Singapore's weather has two settings: too hot to be outside, and raining too hard to be outside. Both send everyone to the same air-conditioned places, which is why it's worth having a plan that doesn't involve wandering a mall for an hour.
This list is deliberately narrow — everything here is indoors, and everything is within a short covered walk of Esplanade or City Hall MRT.
Do something with a clock on it
The problem with rainy-day plans is that they're usually passive. You sit somewhere. You look at things. Two hours later nobody remembers it.
An escape room fixes that by giving you sixty minutes and a locked door. Groups of 2 to 8, from $24 a person on weekdays, and it works just as well for a first date as for four cousins who have run out of conversation. Never done one? Here's how the hour works.
Put a headset on instead
Free-roam VR is the version where the room is virtual and you actually walk around inside it. It takes 2 to 4 players, no previous VR experience, and headsets are provided. It's also the fastest way to find out which of your friends is secretly afraid of heights.
Something for a group with kids
Lava Floor is playable from age 6 with a parent along for under-13s, and it's from $13 a person on weekdays. It's loud and physical, which is exactly what you want after a morning of being cooped up.
Why Marina Square works on a wet day
- It's two minutes from Esplanade MRT, and the walk is sheltered.
- It connects to Suntec, Millenia Walk and Esplanade without going outside.
- There's food on every floor, so the plan survives someone getting hungry.
- It's open late — we run daily from 12 noon to 9pm, so a washed-out afternoon still has somewhere to go.
