This is about my 20th escape - all but this one has been so enjoyable. There are some positives but mostly negatives - staff, lazy setup, inflexible games, some of the policies (oopsie fees seem more like "gotcha!" fees), primarily staff though - someone else running this could've been so much better. read more

Four of us came here on this Sunday afternoon. The facility was very well organized, very clean and they thought of everything. The escape room had great props and was challenging. read more

Escape The Space - Escape Games Near Me - Athens, Georgia

My first experience in attempting an escape room. Enjoyed it very much. The staff was great. We did need a hint or two.

Our Atlanta-based escape room team (Team Bad Math, #TeamBadMath) took a special day trip to Athens to take on all three rooms at Escape the Space. At the time of writing this review, Escape the Space, we were told, is the only escape room business in Athens. There was another one, which supposedly copied several elements from Escape the Space, but they closed. I enjoyed the rooms we played at Escape the Space and would recommend this place to anyone looking for something fun and "active" to do in Athens. This is the second road trip we've taken to play escape rooms outside of metro Atlanta (https://www.yelp.com/biz/escape-mission-chattanooga). The three rooms we completed here were room numbers 52, 53, and 54 for me personally. Needless to say, we've done our fair share of escape rooms (https://www.yelp.com/list/atlanta-escape-room-games-atlanta). Here are some observations I have about Escape the Space compared to other escape room businesses I've been to. I noticed several differences: 1. They have a nice, spacious staging area. This is where you sign waivers, assemble your team, get briefed on the game, and pose for photographs. It's one of the more elaborate staging areas I've seen. In addition to a TV and music (Google Home Mini), there are games galore (some with small prizes) including ping pong and a pool table. There are also lockers for you to put away your stuff. The staff hangs on to the locker keys. 2. They have a specific structure when it comes to solving each room. This is not a spoiler. The staff will explain to you the basics of how an escape room works at Escape the Space. Every room has multiple puzzles, each consisting of a trail of clues, and each puzzle must be solved. Each puzzle is assigned a color and each puzzle has a specific number of colored clues associated with it. These colored puzzles and the number of colored clues to each puzzle are made known in every room on a chalkboard. You can - and probably should - write on these chalkboards to help you solve each puzzle. The rooms we did had up to 4 puzzles each. It's up to you and your team on how you want to tackle the puzzles. For the sake of time (each room has a 60-minute time limit which is standard), the staff recommends teams split into smaller groups and each sub-group take on a different puzzle. Solving each colored puzzle yields a final puzzle piece. After solving all of the colored puzzles, you'll have obtained all the final puzzle pieces. After obtaining all the final puzzle pieces, the sub-groups can reunite as one big team to figure out the final puzzle and successfully complete the room. On one hand, I think this is great because your team can split up and divide and conquer. More people can contribute; it's not just one big team chasing down one trail of clues (this can happen a lot at other escape rooms). In this sense, each room at Escape the Space is non-linear. However, while there are multiple parallel paths to follow, I found each path to be very linear and straightforward. For some puzzle paths, I felt like my hand was being held. I prefer the setup of most of the other rooms I've done. There aren't color-coded puzzles and you have to figure out more stuff on your own, so it's more similar to a real-life situation. (Granted, with the plethora of clues at Escape the Space, I do think color coding is necessary or the clue-gathering and puzzle-solving could just get out of hand.) 3. You get to ask for help 3 times, but you have to find 3 hidden magnifying glasses in order to ask. Each magnifying glass allows you to ask for either: (a) the location of 3 clues of the same color or (b) help with 1 logic puzzle. 4. You are blindfolded before being led into each room. I've been blindfolded before being led into a room before, but not at *every* room at the same business. Don't worry - they wash the blindfolds after each use. 5. Brute-force hacking is considered cheating. This is the first escape room business I've been to where they consider performing trial-and-error on a lock cheating. While it can be considered a valid strategy for some escape room teams, that method doesn't fly here. 6. You must physically be outside of the escape room before your time is called. Unlike other escape rooms, punching in the final door code, unlocking the last lock, or performing the final action doesn't stop your timer. You must physically escape the space, hence the business' name. The 4 of us beat Playbook in 58:01 (1:59 left on the clock), Bomb Squad in 53:59 (6:01 left on the clock), and path(o)genic in 52:06 (7:54 left on the clock). Due to the small size of our group, Playbook and Bomb Squad, both of which are designed to handle up to 14 people each, were modified for us (the number of puzzles was reduced). However, we solved some of the puzzles so fast that we worked on (and solved most) of the optional puzzles that were removed too. Thank you to co-owner Alicia and assistant Sarah for a great time! read more

