Forbidden Quest: Time to Float (Belfast)

This is IT

After a recent spate of child disappearances your team of investigators are sent to the remote town of Derry (Maine) in a bid to uncover the truth.

Your investigation will lead you to a number of locations within the town and you may need to interact with various townsfolk you meet along the way…no matter how unsavory some may be!

The journey to reach Derry will be long and your team will be exhausted after your travels.

Do not despair!

Luckily one of our elderly residents has volunteered to put you up for the night. She has a wealth of information regarding the history of Derry and has lived there all her life…in fact her father used to work in the circus many years ago.

Belfast is known for a number of things: The Titanic, The Delorian, C.S. Lewis… The Troubles… and now, escape rooms. We’ve been hearing rumblings regarding Time to Float for some time now. The game has been steadily climbing the list of top 100 games in the UK (as ranked on Escape the Review) since it opened in 2023. Time to Float was holding strong in the #2 spot for some time, but at some point, it managed to overtake The Great Loudini, stealthily slipping into the coveted First position.

Time to Float has been tempting us to make the trip to Belfast for a while now, but then Forbidden Quest announced their newest game, The Collector, was coming, making the trip even more attractive. Finally, a deal on Ryan Air sealed the deal on a cheeky little get away, fitting in just five games.

In case it wasn’t clear from the imagery used to promote the game, the back story behind it, the name, or the fact that some of their promotional materials actually refer to it as “Pennywise Escape Room,” Time to Float is heavily influenced by, and based on Stephen King’s It and the adaptations of that novel. And knowing that, it should come as no surprise that this is 100% a horror escape experience. Players beware…

Our arrival into Belfast was uneventful, and we started our mini escape break with a bit of fun and whimsy with a visit to another company in the city, Timescape, to play Casino Heist and Spellbound. After a bit of a wander and an attempt to find somewhere delicious to eat (word to the wise – if you’ll be in Belfast on a Saturday night, it’s worth planning ahead and making a reservation if you can), it was time to make our way across town to the main attraction.

We arrived outside the door to Forbidden Quest 15 minutes early, on the dot, as requested. After ringing the bell, the door buzzed, and we made our way up the steep stairs to reception, where we were greeted by our host, an ‘FBI agent,’ whose name I sadly missed.

The game hadn’t even begun, and yet there was already a rather disquieting atmosphere throughout reception, despite the trunks for our belongings and posters advertising the other games on site adorning the walls. While this wasn’t quite the cold start that we’ve come to expect from horror experiences throughout Europe, it wasn’t far off. Our host greeted us in character, and kept up some friendly chatter as we placed all of our belongings, including phones and smart watches, in the holding area.

With all of our possessions secured away, and the health and safety basics out of the way, it wasn’t long before it was time to get down to it, and solve the case of the missing children in Derry. Our host led us up another set of ominously dark stairs to the entrance to the apartment where we would be spending the night, and gave us a few tips about our “host” for the night. We entered the room, and the experience began.

IMMERSION/ROOM DESIGN

Forbidden Quest have struck the perfect balance of atmosphere, with a situation that is unsettling, but not so threatening as to make it impossible to focus (with the caveat that this is entirely dependent on one’s tolerance for things that go “Boo!”). In fact, this is one instance where being at least semi-familiar with the source material could actually work against you, as I found myself often thinking that certain set pieces offered perfect jump scares that never actually materialised.

The set is expansive. While the spaces themselves weren’t massive, they were plentiful, leading players on an almost labyrinthian journey through Derry. Some of that journey does require some degree of agility, requiring players to crawl, climb, and maneuver through tight spaces, making the game inaccessible for those with mobility issues. And occasionally, the transition from one location to another didn’t quite make sense in terms of the story, but it was only the transitions, as the spaces themselves were the perfect compliments to the underlying narrative. (And let’s face it, if you’re being chased by a demon that presents itself as a killer clown, are you really likely to notice this as you scrabble through a crawlspace? The answer is no.)

The character interactions throughout the game immediately threw us into the world that has been created, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the story, and the puzzles fit right along side that.

PUZZLES

Often, in horror games, the puzzles are an afterthought, coming secondary to the overall experience. And that’s not surprising. During my first horror game I struggled with the most basic of things – like unlocking a door. Overcoming your fear, and thinking in spite of it is often a puzzle in itself.

But the puzzles in Time to Float weren’t shockingly simple to compensate for the atmosphere, nor do they rely on the age-old standby of “difficulty by darkness.” Rather, the challenges we encountered here were well-thought out, fair, and in a couple of instances, surprisingly complex. Challenges included teamwork, communication, logic, pattern recognition, and more. While I wouldn’t go so far as to call the puzzles diegetic, whatever the puzzle was, it fit into its surroundings, fitting the theming, and on occasion, helping to tell the story.

GM/CLUE SYSTEM

When a game features (multiple) live actors, a GM is so much more than just a host – they are a major part of the experience. And the characters we met throughout our adventure in Time to Float certainly helped bring it to life. Of course, being IT-themed, that may, or may not be a good thing…

That said, Forbidden Quest have managed to create an almost perfect balance of tension, jump scares, and live-actor interactions. The horror elements weren’t over done, at least not until the climax of the game, where it ramped up a bit, allowing players to feel the tension and atmosphere, but still have enough breathing room to solve the puzzles without being relentlessly terrorised by a certain demonic-clown. And the actors themselves were excellent, adding exactly the right amount of terror or humour to the situation.

Of course, if for whatever reason your brain isn’t braining, help is available. The manner in which help is received evolves with the game as the narrative plays out. Although I can’t remember ever feeling the need to ask for any outright clues, occasionally we were given a little nudge if we seemed to be losing momentum.

ANYTHING ELSE

Time to Float was a TERPECA nominee with two nominations in 2025, missing out on the requisite six that were needed to become a finalist. However, I’ll be very surprised if that repeats in 2026, as word continues to spread about this game, and more enthusiasts make their way to Belfast.

For what it’s worth, and whatever happens in the future, Time to Float is an excellent example of a horror-escape room, on a par with some of what are widely considered to be the best games in Europe (and the world.)

Success/Failed

Final Rating:

Team: 4 Players

Address: 1 Bradbury Pl, Belfast BT7 1RS

Website: http://www.forbiddenquest.com/