Urbana escape room named #2 in US, #37 in the world

URBANA, Ill. (WAND) - A local escape room has been ranked the number 2 in the country and number 37 in the world.

“The Forest of Fables,” an escape room created by CU Adventures received the rankings at the TERPECA international escape room award ceremony on Saturday.

“The Forest of Fables” sends players on a real life adventure to fix a fairy tale world gone wrong, and features a huge set filled with secret doors and compartments, actor performances, theatrical lighting effects, custom music, and even a live puppet show.

The leading US review site, Room Escape Artist, gave CU Adventures a “Golden Lock Award” this fall for the game, with reviewer David Spira calling it “the latest jewel in their crown.”

The 75-minute theatrical experience opened in December 2024, and it is the newest game from CU Adventures in Time and Space, which celebrated its 10 year anniversary this October.

Over 700 escape room enthusiasts and industry professionals from around the world nominated over 1,185 games worldwide in October 2025 as part of TERPECA (Top Escape Room Project Enthusiasts’ Choice Award).

CU Adventures’ previous most award-winning game, Game Night, made the list for the first time as well, placing #32 in the US and #213 in the world.

Other escape rooms at CU Adventures, Revenge of the Cabin, Rise of the Icarus, and The Wizard’s Curse, were also nominated, but did not move on to the finalist round.

CU Adventures is the only company in the Midwest to place in the top 100 in the past 5 years.

CU Adventures said “The Forest of Fables” grew out of a partnership with the University of Illinois Department of Theatre. In the spring of 2024, Illinois Theatre collaborated with CU Adventures to put up the immersive theatrical escape room “I Wish,” inspired by Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. CU Adventures spent 6 months adapting the set pieces from I Wish to create an entirely original game.

Anne and Chris Lukeman opened CU Adventures in Fall 2015 as one of the first escape rooms in Illinois.

CU Adventures will soon be opening an indoor “magical minigolf tavern” called Parcadia, adjacent to its facility in downtown Urbana.

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