I've played all three rooms and every one of them is just at a quality of magnitude better and intricate than other escape rooms. My favorite is still the Roosevelt Room! Amazing!!! read more

This was a never ending escape room! Can't tell much to not spoil the game, but definitely an impressive set of puzzles and it was needed to have a big team. Host was so nice, he gave us additional time so we could escape as we were so close. We got out during these 10min bonus. That makes the experience more satisfying than losing! We did the Roosevelt room, can't wait to do the new one they will have later this year. I don't know much about automation, I believe all was automated, it worked very well, one room didn't worked, they told us at the end, I would have preferred them telling us right away so we could have use people working for other things to not waste time. My advice: when you are lost, read read read the instructions again and again, slowly, read more

We came here on New Year's Eve to submit ourselves to one last challenge for the year, and we sure got it! We skipped right to the Roosevelt Room and were impressed with the design, intricacy and overall production quality. It was cool that the story was also designed with the history of the Palace of Fine Arts in mind. This place is great for having a "private" escape room experience (you have to book out an entire room and can bring up to 12 people, but it may be a bit crowded - 8 to 10 is best), although it will cost you a pretty penny depending on how many people end up going. Staff were friendly and accommodating, and the booking process was quick and easy (we did it online). Will be back to try out the Houdini Room! read more

I've played a few escape the room type games and this one (the Houdini room) at palaces games was by far my favourite. The game had a compelling narrative, and a lot of interesting and creative puzzles. It's also 80 minutes as opposed to the 60 which most escape the room type games are, and is appropriately more complex. A great activity for a group of friends or a company team building event. read more

One of the best escape room experiences we've had. We did the Edison. If you like challenging escape rooms, this one will amaze and inspire you! read more

Had a blast. This was my first escape room and I was told that I'm starting from the top. We went as a group of 12 - most of my friends have tried escape rooms before and collectively agree that this is the best. There is no lack of clever connections between different puzzles, and plenty of team-building ones that prompt close collaboration (was about to give an example but that'd ruin your experience ;)). Cannot recommend this more. Looking forward to escaping the Roosevelt room. read more

I've done a handful of escape rooms in San Jose and Philadelphia. This is easily the best and well polished escape room I've ever done. If you're a fan of escape rooms DEFINITELY check this place out! read more

We played the Roosevelt Room. It was awesome! I highly recommend it and cannot wait for the opportunity to play the Houdini room. Amy was a great host! Several people in our group had previous (but different) escape room experience and they all agreed that this was a far superior experience. I really liked that we rented the room so that it was just our group, rather than purchasing individual tickets and getting paired with another group. read more

Went with a group of 10 to the Roosevelt escape room. The puzzles were challenging and well put together. Our host (Josh?) was great, especially because none of us had done an escape room before. It was a really cool experience, seeing how all of us had different strengths and figuring out how to work together to escape. This first time experience rocked so I'm excited to try other rooms now! read more

We did the Edison room. Team work is the key. It was a lot of fun and totally recommended.

This was our first escape room. Wow! Very impressive. We had a great time solving all the clues. Did the EdisonRoom. Staff was wonderful! Ready for the next one! read more

We did the Edison Room with a group of 6 the other day and it was such a blast! This was such a fun, unique experience. Grown ups need more play time in their lives. This is an awesome way to do that. Also the team that put this one together did such a high quality job - it was incredibly creative in terms of production style, puzzle quality, and ways of making us all work together. Our "guide" that day, Mark, was also really great in terms of customer service and helping us along (but not too much). Highly recommend this! read more

Surprised at how well we were able to do as a beginner group - but it's clear that if you've done escape rooms before you'd be challenged. We can in June 2021 and were the first group back after COVID restricted access. Totally felt normal and the staff was awesome. Did this for a birthday party group of 8 of us. Highly recommend read more

this is my second ever escape room and it was mind blowing. thanks for the experience

We played the Roosevelt room. Amazing, high production value escape room. Will definitely be back for the other rooms!

