For her birthday celebration, daughter requested an escape room. She did the research herself and picked the Black and White Cafe. I made the reservation online. Minimum 2 people, maximum of 5. The room is all ours, no other people will be added unless they are part of our party. I originally reserved for 4, but I can add another person and pay when we arrive. The location is hidden, but check the website for the map of the complex so you know where to find them. They have parking near by, including 1 handicap accessible space. No spoilers allowed, so I won't talk about the room, clues, or answers. This was my daughter and mine's first time in an escape room. We recruited 3 more people in the family who are more seasoned. We definitely needed the entire time, but we figured it out and were triumphant! Read through the entire website! Everything you need is there. Everyone participating should complete their waiver online and submit it ahead of time. Minors need to be included on the waivers of the adults who will stay with them. Plan to arrive 15 min before your reservation for check in, secure your belongings, use the bathroom, and watch a briefing about safety and more instructions. If you are late, it just eats into your time in the room, so you'll have less than 60 min to solve it. The door is never actually locked, so don't panic. There is a host watching and listening if you need hints or need to leave early. The owner and staff members were very friendly and thorough. It's best not to bring along people who will not be solving the escape room challenge because the waiting area is small. We had folks who weren't participating meet up with us at a different location for lunch. Wear shoes and clothing that are comfortable and you can move in. There was some reaching up and crouching down involved for us. Accessibility notes: The entrance is accessible without stairs or ramp. I am handicapped and use a cane or walker. Today, I used just my cane. I might've been able to maneuver with the walker, but it would've been very tight, so I'm glad I used the cane only. I don't recommend this escape room for someone who uses a mobility aid larger than the standard aluminum walker, and I suggest being able to stand a move for the duration of the hour. Their restroom is a single-stall, all-gender toilet. Plenty of room for transfers on and off the toilet, and plenty of space to wash and dry hands at the sink. I love the addition of a bin with feminine hygiene supplies for emergencies ("Shark Week"). Would love to do more escape rooms in the future. I'd definitely recommend the Black and White Cafe for a fun, non-scary escape room for beginners. read more

MindFox Escape - Black & White Cafe--WE DID IT! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

probably the best escape room ive ever done! a really cool variety of puzzles that were very fun and there were alot!! we only finished 75% of the room because we were really stuck on one in the second room LOL and i usually dont care for re-doing rooms but this one would be fun to do again in like a year. we did moriarty's manor :) our game master was super nice and very sweet! i forgot her name though :( read more

The puzzles in the rooms are creative, fun, and exciting compared to other Escape Rooms we've done. They are mixed with the standard locks we have seen at other locations. Charlie was a great game master for today's game which was Moriarty's Manor. We are definitely looking forward to another room being created so that we can come back. If you haven't done the escape rooms here, you should because you would be missing out! read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Our team had such a great time playing Moriarty's Manor! Our Game Master Isabella was amazing - super kind, welcoming, informative, and helpful! The game was dynamic, interesting, and had great game flow - puzzles were intuitive but still challenging in a fun and exciting way, including some unique puzzles I've never seen anywhere else. Can't wait to come back and play the Black and White Cafe and see what new games they have in store! read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

We solved the black and white cafe escape room with just under8 minutes left! Isabella was great from checking us in, to giving us clues to getting a photo for us after. The place is clean. Before you began you must lock your belongings away. Then sit and watch a 2 minute safety video. The room was smaller than I thought but it was packed with puzzles and clues. Reminded me of S3 cafe in Grantville. To receive a clue, every one must raise their hands. The clues pop up on the tv screen. This was well thought out and some puzzles were independent of each other and some relied on each other. Overall, it was so much fun because I'm usually slow but I solved two! Level of difficulty would be beginners/easy. read more

MindFox Escape - Entrance - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

I've done about 15 escape rooms, mostly in San Diego, and the two rooms here are some of my favorites! A couple months ago, three friends and I did them back to back, starting with Black and White Cafe. It was a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon, and I definitely recommend starting with Black and White Cafe if you do that. It's a lot easier and a good warmup for Moriarty's Manor. Black and White Cafe is aesthetic, cozy, and clever. Moriarty's Manor, on the other hand, is the hardest escape room I've done so far. Our group of four made it out with just seven seconds to spare!! (We had two beginners who had each done 2-3 rooms and two intermediates who had each done 10-12 prior to that day.) The combo of puzzles was SO good, with lots of variety and opportunities for different skill sets to shine. I like that MindFox gives unlimited hints but that everyone in the group has to agree to receive a hint. I thought the gamemasters were super personable and helpful. It's difficult to review escape rooms because you don't want to give things away -- so just take my word for it and check this place out! (Just don't start with Moriarty's Manor if your group is all beginners; practice on some other rooms first.) They told us they're opening up a third room later this year, so my friends and I will definitely be back for that! read more