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"Escape is not his plan. I must face him. Alone." -- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) Another excursion for Team Bad Math and this time it was to Athens, GA for a day of food and escapes. We were welcomed by Alicia (and later, Sarah) with much grace and hospitality. Having planned the day out with Alicia over the phone in the weeks leading up to our trip, I knew a little bit about EtS, but not too much. But we were excited. Escape the Space is a different escape room concept and definitely unique - I think that other businesses should take a page from their Playbook (pun intended). They take the time to keep it fresh, which is great. They change their rooms quite often, so this is a business you could return to often. This is especially great for Athens as this is now the only available escape room business in town. The other difference is the method in which they lay out the rooms - it is actually quite brilliant and very well thought out. While most escape rooms are very linear in their design (find a clue, solve it, it leads to the next clue and so one), EtS is a very different process and it takes getting used to. It makes their rooms adaptable based on the number of people booked into the room - so smart. Their current room themes are The Playbook (college football), Bomb Squad (defuse the bomb before it goes off) and path(o)genic (deadly virus, save the world). While a couple of these can be found at just about any escape room anywhere you go, I found The Playbook to be refreshing and fun. And while it was their easiest, it took us the longest. It was also the first room we did and it took us a bit to get used to this new linear yet non-linear puzzle-style. The first room was frustrating to us as it was so foreign in concept, but we improved through the day as it went on. To be fair, it was our own fault as we were doing so well, we got caught up in wanting an "official time." See, you cannot register an official time unless you solve the entire room. Since there were only 4 of us and this was a 12 person room, we were only given 3 of the 4 puzzles to work. We felt the need to work on the 4th puzzle instead of escape...which we almost did not. We misunderstood and thought we had done everything else. Here is the beauty of EtS that other rooms completely miss out on - their 12-person rooms actually have enough stuff for 12 people to work on. No one is ever just standing around watching others work. The decorations were fun and fit in the themes and I especially loved the chalkboard walls - so much better than carrying around whiteboards or boogie boards. Creative puzzles and ones I had not seen before and creative ways to use our clues. We had a couple of issues in the last room path(o)genic of miscommunication on the direction from our Game Master, but not enough to affect the rating I'm giving EtS. Well done, Alicia! Thanks for a great day of escapes. read more

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We had a terrific time at Escape the Space for our grandson's birthday! He'd been wanting to do a real escape room ever since discovering the exit and escape tabletop games. He was THRILLED. He's great at puzzles, and the whole family (sister, parents, grandparents, and birthday boy) had a great time. We escaped with mere minutes to spare. The Dino DNA room was a good fit for kids. The puzzles were challenging without being so hard they were frustrating. Highly recommend! read more

This was our first time and had no idea what to expect. We were a little stumped getting started, so lost some valuable time, but Alysisa was great in giving us clues as needed and keeping us on the right track. Next time we will be more into it knowing what to expect, and hopefully, we'll escape in time. We told them we were celebrating our grandson's birthday when we made the reservation, and they had some nice touches for him to help celebrate. It was nice to get pictures included in the price, and there is a free arcade in the waiting area. read more

This place is so FUN! I have been two separate times and successfully escaped, with help from the amazing staff, both times. I have been to other escape rooms and to me this one is the most fun and challenging. The staff is super cool and fun. The waiting room is an enjoyable place as well. I highly recommend anyone to go!! read more

