First time doing an Escape Room room with Escape Oakland. We opted for The Spy Room. Our objective was to retrieve the codes and save our CEO who had been kidnapped by a group of spies. COVID precautions taken: masks required, air filter in room, private parties only. Kind of hard to socially distance in an enclosed room, so I recommend going after being fully vaccinated. I thought the puzzles were really cool and innovative. There was a great variety and way to solve puzzles that I'd never seen or done before. The flow of the puzzles was intuitive. We rarely went out of order on the clues and the sensor aspect and waiting to hear what would open up next kept us on our toes! Only issue I had was that our escape room moderator called one of our teammates out during the game to resolve a payment issue, even though our organizer had tried to settle it beforehand. He also didn't stop the timer when we managed to escape. Because we used a clue, I guess it didn't really matter, but would have been nice to know our exact escape time. If I recall correctly, we had about sixteen minutes to spare. Aside from that snafu, I highly recommend checking out the escape rooms at Escape Oakland. read more

It was our first time doing an escape room and it did not disappoint. We had such a great time. I was a little overwhelmed with the information in the beginning and intimidated that we wouldn't get anything right but Kevin was a ton of help, reassured that we actually did a good job. LOL. Thanks Kevin for an awesome experience and we couldn't recommend this place enough. read more

This was my first time ever doing an escape room and I'm afraid to say I'm now completely hooked! Kevin was a great game master. He was funny and helpful the whole way! The game itself was well-planned, interesting, and juuuust challenging enough. I'll be back asap! read more

I've done 3 escape rooms here and enjoyed every one of them! I love that when you book a room (no matter how many people) it will always be private. My favorite room so far has been the spy game. Parking is easy as there is street parking right in front of the business. The staff is always very friendly - Kevin was a great game master! The quality of the escape rooms are pretty average overall but there are fun and challenging puzzles. read more

We did the alchemist room and it was quite fun! The game master was great and the puzzles were very cool. Highly recommend!!

Great escape rooms. Challenging but doable. I went with a group of 7th graders for my daughter's birthday and the girls were able to escape and had so much fun. The staff is so friendly and fun. read more

They told us the answers to most of the riddles without us asking, before we had a chance to do much. I thought I was going to get to try to figure it out! We finished way early, of course, because we didn't get a chance to actually solve the puzzles. I felt like the staff got more out of it than I did. read more

Fantastic escape room. Had such a blast with my friends doing the Bunker. Will 100% return to try the rest of the rooms! Also, our host, Jake, was fantastic at guiding us and deserves a shout out! read more

They were patient with us and when we got stuck, they gave us just enough of a clue to get past it. I recommend.

Had an amazing experience. The entire escape room was very well thought out and interesting

Love this place. I've done 3/4 rooms and had a great time with each of them. Shoutout to Wes, our game leader and Dungeon Master, who was a terrific host and very knowledgeable about the art of escape rooms. Just a tip: do this with 3 or 4 of your friends. The rooms are a little small and I don't think the puzzles are meant to accommodate large parties with everyone doing their own thing. Ideally, you have groups of two groups of two collaborating. read more

My group of 5 and I (2 of which have been to an escape room before) went into the first room, the gallery. We were told the safety rules by Theo, then we walked into the room and he told us the story and task of the room. I don't want to spill too much about the room but the name for sure goes with the room as it as themed as an art gallery. My group and I did not escape the room within the allotted hour, but we did get thru the first room (yes there are two rooms). The room was full of locks that took keys, numbers and words, puzzles, hidden messages, black lighting, key pads, scripted messages and so much more. The time runs out so quick because you are so busy trying codes and searching for clues. At first I thought that 6 people were a bit much for the room but as we started breaking away and trying different methods and solving different clues I knew that 6 was a good number so you could work on more things at one time. When we seemed to be struggling Theo would send us a clue over the TV screen which was really helpful, he could obviously see us struggling. Some of the clues were a bit confusing but before we went in he said don't over think it, but of course when your against the time you can't help but over think. Will for sure be back! read more

Escape Oakland - First Yelp event - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

We did Bunker, and I loved it!! A lot of the puzzles were very creative and witty. A lot of people in my group were on the beginner side, and they had lots of fun!! Definitely an easy room! read more

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Cute and intriguing escape room right across from the Oakland Police Department. We played "The society" and we escaped which made it all the more rewarding. I recommend this escape room as it is hard enough to keep you engaged but interesting enough to figure it out. The room for "The society" is tight for seven people but I feel we needed each person in our group to figure out the room. read more

awesome! We did the spy room and it was really clever--and hard for us. Kevin was a great game master too

