My friends and I tackled The Black Widow at Encrypted Escape in Bethesda today, and it was an excellent experience from start to finish. We had a team of four, and for a room rated 7/10 difficulty, it provided a great balance of challenge and fun. The puzzles were engaging, required teamwork, and kept us thinking throughout the entire game without ever feeling frustrating. What really set this experience apart was the immersion. Our game host, Sophia, was fantastic. From the moment she greeted us, she was completely in character and stayed that way as she guided us into the experience. Instead of the typical pre-recorded video that many escape room companies use to explain the rules and backstory, Sophia personally led us to a briefing with The Architect. Having a real person, fully committed to the role, deliver the story and set the stage added a level of excitement and authenticity that immediately pulled us into the world of the game. We made it out without needing any clues and even earned spots on both the weekly and monthly leaderboards, which made the experience even more rewarding. The attention to detail was impressive, and that live introduction made a huge difference. It felt less like a standard escape room and more like stepping into an interactive adventure. If you're looking for an immersive escape room experience in the Bethesda area, I highly recommend The Black Widow at Encrypted Escape. Huge shoutout to Sophia for making an already great room even more memorable. read more

See all

Really enjoyed this escape room! We did expedition unknown which was very fun and the right amount of challenging. The staff was incredibly nice. They have a nice facility too with space outside the escape rooms with couches and chairs that the manager said they intend to use in the future for events. read more

Encrypted Escape - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

For our team building activity and we tackled the "Expedition Unknown" room. It was a tough room with some challenging puzzles. We did not escape in the alloted time but the game master have us an additional 5 minutes to finish the last two puzzles. For the clues, there were two items given to us that could use another clue in the room they were: items list, light, has a clue I thought I had to immediately work on but burned a lot of time by focusing on it too early. And one item was heavy so the team thought it shouldn't be moved. Each locked box was very close to the puzzle it was to be solved for. The room wasn't procedural and allowed everybody to be working on different puzzles at the beginning. The lobby was comfy and had plenty of space for multiple groups. Would definitely recommend. read more

Encrypted Escape - Lobby area - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Super fun escape room and the staff was friendly as well. We couldn't finish our room, but we were close enough to be given extra time to go through the rest. Super grateful. Would have been a lot worse of a time without that pay off of seeing the door open up by itself. read more

Very nicely done! The live actor was such a nice touch to the experience. Will definitely come back.

Love the setup and way they introduce you to the storyline with the architect. Great story and friendly staff!

Located in downtown Bethesda, great to grab food and/or drink before or after. Modern and nicely decorated building. My group arrived a little late, but no issues and they just cut our time to still end in time, but gave us unlimited hints. Staff were great! The room we were in was a bit small and a lot darker than another escape room I've been, but that's fine and typical. If you've been to an escape room before, then the puzzles are as expected and a lot of manual locks. Had a great time with my friends and we escaped! Only minus one star in comparison to another escape room I've been that was decorated a bit nicer and room was bigger with more varied puzzles. read more

Went with a date of mine and THOROUGHLY enjoyed ourselves. Our guide, Gem (?), was the absolute best and helped us figure out our quest with only seconds to spare! Can't wait to return! Got to take pictures afterwards and got a small tour of other quests to pursue in the future! read more

Fun escape room conveniently located in downtown Bethesda. The escape room we attempted at Escape Quest had a good mix of puzzles that tested a number of our deductive reasoning skills. The music that played in our room was perfectly suited to the puzzle and provided an air of imminent disaster. We enjoyed our time at Escape Quest, and I feel confident that we'll return. read more

So much fun! Escape Quest is a rather large escape room place in Bethesda. The rooms themselves are an absolute blast - the ones I've tried were really engaging and fun. The rooms do rely on some logical leaps and tricks, but they aren't insurmountable or overly contrived. The staff here do a lot to make this place fun - they really go above and beyond to help you have a good time. read more

Great venue!! Kids had a blast! Great staff who accommodated all our needs! I would recommend this place for birthday parties! read more

Encrypted Escape - Beautiful balloons set up by MaziDecor. For inquiries text (only) 301-266-4101 - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We had a small group and it was perfect!!! Absolutely recommend!!! Finished with a couple minutes left - already planning another outing. Thanks Escape Quest!! read more

