This was our very first escape room experience, and NC Escape Room did not disappoint! From the moment we walked in, the staff was welcoming, upbeat, and explained everything clearly, which helped calm our nerves. The room we chose was challenging but super fun! We definitely recommend booking! read more

NC Escape - Escape Room pic - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We did The Attic and it was really fun and interesting! I went with my husband and two friends that were escape room virgins. They really enjoyed themselves and are excited to go again. NC Escape is clean, staff is super friendly and helpful and the games aren't impossible! read more

Great escape rooms! We've done two rooms here now and both were clever, fun and had fun elements. We love it so much we have booked the third already! read more

NC Escape - The victors! - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

THE ATTIC WAS SUCH A FUN ESCAPE ROOM!!! One of the best I've ever done!!! My wife and I did it and we had such a great time!!! Plenty of fun jump scares! We were creeped out the entire time and loved every second of it!!! Emily (EJ) was our room master and she made it so much more enjoyable!!! She helped us tremendously whenever needed and was always happy to help if we got stuck. I would definitely recommend trying this out! 10/10! read more

This was a lot of fun. We did the room Kidnapped. 2 of our people were like 10 minutes late and they did their best to wait for them without making them late for the people/groups behind us. The room was entertaining and just difficult enough. We didn't break any records but we did get out and enjoyed ourselves doing so. I'd definitely return again for another room. read more

We had a fantastic time. The puzzles were challenging and the staff were very helpful. I highly recommend NC escape.

Did the Attic room and the puzzles/space was very fun and surprising! Alex was super nice and helpful throughout the game!

Top notch escape room! Me and my wife have done many rooms and this was a perfect balance of challenge and atmosphere. We did the Attic and there were two jump scares that got a pretty loud scream from my wife. We needed a few hints to get through the room and the response was almost instantaneous, great staff response! read more

Such a great escape room! The clues were well done and the room design was great! Venti was a great game master, 10/10.

This was such an exciting outing! We attempted the alien room as a group of 5! We made an online reservation for 9pm! We sadly were unsuccessful in completing the room. At the end we were told if we had maybe 5 more minutes we could have more then likely made it through to the escape! I think this would be so fun for any group! Good for family or friends!! It is a little pricey. read more

I did Alien Escape with 7 13-year-old boys. What a blast! We escaped the room in 51 minutes, but it required all 8 of us to be working hard and focusing every minute we were in the room. The boys all had a great time, and it was great to see them all working together so smoothly and effectively. We will be back soon to try the other escape rooms at NC Escape. read more

My partner and I were in the area and happened to pass this place. It was close to their last call time, but we decided to see if they could squeeze us in. Megan was working, and she was a delight. We were able to play the Attic room. Room: the Attic was a bit creepy, with a few good jump scares including loud noises. I like being scared, so it was really fun for me, but might not be someone else's cup of tea. We had some difficulty in the first half, but then found our footing in the second half. It was just me and my partner playing, so maybe we would have gotten puzzles done more easily if we had a few other friends with us. We still got out in time though! Rules: I enjoyed how NC Escape set up their games. Unlike most other escape rooms, there are no time penalties for asking for hints, and you get an unlimited amount of hints. Some may think this is cheating, but how can a game be enjoyable if you're just stuck on the first couple puzzles and ran out of hints? This method of managing the game made it totally fun. We still only had 8 minutes to spare, so while having unlimited hints helped, we certainly didn't use it as a crutch. We will definitely be back to try out their other rooms! read more

