Excellent Japanese Horror Escape Game! Well thought out, we finished in 45 mins. (5 adults, 3 kids - ages: 12, 8, 7). Make sure you bring your smart friends...lol they will come in handy! Super Hero Game was also great! These rooms are very thought out and worth it! Money well spent! read more

Amazing fun! Great puzzles and overall theme. we did the horror room and had a frighteningly great time!

This is probably my favorite steakhouse in town. Sometimes the meat is a tad gruff but that is part of the rustic steakhouse feel. Anyway this escape room was highly fun. Kory runs it and the man knows what he's doing. I don't get scared easily but being in a group of 9 people in the dark screaming like a small child was an experience. The puzzles were nicely designed to get us just to the cusp of frustration before we solved them in ecstatic jubilation. 11/10 would come back to be a wizard. read more

My friend and I really enjoyed ourselves!! She and I booked a reservation on a whim, and we were not disappointed; we were HORRIFIED, but not at all disappointed! We participated in the "Japanese Thriller Horror" escape room; let me tell you, it is damn exhilarating!!! Raina was super cool, super helpful, and made our experience totally enjoyable, but challenging! And she was so motivating and kept reminding us that we were doing well! (: She scared us good more than a few times throughout the escape; it was awesome! The other staff even interacted with us too, even from the other room! You've gotta try the "Japanese Thriller Horror", it's fun and scary as hell! Thanks again for the great experience!!! read more

Woohoo! We did the Japanese Thriller Room and it was a lot of fun. We are now addicts and super psyched to do more. First, they set the stage with a DVD on the backstory that really gets you excited and in the mood. Then, into the rooms you go. There are actually three rooms, each with puzzles that you have to solve to escape. We did escape (yay!) but it was hard with five people. I'd recommend maybe a group of around seven or eight for the rooms to be a bit more manageable. read more

So we went here for a friends birthday. I honestly didn't want to do this. My mind traditionally doesn't work well with these kind of "puzzles", so I thought. We had a group of 8 plus a child, we gave him a goal for the easy stuff. We had an absolute blast. Me and a friend figured out the most intricate aspect in order for us to get out of the room, which made me pretty stoked. There were a few scary aspects but it was just plain fun. They give you a whole back story on what you are getting into, to scare you. Work as a team to figure everything out. You get 3 clues,that they will help you with. We want to do it again. Go and book a trip! Thanks for the amazing time. read more

Escape Game SD - We won - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Last year I tried Great Room Escape downtown and was very disappointed by the experience. I thought maybe I just had unrealistic expectations. But now that I've tried this place I feel confident in saying that the other place was just bad. *This* is what an escape room should be. First, the puzzles are actual puzzles. It's not just "find item A to put in slot A." Sure, you need to find items in the room, but then you have to think about them and figure out what to do with them. There's great variation in the types of puzzle too, and they use different kinds of logic. I thought the difficulty level was perfect: made you think without being impossible to solve. But if you get stuck, you can use the intercom to ask for up to three hints without losing points from your final score. With nine people in the room, it's impossible for everyone to work on the same puzzle at one time, but there are enough puzzles that everyone can be working on something. There are multiple puzzle "chains" that can be solved in parallel. You find a series of items that give you the clues you need to open a box which gives you a code that helps make sense of message that you'd previously found, but couldn't decipher. Meanwhile other people are working on arranging items in an order that tells them the number that they need to open a lock which will reveal another clue. And ultimately putting what everyone finds together will show you the way out of the room. Plus, if you run out of puzzles to solve or find out that you're just not good at them, there are also items to look for, so there's still a way for you to be involved. I was really impressed by the room design. Not only were the puzzles well thought out, but the physical layout was nicely planned. They still don't want you breaking things, but everything was sturdy enough to withstand the wear and tear of repeated groups of eager puzzle solvers. Everything in the rooms also had a purpose. The place wasn't cluttered up just to make it harder to find answers (looking at you, Great Room Escape and your hundreds of keys). The items were there for a *reason*. The staff members who ran the rooms were great. They were friendly and enthusiastic and were happy to joke around with us. They did an excellent job of explaining the rules and the setup without making us feel like we were restricted in anyway. And afterwards there was no rush to hurry us out and on our way. If you're wondering which room to try, I think I slightly preferred Einstein's Office. Apparently it's supposed to be harder and has a slightly lower completion rate, but we found it to be a bit easier. I also like the puzzles and theme/backstory a bit more. But the Japanese Thriller Room is a great choice too. I was worried that it would be too scary for me (I'm not a horror fan), and while the story behind the inspiration is pretty horrible, the room itself isn't. I've had a great time at Escape Game SD and can't wait for the Harry Potter themed room to open! read more

