'New Indiana Jones style escape room near Birmingham that's the best I've tried yet'

Feeling like I’d been transported into an Indiana Jones movie, the new Nottah Temple escape room surprised me at every turn. I’d expected the usual puzzles and race against the clock but this new offering from Tulley’s at Hatton Country World made me feel like an intrepid explorer.

It’s the third adventure at Hatton Escape Rooms and Games to open at the popular Warwick attraction on Birmingham outskirts and an excitingly challenging one for competitive escapers. There’s a jungle theme in semi-dark rooms that need torches, which all adds to the eerie atmosphere.

Creators have worked hard on having plenty of attention to detail and puzzles that are hard, but do-able enough for my group that ranged in age from 12 to mid 40s. That said, we didn’t manage to get out in time - getting about 75% of the way through it in the hour.

It’s aimed at teenagers and adults and teams of between two and eight people can try their hand at Nottah Temple, but be warned that it’s a tough one to complete. After the first few weeks, the success rate was only around a third, according to the front desk.

That’s testament to the amount of tasks, puzzles and questions asked of all the team. It never feels boring with room after room opening up and a wide range of mental and physical tests that made me feel like I could be in the Crystal Maze’s Aztec Zone.

The back story is that in 1824 your long-lost relative, the world renowned explorer Lord Archington Harrow and his wife Lady Bessie, discovered an ancient temple in the jungle full of gold and jewels. When they looted the gems, it ignited the curse of Queen Conteptua on the Harrows and their descendants.

Revisiting the temple through its secret entrance, the challenge is to find and return the stolen treasure in order to lift the Queen’s curse. Animal sounds make it feel even more real.

There’s a mix of types of puzzles from seeking out items to using logic, solving clues to open padlocks and pinball type arcade games. In one part of it, you even need to use your sense of smell, without giving too much away.

Despite the disappointment of not finishing, everyone in my team found it exhilirating and felt like they would rush back to try it all over again. It’s by far the best escape room I’ve tried to date and I’ve had a go at a fair few.

Part of the reason is because of not just the scenery and surprises, but because Nottah Temple has a good broad range of tasks that feel fresh and fun. There’s even a generator that once powered up, has a burst of smoke billowing from it - just one of many impressive special effects.

There’s a glossy look to everything as no expense has been spared, but part of that is because it only opened last month.

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The complexity and layering of ideas and sections within this one escape room is ultimately what makes it so special. You can tell it has been carefully planned out to push the boundaries further than normal.

Fun, thrilling and excitingly challenging, this new escape room is like walking into a real life temple of doom. Indiana better watch out as there’s new adventurers in town.

Where is Nottah Temple escape room and how much does it cost?

Nottah Temple is geared towards adults and teenagers and can be booked via the Hatton Escape website here.

It costs from £50 for teams of two people, from £69 for three people, from £84 for four, from £95 for teams of five, from £108 for six, from £119 for seven and from £132 for a team of eight people.

Hatton Escape Rooms and Games by Tulley’s is within Hatton Country World in Dark Lane, Hatton, Warwick. CV35 8XA. There is a charge for parking at the site.