Our group of 6 played the Dreamscape room. While the concept was cool, the decor and puzzles were not quite on par with what we expected. One of the rooms was much too small for our group of 6, and we ended up getting in each other's ways more often than not. If you are claustrophobic, I would not recommend this room due to how it is set up. The puzzles were not sequential and instead seemed very random. I enjoyed the way the hints were distributed to us and that we were monitored via camera. Some of the puzzles did not work, which was a bit of a bummer. We definitely left the room a tiny bit confused even after they talked us through the ones we did not complete. The puzzles just didn't quite tie in holistically. At under $30 per person, it is a decent experience. They are still quite new, so hopefully they will improve with time. Willing to try another room further down the road when they are a bit more established! read more

Escape Oakland - Dreamscape - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

Valerie was a helpful host. Alchemist was a perfect challenge for our family with 10 and 14 year old children.

Fun escape room in Oakland! My friend and I were trying to find something "COVID-friendly" to do over the weekend and came across this place on Yelp. I've only been to one other escape room before, so I was totally down to try it out. In the interest of being safe, they're only offering private rooms for all 4 escape rooms available ($84). It was just the two of us, so we decided to try out "The Alchemist" which was a new theme. They were also very gracious in letting us bring her lil' dog in his carrier into the room. They do have difficulty levels noted for the other options such as the Bunker or the Spy Game, but we took a gamble on this new one since it sounded like something up our alley. Essentially, this one involved a professor who was the world's last serious alchemist and had been searching for an apprentice to pass down the craft to, so your ultimate goal is to be able to turn lead into gold. Of course, I won't go into the details, but it's definitely something that would've been better to do with a larger group setting. Nonetheless, we both had a great time and appreciated all of the helpful hints that were given along the way (upon our request). One suggestion would be to lower the volume of the music when the hints are given because there were many times that we couldn't hear what they were trying to tell us. Overall, it was a fun experience and we definitely want to come back to try out the other rooms soon! read more

Escape Oakland - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

I had a great experience at escape Oakland. Me and my girlfriend did the spy game and we had so much fun definitely coming back. Also thank you to our game master Kevin for making our experience the best 10/10 read more

first escape room experience. we did the Alchemist theme room. jake our game master was so amazing and helpful. will be back to try the other rooms for sure. read more

We tried the bunker game and was able to escape with the help of our game master Jake! He was great and made the experience 5/5!

LIBBY WAS AMAZING TOTALLY I RECOMMEND HER AS YOUR PERSON TO GIVE HINTS AND STUFF!! -Isabella She gave us extra time when needed and helpful hints! -Zoë She was really cool and yeah. -Marrielle she was amazingly cool and gave us more time when we needed it. also i liked her outfit and makeup. -Liah Libby was really nice and understanding. She gave us extra time and was super helpful and clear with her hints. Than you Libby! You're the best! -Maya Libby was an awesome gamemaster and was really good at acting as the alchemy teacher. -Daisy SLAY QUEEN!!!!! YASSSSSSS LIBBYYYYYYYY read more

Lots of fun in alchemist! Jake was our very helpful and friendly game master. Will definitely be back for more rooms

Great escape experience! The staff gave us a great orientation in the beginning of the escape. We did the Society and it was so much fun. They had a fan and air purifier in the room and the room is clean. The theme was pretty scary (or in their words, "suspenseful") and I'm easily scared but it added to the fun. I would come back and do the other ones! read more

went here for a friends birthday and wow what fun!! Jake made this experience really enjoyable and fun. I'm a mom and this was my first night out in a long long time, this was a night to remember and we will definitely be coming back! read more

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The Bunker was amazing!! Jake made everything very fun and we had the best time. The puzzles were very challenging but the hints give you just enough information to still feel challenged! read more

Escape Oakland - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

Second room done today. Today was spy game. Kevin was a great game master! We will be back.

We're a family of three (two adults + a 9 year old) who LOVE escape rooms and puzzles, so we came here for my birthday. We did the Society and it was fun - not too challenging. Some of the sensors are very particular about placement of items so we wasted time re-working puzzles only to find we were right the first time. But our game master Valerie was wonderful and we look forward to playing again! read more

Jake is the man! Give him a raise. He deserves it. It took us 50 minutes with three clues but we finally did it! read more

Escape Oakland - Lou, Beni, Ann, Nevine, Andre and JAKE! WE GOT OUT!!! - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

Kevin was awesome thanks for being an awesome game master. Thanks so much I appreciate it.