Wow! Where to even begin. So I own an escape room in another state but always heard about how great the Houdini Room was at Palace Games and finally got a chance to check it out. Without giving away any spoilers - this is hands down the best escape room I've ever done (and I've done a ton). The room and story was extremely immersive! From the beginning intro by Noah to the decor and puzzles - everything fit! Our group of 10 just missed getting out in the time allowed but we had a blast. Pro tip - pay attention and communicate! If I had one minor complaint it would be the way clues are delivered. The room is so immersive - this is the one area where it isn't. read more

I am a huge fan of escape rooms (so long as they are not creepy themed) - working with friends/family to solve puzzles and beat the clock. With that said, I have done a few of your typical escape-in-an-hour-or-else rooms for smaller groups of up to six (maybe seven if you speak to the staff prior), but the Houdini room at Palace Games games gives you an extra 20 minutes with up to double the usual maximum number of people. That's right; you have 80 minutes to escape and can have a group of up to 12 people working together. Granted that larger groups can be difficult to work with since there tends to be communication issues, but believe me when I say you really do need those extra brains and time. Their room(s) is very well maintained - anything that is supposed to be automatic worked like a charm. The puzzles are challenging, but solvable as long as you remember to keep calm and take a step back to think outside the box. There were definitely skills I have not had to use in years being brought back to light and I wish I had been practicing since my childhood days. Also, you kind of figure out who are the first people in your group you'll kind of throw under the bus (lol) - nothing serious (no live actors "killing" people off), just a little suspicious. Oh, and you may find yourself with someone in your group who wants to bypass the puzzles and try "picking the locks" - not a huge fan of this type of guessing method but sometimes works. I don't know about the other hosts at Palace Games, but ours (believe her name was Amy) allowed us to keep going a little longer than the given time to make our way out. Including myself, we had a group of 11 and "escaped" the Houdini room in a little over 97 minutes (17 minutes over the designated time limit). Although I am rather useless in history, I definitely want to come back to try the Roosevelt room!! Happy escaping!! v^-^v read more

This place was amazing! Not sure if that's saying much since this was only my third time doing an escape room but compared to the other two I've done this takes the cake. The creators certainly put a lot of thought into the design. I organized a game as part of a bachelor party and opted to do the Edison room. I don't want to spoil it but it was a great mix of puzzles, coordination, and team work. The other places I've visited mostly focused on puzzles. The staff were very friendly and even allowed us some extra time to complete the room. We managed to finish just slightly over a minute passed the time limit. They mentioned that they'll soon be opening a new room which I will totally go back for. The price per person was a bit steep compared to other places but it's well worth the experience and level of detail. read more

This is THE best escape room place in the Bay Area, no contest. The immersive sets, the original puzzles, the technical sophistication, the thoughtful "flow" the games follow. And the staff! Michael was an outstanding guide - so knowledgeable about the rooms, right there when we needed him during the hour, and just really made sure we got the most out of the experience. I can't wait to go back. read more

I've done 50+ escape rooms over the years, and Palace Games easily has some of the best ones I've ever played. They're very well-designed and each room has a wide variety of puzzles, with many of them integrated into the room itself. Unlike your typical escape room, they rarely make use of combination padlocks, so you have to think outside the box, and you still end up being surprised by what comes next. They might be priced more than your typical escape room, but you definitely get what you pay for. read more

This was my first experience in an escape room and I absolutely loved it! The entire thing was fun, challenging and magical! The entire staff was friendly and accommodating, especially Alsu! I can't wait to come back to do the Roosevelt escape room! I'd love to have a team building, birthday, or even my wedding here! read more

Just did The Houdini Escape Room last night. My first time doing an escape room, and it was SO MUCH FUN! I highly recommend it for team building events, or a fun night with friends. In the beginning, I had no idea what was going on. But once you're team starts to unlock some of the clues, it gets super interesting. The room was so creative, Chris (the founder) showed us how the back end works after, and it's just so cool! Tips: - The instructions part does sound like a history lesson, and I started to tune out, but make sure you listen to everything. Those are all tips and tricks you'll need to know once you're locked in. - Do everything in order, as the instructions suggest. - I recommend carrying water inside with you, I left everything outside and was so thirsty by the time we escaped - Communicate! - Lastly, of course, have fun with it! Chris is really chill, will hint at things, and let you stay longer if you're getting close to getting out. read more