Escape Game SD - View from the street. Entrance is a bit hidden around the back. - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a really fun escape game with a cool point system unlike any other game I've played. I really love the idea of "bonus points" for finding things and ATD and losing points for other reasons. I played the Japanese Room today. The space is great. I love the layout of the rooms. The decor is nicely done. Some of the puzzles were similar to puzzles I've seen in other games, but a couple were really unique. The sound track was interesting and sometimes distracting, but not in a bad way. Karina our game master was great! We got out in 46 minutes with a score of 2008. Our team consisted of myself, my husband and two other couples that didn't know each other. One couple had played 2 other games and the others were newbies. They were all really good at working together and nice. The entrance is behind the building and you go upstairs to get to the room. Be sure to go up the correct staircase depending on which room you are playing. *This was my 99th escape room. read more

Escape Game SD - We did it! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Went here for my friends bday and it was super fun! We had a group of 5 and it was perfect for us. We did the superhero theme and we loved it! We've all done escape rooms before, but this one was the best so far that we've experienced. Definitely got our brains working and had a lot of interactive puzzles that were pretty high tech compared to escape rooms we've done before. Also, mason was awesome and made it really feel like we were superheroes on a mission. He'd be a great game show host. He also mentioned that if you some back and let them know you did an escape room prior, you'd get 20% off the next one you do. I believe they have a Japanese horror one, I heard a girl scream so if you're brave enough (unlike me lol) they have that option and another wizard theme one. I think we're gonna go back to try the wizard one! 10/10 qoood recommend :) read more

Went to this escape room to try my hand at this past time for the first time. This room was called Wizards and Spells and very reminiscent of Harry Potter but you didn't need to know any HP to go here. The puzzles were very logic, symbol, math, reading between the lines based. This room was meant for up to five and with the two of us we were busy the entire hour. Very fun thing to spend time doing. Would go again and try other rooms as well. read more

ZACK IS THE MOST AWESOME MODERATOR EVER. It was my first time doing an escape room and I was beyond nervous and scared since we were doing the Japanese Thriller theme. However, Zack was super chill, friendly, and hilarious. He made it a fun experience! I don't want to spoil the game, but be prepared for the unexpected :) Like I said before, the theme was Japanese Thriller and trust, the music and props do get creepy. They definitely try to fit with the storyline the moment you step in, which keeps you on your toes and I think helps your brain stay active for the puzzles. The puzzle themselves are not too hard, but they do require creative thinking and a little math. My group managed to escape with 19 minutes on the clock! It's a bit expensive (~$30/person) but my group used a Groupon which reduced the price to $17/person. I recommend a Groupon if you can get your hands on one. Either way, I guarantee it will be worth it! I highly recommend this place if you and your friends are looking for a fun, bonding, and team building event. I definitely want to come back for the super hero theme. read more

Escape Game SD - We finished with 19 min left!! :) - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

If you're in the need for a little bump in the night... this is the place! I came here with a group of friends for a birthday event and man, did we have a great time! We had a group of 6 and then another couple joined us so we had a total of 8 people playing this game. I liked the aspect of working together with some people that I didn't know so that was fun and cool. So many different puzzles made for an awesome time. Just make sure that you pay attention to the clues! I think our host for the evening was Jessica... (I think) but she was the best! Super friendly and very helpful!! At one point, my friend had screamed really loudly and fell backwards on the floor. Jessica had made sure on the cameras that she was ok. She told use that she made sure to zoom in and check on her. I was really happy to see that she was concerned for her health. The one thing to really keep in mind is that there is two entrances, so don't get confused!! Both entrances are on the backside of the building... but when you are checking in for your theme... go to the right door. The signs are small but the one further back in the alley way by the dumpster is for the Japanese thriller... Granted one door says ESCAPE ROOM SD ENTRANCE but it's for the other themed room. read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

