I never thought I would have so much fun in escape room. It is a little over $30 per person and it lasts about an hour. I recommend going with 3-5 people. It was my first time doing this, and with a little of help, we were able to solve the one with a successful rate of 50%. The worker monitoring your game can give you up to three hints but he also gives you a little of help if you are wasting time on something you do not need to be. There are about 5-6 rooms and some of them are quite difficult and scary appearently. I will definitely wanna go back and try every single one of them! read more

It was good fun. Was a little confused on what we had to do , it was hard to get started.

We finally got to check out this place once we found it !! It was hard to find and easy to miss !! But a super cool entrance way. Me and my husband checked this place out for his bday and was a pretty good experience ! 1) Friendly staff & great Escape room 2) Nice waiting area and smooth process to sign up 3) Without any plans but showing up we got to do it when minimum players are 3 I would have preferred a little better instructions wise but I knew what the mission was .. We tried the Virus challenge and while this has not been our first Escape room , it was on the island . It was hard room to figure out with two people but it was a great room to do and def recommend if you're into zombies or want to start off. read more

Finally had the chance to come here. We were lucky to have been able to get a room at the last minute. Reservation was simple and very easy. I called beforehand also, just to squeeze my way in scoring some type of discount. We did the Virus room and managed to breakout with 9 minutes left on the clock. We had a group of 6 and majority of us were first timers. It was a combination of thrill and excitement. Teamwork definitely surfaced amongst each of us, which was the best way to bond with my family before one leaves for college. Definitely will return to try out the cellar. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Our first time doing an escape room, with one experienced group member. We decided to do The Cellar... THE EXPERIENCE WAS UNFORGETTABLE! Must do this room. I absolutely can not to scary things but my group carried me through. We didn't escape in time... but we will be back!!! read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Seriously...if you blinked...you'd walk past it without know it was there. Located on the 2nd floor at Pearlridge Mauka, next to Claire's. Walking into the long hallway just heightens your anticipation on what's ahead. Upon entering the reception room, it's small & cozy but your greeted by an eager game master. Like the other escape room places, they give you an 2 hours to find clues & breakout of the room. The Diamond Heist was just as challenging & if only we had a few more minutes...we could have solved it. It's a great place for team bonding or just a bunch of friends trying out something new on a Friday night. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

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Such awesome staffs! Must reserve I believe online. Price is not bad at all. It's soo much fun. I recommend to do the nuclear room. Make you think a lot but it's worth it. We made it in time with 4 minutes left. Recommend this place. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - When you succeed you take photos. - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

I love this place, I really do and I don't think they will ever get anything less than a 5 star review from me. Hawaii Escape Challenge is a gift to us from some genius who must be raking in the dollars right now. We just came back from doing a challenge called "The Cellar" and it was amazing, this challenge has a very high production value compared to the Diamond Heist (Beginner Challenge) and Casino Mob Boss (No Longer Available). We had a great time even though we finally failed, marring our 100% success rate. Our game master was a legend and honestly so is the entire staff at this place, fun loving and all smiles. You do have to reserve spots online though, for 6 people tonight cost me just about $219.00, as I mentioned in my last review PERCEPTION is key to these challenges, and in the case of the Cellar so is COMMUNICATION! I have also been told that I am allowed to say that there may be another hostage in the cellar, we will call them. . . Spooky. Spooky does not take dollar bills or Pilot G2 07 Pens as bribes for information, my friend George Washington was not something Spooky was interested in. I digress I 100 and 57 thousand percent recommend this to anyone who wants to have a good time, you'll either be friends by the end of the day or you are going to absolutely hate each other. . .I wonder how my boss would do in something like this. . .Oh my god how would my bosses boss do? I might need to make some phone calls. Get on their website and book it, the staff here is world class and they WANT you to win! They have no greater joy than watching you win! Probably. . . I can't say enough good things But this review is dragging Go do it. Why are you still here go do you want the booking website? It's literally like Hawaii Escape Challenge (dot) com gogogogogogogo read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Big Sad - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