Encrypted Escape - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

My husband and I LOVE escape rooms and make a point of trying new ones anytime we travel. This weekend we were in Bethesda and tried out Escape Quest's Scorpion Code room. The decor inside the building is fun, but unfortunately their air conditioning was out and it was pretty uncomfortable both in the waiting area and especially in our room. As for the room itself, our experience was just okay. Our game master seemed new and a little bored. While the puzzles were pretty fun, every single puzzle led to a physical lock, meaning every one needed a digit combination, letter combination, or key). We might be a bit biased since we love escape rooms so much, but it seems most escape rooms nowadays have a healthy mix between handheld locks and more innovative puzzles (like magnetic lock releases and non-traditional puzzles). Did we have fun overall? I'd have to say yes. Did it leave us wanting to try another from them? Not really. Broken AC aside, I hate to judge a place based on one room, so maybe their other rooms are more innovative and engaging. read more

Tried out Escape Quest in the explorer themed room and had an amazing time - like a "my face hurts from smiling" kind of time. We were a group Of two adults and two 8 year olds - and the staff couldn't have been kinder and more charming with the kiddos. They gave great hints and were extremely encouraging. They really seemed to be rooting us on! We escaped and the kids were literally dancing in celebration. The game master - Colton seemed genuinely charmed by their joyous energy, so when he offered us the standard deal to book another room for a later date at a discount, it didn't feel like a sales tactic it all. It felt like someone who legit wanted to see us have fun again, and so we booked a return visit! I hope the spy themed room is as fun for us as this one was! read more

This was SO MUCH FUN! I decided to book an entire room for 10 people on behalf of my twin cousin's birthdays. I went with family and only 4 people from my party have ever done an escape room prior (myself included). From what I know, there's 2 Escape Quest Locations, one in Alexandria, Virginia and this Bethesda, Maryland location is apparently somewhat new. I had read some reviews and pretty much all of them were positive so without hesitation I decided to go along with this Escape Room company. They offer countless discounts when you book online and you even save more money when you can book or fill an entire room. It's definitely one of the more reasonably priced locations and because it is a newer facility the location was clean and well decorated. When I initially booked with Escape Quest, I made the reservations on the incorrect date and didn't realize until the next day. An employee named Hudson had contacted me both via email and left a voicemail on my cell phone to re-scehdule without charge and I did so almost immediately. I so appreciate the fact that they really maximize their efforts to communicate and help customers truly have a pleasant experience. I was so concerned that with such a large party, I may have messed up my opportunity to secure a time slot and would then have to choose another date or time depending on my group's availability. When you walk in, there's a step so be careful with entering. The doors will lead into another set of stairs and from what I saw, there weren't any elevators or an alternative way for those who are handicapped to go up. The lower stairs are blocked off, but I'm hoping they build more rooms downstairs! Once you go up the stairs, there's a soon to be bar area, a check-in desk and an ipad. Simply fill out your information and you'll be all set to play. Escape Quest advices everyone to arrive at least 15 minutes early to use restrooms, check-in and basically get situated before actually starting. I chose to escape "The Black Widow" which was definitely an interesting storyline and a bit creepy. They notify everyone that there isn't anything in that room that will intentionally scare or harm you so it's really appropriate for all ages in my opinion. My family and I ended up escaping at 52 minutes and used all 3 clues available. Technically, you can ask for more clues if needed but we wanted to try and limit ourselves to just 3. Before starting your game, an employee will explain to you their list of rules and safety directions as well as answer any questions you may have. Everyone is super friendly and their directions are straightforward. Inside the actual escape room is a place where you can hang your coats and purses too if need be. There's a $1 parking garage just behind the Escape Quest location (about a 5 minute walk but leave yourself 15 minutes just in case!), but on weekends it is completely free of charge. This worked out perfectly and I'm so happy that trying to find parking isn't difficult even when you're in Bethesda. This was so much fun and I actually would consider booking again soon for my own birthday party. Highly recommend! read more

Encrypted Escape - The black widow (Escaped in 52 minutes)! - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I visited here as a family outing- two adult sons and my husband and myself. Waiting area is very nice. Spacious and nice furnitures. We enjoyed the THE BLACK WIDOW difficulty level 7 out of 10 as we all are puzzle solvers. We solved it less than 40 minutes without hint. We felt it was easier than we thought it would be. Many of the puzzles were opening locks. For your reference in choosing the difficulty level, we visit escape room once a year or two. We solved many of the rooms without hints within the designated time frame. We are willing to try higher difficulty level rooms as it is located very close to our home. read more

Great place and definitely fun way to spend time with friends. Enjoyed all the ambiance and puzzles.

