The set for The Family Cabin felt a bit older, but it still had several interesting gimmicks that made the room a lot of fun. There was a mix of Gen 1 locks and some newer-format puzzles, which created a nice balance. Overall, it is a room that definitely evokes a sense of nostalgia. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Good escape room experience for groups. We've done 3 of their rooms here and they've all been good. Don't expect anything too modern or fancy though and some of the rooms are aging and need props replaced. Most recently we did The Diner and I was really impressed by the flow of the puzzles - it all just worked well without any nonsensical showstoppers. read more

Really well thought out escape room. We did the diner with two families and it was perfect. Will keep it a surprise but try it out for yourself so fun. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

As a novice escape roomer, I had no idea what criteria to use to pick an escape game! Quicksand was an appealing option because it is conveniently located and competitively priced ($35 per person). I appreciated that your reservation was for your private party and not mixed with other escapers. We did the Chinatown room and i appreciated the storyline, game play and puzzles. They were creative and challenging. Our game master was helpful when we needed it and we managed to escape with seconds to spare! We really enjoyed our experience and look forward to coming back to try the other rooms! read more

We just did the Family Cabin room with 1 minute to spare It was so fun and creative. The employee was very nice and helpful as well . I believe his name was Alex read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

I had a great time trying one of the escape rooms in Quicksand Escape Games. My group played Chinatown, and we escaped with just about 2 minutes left to spare! Our key master was Sarah, and she was amazing! She was very kind and explained the rules clearly. Throughout the game she was there to help us when we needed it. We thought she was so patient and we really could not have escaped without her help. If you are looking for an escape room to try, this is the location to go. The location was clean, fun, and thrilling. I would definitely go again. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - We Escaped! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

The staff was friendly and my friends and I had a great time. Taking away stars because the room wasn't fully reset for us and the key to the escape was literally left in the door- despite that mishap we continued to play and figure out the clues in the spirit of the game. Staff was friendly and the front desk associate apologized for the room not being fully reset. Challenges were difficult but fun to figure out as a group. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

This was so fun and interactive i love this one because its actually interesting and fun but definitely bring ppl who are team players read more

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We had an amazing time and are definitely planning to come back with a different group because it was so much fun! This time, I went with a group of three and we did the Speakeasy room--we finished with about 11 minutes to spare. The room itself was really well-decorated. Contrary to some of the Google reviews, we didn't notice anything broken or out of place, which made the experience even more immersive. I do have a couple of small suggestions. I'm not sure if the hints are pre-written or given in real time, but when we asked for help early on, we were given a hint for a puzzle we had already solved. Later, the same thing happened with a different clue--we had already figured it out by the time the hint came through. SPOILER ALERT Just to give a bit more context: there's a puzzle that involves identifying four scents. We figured out the first scent easily, but the other three were tough for our group. When we asked for a hint, we were just told, "The first scent is correct"--which we already knew. What we really needed was guidance on the remaining scents, but we didn't get much help there. That part ended up taking us an extra 5-10 minutes to work through. That said, the overall experience was fantastic! Those small issues didn't take away from how much we enjoyed ourselves, and I'd absolutely recommend this place to others. Can't wait to come back! read more

Been to a few escape rooms and this is one of the best ones I've been to in SD! Super clean which I appreciate. We did Chinatown and it was perfect for 3 people with a challenging yet linear storyline. Definitely want to go back to try some of the other rooms. Parking wasn't bad as there is a lot right behind that charges 7 dollars for 1 hour or 10 for 2 hours. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Interior entry - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Awesome customer service. Great rooms. We had a ton of fun and happy we were able to do two rooms when visiting on the weekend. They were open late which was a plus. Would love to do their rooms again. They were unique and challenging. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - We escaped both rooms. Yah. - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have been to this location twice. First time we did 'Chinatown' (only 3 of us) and we weren't exactly close to solving it. We haven't done many escape rooms before this so after doing this one, we realized that you can't go 30 minutes without asking for help or hints. This one was definitely fun and lots of puzzles to solve and work on. The second time we went, we did the 'Diner' with 2 extra people. I want to say that we had gotten much farther along so the extra heads definitely helps out. This one was also full of good puzzles. I will more and likely be coming back again to try another room. I hope in time, they come up with new rooms. read more