I've been to dozens of escape rooms and this place has hands-down the best production value of any. Puzzles were interesting and fun too. Definitely worth the price of admission. read more

A group of us came here for a Birthday. We were so eager to beat the time, but there was puzzles galore. Definitely a well thought out escape room. We can't wait for the next one they will have, which is supposedly in March. read more

We did this for our company team offsite and it was amazing. The staff who helped each time onsite was hilarious, helpful and personable! Planning: They were very responsive and helpful for finding a date that could accommodate all 25 of us. They called us to confirm, and emailed us giving us all details we needed to have a good time. They even sent us the photos post event. EVENT: Very awesome, engaging, and challenging. Best in town ;) read more

I'm a huge fan of San Francisco history (and turn-of-the-century history in general). Located in the old Exploratorium building at the Palace of Fine Arts, where currently housed is the wonderful Innovation Hangar exhibition of old Panama-Pacific International Expo historic items, you'll find the Palace Games' Great Houdini Escape Room. This is the same room that Houdini presented to his notable friends 100 years prior. With a team of friends, you'll use your wits and teamworking skills to solve your way out of the room. It's challenging and very, very fun. Not sure when the Houdini room ends, but from what they've told us, we can expect a spy-themed room coming in the future. Highly recommended! read more

The technology that goes into the rooms is mind blowing! I've done the Edison an Rosevelt room and every time one of my team members got something right the next thing everyone did was say WOAH. These room are way better than any other escape room I've been to in the Bay Area, can't wait to do the Houdini room. read more

Loved the bonding with our team during the escape room here. Staff is great and very helpful.

My first escape room and couldn't have asked for a better place. We did Houdini escape room, and it was quiet a unique experience. Love the intricate attention to the detail in all of the clues, it was very thematic. One tip - they have only 19% completion rate. So in order to be successful make sure one person takes proper responsibility of a project manager and manages time and tasks efficiently. read more

This is the 11th room escape game I've tried (I've done two more since), and in a market with lots of strong competitors, the Houdini room still remains the most thoughtfully designed and executed room I've attempted. Many reviews have already covered the major details of the room mechanics (time, pricing, team size, etc), so I'll skip that for now. I think what made the Houdini room stand out were two things: 1) how thoughtfully the theme tied in throughout all of the puzzles 2) the production value and execution of the puzzles The owner of the room mentioned that he was a history buff, and his passion for history showed in the puzzle design. It's not necessary to know the backstory behind Houdini and his associates before going in, but he does give you a brief intro and backstory with some relevant information before sending your team in. You can solve the puzzles without it, but it really adds to the enjoyment of the experience and makes it feel like you find "easter eggs" all over the room. The production value was quite impressive because of the level of detail. The furniture is a step up from IKEA furnishings (not that there's anything wrong with IKEA stuff), and without giving anything away, there's a lot in the room that can be triggered to occur without manual intervention from the operator. There's at least one mechanic in the room I've never seen before in other room escapes. All in all, I'm totally jealous of everybody who's going to experience this for the first time, because I wish I could experience it for the first time again! Ideal team size is 10 people for this based on the room size and the number of puzzles. read more

Finally got to try the creme de la creme of Bay Area Escape Rooms, and it definitely lives up to it's hype. We managed to create a group of 12, and man did we all rock that room! Everyone had a different set of skills, and it helped so much! The Room: I am a big fan of beautifully done escape rooms that don't skimp out on aesthetics and provide an experience of whatever theme the room is. Stepping inside the room, I felt as if I jumped through time and landed in the mind of Houdini and the other influences inside the room (8 innovators). The Game Master(s): Aka the person facilitating the game. Both ladies were amazing! They came in exactly when we were just about to ask for some guidance, and gave the exact amount of help that didn't spoil the puzzle. The Puzzle: Unique!!!! I've never seen the types of puzzles or the technology used in this game. The Overall Experience: Mind blowing, wanting more! ......We are coming back for you Teddy!!! (The continuation room;D) read more