This was our first time doing an escape room as a family and Escape Game SD did not disappoint! It was just the right amount of difficulty and the atmosphere and host, Katie, made the experience even better. Next time we're in the area, we will definitely be back to try out the other rooms. read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Had a BLAST at this escape game with my boyfriend this weekend. The Japanese Thriller Room was both challenging and spooky, and I got the experience I was hoping for. Our moderator, Reyna, was super funny and gave great clues to help guide us, without giving away the answer. Highly recommend this as a gift for someone or just going for a date night! It is such a unique and cool experience. read more

This place was a huge disappointment. This place is alright if you like jump scares, but you only experience that during the intro. Nothing scary inside the actual rooms. The rooms were kind of shitty and dirty. I don't know if that was intended or they were just being super cheap. Maybe a lot of both? Asked if we needed to take our shoes off, and he said don't. I can see why with all the dirt everywhere. The puzzles lack depth. There is no real flow. 9 people would be way too many. We had 6 and there were not enough puzzles for all of us. Place lacks parking spaces and at night it gets even harder. Ended up just paying $10 an hour. Clay was the guy who played the video for us. He gets $10 for any mention so props to him. Get paid dude. read more

I brought my friends there over the weekend. We had a lot of fun and were really challenged, haha! The puzzles were well designed and the staff here are very friendly too. Would definitely come back if there's new staff. read more

Escape Game SD - Like the logo! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

11.29.15: The customer service was super excellent. When you call it directly goes to one of the owners. He was super nice and accommodating. I had lots of questions and he was able to sort out the whole ordeal along with working with me on a deal. Usually for the game they recommend 6-8 people. So if you have a smaller size they will try to group you with others. But it's more fun with your own friends of course. It's Hillcrest so yes they don't have their own parking, I think it's better to try to find street parking unless you know your entire party is on time then you can park in the paid 2 hour lot. It was tricky to find this place so just pay attention to the address and look up. There is a sign to guide you to walk to the back. Up the stairs you go and yes it's a weird entrance and most likely will have to knock. I felt like I was going into someone's apartment. Anyhoo we were greeted and given instructions. So the whole idea is you have 1 hr I believe to get out. Originally I thought it was only one room, but it's actually laid out as in a living room with three rooms. Which I believe made it even more interesting. That's all I can say without giving too much away. They did such a great job on the puzzles. Okay I'm calling it puzzles but I'm sure you get the idea. So much fun. When I booked to play they only had the Japanese Thriller Room. Which I would say scared me at first. hahaha. Yea I'm weak. I noticed since then they have a new room Einstein Portal. Can't wait to try that one. OooooH I'm so excited! read more

So glad I was peer pressured by our group to do this. I was hesitant only because I'm claustrophobic but as soon as Corey told me there's an emergency door that I can exit if anything then I felt ok. Great first time experience and Corey was awesome and super friendly!!! Thanks Corey!!! Highly recommend this place and so much fun with a group!!! read more

Escape Game SD - We escaped!!! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

I did the Japanese Thriller Room on 1/16, and it was a great time. Cory was very welcoming and helpful. We did the escape room with 7 strangers who we got to know by the end of the end of the night--shout out to TIm's Dirty 30! Anyways, the people were friendly, which made the experience even better. If you like the puzzles, you should definitely try this. It was the perfect level of difficult and the perfect amount of time. I highly recommend it! I purchased it on Groupon, so I felt like it was a good deal. Parking is a bit tough in that area, so I would recommend either taking an uber or leaving 10 minutes to find free parking and walk. If you want to pay for parking though, there is a lot nearby, and it is $3.00 per hour. read more

