I had a great time with my friends at this escape room. We chose the Horror Escape room and it was also the hardest at this location, and it was really fun. I really enjoyed how this room had a really cute backstory also. It was really scary initially with the clown coming in every 15 minutes or so. All of the clues we gave were very reasonable and solvable within the time we are given. The Game Masters Jerry and Kevin were very nice, accommodating, and gave such amazing hints. Unfortunately my team did not solve it in time, but we were so close!! Will definitely come back to try the others. read more

I thought that I booked the escape room for my special-needs students in the summer:however, no one put us down on the schedule and the day before our visit was when I found out we could not attend. My students were extremely disappointed, and we had to go with another venue last minute. Deal with Erik directly and things will go smoothly. read more

This is definitely not your typical Escape the Room!! The Pompton Lakes location only has one escape room available and boy is it HARD! We made a reservation for my brother's birthday as a surprise and this was the only location that had availability as this chain of Escape the Room also has locations in Hackensack and in Madison. Worked out well because we played Minute to Win It before entering the Escape the Room and it was so much fun! We played a few games and our hostess kept tabs on the score. Don't want to give too much away but they kept us entertained and in competitive spirits! Once we got to the Escape the Room, I was at awe at how real it felt. The Gamemaster was pretty good at giving us clues not that it helped us much because we did not escape! He was nice enough to tell us the answers after we failed and honestly I don't think I would still be able to escape! But it was so much fun nonetheless. After the escape the room, we all play virtually reality games and since we did a private booking, the booking came with pizza which was so ridiculously good!! Had to take off a star only because there was a discrepancy closing out the bill which had nothing to do with the actual team at the location. Other than that, I would definitely return and there is a liquor store down the street as well :) read more

Pompton Lakes Escape Room - Signage outside - Escape Games Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

Went with a group of 7 and it was terrible! We did the SWAT bomb diffuse "room". I use quotes because it wasn't even an escape room it was a big party room with a bunch of boxes with combination locks on it. The room was dirty and gross and the employees weren't helpful at all. Definitely won't be going back and waste my money there and I recommend you do the same. Save your money or find a different place because this place wasn't worth it at all. read more

This escape room was not a pleasant experience for my group and I - it seemed dirty, not well thought out, and very confusing for all the wrong reasons. For starters, when booking we were under the impression that all rooms were private due to covid and the fact that their website listed that under most rooms. The location in Madison (which is way better btw) is also all private. We were only told we were booked with another group in the same room when we were ten minutes away in the car, and the woman on the phone had been rude with us as well. The room itself made absolutely no sense. We did the detective (not scary) version of Awaken and it was definitely scary as heck. They also should give you a heads up about the blaring sounds that happen and flashing light. But the storyline made NO sense, and we were told that we would discover more as the room progressed but still have no idea what happened. There was also a part where one of us had to climb into a fridge, which is simply not possible if your group is only adults. I definitely wouldn't recommend this location, but make sure to check out the Madison location - The Cabin is a favorite and my group and I have easily done over two dozen. read more

This was, without question, the worst escape room experience I have ever had--and my partner and I have done about 300 rooms between us. We signed up for the Awaken room at midday. We arrived at our scheduled time to a building with the door unlocked, an empty hallway, and no one around. We were able to open doors and see into some of the rooms, and we called the number for the business to be told that our game master would be up shortly. After about 15 minutes he arrived, and from the start seemed completely disinterested in the game, as he had been setting up for a party (I think in their rage room). The room itself was in terrible shape. The scenery might have been cool once, but had not been kept up. Pieces were broken, missing, chipped or cracked, replaced with shoddy substitutes, marked on, etc. The backstory told to us by the game master was completely different from the one on the website, which was in turn completely different from what the original story was according to the reviews I'd read from a couple years back. We were given a flimsy "look for ghosts in this house" story that didn't provide any kind of narrative throughline or guidance for the puzzles. The first room was okay, but once we got into the second room everything that could possibly go wrong did. We were supposed to use information from the first room, which isn't necessarily the worst thing, but it wasn't signposted and typically you don't have to go back to previously used clues. Our game master fluctuated between giving us clues we didn't need (like telling me how to solve a cipher while I was in the middle of translating it) and completely ignoring our questions or requests for information. There was a phone that was a key part of the puzzle that was broken, and despite asking if there was supposed to be something there, he was unaware until several minutes later. Some hints were just hidden in hard-to-find places with no indicators, and others were so complex that there was no way to reason them out. Between the confusing narrative, broken or damaged elements, inconsistent game master, poorly designed puzzles, and mostly just the fact that it clearly hasn't been maintained or updated since it was originally designed, we didn't even make it into the third room--which contained puzzles that we also wouldn't have figured out. I love escape rooms, and I love supporting small businesses, and I've done some rooms that were mediocre but were staffed by folks who genuinely cared and put effort into making the experience creative, interesting, or at least fun. This room had none of that. 0/10 do not recommend. read more

Amazing experience, very clever, well thought out, totally fun and SCARY! Kevin the escape room host was very friendly, informative and SCaRY for the Awake experience. We will be back ! read more

