Magic UniverseMad LandEscape roomIRLMy wife and I were in Madrid for vacation, so of course I had to bring her along to Magic Universe. The quick summary is yes, I believe this deserves the #2 spot in the world (I have also done Magnifico). Did at as a team of 2 with my wife and we managed to finish it about 12 minutes early. Let's start with positives: 1) The scale and scenery is top notch. Puzzles are "overproduced" in the best way. 2) Our actresses were amazing. One even had a perfect British accent, haha. 3) Very strong sections of puzzles. Loved all of the first few "rooms." 4) A lot of "wow" moments However, a couple of things are keeping it from being perfect: 1) cutscene effect: I'm not against these per se, but an important part of escape rooms is agency and interactivity. I think even adding 1 or 2 audience interaction in the longer cutscenes would be nice. Minor nitpick 2) Major nitpick: finale puzzle was extremely weak: grand scale but confusing controls. Thinking back I'm not even sure if this was a puzzle because I guessed through it and apparently succeeded. The story also ends on a confusing note. And this is the last impression you leave with. I still unequivocally recommend it, of course. If they find some way to shore up the finale, the debate for #1 will be much more intense in the coming years.
The Buried ProphecyQuest Tavern - UplandEscape roomIRLGreat rendition of the Egyptian tomb theme escape room. Lots of puzzle to solve and a lot of cool effects. I think for the most part all the clues made sense, there were a couple of places we needed a nudge but after the nudge we were like "oh yeah, how did we miss that." Only real criticism of the room is that one mechanism is very finicky, so we had to be coached through it even after having the correct answer. Our GM was Nico and she did a great job.
MagnificoEscaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLExperiencing Magnifico leaves no doubt on why it's rated so highly. This is more than an escape room. It's a labor of love. And I'm not an expert in the business side, but judging by the throughput of customers to staff ratio, they are definitely running this for the artistry and not for profit. What sets Magnifico apart beyond huge budget and set design, is the artistry. The narrative is first, and the puzzles are integrated into the narrative. I have always enjoyed rooms where the puzzles "make sense" and are part of the story, not just jammed in to be a puzzle, and this room takes it to the extreme. Each puzzle/group of puzzles has its own story introduction, and you are always working towards a narrative goal. The puzzle themselves range mostly linear but there are sections where you can work on 2 at a time, but even the linear puzzles require multiple people and teamwork, so everyone always has something to do. The grand scale of the experience is actually misleading, as the reason Magnifico is maxed for 4-6 people is how intimate the scenes are. I think 4 is the perfect amount of people for this room. I was ultimately left in awe on how much effort was put into just "entertaining" our small group of 5 people, and all the effort the MULTIPLE staff members put into acting, running the game, etc. And speaking of awe, the set design is out of this world. There are multiple very ambitious elements, some even just for ambiance and story, and Magnifico even has its own custom soundtrack! If it hasn't been clear so far, I unequivocally recommend this room, and can't wait to see if any other escape room can ever top this experience.
Le Cirque des Âmes Perdues Ver. 2025 [Circus of the Lost Souls]Immersia Escape GamesEscape roomIRLA great hidden gem at Immersia Boisbriand. On our trip, unfortunately Project RESET was damaged from flooding, but we were able to play all 4 other games and Circus was my favorite of the 4. You are led by a character who introduces you to the story, and then sets you loose to start puzzling. The circus, as you'd expect, is full of many non-linear puzzles for multiple people to do at once, ranging from circus games to scavenging, to even basic math. At the end the game gets a bit more linear. What sets this apart is the theming, the atmosphere, and the narrative integration, which they really do well here. Our GM/actor also did a great job in her character, and there was plenty of room for silly banter. I feel like 4 is the perfect amount of people for this experience. Would recommend this as a don't miss at Immersia and any trip to Montreal.
The Hunt: Peter's Escape AdventureOver The Moon Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLGreat family friendly escape room to do with your kids. Space is pretty small so I wouldn't recommend more than 4, but they make really good use of their space. Slightly more challenging than you'd expect for a kid's room, but good to recommend for both enthusiasts and families. Mostly gen 1 locks but great theming and good variety of puzzles and clues. Our GM Alicia (I think) was fantastic. Some mechanisms could use some maintenance/improvement (a wooden object dropped and missed the pipe it was supposed to go into, but luckily no one was standing next to it), and one was fiddly in terms of "inserting". Those would be the only major criticisms I have of the room.
Game On: UNLOCKED ArcadeUNLOCKED: Escape RoomEscape roomIRLFun arcade themed escape room that is great for families to do. This is a very non-linear room, so there's lots to do. A lot of the challenge for me was how familiar I was with video games and I kept actually trying to play them or apply actual controller logic. A tip I would have is to treat everything as a lock, and not as the electronics they appear to be! We managed to finish with only 38 seconds to spare, but had to use about 3-4 clues. Overall though, this place has great production value, great GMs, a lot of puzzles to do and is a unique theme I haven't seen anywhere else. Would definitely recommend this room.
