Trouble In The Toy ShopEnchambered Live Escape Room AdventureEscape roomIRLWe absolutely love the sets at Enchambered. Trouble in the Toy Shop is a simple one room experience that is perfect for groups of 2-3. The fun storyline and hint system made for a unique experience. We struggled a bit (a lot) with the puzzles and the kind game master kept us moving along. The first time we played a game at Enchambered we thought it was just us. But after three rooms we can confidently say it’s not us. The puzzles are downright hard. So don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even the best of us need a little bit (a lot) of help from time to time.
Campfire Haunt - Closing Oct 4Campfire HauntHauntYard displayCute home haunt that is perfect for the little ones! Happy Halloween!
Deadlands - Closing Oct 4Heartstoppers Haunted HouseHauntHaunted houseTravel back in time where the ghosts of this old west town come alive again to taunt and haunt you. Loved the set in this ghost town. Some good actors and a few scary pop-outs. Not terrifying, but a fun time.
The Ward - Project: Crossbreed - Closing Oct 4Heartstoppers Haunted HouseHauntHaunted houseVenture wearily into the mental ward to meet the disturbed patients that haunts its halls. A bit of gore and some animatronics offer some horror. Set design added to the ambience. Some pop-outs but not terrifying.
Blightwoods - Closing Oct 4Heartstoppers Haunted HouseHauntHaunted houseBeware, there are witches in these woods. Meander down the path a little into the witches lair and you will encounter the coven. Spooky and a few pop-outs but not terrifying. This outdoor haunt was a welcome change after going underground in the dark, dank mine!
Voodoo Blackwater BoneyardSacramento Scream ParkHauntHaunted houseA great place to get in the Halloween mood. We absolutely loved the set design of Sacramento Scream Park. Four haunts in one! Voodoo Blackwater Boneyard had a great spooky feeling, awesome costumes, and set design. Spooky but not very scary. Our favorite haunt of the four.
The Haunting at Iron Veil AsylumSacramento Scream ParkHauntHaunted houseA great place to get in the Halloween mood. We absolutely loved the set design of Sacramento Scream Park. Four haunts in one! The Haunting at Iron Veil Asylum was scary mostly due to the chaotic screaming and laughing of the psychotic actors. You'll definitely be in a hurry to check out of the asylum!
Silverthorn Amusement Park - CLOSEDSacramento Scream ParkHauntHaunted houseA great place to get in the Halloween mood. We absolutely loved the set design of Sacramento Scream Park. Four haunts in one! Silverthorn Amusement Park was full of psychotic clowns. Wind your way through the midway and watch out for the creepy circus freaks around every corner.
Frightmare MidwaySacramento Scream ParkHauntScare zoneSacramento Scream Park was impressive for set design and spooky ambiance. Highly recommended haunt experience if you are in the area!
Classroom of ChaosSacramento Scream ParkHauntHaunted houseSacramento Scream Park was impressive for set design and spooky ambiance. Highly recommended haunt experience if you are in the area!
Haunted Mansion - Closing Oct 4Eerie EleganceHauntYard displayVery cute home haunt themed this year to Disney’s Haunted Mansion. The creativity that goes into this haunt is inspiring and definitely worth a visit. Due to the popularity of this attraction, they are now requiring reservations. So get a ticket if you can.
Pirates Of EmersonPirates of Emerson Haunted Theme ParkHauntHaunted houseThe atmosphere, sets, and costumes at Pirates of Emerson all around are top notch. We really enjoyed walking through the set of the pirate haunt. Of the four haunts, this was the least scary. But the spooky atmosphere was fun!
Soul ShredderAlmaden PlazaHauntHaunted houseBasic sets and costumes. A very quick experience in the actual haunt but a long wait to get in. It’s great though that they space out groups for a more intense experience. Spooky but not too too scary. Unless chainsaws aren’t your thing than maybe scary.
Circus FreaksPirates of Emerson Haunted Theme ParkHauntHaunted houseWho wants to go to a carnival with demented clowns lurking around every corner? We do, we do! Well we did and it was everything you can imagine it would be replete with chainsaw yielding psychotic circus freaks, just as the name implies.