We did "speakeasy nouveau" and had a blast with the three of us! I was down this way celebrating a birthday girl who (long story short) couldn't make it, so I attempted to cancel the reservation. They have a no-cancellation policy in place after x amount of hours, and since it was an hour before that I realized she wouldn't be coming, I was worried about losing $100+. Greg (manager) was very kind over the phone, and even with this policy in place he was working with me for a while to resolve my worry of doing what we could to decrease the damage, also by opening up the room to the public once more to see if anyone would be able to take the time slot and I wouldn't have to lose out. Well, some other friends were convinced to come along with me and I felt a little sheepish after all the trouble I put Greg through. Sarah was our game host though and her being so bubbly got me right out of my funk. 5/5 customer service from both! The room itself was very creative and we loved the newer automations! We won't give anything away, but WE ESCAPED! There was one part that we felt was difficult but didn't HAVE to be as difficult as it was (relied on something "none of us had" to keep it vague) but we told Sarah about it and we're hoping they adjust it for the rest of you. I still highly recommend this room. Online reservations were made for a Sunday night, and while the later events booked quick they still had a decent amount of availability for a day-of reservation. Thank you Quicksand, we're excited to come back! read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

SO MUCH FUN! Such a well thought out escape room for an amazing price. I do these monthly and decided to come by here for the first time. It was sooooo challenging! They really had me put my thinking cap on. We did the speak easy room and loved it! Its such a creative and well done room! We escaped with one minute left Super excited to come back here and do another one soon! read more

My group did the Chinatown room and it was so fun! It was definitely on the trickier side, but the clues were so creative and very immersive. It was honestly so much fun, I would love to go back to try another room! Great spot for an escape room day! read more

We didn't escape, but we enjoyed our time at Quicksand Escape Games. We spent too much time in the first room and didn't realize until it was too late. Looking back, it seemed like many of the clues were revealed sequentially. I've been in other rooms where you can solve multiple puzzles or locks at the same time which speeds up the game. A lot of the more interactive puzzles for our room were all grouped near the end/ the last few rooms. We later learned that the room we'd chosen was actually designed for a group twice our size and that there was only a 15% chance of escaping - super slim! Quicksand Escape Games was one of the more affordable game room experiences in the San Diego area at $35 per person for the hour. Since they're located in PB, parking was limited, but if you're willing to pay, there was a lot nearby for $7/hour. Overall, we had a great time. I would recommend if I were in the area again and looking for a fun group activity to do. read more

Quicksand has solid Escape room experiences. My least favorite here has to be speak easy nouveau and my favorite is Diner. Diner, to me, is a must play. Chinatown is also up there as an unforgettable must-do. The family cabin room is relatively new and overall fun as well. The thing about Quicksand is every room has at least one part / puzzle that feels unnecessarily difficult, finicky, tedious, etc. just for the sake of being cruel (or slowing down teams?). This is present in every room but to me, speak east nouveau was the worst culprit for those types of puzzles. I have no interest in finding tiny microscopic mistakes, I am not a word processor but rather a person wanting to have fun. With that said, Diner and chinatown are 5 star must plays! read more

Okay presentation and themes. Puzzles for the most part make sense. Came here to do an escape room with a few friends. I've done a lot of escape rooms but the group was a mix of new and experienced people. The booking experience was pretty easy, just a quick online portal. There are a variety of rooms you can select and there seemed to be some availability on weekend days. Did Chinatown room. Theme was pretty cool. Setup was old school combination lock type escape room, not much in the way of cool technology. Overall, the equipment and puzzles seemed worn out. There one was puzzle that was so worn you could see the combination to escape based on other people's handling of the items. The puzzles themselves made sense for the most part. There were one or two that were really cool and one or two that seemed a stretch. The pacing for the puzzles was okay. Pretty linear format so a big group will have a lot of people getting bored. This is an okay escape room that seems a bit dated. Not bad for an introductory escape room but not the most polished and fun room out there. read more