Pompton Lakes Escape Room - Escape room winner 9/4/22 - Escape Games Near Me - Pompton Lakes, New Jersey

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My friends and I did this room over the weekend. We are pretty skilled in the sense of escape rooms, we have done over 20 escape rooms and the only time we didn't escape was once... until this room! Their Awaken room should not be underestimated!!! There is a LOT to do in one hour for this room. Be very observant, as a lot of the things we missed was due to the fact we didn't observe the things right in front of us. Not everything is hidden. But at the same time a lot of things were hidden that weren't obvious. This room has things for everyone. Ranging from someone who has never done an escape room, to someone who has a few years of escape rooms under their belt. We do recommend having 6 - 8 people. There were 4 of us and we could have definitely used an extra hand! There was a lot to do. The design of this room was definitely one of the better put together room we have seen. The detail was amazing and the fact they made a house inside a room was amazing! Very blown away at the construction of the room. While we didn't make it out, we might come back and try again or try another room! But we definitely did enjoy this and will be back! We have also done one of their previous rooms in the Madison NJ location (that room is no longer there and has been replaced. So we can't wait to go back and check out their new rooms!) read more

DO NOT BOOK, IT IS DIRTY AND UNPROFESSIONAL AND ONWNERS TOOK MONEY AND NEVER CALLED BACK!!! Im surprised in the wake of sensitively of cleanliness this place would be able to operate so filthy. We called and emailed several times after the party and never received a follow up. Says lot about a business and ownership. We booked a party for a kids birthday and was assured by the owner it was kid appropriate. It definitely is not! We had 1/2 the kids leave in the middle crying. We showed up for the party and there was construction on site. It was so dusty it irrated all participants eyes. I can't stress how dirty this place was. They had their male staff using female bathrooms. The staff had no idea what was going on, the TV was broken and it delayed our start. Clearly not prepared for our booked reservation. The party took place in a separate location which we were never told about upon booking. The party was separated because 1/2 the group was led by staff and half waited behind. No one guided us and we had to call other participants to find out where the other group was. Then the staff told us to leave the party and go up front so we can tell the other parents were to meet. I don't typically post negative reviews because I go direct with management and owners and they have enough curtosey to respond. In all the years of working with vendors I've ever met an establishment that cared so little about their guests. I don't think I've ever not received a phone call or email back after complaining. Goes to show their attitude and concern about their establishment. read more

We did the Room 401 escape room. The room was really well done and had a creepy atmosphere. The puzzles were challenging but fun. Would definitely recommend it and we are planning to go again soon. read more

My family and I did the otherside room (scary) and it was so much fun! Our game master Brie did an exceptional job and made the experience one to remember. Brie gave an incredible backstory and gave us the scares we were looking for. I definitely will go back here again!! read more

Did the awaken escape room with 2 adults and 4 teenagers. We really enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun. Great props and clues. Shane was our guide and did a great job supporting and encouraging us. He was super friendly and kind. Would definitely go back! read more

Where should I begin with this escape room? Having done over 15 escape rooms this one is by far my least favorite room. Most of the escape rooms that we have done we've enjoyed the experience (win or lose). First, there is no tv or monitor in the room to keep track of the time or clues we have left. Our game master only gave 2 time checks, with 18 minutes remaining and 2 minutes remaining. Next, one of the clue boxes was not opening even though we had the correct order of switches. Instead of fixing the mechanical issue (which other game masters have done in the past) our game master just advised us to move on and forget about it (regardless we would have needed this clue to open). We were grouped with 9 random kids who were celebrating a birthday party (who were all brilliant and great problem solvers by the way). I feel as though the game master did not provide adequate or proper guidance given the circumstances of our group. Lastly, once our time had expired, it is normal for the game master to come into the room and explain/show the steps we missed to escape the room. This did not happen. Instead we were only told through an intercom, which did nothing for anyone, and left the kids questioning how we could have gotten out. On a positive note, the room itself was designed creatively and was extremely challenging (which was great). The underlying issue was that our game master led our game in a lazy fashion. Again, we don't expect to get out every-time, however, the way this specific game was ran ruined the experience at this location. read more

By far one of the best concepts for an escape room. Went with a group and even though we didn't finish we had a blast.

This escape room was an absolute joke. First off it cost $35/person for a private room. There was little to no back story so it wasn't immersive. Once in the room there were what looked like spare parts waiting to be used and lying around. The room wasn't anything to brag about either. It was dark and we weren't allowed to use our flashlights. We did receive a light, but it was a color changing strobe light that didn't illuminate anything. Everything looked old and overused. Some of the symbols on the locks were rubbed off to the point where we couldn't make out and solve the puzzle. Looks like everything was bought from a dollar store and installed by someone who had no artistic vision. To make things worse there was no flow between puzzles. The clue master also gave us clues to problems we had already solved. There was also no timer so we had no idea how long it was taking us to do a puzzle or how much time we had left. This escape room was a total waste of money, time, and not worth the entertainment. If you want to do an excellent escape room, I recommend 13th hour in Wharton NJ. I also suggest that the employees and owner of this establishment participate in an escape room there so they can improve their vision on what it is to bring people enjoyment instead of robbing them blind. read more