NC Escape - We escaped the Attic! - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My group of 4 did the "Brewery Heist" room, two of our team members have done no previous escape rooms, my girlfriend has done 2 others, and I have done about 20 or so. We escaped with 23 minutes left and used no hints. The NC Escape website rates this room a 7/10 difficulty, I would rate it closer to a 4 or 5. It's unfortunately going to be hard for me to recommend this location based off this room specifically. I am willing to come back to try one of their other rooms on the off chance it is a bigger challenge/more creative, but my experience is that a lot of rooms at the same location are often structured very similarly. The good: -Excellent theming in the beginning room -Some satisfying puzzles -No red herrings -Puzzles all on theme The not so good: -Very straightforward puzzles -Besides the main room, nothing was particularly well themed. Clues stuck out like a sore thumb, in fact almost all objects in each room pertained to a puzzle. -To the same end, clues and the place to input them were almost all directly next to each other. -I audibly sighed upon seeing 4 near identical boxes all with a 5 digit lock on them stacked right on top of each other. -All puzzles minus one or two were nearly identical to each other. Read a clue, solve that clue using just the information on the sheet, input the clue into a 4 or 5 digit combo lock. All-in-all this room didn't do a lot to wow me and my friends. I would recommend it as a good first escape room (my friend's who had never done one even recognized it as pretty basic), as most of the puzzles are very straightforward and don't require you to have a lot of spatial awareness. There was never any confusion about what went where, or any information you got early on that was useful much later, it was just too formulaic and straightforward. It's a "feel good" escape room, if it wasn't alcohol themed I could have seen this one aimed more toward teens. Anyone that has done more than a couple will find this room to be one that doesn't quite "scratch the itch". We overall had a good time, and our GM was kind and helpful, no complaints there! (Always glad to have the option for private booking with just 4 tickets as well, that shouldn't go unstated.) read more

NC Escape - Brewery Heist - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My fiance and I finished the Attic room with 5 mins to go! We're experienced escape artists who have done are fair share of rooms in Virginia. We thought the Attic was well designed and it wasn't too hard. I'd give more details but I don't want to ruin the experience for yall! Overall, would recommend to fellow escape artists! Definitely will come back and do another room if we're in the area! read more

We hosted a party of 13-year-olds here. Overall, experience very positive. I'd never done an "escape room" before so didn't know what to expect. The "puzzles" to escape mostly (but not exclusively) involve analyzing clues hidden in the room to figure out combinations (by number or other form) that are applied to various locks in various places in the room. The room has microphones and videos, so the players are watched, and a screen in the room will give periodic hints if the players are going in the wrong direction for too long. Definitely fun, and I felt they gave an "appropriate" number of hints (albeit we players were sometimes dense about understanding them). The price was not cheap given what we got (basically use of space, and them resetting everything after we left), but given everyone had fun and worked together on something constructively, it was worth it. Regular price is $26 per adult. They did let us rent a side room for providing cake for the kids, too, albeit for an extra charge. Would come back. read more

Super fun, great construction and clues, and very enthusiastic staff! A great experience.

This place is under new ownership and it clearly shows. The brewery heist room was challenging and well thought out. The room design and decor was also top notch. We will definitely be coming back. read more

Wow what an amazing experience which truly challenged us. We went in thinking "we got this"! We used every minute and brain cell to figure out every puzzle, combination and clues. Jamie who assisted us was awesome and very patient. She really made us fish even when we were nervous we would not make it in time! Dave who 100% the most patient with all our questions and us being silly and loud ensured we would be happy and leave inspired. Thank you so much NC Escape team, we will be back!!! read more

NC Escape - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

See all

Fun, Creepy Halloween Escape Room!! A group of 5 of us just went to NC Escape for The Attic escape room. I normally don't opt for scary things, but since it was Halloween time, I made an exception. As advertised, it was fun, creepy, and had a number of jump scares. The only reason it doesn't get a full 5 stars from me was they offered unlimited hints throughout. Now, I know this is probably a good thing overall - if you don't want hints, you don't need to ask or look at the iPad that gives them, but if you do then they're ready and willing to send them your way. I just thought, as a highly competitive person, that escaping held less value. I prefer escape rooms that offer limited or no hints - I prefer the thrill of knowing i may not escape :-) read more

We played the Study as a 4-some and had a great time....we did not finish, but we were very close...only the last 2 puzzles remained, 1 of which was unlocking the door. Pretty cool way to kill an hour after dinner downtown. We'll be back. read more

My wife and I went here for our anniversary date and it was a blast! Our first escape room and it truly exceeded expectations. We did the Attic and it was elaborate and challenging. Highly recommend for dates, team building, or a night out. read more