So much fun. Although we did not solve the puzzle it was very enjoyable. Went with some co-workers and friends. Luckily a couple that was with us had done one before as we were very lost in how to start. The game master was funny and corky which made start start up exciting. They have a large Jenga set you can play while waiting to get started. I was extremely anxious as I did not know what to expect. We chose the diamond heist, which was rated 3 stars out of 5 I believe. Tip... every clue links to the next, use the white board and think outside of the box. Read the clues carefully as key words are written. Look for things that are out of place, that relate to each other, are missing, and things that match. This will definetly help you solve the puzzle. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - We lost - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

We had a great time here! It was the first escape room experience for any of us, and we didn't get out, but we came close! I'm sure we'll be back! Minus one star because with 6 adults in a windowless room, it got small kine sticky in there pretty fast. A little extra AC would be nice, especially since it's not exactly a cheap experience. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

My daughter chose this place for her 10 year birthday party and we had a great time! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The place is clean and the rooms are well organized. There are challenges for all levels and age groups. We did the Diamond Heist and it was awesome! read more

This was our first time going to an escape game, on island, since we've moved here. My wife and I love escape rooms so we figured that HEC would be a good one to try out. We attended with some good friends of ours and we called in advance to se which games would be available. We ultimately just ended up going with the "Red Doors" escape room and it was challenging but we made it out! The "game master" was super respectful and courteous and even made sure to give us a full safety brief before entering the room. I would definitely recommend this escape room to others and we will definitely be back! read more

This place is so fun!! If you play a second game it's discounted! The staff is amazing and give helpful hints.

This is located in the Pearlridge mall on the second floor near the elevators, right near pandora and Claire's. There's 1 small door entrance to go to the escape rooms! If you go late, the mall will be closed and it's easier to park at the main entrance or upstairs parking lot. We registered and bought tickets online in the morning and Once we got there for our 8:15pm slot, we signed a waiver form, watched a quick rules clip, a quick intro and we were ready to go into our room! We did the Nuclear bomb room with a group of 8. We did not know where to start but work as a team and you'll figure it out. There were cool surprises along the room! We made it out with 5 minutes to spare. We had so much fun! We will most definitely do this again! read more

Arrival: you have to find the place. It's a doorway in a mall. Not a storefront but a literal door. You walk down some long hallways and arrive at their door. You have to wait outside a door and call them. There are people inside but you get their attention and they make the gesture for a phone. You call. They tell you to scan the QR code and fill out the waivers, then they'll let you in. You are now inside. They show you a video for what not to do (standard faire). (FYI, You're only allowed 3 clues). They give you a story for your room. We did "The Cabin." You arrive at the door to the room and lock your stuff up (still standard faire). The room: we get in the room. It's dark. We felt it was too dark. Our experience in escape rooms, you get a flash light in darkish rooms (or can request one for old eyes/glasses). One of the clues is already open. So we didn't understand what we were doing with one of the puzzles and what it was supposed to do because we had thought we solved it and nothing happened. Someone touched the front door to the cabin and it popped open. A game master came in and spent time fixing the door and closing it back up again while the 60 Minute clock kept running. The puzzles were challenging not because they were difficult but because they were hard to see. One combo was written on the door with the lock on it. We thought, "it can't be that simple...." It was. I don't want to give anything away. This could totally be your jam. I'm not saying we're pros, but we love to do escape rooms wherever we travel. This one was disappointing. read more

Due to its location, finding it is almost like a preview of what's to come and walking down that long hallway to get to the store definitely adds to the fun. Staff was SUPER accommodating and the rooms were tidy, clean, and challenging! I myself am still a little weary of being outside my little bubble due to Covid but seeing how clean the rooms were definitely put my mind at ease. 100% recommend checking these guys out if you're looking to have a fun night out with friends! Just make sure the people you go with are smarter than you read more

