense of completion was still enjoyable, and it was clear that the venue places an emphasis on ensuring guests leave feeling positive about the experience rather than defeated or frustrated.

As a bonus, because we successfully escaped, we were treated to a drink voucher for the bar next door. Each person received a voucher for a drink, which was a genuinely nice touch and reinforced the idea that Red Herring is part of a broader entertainment offering rather than a standalone activity.

Overall Impressions

Overall, our experience at Red Herring Escape Rooms at Crown Melbourne was a good one. We had fun, we escaped, we benefited from a post holiday discount, and we walked away with drink vouchers that extended the experience beyond the escape room itself.

The venue is well located, professionally run and clearly designed to appeal to a broad audience. While the use of AI guidance and automated progression may not suit purists who prefer a more hands off challenge, it does make the experience accessible and enjoyable for casual players, couples and those returning to escape rooms after a long break.

For anyone looking to add an escape room to a night out at Crown, or for those wanting a lower stress, more guided introduction to modern escape rooms, Red Herring is a solid choice.

Who This Experience Is Best For

Red Herring Escape Rooms is best suited to couples, small groups and casual players who value atmosphere and flow over pure difficulty. It is also a good option for date nights, birthdays or pre dinner activities, particularly given its integration with nearby bars and entertainment venues.

More experienced escape room enthusiasts may find the experience slightly guided, but even then, there is still enjoyment to be found in the set design, pacing and overall polish of the venue.

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