Review: Chez Mimi Cupcakes, Paradox42, Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac (Montreal area) Quebec
Fun Factor 7
Paradox42
3003 Ch. Oka local 103, Ste-Marthe-sur-le-Lac, Quebec J0N1P0
Date we played: July 12, 2025
Booking size 3 to 7 (we recommend 3 or 4)
Game time: 60 Minutes
Objective: The workers at Chez Mimi bakery are on strike – so Mimi, stuck in traffic, cannot open her bakery without your help to get the bakery ready to open…not so easy as you have to get into the bakery, figure out which cake is missing, find the recipe, and bake the cake. Piece of cake? Maybe not?
Difficulty: Intermediate
We had fun playing Chez Mimi Cupcakes (is on strike) at Paradox42, so we can recommend it. We gave Chez Mimi Cupcakes a Fun Factor of 7 – that rating reflects its engaging set, clear and consistent storyline, and a variety of puzzles that are laced with humor along the way.
Premise & Atmosphere
Mimi’s bakery is in trouble—her workers have gone on strike, she’s stuck in traffic, and she’s pleading with you to get things back in order before her cakes stop rolling out of the oven. Labor issues aside, your mission is to open the shop and bake the missing cake.
Paradox42 cleverly uses aromas to create the ambiance of an active bakery. We’ve seen scent used as part of puzzles before, but rarely to enhance the set’s atmosphere. The game begins in the front-of-house shop and moves into the bakery -- you’ll need to discover which cake is missing, and it’s your job to bake it.
Gameplay & Physicality
You’ll start in the store area and eventually gain access to the back bakery. There’s some required climbing and crawling for all players, with at least one person needing to navigate a fairly tight space (in our case, two players alternated). The game accommodates 3–7 players; we recommend 3 or 4 for comfort, though a larger group could work—just expect a squeeze in the more confined areas.
Hints & Interaction
Paradox42’s hint system is not plain vanilla (pun intended). A bakery “insider” watches from afar and, in character, provides nudges when requested, along with background exposition. This added personality made hints feel more organic and less like a standard escape room mechanic.
Set & Puzzles
The custom set includes bespoke pieces – some quite large, impressive with custom technology adding a fun twist on puzzle techniques we’ve seen before but executed on a larger scale. Expect plenty of tactile interaction with props and set pieces—something we particularly enjoy. True to the premise, you will “bake” a cake, and when you do, you’re rewarded with a fun, team-pleasing moment.
The game divides naturally between the front-of-house and bakery. The bulk of the puzzle solving happens in the bakery, where Paradox42 has devised a clever way to simulate cake-baking without the mess. We rate the difficulty as intermediate. The game focuses on observation, connection-making, and team communication. Puzzle answers were generally straightforward and elegant.
We mis-solved one puzzle—not due to incorrect data, but by using the bakery equipment in a way we thought was reasonable, albeit not as intended by Paradox42. We wish instructions had been posted - or at least some content to clue us since it appears to be a common misstep, and was time consuming to redo it in the manner prescribed. Even so, our helper friend chimed in and we corrected course quickly, finished on time, and enjoyed a delightful grand finale payoff sequence.
Paradox42 is located in a store/restaurant area with plenty of convenient parking. They have a pleasant, well-lit lobby with clever restroom signs.. The staff we met were super friendly and helpful. And like other escape rooms in the Montreal area, And heads up that Paradox42 warns that their games are to be played in socks rather than shoes - this was not enforced on the day we went (a sunny day in July). This seems to be a precaution for games played during inclement weather where wet and dirty shoes could harm the set.
We had fun playing Chez Mimi Cupcakes and we recommend it. We also had fun playing Chaos in Wonderland and The Investigation Continues at Bernard Jones, and recommend those as well (all 3 of these rooms can be played in English or French) – reviews will be forthcoming. If you go to Paradox42, please let them know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review – also please drop us a note to let us know what you thought…and HAVE FUN!
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