Escaped room No. 195! I WISH I MADE THIS MY 200TH ROOM! The Family Cabin, sounds scary, but it's for those who grew up in the 90s and will have you feeling all kinds of feels while playing this awesome room at Quicksand Escape Games! I haven't played their other rooms, but this is their newer room and I felt it was fun, nostalgic and well worth the trip to play! My mom also thoroughly enjoyed it and it brought her back to when my brother and I were youngins'. I was in awe after playing this room! Highly recommend! read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escaped Room No. 195: The Family Cabin - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

My husband and I have made it sort of a tradition to do an escape room on our anniversary as a way of building our team! We signed up for the diner and I really liked it. The puzzles were logical and made sense (except for one that we would not have gotten without a clue). My husband and I had so much fun we came back later in the night and did another one! The cabin was also a lot of fun but would recommend it more for 3 people instead of 2 or maybe do this one earlier so our brains were fresher. I won't say why because that might give it away. Overall, it was a great activity to do with my husband and highly recommend this place! read more

This was my first experience with escape rooms, and it exceeded my expectations. The theme was well-executed, and the clues were expertly designed. When we needed hints, they were provided promptly and gave just enough information for us to figure out the next step. It was the highlight of my birthday celebration, and my group is still talking about how much fun they had. I can't wait to go back and try out the other rooms. read more

These reviews did NOT lie. The best escape room I've went to forsure! Highly recommend going. Its very immersive and unpredictable. The room we went to was very detailed in presentation. read more

We went to do one of the escape rooms for our friends birthday. We had a group of 8 and did the Diner. It was so fun but challenging for all 8 minds. I would def recommend this room for groups who enjoy puzzles. I will definitely be back! read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Quicksand may be the best Escape room in SD... We've played 3 of their 4 rooms and each time we have had an awesome time! Their clues, puzzles and overall experience is top notch, very well thought out. All the game masters we've come across were really nice and helpful! There are small lockers in the lobby to put your belongings and a restroom is available if needed. Their newest room, Speakeasy Nouveau, had technical problems that sort of affected our game play but it was minor details not really worth mentioning. The game master was very apologetic about them, but we understood, since it was a new room. The only room left we haven't tried is "Chinatown." The original Speakeasy is my fave, then Nouveau then the Diner. Quicksand has very reasonable & affordable prices! Usually $32 a person, but there's always coupon codes floating around for $5 off. They are located in PB on the 2nd floor. The only negative I would say is their location cause PB tends to be crowded and not enough spaces for parking. Can't wait to try Chinatown! read more

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My girlfriend and I are an escape room enthusiast duo who try to do a room everywhere we travel to. We are based in Orange County, CA and continue to enjoy the wide range of rooms available to us in the area. We have only escaped 25+ rooms, but half of which were completed with just the 2 of us. Escaped?: Yes Participants: 2 (Would not recommend more than 4) Rooms: 2 1/2 Price: $35 pp Staff: This trip we did two escape rooms and the difference between the two staffs made it clear that this factor does make a difference. This unfortunately was the negative experience. The female that assisted us (I forgot her name) was not rude in the slightest, but you could tell she didn't want to be there. "Okay here's the diner, alright watch this video, (hint provided was) what exactly do you need help with?" Makes me appreciate the game masters who really sell the story to you. Parking / Location: Place is overshadowed by the packed hot chicken place on the corner and the pho restaurant next door. Luckily we went later in the night and the parking lot next door had enough parking, but be prepared to pay ~$5. Location is through a glass door next to the pho restaurant and up some stairs. Experience: We had very high expectations for this room being that it is advertised as #7 in world. This was a VERY lock heavy game. Limited to no technology used and a lot of the props are fairly old. This room would benefit greatly from some refurbished props and fresh paint. I understand some people appreciate the use of vintage items to add to the overall experience, but being reluctant to open something for fear of breaking it only to use a hint which indicates to open said item is frustrating. Some new mechanics we've never seen before yes, but only to lead to a combo for a lock. This room is possible with two people, but I would not take more than 4 at the most. This does rank lower on our list of rooms done as a couple. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