I booked online for myself, my husband and our kids. We are retired military so I used the military discount. When we got there we were told that everyone needed to show their military ID. My son and daughter do not have ID's. My son is older but my daughter is 11 and she does not have one yet. They said I would need to pay the extra for everyone without an ID. I asked why my 11 year old needed an ID when she's a minor and was told that they have no way of verifying that she really is my child. Ok...2 seconds later I'm told that I need to sign the waiver of liability for my child. So you take my word for it that she is my child for your liability waiver but not for a $3 discount? Go figure. Needless to say I was done going back and forth with them. It wasn't worth the headache. I paid the extra money. For our first experience we thought things could have been explained a little better, but all that aside we did have fun. Will probably try another location next time though. read more

Maybe I watched too much Ocean's 11-13. But wouldn't it be cool to experience being part of a heist to break into a place, steal the diamond and escape before time runs out? Well it just so happens...that the H.E.C. team (Hawaii Escape Challenge) is looking for the right group of people. The right team to pull of the biggest heist yet. Do you have what it takes to pull it off? If so, get your friends together to pull of the biggest diamond heist in Hawaii. This is by far my favorite escape room yet. If you haven't tried an Escape room,here is what you need to know: * The clock is ticking! You have 60 minutes to solve the clues, steal the diamond AND escape! * Working as a team is crucial to accomplishing the task! * this heist will be great spy training for the kids, so bring them along! *There are many themes and different puzzles and locks to solve. Got to try them all! *Be prepared to use your wits to solve the different locks and puzzles. It's all about team work! How to book? What is really cool is you can book online and you also can walk in to see if a slot is available! We were able to book through the site and use PayPal. The price is average and around the same that you would pay for an Escape room. Only weekdays the price is $28 per person. Weekends it is $32 per person. This is way cheaper than the escape rooms in Waikiki. ($40 and you have to pay for all and suck up the $80 minimum cost) Parking It's FREE!!! It's at Pearlridge Downtown by Longs Drugs. So just park downtown! Experience Like I've said before. I know it sounds ridiculous to pay to be locked in a room. You are paying for the experience. At the Pearlridge location you have a diamond heist theme and the Virus Escape Room. What is really cool is many of the puzzles in this one are engineered here in Hawaii. Which means, they came up with the puzzles on their own. No franchise here, just pure imaginative ingenuity! Overall, my family had loads of fun! It is tons of fun for all ages. It makes a great activity for guests, friends and even date night! Even businesses can take advantage of this place and make it a morale/ team building event. If you are looking for something new to do, try an escape room at Hawaii Escape Challenge. Good luck and hope you escape before time runs out! read more

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Usually we love the Hawaii Escape Challenge (to where this was our third time doing the Cellar & we've also done the other rooms) but today was a different experience. Our party was on time to our scheduled time at 6:45p, we were in the mall in front of the first HEC door by 6:35p. But our main party person was called at 6:30p saying that the workers will be late and they'll take us in at 6:50p. So we waited outside of the inner door and did the waivers by 6:48p and waited to be let in. So they brought us in a little after 6:50p which is fine and they let us in the room pretty quickly (also without watching the safety video for some reason. And this was a few people's first time in our group), but what made our party upset was that we were told that we were gonna let know by the "game master" that we could start the game. We were split into our rooms and those of us that were in the smaller rooms were scolding each to not start yet because we weren't told too. But Room 3 (the hallway) was told by the "game master" while she was closing the door, that the game already started and for some reason our time was deducted already by more than 10 min when we just got into our rooms less than 5 minutes ago. But they claim that we were late so that's why we were docked time, BUT THEYRE THE ONES THAT TOLD US TO COME LATER! We should have brought it up while we were there but we were all just confused and upset at this point and our game master changed during the game and it wasn't the same girl that started us. We felt ripped off of time and money. When it wasn't even our fault that our game started later and it was the workers fault. So just be careful when you book your rooms. If they're gonna start your game late, atleast make sure they still allow you your full hour and don't get ripped off like we did. So sad & disappointed. read more