COVID pretty much took escape rooms off my radar last year, but I was really grateful that my friends booked one for my birthday this past September. When we arrived, we found that we were a day early (my friend accidentally booked The Alchemist on my actual birthday). Rather than tell us to just come back the next day, the game master helped set us up in the Spy Game room which was a lot of fun. There were definitely enough puzzles to go around for a group of six and we managed to escape with a few minutes to spare! read more

Escape Oakland - 9.17.21 - we escaped! - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

Kevin's is awesome!!!!! We had a lot of fun here and Kevin was an amazing game master! Definitely asking for him next time . Will be back for sure! read more

Great quality good fun and the challenges were easy but not too easy Some thoughts I had, 1. They have a lot of stuff in the lobby for waiting for your session including a mini NES and some brain teasers 2. The puzzles are very intuitive, but not so hard a third grader wouldn't be able to do it but not so easy a group of Adults can steam through it, my group took about 47minutes for ours read more

My date and I didn't escape. We didn't have a clue or chance with our combined wits. Guess I should stick to the classroom, a place I can never escape before 6pm. What a great way to learn about your partner than trying to figure out how to get out. Escape Oakland is well-ran, well-staffed, and well thought out. We did the Ex Machina, the hardest room with just us two. Pro tip: bring a team of at least 4 peeps. We paid $30 per person, and though that hour whizzed by, our task master,Amy, was super chill, responsive, and welcoming; you know time flies when you can't make sense of the clues. We didn't give up, the time just gave out. We will be back better than ever or at least stacked with the brightest and or most available teachers around to Escape Oakland. read more

Escape Oakland - Waiting room! Nostalgia setting in before we enter! - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

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My company went here for part of our Christmas event. We had an amazing time at the Escape Oakland! Anesas was absolutely amazing! His customer service and attentiveness made all of the different! I will be back because of him. Thank you. read more

Escape Oakland - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

Great Fun! Easy to registrar and sign in. Very efficient process We did the bunker and it was very detailed with a good story and wonderful props. If you are in the Oakland area. I highly recommend it. It's easy to find. Decent parking and a wonderful experience. read more

Came here with friends for my bday celebration!! We had one hour to escape a small room and we did it with a few seconds left! Clever clues, puzzles. Decoding. The employees help out if needed. Fun for all ages! The only reason I did not give five stars-- the rooms are very close to one another so sometimes you can hear other teams yelling but really it was how hot it was! We were a group of 8 in a small stuffy room. No AC And it must've been 90 degrees in there in November! Not sure if that was part of the ambience to make it more real but was quite distracting. We were all Sweaty and my hair was matted to my face at the end lol. Loved they took a picture of us and emailed it. Would come back to try another room but next time will dress for the heat. read more

My first foray into doing escape rooms, and I'm hooked! Staff is extremely helpful and friendly, and the themes are fun. I've done three so far, The Study, The Bunker, and The Society. The Society was my first, and it was just me and my pal Cara. I think I liked it best because we didn't have to collaborate with a lot of people and could just fumble through it together. With that said, when there's four of you, that can be logistically the best (anything more would be a spoiler!). Go. Put on your thinking caps and have fun! P.S. I was legit concerned about claustrophobia, and I had no problems. read more

Escape Oakland - We survived The Study! - Escape Games Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is such a blast. I'd never done an escape room before and wanted to check it out. It was just me and one other person. We did the Bunker and while we didn't escape, it was so much fun. The hour flies by and makes for a great first date. I really want to go back with a bigger group to see if we can conquer a different challenge with more brain power. The workers can give you clues to move you along and if anyone gets claustrophobic, there is an emergency escape button. They offer to take your picture afterward too. read more

I have since returned to Escape Oakland since they added new rooms and are under new management and there has been a significant improvement on the quality of puzzles and design of the rooms. EX MACHINA: This was a very hard room, so do not do this one if you are new to escape rooms. I felt the satisfaction of solving the particularly difficult puzzles so as a vet, I did enjoy almost all of this room. The one puzzle that made my fellow escapees and I super frustrated was the one that required a skill that none of us really had. I did not enjoy the challenge or feel that it was very fair, but we just took a hint and moved on. THE SOCIETY: This room was the most fun of the three, with a diverse set of medium difficulty puzzles and a fun mechanism for the last puzzle. I would say no more than 4 people for this one as well due to space and number of puzzles. We heavily used the hints in this room but that was because we are not as good at search and find. THE BUNKER: This was a cute room with a cute story, but very Escape Room 1.0 with a sheen of good tech over it. Medium difficulty and this one should not have more than 4 people both due to space and number of puzzles to work on. I am not sure I felt some of the puzzles/mechanisms were fair and could be discovered without a hint, but I am not that mad about using hints so we got through it. One gripe I have is that the gamemasters have too much on their plate and cannot respond fast enough when you need a clue. All three of the new rooms I tried had that issue which kind of ruins the experience. Whoever runs this company should allow the gamemasters the tools to better respond to hint requests as I do not blame the gamemasters as they seem overwhelmed with check-in and handling the rooms. read more