Great escape room! We visited from virginia and always like to try some local escape rooms whenever we travel and this one didn't disappointment. There was a brief issue with the power being out and they didn't know when it was coming back on (totally outside of their control) and offered a full refund if it didn't come back on and we had to leave AND we could come back and play for free. Thankfully it came back on before we even called our uber. Both Isabella (incredible game master) and the owner were incredibly friendly. We got to play both games and we loved both! Totally doable for 2 experienced players; for someone's first room I'd recommend Moriarty's Manor for a great intro into the wonderful word of escaping. Probably would recommend at least 3-4 for newer players though. read more

This was by far the best escape room we have done! Moriarty's Manor was fantastic and any fans of Sherlock Holmes will be even more delighted. It was thoughtful and interesting. Our family had an amazing time and wants to go back to try the other room next time. Isabella was our game master she gave super clear instructions before the game and took time to chat with us after, she is absolutely a delight! read more

We took our birthday boy to celebrate his 28th and our group of seven took on the challenge of Moriarty's Manor. We loved it! Charley was terrific as our game master and we felt welcomed from the moment we arrived to our departure. This multi-room adventure ranks as our collective favorite escape room experience. The puzzles were challenging and the staging was perfect with intricate electronic props and mind bending solutions to seek. It was like a treasure hunt on steroids with clues only seasoned detectives could hope to decipher. We had great fun. Put this one on your bucket list for adventures- the staff is top notch and the rooms are epic. Ask for Charley! We escaped with only 27 seconds to spare. Expect to be challenged. Expect to have fun! read more

MindFox Escape - Mind Fox Escape Rooms - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Moriarty's Manor was easily one of the top escape rooms we've experienced. Multi-room escape game with clever puzzles and theming. Our group of 8, aged 5 to 70, all had a great time and were able to contribute to completing the room in time (and saving Sherlock Holmes)!! Our gamemaster Joyce was awesome, and kept us engaged from beginning to end. The atmosphere was top notch. Felt very transported to what could have been a few rooms of Moriarty's Manor. I would recommend no less than 4 players because some of the puzzles fare better with teamwork. Lots of parking around the building, including 2 reserved spots right outside their front doors. Book now - the game is afoot !! read more

Loved the Black & White Cafe. Isabella was an incredibly kind host. Thank you! We will be back. read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

My family and I completed both Mindfox escape rooms in mira mesa and had an absolute blast. They are both so much fun and Isabella was an incredible host. We can't wait for their new room to open soon!! read more

I came here recently with my brother's family who were visiting from out of town and are made up of persons who my nephews say have "game brain" (including themselves) to do Moriarty's Manor. This is a pretty difficult room but is highly praised by other escape room fans, which led my sister in law to choose this particular room as the place for my nephews (currently 10 and 12) to experience as they had a lot of experience playing all the rooms at "The Escape Game" out from home. In total, we had 5 adults and 2 kids of varying levels of experience (my dad, where this was a first for him, my husband, me, my brother, his wife and my two nephews who have been playing games, solving puzzles for what seems like their entire lives) When we first arrived we marveled at all the cute little decorations in the entrance, including some LEGO builds especially the various different red fox decor. It was a Saturday in mid July and I don't think there were anyone else that day as they brought us quickly to the small area next to the entrance where there were benches and a television screen where they played a video. It went over the rules and what to expect. Once that was finished, our gamemaster (so sorry, I forgot their name) brought us into the room and gave us the introduction and set up the story as to what we were trying to accomplish - I won't spoil the story but I liked the setup and how we were just dropped into the room with our eyes closed to adjust to the darkness. I liked the setup and the story and I imagine other Sherlock fan's would also enjoy the story and the puzzles to solve! It was a while ago so I don't quite remember the details unfortunately, but we could receive unlimited hints and in order to get a hint I believe we had to all consent to wanting a hint after signaling that we wanted a hint by raising our hands. This was a different hint system than other escape rooms I had done, but I rather liked this low tech way. I forget if we had to ask for 1 or 2 hints (I think 1). The room is definitely challenging but SO. MUCH. FUN. I loved how a lot of the puzzles played to different strengths and skills and there were some that could be done in parallel as well as some that could not be done until others were solved. Because of the complexity and the way the room is designed, I would recommend NO less than 4 players. Our group of 7 was pretty great given the range of experience of escape room game solving. We escaped with 5 minutes to go, and there were times where we didn't think we'd make it. The room definitely has a lot of surprises, and is one of my absolute favourites out of all the ones I've done (about 40 including those at Comic-con!). It is always fun to watch my nephews' excitement, and now my dad also now knows what it means when they say "we did an escape room this weekend" :D Highly highly recommend. Super friendly game masters, very clean facility and rooms, hidden away in Miramar. I hope I get the opportunity to try the other rooms! Meanwhile, for the rest of you -- GO! Easy 5 pipes out of 5! (Apologies for the horrible grammar of this review... (-_-')) read more