Ink & AshesExodus Escape RoomEscape roomIRLInk & Ashes is a fantastic, story driven room. I'm always a sucker for good narrative and this room has that in spades (pun intended). The room has a good mix of locks and high tech stuff, with a lot of really cool special effects and story moments. The puzzles are mostly non-linear, and would be great for a group of 4. In terms of difficulty, I'd rate this one as medium-hard. Our family of 4 escaped with about 13 minutes left. Our GM David was great. Definitely my favorite of the 3 Exodus rooms I've done so far.
Black and White CafeMindFox EscapeEscape roomIRLDid this room with just the Capy-boys. First of all, theming and idea for this room are awesome. My kids loved the black and white aesthetic, and so did I. Game was mainly locked based, but the mechanisms for the clue were varied, and had plenty of "wow, cool" moments using tech. Difficulty for this room is actually decent. Recommended for 2 enthusiasts, or up to 4 beginners. Note that the room is not very large, so more than 4 would be crowded. We did in with about 11 minutes to spare, using only about 2 clues. Our GM Charlie was great. Excited to eventually come back and try their other, harder room with the full group!
The MenagerieTrapped! Escape Room - UplandEscape roomIRLPretty cool serial killer themed room. I wouldn't say this room is scary, but more creepy, but there is some gore. Strengths of this room are the theming and some of the clue mechanisms are very cool. Weaknesses are the computer based documentation, which is on theme, but annoying in practice as you can only open one window at a time on the "computer". The most annoying thing to me was they had one of those "solve this first" puzzle, but the mechanism was very unintuitive. Once we got past that the rest of the room was pretty fun. Our GM Fern was great and got really into character. The GM system in this room was also very in theme, very easy to communicate with the GM also. Overall I'd recommend this room.
Operation Save ChristmasOpen Door Escape Games - RedlandsEscape roomIRLVery cute and thematic Christmas escape room. I love the giftomatic 5000 custom machine that they built for this room. Puzzles are on the easy side, but everything is very thematic, and music really gets you in the Christmas spirit. This is a great room for beginners and families.
Lethal InjectionOpen Door Escape Games - RedlandsEscape roomIRLGood prison break escape room. Split start was pretty quick. difficulty is about medium to hard. Did it in just under 50 minutes with just me and my son, but we have more than 20 rooms under our belt. Lots of locks, but also some cool technology components. Our gm Diego was great. My only criticism of this game is that there are a lot of 4 digit locks and that they could use some kind of labeling system. At one point I think there are about 5 available 4 digit locks with only one of the clues pointing out which lock the digits belong to (clever wordplay on that one, too). Would recommend all games at this location.
Olympus - CLOSEDExodus Escape Room - Rancho CucamongaEscape roomIRLFun high tech escape room with good theming and theatrics. Non linear start becomes linear at the end, with the last puzzle being a bit of bottleneck. I really liked the flow of this one, but it did end up skewing a bit on the easy side. Our family of 4 (including a 9 and 3 year old) managed to do it in under 30 minutes. Still, the production value and how logical everything was makes it an easy recommend.
Far-FetchedOpen Door Escape Games - RedlandsEscape roomIRLVery cute and family friendly dog vs cats themed escape room. This room is also all high tech, as its their newest room. While being very bright and family friendly, there's a decent amount of difficulty to the room, as there are puzzles that build on top of each other. The room is also very non-linear, so plenty of things to do. A group of 3-4 is a good size for this room. Theming is very good and cute here with all the props. Would definitely recommend this room for families, but bring your A-game.
Jewel of the SeaIntrepid Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLJewel of the Sea is a fun pirate escape room. The puzzles are all fairly intuitive and flow decently, as the room is pretty compact. Theming is great and lots of details everywhere. Highlights of this room are the fun reveals and the teamwork dexterity puzzle. The main standout here is the immersion factor, from the pre-show to the way the GM talks to you in character in this room. Not only speaking up when giving hints, but commenting on your progress. It was great to have proactive communication even when you don't need hints! Our GM was fantastic. The medium difficulty rating is about right, as our family of 4 managed to get out with more than 17 minutes left. Definitely recommend this room and will be back to try their others in the future. Also, they have a great lobby.
Villains VendettaExodus Escape Room - Rancho CucamongaEscape roomIRLGreat toy store themed escape room. Family friendly theme, but deceptively hard because there are a lot of puzzles after the linear start. We technically "escaped" at the end, but only managed to rescue 10 out of 15 heroes. I think getting all 15 is very doable with a group of 4, but it was the only the Capy Boys this time, so we didn't have time to get through all the puzzles. Mostly a gen 1 room , but well puzzles are integrated into the toy store theme. I'd definitely recommend this room for families and enthusiasts alike.