Escape Detention was my 29th escape room. Unfortunately I did not find it to be up to par with the other escape rooms I've done, even in the Athens area. If the thing you enjoy about escape rooms is searching LOTS of tiny crevices and pockets and corners for very small clues, this is the room for you! What my team enjoys is solving puzzles and finding solutions, and while there were a couple cool puzzles in the room we didn't get to experience most of them. Finding the clues needed to start solving more than half the puzzles required finding more than 20 small about 3 inch by 3 inch pieces of paper throughout the room which were hidden in very...creative places. There were also LOTS of unrelated items, many of which looked exactly like clues--I'm guessing because they were clues used in past rooms. When we brought this up after, the owners reacted with pride about the number of distractions in the room. On top of that, this was a room where the game master was VERY intrusive. About ten minutes into the room he interjected for about the 3rd time to tell us we should put together the puzzle we had just found. After my snarky response to that suggestion he did dial it back, then implied at the end that we had lost because we didn't have his help. As others have said, if you have to walk me through the entire room for me to succeed you should probably seriously reconsider your game design. I discovered from chatting with some other enthusiasts in the area that the designer for this company prides himself on only ever having done one escape room, and makes a point of not experiencing any more. I respect his desire to create a unique experience, but warn other enthusiasts that this results in a VERY different (and in my opinion much less enjoyable) experience because of it. I hope that if they're opting out of learning from others in their industry they at least take customer feedback very seriously, but nothing about their response to our reaction after the room makes me believe they do. read more

We had an excellent family outing. It was a fun/challenging experience, the staff was genuinely enthusiastic and professional, and the facilities from the waiting/game room to the escape room we well thought out and inviting. I recommend this to anyone just looking for a good time with family/friends or for a good team-building exercise. read more

Escape The Space - Escape Games Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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I have now completed 4 escape rooms at Escape the Space and have loved each one! I have completed 14 total rooms so far, 13 of which in GA, and one in Indiana. Escape the Space is still my FAVORITE! It's almost a 2 hour drive for us - but well worth it! The PuzzleMaster and crew are awesome and the puzzles are the best you will find. The entire vibe of the place will keep you coming back! read more

We took our staff and broke up into 2 rooms - The Playbook and Bomb Squad. Even though neither team escaped, everyone had a great time. Great place to promote teamwork! We had lots of team members saying how they wanted to do that again. I would highly recommend as a Xmas party idea or other team outing. read more

In the past we've done escape rooms in both Tampa (LOVED it) and Savannah (HATED it). Both the husband and I had been looking forward to trying Escape rooms in different areas. It just so happened that we were going to be in Athens for the weekend, kid free and when we saw Athens had an Escape Room, we knew we had to sign up- so we did- twice! And what a treat we were in for- Escape the Space definitely falls under the LOVE category! The Space- they have an awesome building. It's set up perfectly for the use. Very large rooms, plenty of space for large groups. The Game- We did both the Bomb Squad and National Lampoon's Christmas. The Bomb Squad was definitely set up for a larger group- so if you a couple signing up alone- recruit some friends to go with you or sign up on a space that already has some people. There was no way we could have completed the room in an hour, even with generous help (which we had). Even though we failed, we had fun! It was a completely different set up than we'd experienced at both Savannah and Tampa. Christmas Room- this one was so much! Instead of digging through a room to find the clues, you have photos that lead you to them. It was different than any other room we'd done, but I loved the concept of the picture clues! Again, this room was set up for a larger group- so go with another couple or sign up on a space there is already someone. Based on my experience I think it could have easily been done with 4 people. We were soooo close to solving the puzzle at the end (without much help along the way) and I think we would have had we found the clues quicker. The owners gave us a bit more time try and complete- which was super nice of them. We ended up having them walk us through the last little bit. The only thing I didn't like about whole thing was the blind folds- seemed a bit unnecessary, but perhaps it's to build excitement. The owner said they are planning on building a 2-4 person room. We'll definitely make the trip back to Athens when that happens! read more

One of the best nights out in Athens! This is our second time at Escape the Space and we loved both room themes. The rooms are challenging, fun and such a unique experience. The staff is super friendly. I would recommend this for anyone looking to get out and try something different. We will be back!! Note: The location was originally on Prince and now is located on Hawthorne. read more

Awesome place to put those electronics away and have fun trying to escape from the locked room. Very clean & staff was great with a fun sense of humor. Enjoy read more