We had a fantastic time escaping Moriarty's Manor! Great theming and a good variety of puzzles. Lots of fun surprises throughout and we loved the way it all came together! Isabella was a wonderful game master. We can't wait to come back and do the Black and White Cafe read more

Our family wanted a bonding night and we did the black and white cafe with our elementary aged children. We were led by Joyce who guided us perfectly and we ended up 'escaping'! Definitely recommend starting at the introductory level if you come as a family - the hour FLEW by! Thanks Mind Fox! read more

This escape room was absolutely phenomenal! I decided to do this during my winter break from the construction site nearby. Doors are only unlocked 15 minutes before the scheduled escape room appointment. Did the manor room and was pleasantly surprised by the density of riddles within the rooms. Out of the many escape rooms I have done, this particular escape room was by far the most engaging. On the outside, there appeared to be around three rooms which were already packed with riddles and interactive props. There were around five rooms which contributed to the storyline and unique in their own way. Definitely see why this place is full of five star reviews and hope to come back soon again. read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Loved the Sherlock room! Innovative puzzles with great decor and not a linear progression so everyone has a chance to solve something in parallel. read more

Hubs and I came for a date night and had a blast. Even with just two of us, we had a great time at the Black & White Cafe. Our gamemaster, Joyce, was great and fun to work with! Can't wait to try the other experiences! read more

This was so much fun! We did moriarty's mansion, which was a really unique escape room with lots of puzzles we hadn't seen elsewhere before. We did this in a group of 4 and found it to be the perfect size. We have all had some experience with escape rooms before and totally recommend this one for others with some experience!!! Probably the best escape room I've done to date. We had Isabella as our GM and she was great! read more

MindFox Escape - Moriarty's mansion - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Three of us 'Visited' the Black and White Cafe--what a unique experience! The room itself looks like an actual cafe I would've loved to dine at hah! But really cool concept and story with a few unique and clever puzzles I've never seen. Loved each puzzle even the combo locks because the puzzles preceding it were great! Basic math required. Finding pieces of each puzzle was super fun. Got stumped on some puzzles that are actually more straight forward than you think! Restroom and lockers available. Cute collage pic at the end. Big shoutout to our game master Isabella! Super sweet GM and very attentive, she was on top of the hints when we needed it and didn't give too much of the puzzle away. We heard that a new room is possibly coming out and we'll definitely be back to try it! Thanks MindFox and Isabella! read more

We had a blast figuring out Moriarty's escape room. It was our first escape room - family of 5 adults - and our guide Isabella was awesome! She gave us perfect clues when we asked to keep the game moving along. Lots of fun. Recommend. read more

We went as a group of 4 for my birthday and had a blast!! I've done 20ish escape rooms and this one felt so unique! I had never seen any of the puzzles before in other rooms and they were all so clever. Our game master was Isabella and she was amazing! She was really responsive during the game and kept us updated on our progress. We definitely want to go back and try their Cafe room next! read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Our group has done many escape rooms and Moriarty's Manor was easily top 3 escape rooms we've ever done. The puzzles were challenging, unique, and stayed on theme. The tech in the room worked very well and did not glitch. We got out with 9 seconds to spare! Our game master Isabella was awesome! She helped us just enough when we asked for clues and did a great job not giving away to much. Big kudos to her! Will definitely be coming back to Mindfox to try out the other room they have. If you're looking for an escape room in San Diego that's challenging but not impossible and has a great theme and story go here! read more

