This was my second time attending an Escape room type of place. We really enjoyed it both times,…read morehowever this establishment is not nearly as clean, well maintained or professional as the other one we played at. While we enjoyed the challenge and the game, the overall atmosphere was definitely a let down. The rooms we unkempt and sloppy, with an over all unprofessional 'trashy' appearance; cobwebs, dirt and debris in the floor, unfinished walls, scratched dirty paint, musty smell...The clues and puzzles were about the same as the previous place I played at, however the room decorations here were minimal, broke down and bare. It should also be noted that you actually need to leave the facility, go down a dark and unlevel hallway (think, trip hazard) to get to a bathroom in a different facility (the laundry mat). In addition to this, the staff on duty appeared to be bored and uninterested with no desire to engage except for the necessary bare minimum required to explain the game. All that aside, I think the Room Escape experiences are good ones, and if this is the only option available to you, then I guess it would be better than nothing. I enjoyed the 'bonding' experience of attempting to solve the puzzle with my husband.

This was my first time trying it. We went with a group of 8 and it was really cool. I think for the…read morearea this one is fine. I know a lot of people say he ones in Chicago are cooler but this is the quad cities, not Chicago. Price does seem very steep though for this area at 25 bucks a person. To me that is more Chicago prices.

I'm surprised to see there are no reviews for the Downtown Escape, but I'll happily be the first…read more As of last time I was here in September 2020, they have two escape rooms (and I believe a third is in the works). I have not done The Carnival yet, but I've done Log City Cabin twice with different groups, and far enough apart that I couldn't rely on memory to solve any puzzles the second time. The Downtown Escape is squirreled away on like the 3rd floor of an office building, so it takes a few minutes to find it if you don't know where you're going. But they have a waiting room with a Nintendo 64 and an insanely huge and impressive collection. When I went in September with my girlfriend and her family, we were able to squeeze in some Mario Kart 64 while waiting for the room to be ready. The real draw of course is the escape room. I found the puzzles to be clever and challenging without being too hard to solve. The logic with which you have to approach the puzzles is easy to understand, it's clear from the beginning what you have to do to succeed, and it's pretty well balanced and most importantly fun. I definitely plan to return and do the Carnival room, and also whatever new one they come out with in the future.

Excellent customer service. Fun game. Only played a regular escape room, "Case Files." If we had…read moremore time we would have tried a virtual one and laser tag.

I cannot express how amazed I am. The staff was extremely friendly and they seemed to truly enjoy…read moretheir job. I did the pirate escape room and it was challenging and hod some the most unique puzzles I have ever seen. Never have any of the other rooms had challenges that required skill and aiming, all the other ones I did were just puzzles of mind. I am hyped to go and do the other ones. There is one main item that I think would be nice to have there. The item I would add is to have a small section where candy bars and chips are sold. Overall though I could not be happier!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Definitely one of the best escape rooms I have ever done. The ambiance is great. The staff are fun…read moreand they really help you focus on the actual puzzle solving with just the right amount of guidance (e.g. indicating parts of the room that may be decorative, instead of you pulling the carpet up and everything off the walls). I also felt like the puzzles were good and avoided being "find the pad lock combo somewhere else in the room ad nauseum."

This was amazing. They walk you though and help you if you need it though the puzzle. Recommend if…read moreyou have 3plus people. Teamwork for sure and is very fun. We even made the leaderboard. They point out stuff you won't use which is helpful. Really enjoyed this experience. Everyone in our group got something to solve which was nice.

A group of 8 of us visited Cryptiq on a Thursday afternoon as a coworker team building activity…read more All eight of us could have played one room, but I divided our group in two and chose Hotel Hostage and Parole Denied. We all had a great time. One of the owners was present and got us checked in. Super friendly. My team's Game Master, Payton, was awesome. They have 4 escape rooms to choose from with varying levels of difficulty. Not sure how often the themes change, but if you've played all four I'm not sure you'd be a repeat customer. I've only been to one other escape room prior to this, so not a lot to compare the experience to. I'd definitely return to Cryptiq to try some of the other rooms. Clean establishment, aesthetically pleasing. I like that the owners chose some Hawkeye themed colors and decor. A nice activity to have in Iowa City. A team-building/family/friend activity I highly recommend.

Great addition to the escape room stock in Johnson/Linn counties! My group has done most of the…read morerooms in the area and were excited to see another option pop up, but held off for a while because of the pandemic. Very happy that we finally decided to go. We chose to try Parole Denied, a well put together prison break story. While many are an hour in length, this room is slightly longer at 75 minutes. We were impressed by the variety and uniqueness of the puzzles, they kept us engaged and on our toes the whole time. This room required some serious teamwork, and it made it so much more enjoyable when we got out! Everyone was masked up and it didn't detract from any part of the experience. We're already planning a return trip to try another of their rooms.

Toby was fun and energetic! The rooms were challenging but fun- definitely would love to do more…read morechallenges!

Clever puzzles, energetic staff, creative rooms! We had a great time and will be back again!read more

So many great pinball machines and some cool retro games. Bar service is not great though. I've…read morewaited somewhere up-to 20 minutes to get served. And the bartender doesn't know he basic drinks or what there is on tap. She asked us what tap was the beer my friend asked for. I get it though. They need more than one yet it at the same time isn't quite busy enough for more employees. Just need someone who can handle the bar. Games are amazing though. My son loved it!!

Did an escape room here. They were very friendly and accommodating. The escape room was fun and two…read moreof us were able to complete it in time (after our friends couldn't make it). A couple of the puzzles were a bit unclear but the game master gave us great hints and we had a fun time.