13th BasementExit Game OC - AnaheimEscape roomIRLA lovingly crafted and expertly executed love letter to escape rooms that is at the same time a Mel Brooks level parody. To general escapers this room may seem a bit odd but still fun. But you aren’t a general escaper. You’re on Morty, you’re an enthusiast, and because of that you are 100% in on the joke with this room. Revel in the absurdities, the winks, the nods and everything else that will have you laughing and adoring this room as much as I did.
Outside In - CLOSEDTop Tier Escape RoomsEscape roomIRLA whimsical room that isn’t too taxing for experienced escapers. Great starter room or a room where you just want to take in the set and have fun. Keep your group size small for best experience, 3-4.
Moriarty's ManorMindFox EscapeEscape roomIRLI bet you’re thinking “A Sherlock Holmes themed escape room, how original…” which at first seems accurate, but don’t judge a room by the first few minutes. This room contains some very fun and unique puzzles, one of which I’ve never seen anywhere else. Theming is on point and the staff is fantastic! Absolutely worth the trip.
Time Machine - CLOSEDNot Another Escape RoomEscape roomIRLI’ll keep this spoiler free- Don’t be fooled by this room. It is fantastically fun. It may seem simple and a bit hokey at the start but as you progress it shows it’s true colors. This is a very cleverly and well built room. More than a few “wow” moments and a great taste of “time travel”.
Zoe - CLOSEDEscapade GamesEscape roomIRLThis review is years late, I played in October of 2019. At that time the game was very much a Knotts Scary Farm experience with a few puzzles. If you like KSF, then this is perfect for you. The start will absolutely get into your head if you let it. Go for the scares, not for the puzzles. For puzzles and scares, do The Butcher.
The Silence 113th RoomEscape roomIRLA fun scary room with a unique twist. Don’t let it get into your head, you are your own worst enemy here. Go in with a smaller group for the best experience. Good communication between the team is a must.
The StudyTHE BASEMENT: A Live Escape Room Experience - SylmarEscape roomIRLI know I’m an outlier with my rating/review, but I still want to leave it. I enjoyed The Basement, was wow’d by Elevator Shaft and amazed by Courtyard, but I can’t stand this room. From the start your group will most likely be trying to solve the wrong puzzle because that puzzle is obvious and the real first puzzle is almost random in its expectations. So that wastes your already limited 45 minutes. Hints aren’t necessary limited, but they choose when to give them to you. You can’t wave your collective hands and get one when you want it, so also wasting limited time. People rave about the actor interaction, but we did the room during COVID protocols, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and believe it’s better when you aren’t required to stay 6 feet away. Lastly there are puzzles that I won’t go into details about, but they go against current escape room norms. Which I would say makes them unique and fun, but when you’re already down on time I feel like they were designed to waste your time and make you fail the room. Run rooms 1, 2 and 4 for sure, but if you need to skip one, skip this one. If you do run this one, be prepared for some frustration.
Ghost Chronicles 1: The Vanishing of Emily Meyers - CLOSED13th RoomEscape roomIRLIf you like Knott Scary Farm mazes this is the perfect room for you. Slow suspenseful build up with great pay offs. Unique use of limited space that only adds to the atmosphere. Also, there’s one prop that is straight out of a horror movie. Very simple, but so well executed and unexpected.
The Butcher - CLOSEDDeceptive GamesEscape roomIRLNot for the scaredy cats. This room will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. A rare balance of good puzzles and great scares.
Ghost Chronicles 2: The Killing Moon - CLOSED13th RoomEscape roomIRLThis is a room that is made or broken by the actor. The puzzles and theming are good, but Chad does phenomenal job building tension and suspense. You will scream and run.
The Orphanage60Out - KoreatownEscape roomIRLDefinitely had spooky moments, but it’s very short. Got to the end we went “…that’s it?”. Feels more like a walk through scare zone maze at Knotts. Good room for scaredy cats who don’t want a live actor but are great at letting a room get inside their head.
Tomb Of PharaohUnity Escape Rooms - Rancho CucamongaEscape roomIRLTheming was bad, though it has a lot of wear and tear. Puzzles aren’t well designed. One had a piece that was so unobvious employees had to come in to show us where to find it. Another had far too many red herrings. Artificial difficulty like that does not make a room good or “hard”.
The Curiosity Shop - CLOSEDWizards and Wires StudiosEscape roomIRLHidden Gem. This room doesn’t get the buzz it deserves. It’s got a unique premise, a fantastic atmosphere and a friendly staff. Give this room a shot, you won’t regret it.
The Fun HouseCross Roads Escape GamesEscape roomIRLThe good, the bad and the ugly: The good- Whimsical, family friendly and just challenging enough. Funhouse has been around for years now and it still sits in many peoples top room lists. The room is well designed and planned with more than a few fun and silly pieces to help it live up to its name. The way you interact with the GM is fantastic and can be worth the price of admission alone. Bonus: it has a kids mode for families. The Bad- It’s not physically large and should top out at 5 players max unless you have children or brand new players. The not really Ugly- it’s a Gen 1.5 room. That means almost exclusively keys and combo locks. But the room is so well designed you don’t even notice it. The game won awards for years and it still holds up wonderfully. Anyone who dings it for the locks isn’t looking at design, flow and overall enjoyment.
Dr. Botcher’s Minute Medical School - CLOSEDTwo Bit CircusEscape roomIRLOther Experience but not an escape room. Fun chaos.
Odditorium Emporium - CLOSEDEscapeX Rooms - Costa MesaEscape roomIRLThis room has everything! A sarcastic plant, random crap on the walls, a huge variety of puzzles that can change every time, monetary black hole. What’s monetary black hole? It’s that thing where you pay to book a room a second or even third time because it has so much fun and has many puzzles and replayability.
The BasementTHE BASEMENT: A Live Escape Room Experience - SylmarEscape roomIRLA very creepy atmosphere, great live actor, but limited time. You feel those 45 minutes versus an hour. LOOK EVERYWHERE!
Hope EndThe Ministry Of PeculiaritiesEscape roomIRLThis is an experience that goes above and beyond. From the moment you walk in it’s on. It’s not fair to call it an escape room, but it’s also not fair to call it a theater experience with puzzles. It’s a near perfect blending of both. Keep the group size small for the best experience.
Stash HouseStash HouseEscape roomIRLThere’s a reason this room has won so many awards. It isnt flashy, it doesn’t need crazy gimmicks. It is perfection in its design, flow and execution.
The Bridge BetweenQuest TavernEscape roomIRLA tight well designed room. The set is phenomenal, from literally top to bottom. Flooring, furniture, props. It all looks and feels great. It’s also amazing how many well designed puzzles can be fit into such a tight space. Don’t ever dismiss anything in this room, you never know when you’ll need it.
