Phantom Peak
London's immersive open-world adventure — a 30,000 sq ft steampunk town with live actors, trails and mysteries to solve
London's immersive open-world adventure — a 30,000 sq ft steampunk town with live actors, trails and mysteries to solve
Phantom Peak fills 30,000 square feet with a fully realised steampunk town — complete with its own canal, lake, waterfall and costumed residents. Created by escape room designer Nick Moran and set-building expert Glen Hughes, it opened in 2022 as the world's first immersive open-world adventure, combining elements of video games, escape rooms and live theatre under one roof.
Visitors explore three distinct districts at their own pace, completing trails that involve solving puzzles, decoding clues and interacting with live actors. A web-based app guides you through each quest, and with at least ten trails available per season and the world reinventing itself every three months, no two visits play out the same way.
Phantom Peak launched on 3 August 2022 on the site of a disused Docklands car park near Canada Water. Co-founders Nick Moran, an escape room designer who previously created the Time Run attraction and a Sherlock-themed escape room with Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss, and Glen Hughes of Tandem Set and Scenery, spent years developing a concept that would merge live theatre, escape room puzzles and video game mechanics into a single open-world format.
The result is a 30,000-square-foot steampunk town with its own canal, indoor lake, waterfall, museum, shops and boat rides. After 625 performances at Canada Water, the experience relocated to a larger, multi-level venue at Westfield Stratford City in 2026, expanding to three distinct districts and upgrading its interactive technology. The world reinvents itself every three to four months, with each season bringing fresh storylines, new set designs and ten new missions.
Every visit begins with an opening ceremony in Old Town, where actors introduce the backstory and explain how the trail system works. The web-based Jonassist app then sets you off on your first quest based on your answers to a few initial questions. Trails involve finding clues on noticeboards, watching in-world videos, interacting with technology and speaking to costumed characters to piece together each mystery.
Each trail takes roughly an hour to complete, and with at least ten available per season most visitors manage one or two per visit. Completion awards collectable trail cards, while three physical skill-based arcade games test hand-eye coordination, memory and reaction time. The Thirsty Frontier Saloon serves specialty cocktails, and RoboChef provides burgers, loaded fries and mac and cheese alongside vegetarian and vegan options. A closing ceremony wraps up the evening.
Phantom Peak sits inside Westfield Stratford City, making it straightforward to combine with shopping, dining or a film before or after your session. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is a short walk away, offering the London Stadium, London Aquatics Centre, ArcelorMittal Orbit slide and extensive parkland along the River Lea. Stratford station connects directly to the Jubilee, Central and Elizabeth lines for quick access to central London.
Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult, while those aged 15 to 17 may attend if a responsible adult remains on site. The daytime weekend sessions from 11am to 4pm are designed with families in mind, while the evening sessions from 5pm suit adults and older teenagers. The venue is wheelchair accessible throughout, and no outside food or drink is permitted. Arrive at your allocated entry time to join the opening ceremony, as latecomers may miss the introduction.
Dynamic pricing applies with higher rates at peak times. A 5% booking fee is added at checkout. Guild membership offers discounts for regular visitors
The opening ceremony introduces the world and explains the trail system. Arriving late means missing context that makes the quests easier to follow and more enjoyable throughout.
The Jonassist app runs in your phone browser throughout the visit. Five hours of screen use drains batteries fast, so arrive fully charged or bring a portable power bank.
Saturday and Sunday sessions from 11am to 4pm are designed for families. Evening sessions suit adults and older teens better, with a livelier bar atmosphere after dark.
Find the three physical skill games testing coordination, memory and reaction time. Beat all three and you earn honorary citizen status plus one free return visit to Phantom Peak.
The town covers 30,000 square feet across multiple levels. You will be on your feet for four to five hours walking between districts and following trail clues around the venue.
London Travel Writer · 12+ years covering UK attractions and tourism
Last reviewed: March 9, 2026