We had a company outing. Everyone had a blast. It was creative and fun. I would do it again for sure. The staff was upbeat and friendly. They weren't condescending when explaining the games. Great company! read more

Escape the Space is a PHENOMENAL experience! We went twice in one week! I would definitely recommend if you're looking for a challenging new experience that fosters team building and tons of fun. Owners are super friendly as well! read more

What a fun and well organized place this is! The most fun hour you'll ever spend. This is great for friends, family, colleagues, or a date. I've been a couple of times and it's a seriously great experience! read more

awesome room escape!! lots of detail went into making every room! Fun staff

So. Much. Fun! First time at Escape the Space today and we had a blast. You are given an hour to solve puzzles. The tasks are challenging and the hour flies! We will definitely be back. read more

So we did not enjoy this experience at all. We've done several escape rooms around the country, and while Escape the Space was very high scoring on the atmosphere, the game itself was a huge letdown. The hosts would not stop talking. "You should look in the cabinet" "which of the 37 clues haven't you found yet, I'll tell you where they are." A tip to the owners, if the only way people escape your rooms is you constantly talking them through it, you've done something wrong. There were several times I just wanted to turn off my walkie talkie so I wouldn't have to hear them anymore. I'd rather not escape than be told how to escape for an hour. There are other escape rooms in Athens that are much better. I'd suggest trying them first. read more

I had such an amazing time!!! This place is awesome and I can't wait to go again. It was challenging, exciting, and the facilitators were helpful and kind. Best fun in town! read more

We were first timers and had a blast. My 15 year old daughter is already making plans on bringing friends next time (as opposed to her old boring parents). It was a great 1 hour experience. read more

I had only done an escape room once before (in Austin, TX), and that first time was, I think as Yelp would put it, "A-OK." I definitely wanted to try it again to see if I'd like it more the second time around, and this was definitely a great experience! Firstly, the staff there is very high-energy, and they were great to interact with! From booking the room to leaving the building, they were agreeable and upbeat. Our group procrastinated booking the room until the day-of (whoops!), but, when I called to book that day, they were very receptive to getting it set up and getting us in that day. Then, when we drove in, one of the staff was outside to assure us that we were at the right place, and, when we went inside, they were very efficient at getting us signed in. Once we were about to start the room, they were very clear and well spoken about how to approach the puzzle, find clues, and what rules to follow. They also were also clearly concerned with making sure everyone who participated, even if they didn't solve the puzzle, left feeling optimistic about their experience. At the other puzzle room place I went to, the staff there gave some vaguely condescending remarks about how, "Wow, yeah, you guys really did a gooooood job in there," when we didn't solve their most difficult room. However, at Escape the Space, the person in charge of keeping an eye on us gave positive and genuine feedback at the end, even though we didn't escape the room. He pointed out details about us having a good group dynamic, solving especially difficult parts of the puzzle, and pointing out that their room was designed for 10 people to solve it, when we only had 5 people in our group. The staff definitely added to the experience in a positive way! Secondly, the room had a fun and silly theme to it. We did their "Escape Detention" room, which, while it's one of their most difficult rooms, also retains the inherent goofiness of an escape room. At the other place I went to, their most difficult room was really heavy on solving math problems and finding patterns in number sequences (ugh, gross). At Escape the Space, there were a few number pattern puzzles in the room, but a lot of it was making more broad connections between the given clues, which is a lot more enjoyable than solving pedantic and tedious math problems and looking at multiple matrices for an hour. Even though I'm getting a minor in applied mathematics, I'd rather take a break from that when I'm out to have fun, and they definitely accomplished that. While looking for clues, there were little slips of paper that, while they weren't all clues, were jokes that played into the theme of a disgruntled teacher. Their room was much more about thinking outside-the-box (ha ha) and being open-minded about how to approach the clues. It was challenging, yet quite fun! Thirdly, their facility was pretty good. They have a "waiting room" that you can hang around in while you wait for the rest of your group to show up, which has plenty of space for about 20 people to hang around in and not feel cramped in the slightest! They had a pool table, little arcade-style games to play, a selfie stick, and other things to keep you and your group entertained until it was time to start your room. Honestly, if there was a place where you could pay just to use their "waiting room" for a few hours, I would pay for just that. It was a very pleasant area to be in. Then, the escape room we went into was assuredly large enough for a group of 14, and they made it look like a pretty legitimate grade-school classroom, which made it even better. However, I hesitate to say that their facility was great, due to their very limited parking and the cramped entry area. They offer ways to work around these things, such as carpooling and the waiting room, but those are definite set-backs. Additionally, another set-back was that their location is in a slightly more sketchy part of Athens, which, while the building itself is very safe, made me slightly paranoid about someone breaking into my car. I only have a few minor critiques of their business. I think that it would be better if they had the difficultly level of each room posted on their website, instead of having to call and ask how difficult each room is. They mention that their 4 person room is the easiest, but, beyond that, you either have to call or just make a choice based on the theme of the room. Also, they only offer rooms for small groups or large groups, and they offer nothing for medium sized groups (6-8 people). Their large rooms are not designed for fewer than 10 people to solve, which, going in, makes it a little discouraging. If they had some mid-sized option, or some way to systematically adjust their large-group rooms for mid-sized groups, that would make this place that much better! (Update: They now have 6-8 person options, which is awesome.) Overall, my group and I plan to come here again! It was so much fun! read more

