This place rocks! We took a large group of kids (ages 7-12) and two adults to do the Trapped in Time room and the CSI: Hollywood room. The puzzles were tricky, but solveable and the hostesses were so sweet and helpful. There were surprises in each room that were delightful (and a little shocking!) This was the first time most of us had done an escape room, and it didn't disappoint. I just wish we could go back again tomorrow. We already want to come back to do more rooms! read more

5 Star experience all around, from customer service to the puzzles in the room itself! Now let me explain. Like most places, Puzzle workshop requires the purchase of 3 tickets minimum per room, although they will let you play with two (which I don't understand). Last night, 1/19, about 9pm I called to see if I could reserve only 2 spots (and pay for only 2) for the 10:30 trapped in time, given that all 6 spots were still open. I spoke to the young lady who answered the phone and asked, and she said that although they typically require 3, she would take my name and number and speak to the owners, and call me back. About 10 minutes later, I received a call saying that the owners will waive the fee on the condition that "we have fun." STOKED! So this was the first room my "lady friend" had done, and she was nervous not knowing what to expect (the fact that it is called an 'escape room' doesn't help). We drove to Puzzle Workshop, which is located near John Wayne airport, somewhat difficult to find given that it is located in like a business district that looks like a strip mall with different businesses on both the top and bottom floors. After driving around for about 10 minutes, we spotted people coming out of one of the buildings and saw the sign just above the door (difficult to see, I would suggest either better illumination or larger signs in general). With her adrenaline rushing, we embarked on our journey. STEVEN greeted us, smile and excitement filled his face after hearing it was her first room. He played a short video explaining the room and our objective, and we were off. About the room. Puzzle Workshop went above and beyond to make it feel like you were at the location of the story, making us feel like we were actually helping our fictitious friend who was trapped in time. I have to admit it wasn't as easy as I had anticipated (given the website said it was a beginner level), which I was pleased! We even came across two or three puzzle types that I had never seen before, but thought were absolutely creative and fun! Unfortunately for our fictitious friend, we were unable to save him. But given how friendly Steven and the rest of the gang were, and the fact that Puzzle Workshop had such creative and detailed puzzles, my lady friend and I will be back to try and save him again. To sum it up - VERY family friendly and true to what Steven told us, NOT scary (so children could partake in the escape room adventure without fear of nightmares for the rest of their lives). This place exceeded my expectations in every category, from customer service (thank you for waiving the 3rd person fee) to the creativity and details in the Trapped in Time room, which i am sure is applicable to the other two rooms. Great experience! Will definitely be back to try CSI and the Illuminati! Thank you!!!! read more

This is a great Escape Room! (CSI:Hollywood) The staff were wonderful and welcoming and energetic. They were just as excited for us as we were to do this challenge! The room was well thought out and an even mix of challenging and entertaining. They followed the story line and threw in a few surprises that we certainly had fun reactions about! We made it out with 1:41 left on the clock! Highly recommended! read more

Excellent escape room following COVID safety protocols! My three person group completed Mission to Mars. We are somewhat experienced (30-40 rooms total) and it was still challenging and fun for us! Game play had both lock and key and tech-based puzzles. Highly recommend! read more

We did the CSI: Hollywood escape room and it was our first time but it was SOOOOO much fun. We managed to escape, but without the hints we definitely would not have been able to. What is nice is that they did not take time away for getting hints. Overall an amazing experience, and we will definitely come back! Thanks Puzzle Workshop! read more

We did the CSI Hollywood escape room for a group of 12 year olds. In some ways, a bit too difficult. However, with us there, an older brother and great clues when we needed them. We were able to solve the mystery and get out of the room with a few seconds to spare. The staff were VERY friendly and made everyone very comfortable. Would highly recommend. read more

Went here for a bachelorette last month and had soooo much fun! We did the CSI one. It definitely had its surprises. Lol. We ended up finishing it! The staff was very sweet. It was mine and many others in our group's first time doing an escape room. I would definitely go again. read more