I'm so happy that my first escape room experience was with NC Escape. My friends and I spontaneously popped in following the Durham Bulls game. Alicia was an absolute saint when it came to on-boarding and getting my team pumped for our first room. We were a hand full, I'm sure. All of us were very anxious and not sure what to expect. We decided to go with the Ex Machina room, as we heard it was one of the easier rooms. What a blast it was. The hour goes by quick, so start tearing the room apart the moment the clock starts. Luckily when we got stuck or stumped, which was quite often, tips/clues would appear on the telescreen to nudge us in the right direction, without making things too easy. We had a group of 6, which I feel was the perfect number. Any bigger and we probably would have been getting in each other's way while solving puzzles. It truly is a TEAM EFFORT. When I think back on how we solved each individual puzzle and finally made it out, I realize each person totally saved our asses at some point during the hour. So don't underestimate anyone's ability to contribute! Go in with a determined and relentless curiosity and I promise you'll love every second of your experience. read more

Me and my boyfriend, who are fairly new at escape rooms, recently did the Attic room. At first, we got in there and couldn't figure out where to even begin for about 5 min. Then once we did, we hit the ball rolling and got through the room with 15 minutes left to spare. It had mild jumps like mentioned, nothing too bad. The theme was really good and I liked that used an iPad for hints, which went well with the theme! We only used 1 hint even though it was unlimited. I did give it 4 stars as I felt the room was super easy. The locks and clues were pretty obvious, only a few stumped us for a minute. However, we would probably come again! We're huge escape room junkies and would love to try their other rooms read more

Came here last Sunday for my first Escape room experience. Quite frankly, it was awesome. After walking through the door, you have to walk through another door to enter the suite. Inside, you see this reception area where you have to sign waivers and decide on the room that you want to partake. After that, you form your team and the employee there will explain the rules to follow. Finally, you're ready to start your escape experience! There were three available rooms. We choose the "Study" which was the hardest. I do appreciate how they've got everything down to the smallest detail. I don't want to spoil too much but the decor inside the room literally transports you into the storyline and it's hard not to get deeply immersed. Overall, this was a great experience to have with either friends, family or coworkers and it really tests your problem solving, teamwork, and communication skills. I recommend checking this place out if you haven't yet! read more

New ownership and you can definitely tell the amount of work they are putting into the rooms. We have done all of the rooms and have been impressed. Highly recommended Brewery Heist!! It's their new room, and the quality and thought put into the room was impressive! read more

I have done probably around a dozen or so escape rooms. For the price point this was a very good escape room. We did the study which they say is a 14% escape rate and got out with around 5 or so minutes to spare. Most of the puzzles were fun and intuitive except for one which our team wasted a good 10-15 minutes on. While there are definitely more immersive escape rooms, those typically cost a third or twice as much. For the price, this was a great room and a lot of fun with a few unique puzzles that I haven't seen before. read more

I've gone to 2 other escape rooms in the triangle and this just might be #1. We did The Attic with 2 players and finished with time left. The puzzles make you think, but they make sense and aren't impossible. I've been to an escape room locally where the puzzle, even when explained, didn't even make sense. The room was nicely done and had some cool tricks. The jumps were fun. I can't wait to do another room there when we find some people. I do wish there was another room we could do with just 2 people. It's easier when me and my husband are on a date night alone. They don't come in the room to give you clues, they use an iPad in the room, and I find this saves time. They will give you clues that you don't ask for if they see you've been working for a while, but I think you can decline those before you go in or just don't look at the iPad until you're ready. Megan was great and the other girl was encouraging. Looking forward to returning! read more

NC Escape - Escape Games Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My group won tickets to check out the newest room, Brewery Heist, and we were not disappointed. The newest room is the brainchild of the the new owners and you can really see they are passionate about room design. The room was well thought out with a good combination of puzzle types to keep you engaged the whole time. The clue delivery system was unique, to my group at least. After beating the room and setting a new record we spent about a half hour talking with the owners, who were super cool. We look forward to new rooms coming to this location. read more

Such a fun time! We just did the Brewery Heist with a group of 8 and we had a blast. We escaped with plenty of time to spare! They are doing a good job with COVID cleanliness processes also. I have also done The Attic and enjoyed that room too. Love escape rooms!! read more