The Bridge BetweenQuest TavernEscape roomIRLI approached this one with some trepidation as I was doing this with our family, including an 8 and 4 year old. But with a few hints, we were still able to make it out just before the 75 minute mark! In retrospect, this room felt like the same amount of difficulty as their through the sugar glass room. Theming of the room is pretty good. Most of the time is spent in a bazaar shop, and the hint system is thematically integrated, though hard to hear if you're not in the first room. The third act of the room requires a bit of imagination, but I get the idea they were going for. In terms of puzzles, this one definitely has a good amount to do, with enough for 2 people or 2 groups to do at the same time. I think 4 people would be the perfect amount of people for this room. One thing that kept me from loving this room and only liking it, is that there were three color puzzles in the first room, and when some puzzles require you to do things in sequence, it makes it quite confusing on which clue belongs to which solution. Technically the sets of colors are all different, but it still sends you for a loop as you have to confirm. Also not a fan when you need to cycle through shades of the same color. There was also one puzzle that was a bit finicky in activation that needed GM help, and one puzzle we randomly solved accidentally. GMs are all great here at Quest Tavern. Overall, I liked the room and the vision the designer was going for, just those minor things with the puzzles that keep me from loving it. Still very worth doing, and my third favorite room at this location.
The Last SupperQuest TavernEscape roomIRLAfter finishing Hope End just last week, I was eager to try the Last Supper and compare 2 of the top live actor escape games in Southern California. I attended this one with a meetup group, since it would be too scary for the full capybara family. I considered bringing big bro, but after experiencing it myself, I was glad I didn’t! Without giving away too much, know that there are jump scares. However, I will say the acting in this room is top notch. They do let you know that you will get what you put into it, and if you’re willing to participate, it makes for a fantastic experience. I will go into more details in my spoiler review on this particular subject. The escape room portion of the experience was mostly “normal” in terms of challenge. A unique twist that they do here with this room, at least as far as I can tell, is that if you’re blazing through the puzzles, you actually get more live actor interactions. This is pretty genius in a way as it allows you to experience the full hour that you pay for, though people who like to go for speedruns might be disappointed. I’m more in the former camp and loved every minute of it. The puzzles are a mix of traditional locks and some cool tech. Overall, I definitely do recommend The Last Supper as every run is unique to you and your group. Our Lord Garrick was great, and in general, all the staff at Quest Tavern is great. If you’re willing to interact with the live actor, run, don’t walk, to this escape room!
Witch's CauldronQuest TavernEscape roomIRLQuest Tavern's first room is an oldie but goodie. It starts off with a split start, so teamwork is a must! Also note that the room is quite spooky, but not scary, and there are no live actors. It's also Quest Tavern's easiest room, though make sure to put your searching hats on, as sometimes the darkness make certain clues hard to spot! In the end, this is still an above average room and would recommend playing it.
Hope EndThe Ministry Of PeculiaritiesEscape roomIRLHope End has been one of my most anticipated rooms, as it is the best ranked room in southern California. As the room is spooky and didn't allow children under 12, the Capyparents went along with our extended family while the kids were at grandma's house. As soon as you walk in the immersive theater starts, with the very, very chipper intern Janice getting us set up for the room. She gave us the backstory and asked for info about us, which ends up in a cool investigation report you get to keep later. Very awesome keepsake, and probably the best one I've seen so far. Once it starts, the spooky purveyor of Hope End, Dolores Wright, appears from the darkness and guides you into the first part of the experience, which is a split start. This room is fairly standard, requiring both sides to work together, but most of the first part is essentially searching and communication. The highlight of the experience for me was the next part, in which the theater part shines strongly. Great use of the actress and the environment here, as well as a very thematic and interactive logic puzzle. Nothing new per se, but one of the best themed implementation of it I've ever seen. You're then left alone in the last room, which is 5 different non-linear puzzles that make great use of the room and the theme. I will note that due to its age, there are some components that weren't 100% working. Luckily, they didn't prevent forward progress, but did require some GM intervention. Overall, it's very clear that Hope End does 2 things very well: the atmosphere/acting, and the tying of the puzzles to the theme. Enthusiasts who demand brain boggling puzzles might be disappointed, but for everyone else, Hope End is a must try and easily proves the hype real.
Black DragonEscape Room LAEscape roomIRLAs a huge fan of the movie Bloodsport when I was in high school, I couldn’t wait to try an escape room themed around Kowloon walled city. Right off the bat, I can tell that Escape Room LA is really, really good at theming. From the first room to the alley, the details were amazing. What they also do really differently here is instead of cameras and the “voice of God,” your GM is actually in your room with you, acting as a character. I think it’s definitely an interesting spin on things. We ended up not interacting too much with him since we only needed one hint, which actually turned out to be that we solved it correctly, but just had an alignment issue. The room starts with a very cool and unique intro, that’s perfectly themed to its setting. It’s not a knock your socks moment, but it did make me smile. Once you open the alleyway there are tons of non-linear puzzles to do, though as you near the end, things get a bit more linear. I think the sweet spot for this room is about 3-4 people. In terms of the puzzles, I think everything made sense for the most part, and had a range of high tech to combo locks. There is some use of Chinese language involved, but be aware that you don’t need to speak it, and that the puzzles are designed for non-speakers, so don’t overthink things. My main knock against this room is that some of the mechanisms are very finicky. I’m not a fan of where you can “fail” a puzzle if a rectangle is flipped the wrong way, and there are a couple of those types of puzzles at play here. Overall though, my son and I, and the meetup group we were with, had a great time and managed to escape with around 9 minutes to spare with no real hints used! Definitely recommend this escape room.
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