So this gem tucked away in a corner of San Diego was marvelous and we had the best person Cory to show us the ropes. This event was scary, heart racing, and overall exciting. The staff was amazing, the experience was grand and we laughed the whole time trying to escape. If you have a chance visit this escape room. I've done many before but non were the staff was as engaging as they were for this one. We will definitely be retuning for superheroes and the wizard room. Thanks Cory for a great time!!!! read more

See all

We did the Japanese Thriller room & had a lot of fun! We escaped with about 10 mins left I believe & found 4 of 5 gems! It's close to a lot of great bars so we hopped over there once we escaped! We're all talking about doing the wizards and super hero rooms next! read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Escape game SD was a great time today! Misty was an excellent hostess/moderator for us and explained the game well and assisted us in playing fair. We ended up having a pretty awesome team and we finished the room in about 50 minutes with 1920 points! Would def recommend read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

This place was absolutely incredible and Katie was by far the most helpful kind person. The experience was one that has made me wanting coming back. I've been to many in the Los Angeles area and this was the first time I felt like production was not only great quality, but we had an amazing host. -Greg Lozano read more

Justice was a great host. We enjoyed the scare and the difficulty of the puzzles actually made you think. We enjoyed it the first time and we definitely enjoyed it the second time. read more

This was my second escape room ever and it was so much fun!! Rena was our coordinator for the Japanese Thriller Room, she was awesome in her explanation of how everything worked and the rules. PAY ATTENTION to everything. We escaped with one minute to spare. Can't wait to come back for more!! read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

My friends and I had a really good time in the Wizards and Spells room. Our host, Katie, was super energetic and exciting. Really elevated the whole experience for us. The room was fun, challenging, but we made it out with 8 minutes left. I haven't done any of the other rooms here but definitely will come back for more. The group next door in the Japanese Thriller room was laughing, screaming, and sounded like they were having a good time. Can't wait for round 2. Thanks for a great time! read more

Escape Game SD - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

So much fun! This is my second escape room adventure and the first with this company. Theme: Japanese Horror Room. I was worried it was going to be too spooky scary but really it wasn't. No one jumps out and scares you, it's just based on a true story of a serial killer from Japan to set the tone. There are haunting elements but didn't distract from having fun. Staff: very friendly! There was a problem with my voucher code and were so helpful in making sure to hold my place in my reservation while I resolved the problem with Living Social. It seems sometimes the voucher code doesn't work when you book online so you may have to call them directly to book your room. Host: Corey was our MC and he did a great job getting us settled in, explaining the rules, and had a great sense of humor. Hints: you're trying to keep your points and are allowed three free hints if you need them. More will cost points. Solve the game quickly for more points. You want your team to get as many points as possible because they are creating a new room and higher scores can be entered to win a chance to beta test it! I hope we can, because our score was good enough to place on the leaderboard! Group size: there were 11 of us and initially it felt crowded but as we opened up more rooms and were able to spread out it got more comfortable. Location: right in Hillcrest, yay! When you see the sign for it out front keep in mind the entrance is up the stairs in the back of the building. Follow the signs and you'll be good. Just remember they are right above the tattoo parlor. Amenities: they have bathrooms here! The first escape room place we did last year didn't have one. So that's a nice added touch because hey who can solve puzzles with a full bladder? Accessibility: This place is on the second floor and there is no elevator so you need to be able to go up a flight of stairs to access them. I'll definitely check out their other rooms, so much fun! read more

This was my first "escape room" experience with my daughter. It was well organized, well planned and lots of fun. We were grouped up with 6 other people which was nice because two people definitely could have not figured it out in time as a first experience. read more

See all

Came here with a group of nine, plus a baby (so apparently baby friendly) and tried their Japanese thriller puzzle room. It was scary, but I'm also a huge scaredy cat. But apparently some of this stuff is true... Anyway, it was fun. I would definitely only do this of you purchased a discount deal via Groupon, as it was only about 22bucks a head, whereas I've heard it can go about $50. It's time, you have an hour. Our group finished in less than an hour. You "earn" points, which don't count towards prizes per say. But they calculate points for the season and if your team has the most points, you can beta test their new room. The puzzleroom itself can be claustrophobic, be forewarned. And apparently there are A LOT of these types of business on the same street FYI. read more