We had an awesome time at the escape room. The staff were amazing and helped us just enough. The room was challenging but beatable.

I've escaped 8/8 times through 4 different companies. I've been to Escape the Space 4 times now and it is BY FAR the best one I've been to! The owners create the puzzles completely on their own and make them so unique to each room, that each of the 4 rooms I've done here have been completely different and all amazing. Top 5 reasons to choose this Escape experience: 1. The puzzles are always fun and challenging 2. The staff is very friendly, welcoming, helpful, and encouraging 3. It's great for groups of all sizes. I've had 2,4,8, and 10 people in my rooms and have always had fun and things to do! 4. They're very accommodating, if you have a really large group, you can request simultaneous rooms. 5. They update the rooms every few months, so you can come back and try out new ones! read more

Highly recommended. We had a great time! Our group gathered to celebrate a friends birthday and we did not all know each other when we started but we all felt very comfortable with each other when we escaped the space! The owners are awesome Athenians, the scenario was challenging and fun, the whole thing was organized well. Go. Have fun. Laugh. Use your brain power. read more

We took our daughter and a group of family members here for our daughters 18th birthday! It's a great place! They all loved it so much! The owners and all the people there are so upbeat and excited the fun is just through the roof! I definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for good clean fun!!! We are definitely going back! :D read more

The team at Escape the Space is the best in the business. Their puzzle crafting, game play, and creativity are second to none, but what really sets this team apart is their dedicated service. We have partnered with Alicia, Andrew and their awesome staff on multiple events both at their unique, one of a kind facility as well as on-site at the Resort and every time they have exceeded out expectations, only "blowing up the reward" once. Book them TODAY, you won't be disappointed and will be ready to sign up for their next room adventure before you even finish the first! read more

We had a GREAT time! The staff was very helpful. I would recommend this for anyone wanting to have a fun night or a company outing.

Went here with the family expecting a fun challenge. What we got was so much more. It was the most exhilarating, creative-thinking, positively pressuring hours of my life that I cannot wait to go back and do again. The Hangover's Room's mystery was so well thought out and took effort from each person to complete (which we did with only 40 seconds left!!) This is just a one of a kind attraction you cannot miss! You'll leave not only hyped up and talking over every part of the "puzzle", but you'll also leave with such an awe at how the owners create these intricate rooms from scratch. GO DO IT! read more

This place is great. You can tell yhey really love their jobs. Great atmosphere there. They were helpful. It was really fun. This called for us to really use our brains. We will be back again read more

What a great time!! Excellent family fun for all ages. Bright, clean, creative and entertaining. Thanks to these amazingly smart guys for proving such a challenging and exciting night. read more

We took our office of 30 and divided into two groups. We had so much fun!!! Great teambuilding activity! We will be back!

This was a unusual and extremely fun experience. A very different kind of evening out with friends--I highly recommend trying this!! Alicia was personable and helpful, and overall this was well worth the cost. read more