This was one of the best experiences that I have ever had! I went in with my staff after we havent been 'in person'. For almost 2 years. It was team building with laughs and I would recommend this edison room as well as all of the rooms at palace games read more

Had a fantastic time doing "The Attraction" room. I just love the Palace Games escape rooms. My family and I have done a few in various cities around the US and the Palace Games rooms are SO MUCH better than any other we have done. The experience is truly immersive. The tech, "set", puzzles are all superior. You can really see it is a labor of love by the creators. I am just sad we have done all but one of their rooms. We are saving that one for a special occasion. There really is no one like them. read more

Super fun and well put together puzzles-theyre very focused on everyone having a good time

Overall a great experience, a little pricey (30-46 per person)...but fair for the extra time and quality that you get. - $370 flat fee for your group of 8-12 - 80 min, plus our group got an extra 15 min to finish out the puzzle once we ran out of time - Great theme, intro, construction...really a level above as far as design and concept - Location in the palace of fine arts was really cool A few things I liked more about other places - Hints were given by a person who came in and out of the room, it was kinda a weird format because only one person could really hear at a time and you just felt a little dumb, no matter how nice the person tried to be. I have preferred it more when hints came in a screen - Time was only sounded every 20 min, which made it harder to keep on track, wish there was a continuous clock read more

One of the best games I ever did so much fun. Everyone should try it at least ones in their life. My friends told me about it but I did not expected to be so cool, challenging, and scary. Real challenge, real emotions and very very interactive. Stuff was great. I will bring more people in and will try this with my coworkers. read more

I have done 2/3 of their escape rooms so far. They are a lot harder than most other escape rooms but that makes them all the more fun to figure out. Rooms are incredibly elaborate, force you to think in a lot of different ways, have a mix of low-tech and hi-tech puzzles and consist of several rooms/sections you have to unlock to finish the puzzle. You definitely want to come with a larger group and split up as soon as feasible if you hope to finish this course in time. Don't feel bad about asking for hints. read more

Best escape rooms in the Bay Area. I personally think roosevelt is head and shoulders above edison and Houdini but all three are top tier. Only advice is to do a few escape rooms before any of these three as I would def consider these to be a little more difficult than the average escape room. read more

This was an excellent escape room! I highly recommend! Allen - our MC - was enthusiastic and really made the game exciting! The history theme of the 1915 World's Fair was interesting and the game design of the clues and puzzles were high quality. I can't wait until the next one opens! read more

No Spoilers below. Mind blown! Just played ROOSEVELT ROOM with a team of 9. This was my 44th escape game ever played, which has no correlation to how skilled I am at puzzles except that I am super addicted to escape games. This was even more awesome than their amazing HOUDINI room. You don't need to play Houdini before playing Roosevelt, but Roosevelt was slightly more time consuming/harder so I recommend doing Houdini first. Palace Games hands down make the best escape games - great storyline, puzzle types (not just a bunch of locks), trap doors, and technology that they use, customer service, etc. I do recommend being more of an escape veteran before "wasting" an attempt here. If you're completely new to escape games, play games elsewhere first to get some practice in. Then come with a team of friends who've played escape games before or it can be frustrating trying to work on puzzles with a team of newbs. Once you play the game, you can't really come and play the same room again - unless you can somehow erase your memory of all the puzzle solutions. I recommend forming a team of at least 9-10 people. Less than 9 will make it a bit tougher due to the number of things you'll need to solve. More than 10 ppl is okay but it gets a bit crowded and hectic communicating Our group of 9 completed the game in 116 minutes, and the time limit is 90 minutes. The host was gracious enough to let us finish even though it was late in the evening. (Make sure to tip the host for good service). I felt like our team was pretty swift solving everything and never got stuck twiddling our thumbs, yet we still couldn't make it out within 90 minutes. read more