Great time had by all at Escape Quest! We went last Saturday with friends and family (adults and kids - aged 9 to 15) and did the Expedition Unknown room. So many fun, tricky and clever clues. Even had a bunch of clues that were so surprising that kids were screaming and laughing. Our host Liam was amazing...so easy to understand, friendly and professional. There are even tables and a large bar to have a birthday party afterwards if you bring your own drinks and food. HIghly recommend!! read more

Great idea for pre-prom date! Hints were very helpful!! We escaped with 3 minutes left. Henry was amazing! Thank you again Escape Quest!!

We had so much fun with 7 family members ranging 11 to 70+. It was challenging but the clues made it possible. (We used all 3 and got out in 57 minutes). There was a great plot and staging and props were well done. Also liked that there were opportunities to work in groups vs. everything as one big group in sequence. Would highly recommend for a family outing, corporate tram building, middle school or older birthday, or couples activity before dinner. read more

Encrypted Escape - Escape Games Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

See all

We went for a Work team building event. The theme was black widow. We had to solve where, how, and why the 4th husband was murdered. One co worker said it was so much more fun than expected. We finished with only a few seconds to spare. I can't wait until they finish their bar area than the fun can continue on after you solve the crime. read more

We played Expedition Unknown at their new Bethesda location. The location is in a cool spot. Definitely plan to get some dinner or drinks around it. The building was nice (which is unique for the industry). The lobby area was fun and very industry standard. They plan to have a bar and had plenty of seating. The rooms production value is top notch. When you walk in, it definitely has that WOW factor. Throughout the room, there were several unique puzzles that did something a little bit different than the average escape room, which is also great! I also enjoyed that some of the steps were a little bit physical rather than just mental. I loved our interaction with the room and everything made sense and looked good. My four pieces of feedback: 1. We felt like in the beginning we had a lot to start with. I found myself for the first 20-30 minutes overwhelmed with so much at once. Most escape rooms are rather linear so you have something to go with and move forward to the next clue when the first is solved. While I am usually fine with some different tracks, this felt like a lot. I picked up several clues and said "oh, I know what to do with this" ... "and this" ... "and this." With a big group, everyone could be working on their own thing. However, I really like the come together, team building aspect that most rooms offer. With a small group (mine was two), it was a little bit much mixed at once. Once again: I don't think there was too much to be done in the room, I think there was too much tossed out at once. 2. The last room felt a little empty (clue wise). Maybe it was because there was a decent amount of space, I felt like we should do more. We broke out with 15ish mins left and kind of felt like that room was going to have more. 3. The story that we were told in the beginning by our GM seemed a little bit different than the goal we achieved at the end of the game with the eggs. Made the story a little confusing for us. 4. We did feel a little rushed out at the end. We love chatting to people at escape rooms since we do a lot of them, and often times we want to do another room. We talked about doing Black Widow right after and didn't even get to ask to do it which was a shame. Overall, I would totally recommend this room to both newcomers and regulars of the industry! read more

We had a birthday party for a 12 year old boy here. They were just phenomenal. The ambiance was really cool - sort of Indiana Jones. There was a great cake space which doubled as a waiting room for the parents. The staff was very friendly and accommodating and totally understood 12 year old boys. What was really cool is after extending the kids time and giving then lots of hits, they somehow maneuvered the boys into solving the puzzle with 23 seconds left. The boys were sooo excited and spent the rest of the party congratulating each other. In addition to the fun, it was a great lesson in teamwork and perseverance. read more

My 9-year-old daughter just had her birthday party at the Bethesda location and she and her group of 8 to 9 year olds successfully escaped (with plenty of help from the game master of course). The location was very convenient and the whole venue was very well designed including the waiting area where we set up for some pizza and cake afterwards. They even had a freezer to store our ice cream cake! We did the Expedition Unknown with the kids and two parents. The theme wasn't too scary and the puzzles were very challenging, but still fun for the kids. Tierney and Hudson were so friendly to the kids and answered all kinds of questions they had after the game. We had so much fun and would love to come back once they have some new games! read more