Finally got to do escape room for the first time, and it was better than I expected! My friends and I joined this separate group of friends to do the Japanese Thriller. They accept a group of 9 people, so if you don't have enough people, they'll combine you with another group. The girl that explained the rules and introduced us the game was super friendly and fun. They definitely try to start the whole experience the second you step into the place. I really didn't know what to expect, but I guess that's the best part. They did a good job with props and music to create the creepy/intense atmosphere that fits the storyline. It was definitely more thrilling than scary, which I really appreciated, but nonetheless, there was lots of screaming involved. The puzzles weren't extremely difficult, but they took just enough time and collaborations to solve. It's a great team building exercise! Can't wait to come back to try other themes! read more

Room-Japanese Thriller Room. You are contestants on a Japanese reality game show. The game is set in the abandoned apartment of the infamous Japanese serial killer, Futoshi Matsunaga. You need to Escape the apartment where his victims now haunt. Location was difficult to find. Once you are able to locate the building there is parking in the back. You will need to pay for parking. Also the room is upstairs so follow the signs. My bf and I Played this room with 6 other people. I feel 8 people is a lot of people for most escape room but once inside there was enough space to have 2-3 people in each room. The whole storyline and intro is on the scary side but mostly because its based on a true story. Our Host was Katie-this was her first day going solo. She seemed a bit nervous but I think she did a good job explaining the rules of game. This room was a bit different then the other rooms we have done as its based on points. If you can accumulate enough points you get to come back to try there new room (not open yet) for free. We did pretty good with a score of 2060 however, we missed the top score by 40 points. :( When we first entered the rooms I felt that even though the decor fit the Japanese theme it really did not reming me of a place where a notorious serial killer lived or a place where his victims were ultimately tortured and killed. So for me this took away from that experience and ii didn't completely draw me into the storyline. It basically just felt like a room to look for points more than a room that I needed to "escape". I also did not feel the puzzles were extremely difficult. Maybe because the group we are with cared more about the points needed than the experience of escaping. You are given three free hints (additional hints cost you points). So they used our hints without really trying on the more difficult puzzles. This was a bit annoying. Overall, we did enjoy this room. It was difficult enough to make it fun and enjoyable. :) read more

See all

I've done my fair share of escape rooms (10+) sprinkled throughout LA, Orange County, and San Diego. And not to be that person, but this was probably the most disappointing one I've done to date. We had a large group of 10+ and we wanted to do an escape room last minute. We chose the "Japanese Thriller" room since it seemed the right amount of scary (no live actors). Note that the picture on their website for the room is NOT of the actual room. The staff was very accommodating and very friendly. I believe our mods were Paolo and Ryan. There was another girl as well but I didn't catch her name. They were all very nice! The room is located upstairs to the right from their other rooms and you need to ring the doorbell to be let in. The Escape Room itself was extremely lackluster and disappointing. It is definitely beginner level puzzles and might be worth it if you're just getting into escape rooms. But honestly for the pricing (~$34/pp), you probably could find a more immersive beginner level escape room somewhere else. The story line itself was very intriguing when we read it online and when we watched the video during the introduction but in the end, it didn't have much to do with the puzzles in the room and the overall objective of the escape. The decor was not immersive at all. It's supposed to be a Japanese apartment but it literally just looks like an empty space with the bare minimum thrown in. Some of the puzzles were VERY simple but took a long time because some of the clues were hard to read because they were blurry. One of the puzzles was just a piece of paper with Sudoku on it found randomly. And personally, using a bunch of locks and keys to open more locks to find combinations for EVEN MORE locks feels lazy. One of the final puzzles is also not intuitive at all and felt very out of place in the "scary room". I was disappointed that this was the final puzzles where everything comes together that would lead to our escape. There are jump scares performed by the staff (again no live actors in the room with you) and audio noises for the "haunting" and a few creepy looking things but felt kind of like a cheap scare. A little pet peeve also was when asking for a clue, the moderator had to cycle through a bunch of questions to know where we were in the story line. When we finished the escape room, we found another escape room later that weekend to get the bad taste of this experience out of our mouths. Definitely won't be coming back. TLDR; Done a couple escape rooms before. Japanese Thriller was very disappointing and was not worth the price. Puzzles were lazy and not challenging. Can find a much better beginner room somewhere else for just as much. read more