Update: Hawaii Escape Challenge has a new room and my friends and I decided to give them a try. Without giving away too much, I love the fact that each of the rooms are unique and the puzzles aren't reused over and over again. The "red door" room was awesome and just enough challenging to make us what to come back for more. Can't wait for next our next escape challenge! read more

GAME MASTER ORION! Our group really enjoyed having him. I've only been to this location twice and the same room. Orion made this room experience sooo much better than our first time. He was friendly and helpful and he actually added more background story for our room that our group agreed made things more impactful. I wish we did this before the pandemic. I'm sure we would have been more jumpy. read more

We did the Cellar Escape Room. When they gave the directions, instead of giving them to us all together, they put us in our rooms and we could not hear the instructions. We could also not hear each other through the walls so it was difficult to solve the clues. Because you couldn't bring in your cell phones, this seemed like an effort on whether you could see the numbers in the dark and whether the other people in your party could hear you through the walls. We have done many of these and this was poorly organized. read more

Highly recommended team bonding experience for any group; family, friends, coworkers, etc. Our staff truly enjoys their experience at Hawai'i Escape Challenge. We've made many visits to Hawai'i Escape Challenge this summer even after a long day at Aiea Summer Fun. The facility is clean. The puzzles are well thought out and organized. The location is conveniently located in Pearlridge Mall. The staff are friendly, encouraging, and very helpful. Every time we visit (even if we don't get out), we have an awesome experience! Thank you for the endless laughs and memories! read more

Don't book this company! The customer service here is terrible and the owner won't even call me back. My family had a health emergency and Hawaii Escape Challenge refused to provide a refund for the escape room event we booked which had many appointment openings that day. We even tried to offer a doctor's note due to our emergency. Then they offered a scam of a $50 additional rescheduling fee! They are completely unhelpful and don't care about customers or repeat business. read more

We came here for a birthday! We usually go to breakout Waikiki but I'm so glad there is one closer in the west side. This one is located in the uptown Pearlridge in between Claire's and Pandora. Unlike Waikiki, I'm glad parking is free and lots of parking! Price is okay! I believe for 5 people, it was $160. So about $32 a person. The workers were very friendly and nice! We tried the "Diamond Heist", which was fun! The level was about 4. Before you go in, you watch the orientation video. Once we got in the room. We also watched a short video on what we need to accomplish. Per usually you will get 3 clues. I won't speak and further but we escaped with 1:24 minutes left! Whoohoo! It was intense! We're glad we escaped though! We will definitely come back! Its a great family or friend bonding time! I love how we all work together! Thinking of trying the virus next time! Oh! I heard "The Cellar" is their hardest one. The worker said it's about level 12!!! Can't wait to try! read more

My friends have wanted to try an escape room so I took charge of the planning. Hawaii Escape Challenge's website is easy to navigate and you can see which time slots and room options are available. Since we had more players than the max recommended, I just paid for the max and our extra players paid when we arrived. It was also very easy to complete the online waiver. The location is great as well. There usually is plenty of parking at Pearlridge. They are located uptown between Pandora and Claire's. Look for the glass doors! The cost for our room was $32 a person, but our 10th person was free. We thought the waiting area and the escape room itself got a little warm and we also wish there was a restroom onsite. The nearest one is by Macy's. Our gamemaster was awesome and super friendly. We all had a super fun time even though we didn't escape. Definitely recommend. read more