This was the first time my husband and I did an escape room, and it exceeded our expectations. It was super fun, the clues were challenging but not impossible and the general look and feel of the room was excellent - it had so many little details. Would definitely recommend it! We will be back to do the other rooms. read more

We have gone to the location in Alexandria and loved it, so as soon as we heard a Bethesda location opened, we had to go! We did the Expedition Unknown room and it was fantastic - the decor was on point, the puzzles were challenging without being overly frustrating, and we had so much fun. Can't wait for the other rooms to open, we will absolutely be back! One of the best escape room companies in the area, for sure. There is parking very close and bonus, it's free on the weekends. read more

Such a good time. The environment was chill and friendly. My friends and i all had a blast and will be back again this week to play again! This is definitely going to be a fun place to bring family or fire Cs for a nice night of bonding! read more

Wow! Escape Quest Bethesda is incredible. The hosts were very accommodating and very quick to respond with any questions when I was trying to plan my event. Let's talk about one of the rooms. Expedition Unkown blew my socks off. I felt as though I was actually at a secret meeting place in Paris. SO IMMERSIVE! I can't wait until they open up more rooms. I would recommend this place to anyone over and over! read more

I took my employees (mostly 17-18 year olds) to the new Escape Quest in Bethesda last night for a holiday outing. We had a blast. We competed against each other in both of the rooms and both teams had a great time. The workers are very nice and helpful and accommodating. It's a fun, different activity that all of us really enjoyed! Thank you for a great night out! read more

Excellent rooms!! Just the 2 of us completed both rooms available at Escape Quest. Expedition and Black Widow. We have done MANY Escape Rooms and this one was high on our list as the decor, puzzles, and creativity were excellent. We don't normally do rooms with just the 2 of us, so it really challenged our 'expertise' LOL. For Expedition, we got a little extra time to help us out, which they don't have to do but was GREAT b/c we wanted to get to all the puzzles. For Black Widow we really flew through this room until the end and then had to ask for clues with abot 14 minutes left and of course after getting the clue, it was DUH moment. These rooms have a nice combination of actual locks and automatic ones which we love. I would suggest the Black Widow would be great for beginners or people that have done a couple rooms before. Can't wait for the other rooms to open. read more

Some friends and I went here for a birthday and had a blast! The room (Black Widow) was a perfect mix of challenging, fun, and exciting! The owner was really awesome and took pictures of our group. We definitely plan to return to try out the other room, and are looking forward to them opening additional rooms in the future! read more

This was the best night I've ever had, went again because it was so fun! We hade an amazing night and will definitely come back again. I will bring all my friends here because of the fantastic service and great times. read more

We had an amazing time at Escape Quest! We did the "Expedition Unknown" room. We have done many escape rooms and this was our favorite ever. It was incredible!!!! It feels like you are in a Hollywood set with fantastic clues and storyline. The staff is great and friendly. The lobby is a beautiful place to hang out and wait. We can't wait to return. read more

Awesome place! We had my daughter's 11th birthday party here and it was amazing. The staff were super friendly and patient. The decor inside is also really nice - the main room is very inviting and the space where our party was set up was perfect. The best part is that the escape room itself was really well done. The props, the storyline, the idea behind the room theme, were top notch - creative and fun. I want to come back here with my friends and definitely plan to do so! read more

I would HIGHLY recommend Escape Quest Bethesda to everyone. The black widow was such an amazing game. The puzzles were well constructed. My friends and I had a blast. Money well spent ! The staff were so nice and welcoming. I will definitely be returning to play expedition unknown. read more

Absolutely legendary escape rooms and loved the people there not to mention the decor was amazing. May have set the record...well second to people who own escape rooms so do they really count??? nope. Highly recommend for a good time great way to cool out after dinner. read more

Really polished decor in both waiting area and rooms. Challenging, but not ridiculous. Bar isn't open yet, but I will be glad when it is!

So well done. Expedition Unknown was a blast for my husband and I. They've only been open 10 days so don't let the lack of reviews stop you. We've done a few rooms before and this was well designed and just the right amount of challenge. Highly recommend! read more