friend and i did the chinatown escape room. nonsensical puzzles that were impossible to solve, half of the gimmicks didn't light up or work. i ACTUALLY hated this escape room. read more

I did 30+ escape rooms. The room "The Diner" is one of my favorite ones! Amazing unexpected setup, great number of puzzles, a lot of opportunities for teamwork. read more

Did the Diner one and we were not that close to escaping, much harder than anticipated. We didn't escape but it was still fun! Will definitely be back to try another one of the escape rooms. read more

I'm just getting into escape rooms. This was my second time coming here. Last night we did the diner one. We made it out. Prior to that, was Chinatown and we didn't make it. Not a bad record lol. I really like the setup. The place is super clean. Signing up and doing the waiver is easy. Our game master was very helpful and quick to give us hints when we asked, and it was quite a bit. I plan on coming back to do the other two. read more

After four years, I've now completed all of the rooms at Quicksand with the two most recent being Family Cabin and Speakeasy Nouveaux. I was reluctant to play the final two because I wasn't a huge fan of the first two, Diner or Chinatown. Not bad rooms but "middle-of-the-pack". I'm happy to say that I enjoyed Cabin and Speakeasy more than the first two. Cabin was logical, novel, engaging, and challenging with some sleuthing and plenty of throwbacks to the 90s. We (team of 2) escaped with only 17 seconds left! Speakeasy similar in terms of production but didn't quite rise to the level of Cabin in terms of puzzles. One being illogical, one scent puzzle that perplexed us, and one that wasn't lit appropriately to see the solution. Still, it was fun and we escaped with 2 minutes remaining. The highlight of both rooms, though, was our GM, Sarah, who was FANTASTIC! She was warm and welcoming, enthusiastic, and constantly watching with gentle nudges when we needed them, hints that helped without giving the answer, responding within a second or two of asking for a hint, and so on. The rooms were 4-star rooms, give or take, but Quicksand gets an extra star for Sarah. Thank you for being such a great GM! read more

I have done the Dinner, Family Cabin, and Speakeasy at this location. All of them have been very different from each other, creative, and clean. The only one we did not get out of was the Dinner, this was the hardest one for our group. All the rooms are also very linear so if you get stuck on something for too long, Ask for a hint! Parking is a little difficult in this area but there is a parking lot right behind it for a couple of bucks an hour. There are also tons of restaurants/bars around here if you're looking for a bite before or after your game. Will definitely be back for Chinatown! read more

Clean venue, nice staff but need to allow time to find parking and check-in office. We had nine people (5 kids) probably would have solved with 4-5 ppl. Very fun and can't wait to come back to check out another room. read more

Quicksand Escape Games - First timers - We almost escaped the diner! Very fun but challenging! Super clean and friendly staff! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've been here three times now. The first two times were a bit more enjoyable. This last time was for the Chinatown room. It was fine, lots of locks and puzzles. I'm waiting for the day I can find other things u get to do because most rooms I've ended up doing have been locks and puzzles and it's getting old. No major complaints here except we asked for a hint twice and the guy helping us didn't notice so we lost some time but he gave us an extra minute at the end it seemed to be nice which we appreciated. Easy to find with a sign out front, clean restrooms in the building and clean rooms. Would recommend trying this place but it still didn't beat my fave so far at Escapology. read more