... WE ESCAPED!!!! With 5 minutes and 3 seconds left to spare. We came here with a group of friends to celebrate a birthday and there was 6 of us total. One of us made a reservation on a Saturday, and they were completely booked for all rooms for the whole day! So if possible, call ahead and book that reservation! They also do start your time for when you are scheduled to be there. So if you are running late, whether you call or not be aware of that especially if they are booked so they can accommodate everyone's reservations. How do I know that? Cause half of our got caught in Hawaii construction traffic and we were 10 minutes late lol. BUT the staff were excellent and cool. Even though our group arrived late, they informed us about all the information we needed and answered any questions we had without rushing us nor taking their time. Compared to Breakout and Hawaii Escape challenge, breakout charges by the number of people you have. Hawaii escape charges a flat rate across the board regardless the number of people you have total. The prices also are different from Monday-Thursday (cheaper) and Friday-Sunday ($34 per person which is what we did). Location is in Pearlridge Uptown on the second floor of the Macys wing near Claire's/Icing. You have to walk down a hallway but they have big, easy, and clear signs to follow. Since this is located in a mall, theres loads of parking and you can also eat, shop, etc. Before and after your escape room which is a plus! The room we did was the Virus room. Each room you're able to have 3 clues in which you all have to agree to, to receive which will help guide you in the right direction to escape. The staff who is watching your every move may also help you without asking if it looks like you really need it. There are clues through our the room in which you have to put together and/or solve to help you get to the next clue. Along the way each clue may help you unlock locks which helps you continue on to the next clue. A great team bonding experience and a fun activity to keep you on your toes! 4/5 stars compared to their competitor. I did like how their competitor shows a video explaining the situation of the room which helps you get more into the "escape" and how your staff member who watches you interacts with you more (not clues) which makes you laugh a little and gets you more amped up in the situation. All in all we will definitely be back though!!! read more

Did the Nuclear Launch Room for a team building activity for work. We escaped with 31 seconds left to go. Anthony was our game master. He was great. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

It's been so long since we've had a family outing and this was a great experience. The heist room. Wish they would explain it a bit better. Once u get in. They say to check the screens but for 30 mins it's blank with 3 eyes moving LOL We had 12 people and when we got the hang of things, it was pretty fun. Wish we were able to have a little more time or was able to complete it no matter the time read more

Super fun !! I've done a few escape rooms with friends and this one is definitely great for people with any amount of experience. We did the room Diamond Heist and Eve was very helpful ! We had a couple of difficult times but they were sure to make it more enjoyable for us :) read more

Outstanding experience here today, first challenge might be simply finding the place. Go to the second floor of the Macy's and head towards the rest of the mall, it's on the left after four or five shops, looks for the doorway with their logo above it. It's not the hallway to the bathroom right outside of Macy's, that threw us off for a second. Super warm greeting, had us checked in and watching a super quick video that explains everything. Once in the room, seemed a tiny but basic but I think that was part of the experience, it fully delivered on puzzles and things to figure out. We did the Nuclear Launch one and completely loved it. Good pacing, the gamemaster nudged us along perfectly to keep us going. An hour might seem like a long time but it flies by, we finished the room with literally 15 seconds left on the clock. Highly recommended, great time and completely worth it. read more

A group of six of our friends booked a challenge at 8:45 p.m. It was a looong day but we all looked forward to this challenge! We chose The Cellar, which was the most difficult of all the rooms with a 9-12% success rate according to the staff. Upon arriving we were greeted right away by one of the staff there. There were other groups also waiting so the area was a little tight. We moved inside where we were given further instructions. Normally you would get blind folded when you enter this particular room but we were a little close to start time so didn't have a chance to do that. It was a fun and challenging hour! We did not escape but are tempted to go back! It cost about $36/pp which you can book online. read more

Took my students to do a challenge room and it was their first time to do one. They had a great time and learned a lot about teamwork and leadership. I had an awesome time - I couldn't help but get involved with the game. We got out with two seconds to spare. The staff was super friendly and the facility is clean. You definitely have to pay attention because you could miss it... but as the staff mentioned that is the first challenge - finding the place. (It is next to Pandora in Pearlridge). Overall a wonderful experience and I can't wait to bring more groups and try different rooms. Thank you so much for taking care of us and providing memorable experiences. read more

We completed the toilet challenge and unfortunately didn't escape on time. Although we didn't escape, it was a blast! The employee who explained the game to us was super enthusiastic and we could tell they enjoyed working there. They tried to give us a lot of hints and they were helpful! I will definitely come again. And hopefully break out this time! read more