Awesome first time experience tried the intermediate CSI! It was fun and very challenging we weren't able to actually solve the the puzzle but it was fun and challenging. Staff were also really helpful and it was great experience will definitely come back. read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - Entry Sign - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Puzzle Workshop has a wide variety of rooms to offer. Last week I was lucky enough to do Secrets of the Illuminati and CSI: Hollywood. Both of these rooms fully immerse the players in well-designed sets and theme appropriate puzzles. Even with limited space, the Puzzle Workshop team makes an exceptional use of the room. Larger groups may quickly go through these rooms since the puzzles do not exactly have a "linear" flow (where one clue is entirely dependent on another) so we suggest a smaller group size for veterans. During our visit, there were a few technical issues that stopped from my group fully experiencing the Secrets of the Illuminati room. It did put a damper on our visit, but the incredible staff made up for that immediately! The two ladies behind the desk were extremely helpful and friendly. As an editor for escaperoomratings.com and just overall escape room enthusiast, I would recommend Puzzle Workshop for OC natives looking to get a quick fix. read more

We had a great time. We were concerned that it would be too physical for group of mostly 50 year olds but the puzzles are mental not physical and we're so much fun. The attendant (Leanne, I think) was terrific and did a great job making us feel comfortable. read more

Room #86 Did the secrets of the illumaniti room with my group. Ciara was awesome and very welcoming . The room was pretty immersive for being a small business escape room , very nicely done. The puzzles were both light hearted/easy and hard/brain racking. It is both a gen 1 and gen 2 room which I enjoy. Definitely will return . read more

We used a Groupon for a different "escape room" around the corner. We used it as an event for our family reunion. My three daughters and two husbands had a really good time so we looked for another one. The CSI room was 100 % percent better and worth the extra cost. It was super challenging and fun. Our host was fantastic and so personable (sorry I don't remember her name). I was on grandma duty but they let me sit in the room and watch and it was fun to see everyone working together. read more

My first time doing an escape room and it was so fun! I didn't want to come in with any expectations so although we didn't finish the Illuminati one, I had a lot of fun figuring out the puzzles and everyone working together! We could have asked for hints but we were never stuck...just ran out of time trying to finish the puzzle. Such a great experience and I will totally come back to try out the other rooms! I think this is a great team-building game and I was surprised by everyone on the team (6 total) that all jumped in at different parts of the game to help figure things out. So much fun! Thanks again! read more

I hate giving bad reviews but absolutely do not do mission to the stars. We did the CSi one before and it was awesome so I recommend that one but mission to the stars was the worst escape room I've done. We got put in the room and it wasn't even fully set up yet so the GM had to come in a reset things up...while we watched. Then the audio wasn't working ND the GM wasn't paying attention because we spent 20 mins wondering around and asking for hints, but he never responded... then snother one of the puzzle wsd broken and the GM didn't do snatching nor seem to care when we got out and asked about it. read more

Carrera was phenomenal! She went above and beyond to make my 200th room a special celebration. We loved all the rooms we did at Puzzle Workshop - well designed, thematically integrated puzzles, and an enthusiastic and friendly staff. Jake was delightful and offered us the exact level of help we needed. Highly recommend you check them out, good for beginners and enthusiasts alike! read more

If you're looking for a fun and challenging escape room, I would highly recommend Puzzle Workshop. My wife and I and a close friend recently did the Trapped in Time puzzle and greatly enjoyed the experience. Not only was Ashley extremely helpful, but she took the time to make sure that we understood the story and concept before getting started. We'll definitely be back soon for another adventure! read more

Just did their "Trapped In Time" room. I would recommend 2 to 4 experienced players for this one and 4 to 6 players normally. This would also be a good room for a couple of do if they are experienced as well. The theme is your friend is Time Travelling and he got Trapped in time. Your mission, if you choose to except it is to rescue him by retrieving something before TIME runs out. They have a mix of old and new puzzles we've seen or haven't seen elsewhere, but it's still a good mix. SLIGHT Spoiler coming..... .... .... .... Hint: If you're an 80's kid, you might have a slight advantage since it has references to pop culture from that time, however it's not necessary because they have provide all the information you'll need operate archaic technology from that time period even if you have no idea what or why people did those things in the 80's. It was a different time back in those days. People did a lot of strange things too. My favorite is still their Illuminati one, but this one is fun too. This room is located in the suite next to their original one. I'm excited since they got this new suite, that means there's room for another brand new room. Their games are all pretty good, so can't wait for that to happen. read more