We did the Einstein room and this room is great for beginners. There are enough puzzles for the full group of 8, but could also be solved with a smaller group. They use a point system which I appreciate to differentiate those who successfully escape. Mild spoilers: There weren't annoying red herrings and the puzzles all made sense, which I appreciated. The only drawback is that some puzzles could be solved even without having all the clues. read more

I wish it would have been a better experience. Camila was great. Very enthusiastic and upbeat with the kids. I'm glad my birthday boy was with her in the Japanese room. However, when we asked for help in the wizard room we were met with rudeness. He was very condescending towards us and even the children. The rooms were cool. Maybe adults with have better luck. he just doesn't seem to enjoy kids. Sadly, we'll have to find another place. Even with the 20% off for next time, I won't allow someone to talk to my kids that way. read more

This Escape Room is so much fun. The staff (especially Katie and Jake) had a lot of enthusiasm. Since this was the first Escape Room that my girlfriend and I went to I had to propose to her here. Katie was really helpful in setting everything up and putting the engagement ring in the locked safe. Thanks guys for creating such a fun experience for us! She said YES! read more

Escape Game SD - She said YES! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

The room itself was a clever idea and a good time. Unfortunately, staff forgot to include an important clue to the room. For the amount that we payed to reserve the room, we felt that it was unfair that the room was incomplete causing the experience to hinder. Staff gave us an additional 10 minutes to try to solve the remainder of the room; nevertheless, due to the missing clue, we were set back a total of thirty minutes. In the end, we were unable to complete the escape and we're disappointed because we felt that we would've had a good chance to complete it if all components were made available. Again, the room is a great idea and when it's complete, the user will have a good time. read more

DIRECTIONS: If you use Google Maps, it should lead you right to the lot of where they're located. They can validate your parking for you; the machine wasn't working (to put in the validation code) the day we went, but they said they'd take care of it for us. Located right by the CVS Rx drive-through next to a garage. CONTEXT: I've done 20+ rooms now, my favorites being a specific room each from The Unlockables, Escape Era, and Steal and Escape. I find that Groupon rooms are typically very lock-and-key heavy and lackluster in puzzle creativity though thematically it might be well done. I actually told myself I'd never do a Groupon room again, but a friend wanted to try this one. Every successive Groupon room I do, the more I tell myself not to do one again SERVICE: Great! The host was very upbeat and answered our questions before and after the game. Whoever helped me book on the phone was great as well. PUZZLES: Did the Superheroes room. Not very exciting, pretty straightforward, and included a LOT of red herrings which I really hate (as a concept). The puzzles aren't linear so you don't have to stick with one puzzle at a time. We went with a group of 7 and the room felt pretty easy and lackluster. The room is also small, so if you're a veteran to escape rooms, don't expect too much in terms of gadgets and creative puzzles. read more

200 dollars for that nothing worked in the wizard room she had to give us all the answers not fun

We escaped and saved the city with 6 minutes to spare with 5 people! It was great that the puzzles were interconnected so you had to actually figure out how they related to each other in order to solve. Only comment would be that our moderator forgot to do something during the middle of the game so we missed out on that interactive part. =/ But he was a nice moderator. read more

Escape Game SD - Saved the city with 6 minutes to spare! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

They do not clearly state that if you have children you have to pay to book the entire room. Booked my appointment came down there only to get very rudely turned away for something that was not my fault... the door was literally slammed in my face. My son has done multiple escape rooms with me and enjoys them very much so I had to drive all the way home with a very upset child. No type of solution was offered other than come back another time. Update: so we came back and did the wizard room and Paolo was amazing this room was so fun and creative I really enjoyed it... if it wasn't for him it wouldn't have been a good experience so much better than the first experience with the rude girl. I would come back here definitely read more