I thought we'd be stuck forever and never get out! The room was so intense but luckily our game master said we'd get out alive. I'd go back and try a different room, but I would make sure to request for Ho'omano as the game master. I really like that he doesn't just give the clue. He riddles it so you have to think more but while you're under pressure. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

I can't wait to come back! My cousins and I had such a great time in the Nuclear Launch room. Our game master, Ho'omano was great at explaining the process of what we would go through, and had some great warm up puzzles before we got into the room, so it really gave us an idea of what to look for in the room. Once we were inside, it was intense! But no worries, if you're REALLY stuck, your game master is there to help. Hoomano was great at giving us clues without giving us the answers. With one minute to spare, we escaped! The room was great, we laughed a lot but I don't wanna give too much away, you have to go check it out for yourself! read more

Mahalo Hawai'i Escape Challenge! The Waipahu High School Aloha Ambassadors and students new to the school had so much fun working together to solve all of the super cool puzzles! Everyone was so happy to escape in time. We highly recommend your Hawai'i Escape Challenge to anyone looking for a fun group bonding experience that involves communication, collaboration, problem solving and creative thinking. We want to come back to try another escape room!!! Thank you game master for encouraging all of us and special thanks to Keo Akina for sharing your aloha with Waipahu High School students and teachers! read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Waipahu High School Aloha Ambassadors, new students, teachers and staff - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

Got to the pearlridge location at 1 pm, but they were closed. Sign on the door said they are open by appointment between 10-9 and that they open regularly from 2-close. So we waited an hour and went back. Sign on the door said open but no one answered. Waited 20 minutes and still no one answered the door. Called the number and someone from the windward store answered and said they should be open and would find out where the guy who is supposed to be working was. Waited some more. 30 minutes later a guy showed up but by the time he got there it was time for us to leave (we have a flight to catch!) Extremely poor customer service! There were eight of us so they lost out on a good chunk of profit on what looks like a very slow day. Sucks for them. read more

Hawaii Escape Challenge - Door was locked 30 minutes after they were supposed to be open! - Escape Games Near Me - Aiea, Hawaii

This past weekend was our first experience at​ any escape room. The whole process was simple. It was very easy to book our time slot online, even with just two hours prior to our arrival. I was able to pay (including using a promo code. We use a Black Friday promo code but I did find a military discount code as well for future use) and fill out waivers through their website. Since I booked an after mall hours time slot, one of the staff called me to follow up with directions on how to access the building after hours and instructions on where to park. These same instructions were also emailed with my confirmation. Upon entering Pearl Ridge, we were greeted by one of the staff. He was very friendly and talked about all of the different rooms they had at their location. We ended up choosing The Virus challenge as our first escape room. The challenge had an appropriate level of difficulty and the puzzles were challenging and fun. Our group's age ranged from 10-33. My ten year old daughter was actually a big help and she really enjoyed coming with our group that evening. Our gamemaster was awesome from entrance to exit. He was very interactive, patient and a lot of fun "behind the scenes." We definitely look forward to another family night out. We would definitely try the Virus again until we successfully escape the room. Our next choice would be The Cellar after hearing more information about this particular room/challenge. read more

I have seen my favorite YouTube channel WongFu productions did an escape room and so I told my friends we should do one! Trust me... doing this IRL can make or break even the closest friendships!!! Hawaii Escape Challenge had several options to choose from: The Virus, Diamond Heist, Nuclear Launch, The Cellar, and The Champion room. My friends and I did The Virus room! We had a Gamemaster named Hoomano who informed us of the rules then gave us an intro of what to expect before heading into the room. I bet he had a lot of fun watching our group struggle and laugh our way through the challenge! I would recommend for those who have always wanted to try an escape room but never got to do so :D Make sure you go to their website to check their room availability since I bet it can get real busy especially during the weekends! read more