We had a fabulous game experience today at MindFox Games. The whole process from start to finish was a fabulous. Booking is extremely easy online. We did both escape rooms- Black and White Cafe and Moriarty's Manor back to back in a single day, and they even offered us snacks and water in between! Our gamemaster Joyce was great, and we appreciated that she had the forethought to ask if we wanted nudges or to ask for hints. They do have audio/visual into the rooms so they can hear you puzzle things out and will absolutely help you if you get stuck. Hints are unlimited, and I love games like that because let's be honest, we really just want to have fun and it's not that serious. They even let us start our second game early so we didn't have to wait until the official time to start. First, Black and White Cafe is such a unique room. It wasn't "easy" at all like I expected, and the puzzles and their creativity was really quite fun. There is little technology, but everything worked as it was supposed to. We're an experienced group; however, I think that this would be great beginner escape room for those who haven't been or are more casual. I think that our size was perfect and any more would have felt crowded. Group Size 4. Hints: 0. Rating 5/5. Second, Moriarty's Manor was so fun. The theme was great, and the puzzles were challenging, but logical. Everyone had something to do, and we managed to get through with 5 minutes to spare. There was such entertainment value in these puzzles, and we really did have to work together to solve some. Group Size 4. Hints: 1. Rating 5/5. We would highly recommend Mindfox Games to everyone and will happily be back if they have any new games in the future! (This review was cross-posted to Google Reviews.) read more

Mindfox Escape is a great choice if you have been thinking about choosing an escape room to celebrate something or to attend with friends. We were welcomed by our game master Lindsey and explained the rules thoroughly. You won't regret booking from this establishment , I'm already thinking about my next one here ! read more

MindFox Escape - Mindfox escape, friends , group photo - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Joyce was our outstanding game master!! She made the entire experience so much fun and memorable!! We will be back soon. We had a great time! read more

I completed Moriatry's Manor with 3 other friends and had a blast! Our game master, Victoria, was great and friendly - gave us cues as we asked for throughout the game. The room was methodical and simple, not too overwhelming (compared to other escape rooms I've been to) and had an awesome flow. There were definitely some unique puzzles that did require all of us to work together at the same time. We had so much fun. The whole facility is really nice and CLEAN! Especially the bathroom! Hahaha. Thanks MindFox! read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Booking was super easy! We did the 2 person escape room as a cute date night activity. When we walked in we were greeted quickly and happily. (Really cute decor everywhere too!) The room itself was super clean, fun, and just the right amount of challenging! We had a really fun time there! - private rooms - good prices - unlimited helpful hints - photos after read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Recently did the Sherlock Holmes themed room. The interior was well-decorated. A few of the puzzles were a little convoluted compared to other escape rooms I've done, and I'd definitely rate this as being more difficult (for experienced gamers). The game master kinda ruined the vibe though; she wasn't very friendly and seemed more aimed at getting the group in and out quickly then for us to have a good user experience. Clues given seemed a little belittling. We also were not aware that this place gives absolutely no grace on start/end time, so expect to leave promptly at one hour, and note that the safety/instructional videos can cut into room time so get there as early as you can. Even the group photo afterwards seemed like a rushed thing. Overall this was the most corporate-feeling escape room I've gone to, and while I think some of the puzzles were unique and cool, overall I wouldn't recommend this place, especially if you value the more personal vibe escape rooms tend to go for. read more

We loved the experience so much, we did both of their rooms back to back (well, within a week). Right when you walk in, their board/screen has a welcoming message for your party, which I found unique and personal because it almost felt like you were checking into a fancy restaurant or something like that. Seems kind of cheesy, but it was such a small touch, but made the experience more personal than other escape rooms that would just check you in, and have you wait in a corner. Both of the game masters, Joyce and Isabella, were very helpful with their hints on both games, and didn't try make it obvious with their hints. They both asked if your party would like hints when they notice you are stuck on a puzzle, or only when the party wants/asks for a hint. We chose to have hints only when we ask or raise our hands to the camera. The Black and White Cafe was a unique concept, as the room was literally all black and white. They had very impressive puzzles and they were challenging. Our daughters enjoyed this room, especially since they had a theme of "the Cafe" they had items related to baking goods. Moriarty's Manor was more challenging. All of the puzzles were well thought out, and some puzzles were unique (some we have never seen at other escape rooms). I'd probably recommend this room with a party of at least 4 people. It would be hard to do with just 2 or like a date night. They mentioned a third room hopefully by the end of 2024, or early 2025. When that game is released, we will definitely be back. read more

We did Moriarity's Manor and had Joyce as our host. Probably one of the best escape room experience we've ever had. The room was the by far the toughest and most elaborate escape room I've ever attempted, in the best possible way that is. It contained many new really creative puzzles that blew our mind. Joyce was extremely helpful and friendly. 10/10 experience would highly recommend to anyone that is looking for a challenge and a fun time overall! read more