This place is a lot of fun. The family cabin was pretty much the same as a couple other cabin themed rooms we played in other states, so I didn't rank it high on being unique. There's no other cabin design rooms in the local area so that is a plus. The puzzles are interactive but you need 3 or more players because they're challenging. The cost is fair but parking is expensive at a nearby lot. read more

Amazing experience with my family! We did the family cabin which is two rooms, each with multiple locks and 90s nostalgia. Each room was elaborately decorated. The staff were very helpful and gave us hints as needed. Our kids (ages 8 and 12) had a great time! read more

Played the Chinatown room and it was very cute and had a cohesive theme with a fun variety of puzzles but this is a very 1.0 type room with tons of number locks. The set design and props were great though and it was a lot of fun. We did it as a group of 2 and difficulty level was medium so you don't need a lot of people for this one. read more

Update: I was contacted by the owner and he was open to my criticisms. He also offered me options to rectify my bad problem. I believe that anyone looking to come here will not have the same problems I am facing here. Just a bit of background before the review: I have done about 20+ rooms prior to doing The Diner here. The room itself was very nicely themed, however, I feel that some aspects of the room need to be more thoroughly tested for future players. (There is way too much red herrings and some parts that are expected to be discovered are VERY easy to gloss over.) More variety towards unlocking aspects would also be very helpful. Our game master also was very unenthusiastic for our time there. They herded us like cattle and did not even show a smile. Even though we were very close to solving the puzzle, the GM booted us out very quickly and haphazardly told us the solution. Although we too should have been asking for more hints, I believe it's the GM's duty to also know when to provide very slight nudges towards the players to keep the work flow and overall happiness of their customers happy. Had we been given just the smallest nudge, I believe our party would have escaped. One of the only times we left a room frustrated rather than happy with the whole affair, and I don't think it was the rooms fault. This is the only time we left without taking a group photo. read more

Having done several Escape Rooms of varying degrees of difficulty, my normal group failed to escape. Our normal thought process and approach to puzzles were different than the puzzles presented here in "The Diner". We were stuck on one puzzle that seemed to take forever, and most of the puzzles definitely required thinking outside of the box given our normal solving styles. Our brain for some reason, just did not turn that way. I loved the decor of "The Diner", a very 1950s feel, and I loved how all the puzzles definitely worked inside that theme and story. It didn't use any flashy tricks or technology, in fact, most of it was quite low tech but gave us maximum fun. They provide clues when asked for them, or, in our case, after spinning heads for a long time. Their lobby is really nice, nicer than most Escape Rooms that we have been to in San Diego. It made an impression on me and made me feel really comfortable upon entering the building. I'd definitely recommend "The Diner". We haven't tried "The Speakeasy" so I can't speak to that room, but if we go back and do it, I'll update my review to include it. I think it's definitely challenging for people who have never done a room before, but no better room than one that is well designed with complicated puzzles for a first timer :) (and in our case, an older timer). read more

Quicksand Escape Games - love the decor of their lobby. eye-catching and themed right off the bat, which cannot be said for other escape rooms unfortunately - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

We have done over 20 escaperooms in and around San Diego and Quicksand games are by far the most detailed and clever! Each room is uniquely designed. The decorations really make you feel like you are in the themed setting: Chinatown, The Diner, Speakeasy 1 and Speakeasy 2. The New Speakeasy room is awesome and the first room that I have done that incorporates the sense of Smell! The location is primetime, in the heart of Pacific beach where you and your group can grab a drink or a bite to eat. Parking can be a little tough during the busy hours so make sure to give yourselves plenty of time! read more

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our group of 4 played their chinatown and then their diner games, both were super fun. I enjoyed the chinatown one better. One thing to note, there is a lock in their diner game that will be super frustrating, make sure to ask for help on it. I felt like I was literally in a chinese restaurant while playing, immersion was very good for both games. Our game master was attentive as well. Recommend this place! read more