This was my first time doing an escape room and I have to say it was amazing. I did the CSI: Hollywood room and I recommend it highly for how well thought out and enjoyable it was to solve and experience. The room instructor Marcus was super helpful, nice, and made us feel comfortable the entire time which helped us enjoy the experience more. All in all highly recommend for all! read more

It was most of my families first time and they had a great time! Great customer service and the Trapped in Time was a perfect beginner level room for them, we will definitely go back to try the other rooms read more

It was a really great experience for a first timer like myself. Blaze was out game master and they did an amazing job at creating a fun atmosphere. The audio for the game was a little soft for my taste, but besides that, it was a fun experience and our group will definitely be returning! read more

We had a fabulous time on a rainy afternoon. Blaze was entertaining and so helpful as our guide. We would definitely recommend and return!

My friends and I did the Illuminati room. It was tons of fun. There were 6 of us and 3 had never done an escape room before. I think 6, maybe even 5 people is perfect for this room as there were times that I was standing around trying to find something to do but there wasn't. The puzzles were fun, really worked your mind. We may have had to get about 4 clues but I think we did pretty good. We sadly did not get out, I think if we had 2 more minutes we would have :) Now the 3 newbies are hooked and want to come back and try their luck at the other room. I also want to shout out to the staff because they were super friendly and helpful. I'm only giving 4 stars because 5 stars to me is perfect and nothing is perfect. But this establishment is as close as it can be. read more

This place is kinda hard to find on Apple Maps if you plug in the exact address so switch to Google Maps. I use Apple Maps because I have their Carplay system and it took me to the plaza next door. If you're late, they'll start your party without you! The retro time adventure one was the easiest but we still took clues and ended with just a minute in, so if you're looking for something hard, make sure you can handle it! read more

My family is hooked on escape rooms and have done over 20 altogether! My husband and I have done 2 rooms at this location so far: Trapped in Time and CSI Hollywood. Both were well designed with a variety of different types of puzzles. Trapped in Time was a bit easier than CSI, but still very enjoyable. The staff is friendly and do an excellent job of monitoring your time in the room so you get relevant clues on the monitor, as needed. Their customer service is also great! We had a few people unable to attend due to a delayed flight and they happily rescheduled those players while the rest of our group played at our scheduled time. Thank you so much for a great time and being so accommodating! read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Oh man. Our game master was really kind and gave us an extra five minutes to escape which is why I gave two stars instead of one, but they had us doing sudoku and those tests like on exams "if this is X but not Y..." geez. Plus when we finally escaped the guy that worked there exclaimed, "Finally!". Pretty rude. And the Illuminati room--sounds like it would be a cool looking ass room but it was just an office. It looked like my living room. Production value could have been so much better. read more

Our group was mostly new to escape rooms and we tried did Trapped in Time. Everyone had an awesome time and we'll be back for sure! Thanks to Delilah for being a great host. read more

Hands-down the best date night I've had in years. Without giving away any of the mystery, all the puzzles were unique, engaging and very challenging. With a clue or two were able to escape. But truth be told, It required a little help from the staff and a bit more time then 60 minutes. Deafly an experience worth checking out with a few friends. We will be back to try the other challenge they have there soon. read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

First escape room was a SUCCESS! This place was amazing from the start to the finish. We tried the illuminati room and it was so fun!!! The hardest part is time management LOL but its all a learning process. The clues were very helpful, the story line was easy to follow, and the people that worked there made the experience fun too! Thanks for a great time, will be back for sure! read more

Our family of escape room enthusiasts played the new Trapped In Time escape room and had a lot of fun! The room decor is fun, very retro and 80s which we loved! Clues are given through a screen on the wall in the room, although we didn't need any. This room is very linear, which isn't bad, it's just not our favorite kind of room to play. We escaped with over 20 minutes left, and would recommend his room especially to beginners or intermediate teams. Our Game Master was friendly. We especially loved the music in this room- that was a fun touch! read more

So much fun! We took the kids (11 &13) and had a great time in the Time Machine. The staff was awesome! Highly recommend (even for picky teens and pre-teens!) read more