We had a great time escaping Moriarty's Manor. This escape room had one of the best collection of puzzles we've experienced. There's a variety of riddles and physical puzzles that are all fun and challenging. Theming was done well. When we return to San Diego, we will try the other room they offer. Definitely in our top 3 escape rooms all time. read more

Prob one of the best escape rooms my bf and I ever did together out of the 20+ we done. 10/10 would recommend, all the puzzles made sense and flowed. Things that really bug me about other escape rooms are when the puzzles make 0 sense or when things don't open after solving them or when the game doesn't flow. The 2 escape rooms we did here had none of them Escape rooms: we did the black & white room and the Mansion one Black and white room: this was the first one we did and it was tons of fun and the theme of the room was super cute and like a cafe. This room wasn't too difficult and was a great warm up. We didn't end up solving the room but it was still very enjoyable Moriarity's Mansion: this one was our favorite and had a more mystery thing. We solved this with 55 seconds left. There's no jump scares or anything super scary. The puzzles in this one was a bit more challenging but the flow and theme of the room was perfect. Highly recommend this for more experienced escape room people. This room was more for I believe 3 people or more but it was def doable w just 2. Service: nicest game masters who were perfect. Loved how they gave good hints and were always helpful the right amount read more

We did Moriarty's Manor escape for my birthday with 5 of my friends and it was a super fun experience. Isabella was our game master and she was super helpful! We escaped with 11 seconds left and they have unlimited hints! read more

MindFox Escape - dripping from the 19th century - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Went with a group of 4 on a Friday evening (made the reservation a week in advance). The game masters (shout out to Victoria & Tiffany) was attentive, friendly, and really helpful! We did Moriarty's Mansion and it was so much fun. Half of group are escape room veterans and the other half were newbies, but the veterans still struggled with some of the puzzles. Good thing there's unlimited hints! Highly recommend Moriarty's Manor for both veterans and new comers to the escape room scene. Definitely interested in trying their Black & White cafe read more

Did the black and white cafe. Really well done props. Simple but elegant. Unique puzzles. I was worried when my group solved the first half of the room within the first 10minutes, but they got us in the second half. With a group of 5, we got out with 10ish minutes to spare. 10/10 would recommend the black and white cafe for true beginners. I'd consider the room very easy for any group that's done more than a handful of rooms together before. read more

We did one of the escape rooms and it was amazing. Everything was well organized. Isabella our leader was friendly and helpful. It was a great time and the hour went by fast!! read more

I've been to MindFox as a participant, a team building manager, and a parent and each time I couldn't have been happier with my experiences. I first went as a player with a group of 6 to the Manor and was blown away. As a teen I played puzzle games like Myst and Phantasmagoria and the setting made me feel like those games came to life. The creativity and level of detail the owners put into each room and puzzle is nothing short of astonishing. We chose to not be aided but needed a little help near the end. The staff knew just when and where to help and kept a great balance. After the experience I couldn't wait to tell everyone about it. For the holidays I brought my staff of 5 back to the Moriarty's as a gift and a team building activity. They had an amazing time and I could tell they learned something about each other and became better colleagues after. My two kids have each taken groups of friends, ages 8-11, to the Black & White Cafe. Both times were epic experiences for all and their excitement and amazement continued even days after. The staff are great to work with and are super helpful and friendly. I had to reschedule my staff's event and it was very easy. I would HIGHLY recommend MindFox for any groups looking to try something new and extremely entertaining. read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Our first escape room experience, but definitely won't be our last! Picked this one (Black and White Room) due to great reviews and that it was noted as a good beginner room. And it didn't disappoint. A perfect excursion for our family of 3 (17 year old son)...challenging enough to keep us engaged, but also thrilling to solve the puzzles, too. We finished with just one minute left on the clock, and definitely needed to ask for help a couple of times. Sophia, our game master, was perfect. She provided just enough info to help us move along. We had asked for help only when requested, but she did chime in once unasked to give us a little (much-needed) hint. Thanks, Sophia! I highly recommend MindFox Escape and we are all excited to go back and try their other room! read more

MindFox Escape - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

One of the best escape rooms I've done! I've done about 26 overall. Moriarty's Manor was themed really well. There are a LOT of puzzles. Best to have a larger group. We played with 8 people and that made it so people could team up and work on puzzles which saved time. Victoria was our GM and she was really friendly and enthusiastic. I want to go and do the other room sometime soon! read more

MindFox Escape - Escaped with 3 minutes to spare! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California