Stash HouseStash HouseEscape roomIRLTo mirror what a lot of others have said, the hype is real for this room! We made the mistake of going in as only two people as was dumb and didn’t pay enough attention to room requirements. Let this be a lesson for others - this is a room that should at least four, but probably better with six people. That being said, with some help, we made it through most of the room before time ran out and the GM was kind enough to show us the solution to a puzzle so we could progress and have time to experience the rest of the room before we ran out of time entirely. I have a hard time believing this wasn’t an actual stash house that was converted into an escape room. The staging was entirely on point! The puzzles were so fun and drew upon a lot of west coast culture. They used more senses than typical escape rooms, which was a great addition. They were also really well thought out and flowed in a way that moved you seamlessly through the whole experience. Please, find yourself a group and do this room!
Lab RatHatch EscapesEscape roomIRLThis room had everything I could want in an escape room! The story was funny, the props were fitting and the puzzles made use of them well, and everyone had something to do the whole time! One thing I thought was nifty was how puzzles could be solved in different ways. After we completed the room, our GM showed us how we could have solved some of the puzzles differently. There were a few moments where I definitely felt like an idiot, which was completely on brand for the room! The puzzle design was great! We loved the space and how everything was laid out. Everything was spread out, but it still all felt cohesive! The puzzles were completely varied. It’s so hard to talk about all the things we loved without spoiling anything. I’ll note one thing and leave it as a cautionary tale for others. There’s a puzzle in the first area that can be solved in multiple ways. One of those ways leaves you soaked if you aren’t careful and that can be a bit uncomfortable to run the rest of the room in. It sure was funny though! (They warn you about this in the beginning, I’m just not a very smart test subject…
Whatever Happened To The Garretts?Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLWhat can I say besides that this room is just fun! The furniture and set pieces felt like we were stepping back in time. We needed one hint at the very beginning, but otherwise it flowed well. We struggled in most areas, but it didn’t feel unfair and we eventually got through them on our own. The story was entertaining and unique and if you have a chance to play this room, you absolutely should!
Prison BreakThe Escape Game - ChicagoEscape roomIRLRounded out my birthday with this room. We were doing it with people that had never done an escape room before, and so I imagine this was pretty wild for them. Teamwork was tough due to not always being able to see each other, but we made it out! The setting was great! There was one puzzle in the beginning that was much longer than it needed to be. The athletic checks were nice additions. We over-complicated one puzzle near the end of the room, but not so much that it caused any issues. We still exited with plenty of time remaining.
Something's Out There!Maze Rooms - West LAEscape roomIRLThe atmosphere of this game was top notch! So immersive! It felt as if you were truly outside when you first enter the room. We took a little bit to get started, but once we did, the flow between puzzles was really smooth. We had no problems solving the room with three people and only struggled on the final puzzle. Probably our favorite set design of the three rooms at this location (though it’s stiff competition). All of the puzzles were unique and non-conventional. There was only one key used in the room, but its use fit the theme perfectly.
The Killing StationEscape Room Near MeEscape roomIRLIf you're reading this before the end of June 2025, please make sure you go and visit this room before they permanently close. The experience from walking in the building, even before we started the game, was brilliant and unique! My partner and I decided to take this room on ourselves and it was tough, but fair. With a few nudges we were almost able to escape in time (officially missed it by 38 seconds), but if I hadn't let the pressure get to me at the end, we would've been able to get it done. I think the ideal number for this room is 3-4 people who have a few escape rooms under their belts. The theme is great, the puzzles fit the theme, and there were enough simultaneous puzzles to complete that we were able to work on different things almost the entire time. As others have said, the customer service was second-to-none, and the passion both the owner and builder have for the industry is undeniable! You will be kicking yourself if you don't play this room!
WarlockedQuest Room - Redondo BeachEscape roomIRLThis room was just super fun! We did this as a team of two and were able to complete everything. The game guide was great at keeping us on task when we were struggling and enhanced the experience the whole way through (thanks Matt!!). The story telling was top notch. There’s two different sets of puzzles: ones that directly progressed the story forward and others that added flavor and gave resources for a later puzzle. The way they worked together was great. We didn’t complete all of them and I honestly think it was better that way as it added to the story at the end. All in all, a wonderfully fun room with great tech and setting that I’d recommend everyone play!
Starship: Final Frontier60 to Escape - GurneeEscape roomIRLThe atmosphere of this game was great! If you’re a fan of space themes, you’ll enjoy this room. Every GM at 60 To Escape has been great and this time was no exception. There’s one puzzle that I wasn’t a huge fan of, but we got through it. Pretty linear, but that’s fine. Overall, another really fun room from 60 To Escape!
Cosmic CrisisThe Escape Game - St. LouisEscape roomIRLI’m a sucker for a space theme, and this one delivered! We did this with a group of six and it felt like everyone was able to contribute in a meaningful way. As is par for the course with this team, we made our lives a lot more difficult on ourselves by not using the tools we had. Such a great game with such a great ending. As always, The Escape Game has beautiful sets that are very high tech! Thoroughly enjoyed!
Special OpsThe Escape Game - ChicagoEscape roomIRLThis was a fun take on the spy trope. Some of the puzzles were hard to solve because the pieces were worn down. One of the puzzles at the very beginning was already opened, though we didn’t realize that until we solved the puzzle. There was a puzzle towards the end that was too easy to reset after it was solved, which was an annoyance. And finally, there’s a puzzle where you can drop pieces and not be able to reach them (there were a bunch laying there from previous attempts it appeared). We were fortunate enough not to lose one, but something could have been added like a net to prevent that. With all that nitpicking out of the way, the story and puzzles were quite fun to solve! I like the public games and getting random partners.