I booked two rooms at this escape room business for my daughter's 16th birthday party. Unfortunately I did not go in and participate because they want their mom coming on there fun. We did the Illuminati room and the Starlet room. The group in Starlet did escape with 3 minutes remaining. The Illuminati group was not so lucky. They had a really good time they didn't have too much trouble with the puzzles. They enjoyed it very much. As someone who just waited outside for them to finish, the staff was very accommodating for me. They allowed me to watch the monitors and watch the girls and kind of helped me understand what's going on the entire time. I would recommend this highly for any other such party. read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - 3nd of the line! Happy birthday Bella! - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Really fun. My third escape room, for what it's worth. I wouldn't say it's the most immersive experience, but the puzzles are a decent degree of difficulty with some red herrings, but nothing unfair at all. The staff is very passionate and that really comes through in the pre and post escape experience. Highly recommended. read more

What a blast! It was much harder than I thought but I think I'm hooked now. Great job, I'll be back for sure!!

This place has fun escape rooms. I've been to three at this location, and I liked them all. We're not actually locked in the room, which I know can make people nervous. Time doesn't end if anyone has to step out to the restroom. There's unlimited hints if you need it. We were close to escaping, but ran out of time. The guy was nice and showed us the ending so we'd know what we missed. Planning on going back soon to check out their newest room. read more

Highly recommend Puzzle Workshop's escape rooms! Celebrated a 16th birthday by having a "race," 7 adults vs 6 teens to see who would escape their room first. I booked our party a couple weeks in advance. Brian was very helpful and responsive. Teens were in the CSI room while the adults had the Illuminati room. We all had a great time. Note: all but one of us were first-timers. The puzzles/locks/missions were interesting and challenging. A couple of us could work on one thing while others teamed up to tackle something else. The rooms and props had great production value. The two game masters were helpful, personable, and seemed to enjoy their work. (Thank you, Micaela and the-other-one-whose-name-I-can't-remember!) Very cool that the escape rooms were designed by Blizzard video game designers. Thanks! PS. The teens won the race. ;) read more

Went there last week with my parents (Their first escape room.) We had a GREAT time; we did the CSI: Hollywood room and escaped with just about a minute left! The experience was very satisfying, there were a LOT of puzzles and the clues were extremely creative. The staff was amazing, very friendly and helpful. We'll definitely be back for the other experiences... highly recommend the Puzzle Workshop for anyone who enjoys a good intellectual escape room. read more

This was our first time doing an escape room and we were nervous about it because we didn't know what to expect. Cameron did a great job reassuring us and making sure we were comfortable with doing the room. We chose the "Trapped In Time" room and it was so much fun. Cameron said it was mix of logic and puzzle and great for beginners. We enjoyed ourselves and made it out with 6 minutes to spare. Thank you to Cameron for encouraging us and pumping us up for our first escape room. Definitely recommend and will be back for another!! read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

We did not enjoy the flow of the room. Each puzzle is sequential, so you can't have some members of your group work on a puzzle and others on another puzzle. That results in a lot of standing around. Also it's not terribly intuitive what we were supposed to be doing. The room itself was quite basic and boring. We also weren't notified until we arrived that the group before us broke a puzzle so we completely skipped that portion of the room and didn't know what we were supposed to do with the remaining clue that was still in the room but unusable because of the broken puzzle. We weren't offered any sort of compensation. We didn't enjoy ourselves and won't return. read more

This was my first escape room experience that started my addiction to escape rooms. I wasn't sure what to expect when I tried out their Illuminati Room. You walk into an office building and we were greeted by a very nice worker. She explained to us the rules and we watched a short video that introduced us to the game that we were about to play. Inside the room it was designed elegantly which matched the theme very well. Puzzles were clever and well thought out. Their hinting system is efficient and quick. The second room was a murder mystery which I also enjoyed. They also have some creative puzzles that I haven't seen anywhere else. It was a lot of fun and I look forward to what they come up with next. read more

We just did the trapped in time room. We did not escape! Josh was a great host! We highly recommend this escape room for anybody trying escape rooms for their first time. We can't give any more details out, except that it was a lot of fun! I would recommend going with a group of seven, so that there's enough people to help. I was afraid we would get down to soon, so I was very relaxed, but it came back to haunt me because there was a lot more than I expected! read more

Puzzle Workshop: Escape Room - Escape Games Near Me - Costa Mesa, California