Backwoods BasementPirates of Emerson Haunted Theme ParkHauntHaunted houseGreat costumes and great set. Some really creepy sound effects had us jumping and areas of pitch black had one of us very concerned when we separated from our group. But alas, we made it out of the darkness and away from the specters in the dark to safety. Definitely a scary haunt.
Frost BitePirates of Emerson Haunted Theme ParkHauntHaunted houseWe loved the sets and costumes at Pirates of Emerson. Frost Bite, in particular, had a creepy, spooky, holiday festive ambience that is hard to explain without experiencing it. If you want to know what haunted Christmas looks like, this is your haunt. Go find those terrifying elves before they find you.
Prison - CLOSEDPanIQ Room - Nob HillEscape roomIRLPsycho: A psycho serial killer had locked us in his apartment. We had to escape before the sadistic psychopath returned to kill us. Geek: As employees of a tech company we found ourselves locked in the office. Our boss had lost his mind and determined to end it all with a bomb. We had to find the bomb before it detonated. The Prison: Our group of jailbirds were locked in opposite cells. Together we had to work out a plan to breakout of the joint. Pros: The waiting room was nice and large with a variety of games and opportunities to socialize before our escape game began. The game rooms were nicely decorated and clearly tied to the storyline. Each room had a good introductory story that helped set the tone for the game. We really liked the setup of the prison room and the separation of the groups was a nice added element that enhanced game play. Cons: These were the most expensive rooms we have ever played. We do not mind paying for high-quality games and since this is a chain we expected high quality rooms. However, we definitely felt like it did not live up to the hype. The game moderator was unenthusiastic and monotone. While we were waiting to play, we could hear him giving hints to the group that played before us. We all had to try to not hear what was being said. When it was our turn to play, we quickly found that we needed help. When we requested hints during the game his responses were delayed and condescending. Rather than giving hints, he gave full answers. At one point, we pointed out that we were unable to solve a puzzle because the information on the hint did not match the lock. He insisted we were just doing it wrong and did not come into the room to check it out. At the end of the game, he looked at the lock and insisted that it was indeed the wrong lock (and therefore the puzzle was unsolvable). Rather than apologize, he simply insisted there was "problems with management." Similarly one of the hints provided to another puzzle was completely wrong and when we pointed this out he simply dismissed it. Our concern was that he would do nothing to fix the problems for the next groups. The puzzles in all the rooms were not tied to the theme of the rooms. They were both too simplistic (crosswords, sudoku, simple mechanical puzzles) and yet overly complex and time-consuming. We felt more like we were doing homework than playing a game. Not our favorite experience.
The Chilling ChambersKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted housePrepare to be spooked. The Knott’s actors are waiting around every turn and know how to pop out at just the right moment to make you jump. The set design is highly detailed and designed for terror at Knott’s Scary Farm. A few cons: the mazes are all very loud with sound effects and music that do little to add to the ambience of fear but do make you want to get out quicker. There is high amount of gore in most of the mazes. We generally prefer haunts that rely on spine-chilling creepiness rather than ritual slaughter. But to each their own. Chilling Chambers was our least favorite mostly for lack of a cohesive storyline.
Wax Works - CLOSEDKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted housePrepare to be spooked. The Knott’s actors are waiting around every turn and know how to pop out at just the right moment to make you jump. The set design is highly detailed and designed for terror at Knott’s Scary Farm. A few cons: the mazes are all very loud with sound effects and music that do little to add to the ambience of fear but do make you want to get out quicker. There is high amount of gore in most of the mazes. We generally prefer haunts that rely on spine-chilling creepiness rather than ritual slaughter. But to each their own. Wax Works has a consistent storyline of gore so if that’s what you’re in for, go for it.
Back to ChildhoodClockwise Escape Room - PleasantonEscape roomIRLWe loved the creative storyline and unique puzzles at Clockwise. The game masters were welcoming and fun giving us much needed guidance throughout our game. We struggled with a few of the puzzles in this game. More signposts and removal of red herrings could help. The set was fun and definitely a trip back to 90s childhood!