My friends and I have done virtual escape rooms, this was BY FAR the best one! Our game master was Jeffery and he made the experience absolutely wonderful! I would HIGHLY recommend! I'm from Long Island, and when quarantine is over, I will definitely be traveling to NJ to do one of their rooms! read more

Well done. Our game master was great, reciting the lengthy story. The room was bright, fun, and not too difficult. We escaped with 16 minutes left, not bad for my 32nd room. read more

The staff was rude and overly involved in our game. The price quoted to my church group was not honored. The game itself was fun, but everything else about the experience was horrible. read more

Highly recommended if you're looking to plan an event with 12-15 people. The room was very challenging, but it was a great time. The "Minute 2 Win It" activities were super fun and the host was excellent! The food was good, and the price is pretty reasonable as well! read more

The escape room was so much fun, and I definitely suggest doing the scary version! Eric did a really great job keeping us entertained as the game master, and we will definitely be requesting him again. Thank you for making my first escape room experience amazing! read more

We did the quarantined escape room and were all happily surprised by how much fun it was. We weren't sure what to expect by a zoom escape room experience, but were so impressed with how interactive, clever, and organized it was. Highly highly recommend for any group of friends or family to do together. Can't say enough about how well this was put together. Can only hope that this helps their business through these tough times. Definitely try it! read more

Lots of things broken. Terrible game master. PA system barely worked. My friends and I have done over 60 rooms and this was the worst we've done together. We did The Otherside: room 401 and every single room had something that didn't work. Locks didn't work (we had to use a clue to be told we have the right combination but hey to pull really hard on a directional lock), drawers didn't open (the game master at the end pointed out how we didn't open the drawer - that we had put everything into the box correctly that we needed - then had to go to his room to override open it, and acted like it was our fault it didn't open because he just "fiddled with it and then it worked" which it did not because we just watched him leave the room to set it to open). So if he had been paying attention, he could have seen that we had everything right and opened it for us. We got stuck in the last room because of a directional lock. In asking for a clue, we were only given the first two directions (which we already had) and used a full 10 minutes on just this lock alone. We were given no more hints. When we ran out of time, he came in and told us the combination (which we had tried dozens of times) and COULDN'T OPEN THE LOCK HIMSELF. So the lock didn't even have the right combination and we wasted our time. Again, he was not helpful in giving us half a hint, then just let us continue to waste our time on something he/some staff messed up in setting the room up. When I asked if we could get our time back and keep going, I was told no because the next group was ready. I love rooms with multiple rooms and the puzzles were fine but it was so darkly overshadowed by the broken mechanisms and the ineptitude of the "game master." There are dozens of escape rooms in NJ. Don't make the mistake of this being one of them. read more

Well done escape room. Lots of locks and hidden clues. We didn't get out but the kids had a great time!

My group of 5 went last night. It was a great night. The game master was knowledgeable and kind to us as it was our first time. It was fun to learn to communicate, team build and see the different minds/ personalities come into play to help break codes read more

I have never left a yelp review in my life but I feel like I have to after leaving that ridiculously terrible experience. We showed up to the escape room 15 min early like instructed and there was no one there. All the rooms were unlocked and it was very creepy being there alone especially because it looks like an abandoned shithole. There was no lobby or waiting area and we were just knocking on random doors with no answer. The worker finally showed up 2 min before our start time and was very rude and very creepy. When he told us to lock our phones in the lockers we were all hesitant (because we thought we were going to be murdered by this strange man) and were then scolded by him for refusing to do so. The room itself made absolutely no sense and so many items were broken and didn't work. And when time ended, the worker was condescending and made a creepy remark that he was watching and listening to our every word. Overall, terrible experience and if I could leave 0 stars I would. read more

We are escape room enthusiasts. We have done over 65 escape rooms and honestly was disappointed here. We did the horror version of Awaken. The puzzles were worn and with the lighting and the only extremely poor flash light that strobed colors for a group of 4 people it made significant bottle necks. Most of the marks were hard to read and scraped up. They said there were no red herrings and everything was only used once. We disagree with the no red herrings and when we said that at the end the game master said "ok". Several of the items were used more than once and there were significant jumps in the puzzles that made little sense. We asked for no live actors due to covid concerns and the game master jumped out at us multiple times as a scare. I get that it should be scary but we have done many games where the scare comes from props or animatronics and I expected this to be the same especially since we requested no live actors. My wife called about private rooms prior to booking and they said all rooms are private but then the website required us to pay the private room rate. This rate was double the normal price and for almost $50 a person I expect the game to be well maintained and run by professionals. I emailed the website about this and they said their rooms are not private so either the game master that answered was mistaken and they would have actually placed strangers in rooms together or the website is pushing very high prices as a money grab. My wife said she did not like how she was spoken to on the phone when she called and almost didn't book because of it but heard such good things she went against her better judgement. I didn't like how I was spoken to via email either. I would encourage you to go to another escape room somewhere else if you want to have fun. read more