I've been to several escape rooms in North/South Carolina, as well as some in Chicago. This was the only experience where they would not give hints when asked, which is thoroughly frustrating. Their policy is that they only give hints every 5 minutes, but if you're having a problem with one of the tasks, no one is there to listen to you or assist, and the automatic hint that shows up may not even be something you needed. I would've given 2 stars, but the 3rd is for actually having some tasks that weren't all lock and number based. Please hire more people to attend to the rooms. read more

Experienced "The Study" today... this was my 26th room escape and it was by far the poorest design. The staff member as not really friendly or engaged. This place provides you clues as they see fit. At the beginning we got so many clues that we didn't need or want. In some instances, we didn't even have a chance to solve the puzzle before the clue came in. We even received clues for puzzles we had already solved. At the end, the final puzzle did not work! We were doing it correctly, but the only clues we got at that point told us to do what we were already doing. When we did not escape, after spending over 15 minutes on the final puzzle, the staff member came to show us how to do it. Based on the information she had given us, even she did not make it work without "manipulating" the prop. When asked, she said "Oh, whatever." I won't go back here. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

My friends and I did the Alien Escape room, which was challenging but not impossible. If we ever got too stuck, we were allowed unlimited hints, so we never lost momentum or got bored. Our game master, Emily, was really friendly and seemed to really love her job. She made our experience even better! I would 100% go back here to try one of the other rooms. read more

Our first escape room experience. We went with 4 people, three adults and a 10 year old. It was a lot of fun. My only reason for giving 4 stars, we had difficulty completing the puzzles, at times, do to technical issues, unrelated to us. I don't want to go into detail, so as to keep from giving clues away. Overall, it was a fun experience and would definitely do again. read more

What a fun time! We escaped with 10 minutes to spare. Will definitely be back to try the other rooms. Highly recommended.

This was the third escape room place I've been, and I think it was the best one so far. I was in a group of five people in the Ex Machina room, and things started off good. The atmosphere of the room was cool, with its lighting and music. There was a good variety of puzzles that we had to figure out to get out. A few times, a hint would pop up on a screen if we had been stuck for awhile (usually the hint was to continue trying something that we had previously tried and abandoned). We ended up making it out with only 30 seconds left, heck yeah! I'm not sure on the price (I went as part of a company event), but the experience was great. I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to have a fun hour figuring out puzzles and trying to escape. read more

NC Escape is so much fun! I did the Ex Machina room with 5 of my friends and it was awesome! There were a ton of interactive puzzles, some of which had really cool technology behind them (but no spoilers!). The puzzles require you to really think and work together with your team, but if you ever really truly get stuck then the operators give great hints. The Ex Machina theme was particularly cool. It was steampunk, but also very mysterious. Overall, I highly recommend NC Escape! The games are engaging and the employees are incredibly friendly. NC Escape may be new, but I think they have a bright future as a staple of downtown Durham! read more

Great time and large escape room. One of the more difficult rooms and we didn't escape in time but got right to the end. Just enough misdirections to make it challenging. We'll set up and we encountered some different types of codes that we hadn't used at other places. read more

We had a blast! The people were great and the clues were fun. I messed up the booking but they worked it out so we weren't disappointed. Solvable puzzles that made you think. We had a great time working with a couple that we just met. Everyone was able to participate and our combined skills allowed us to progress. Fun times in Durham. read more

Went with my company as a team-building exercise. We had a blast! We booked a weekday event for a group of 12, and NC Escape had two identical rooms for 6 people each (The Study) that we were able to do a sort of competition between the two groups to see who could get furthest. The puzzles are interesting, they helped some of our newer coworkers shine, and it was a lot of fun! I've been to the other escape room in Durham, and I'd say this one is more than on par with them and NC Escape's room selection differs enough from theirs that I'll definitely be headed back here with my friends to try out the other rooms. read more

We had a team building event at NC Escape recently. There were accommodating of our schedule and arrival time. We used two rooms. Both were challenging but fun. We learned a little about ourselves - some worked alone while others worked collaboratively. It was fun. Would definitely come back. read more