Did the Japanese Thriller with some friends for my birdday and we had a lot of fun! I wished we…read morecould've done the room by ourselves instead of being paired with strangers, but at least we made it out with less than a minute left! However, the Japanese Thriller barely felt on theme with the serial killer storyline other than the introduction video we received. I prefer escape rooms where I actually feel like I'm part of the story. This was a very different escape room than I have done before. While you always have to split up for escape rooms, this time we were forced to separate between multiple rooms so you had no idea how the other group was doing (this isn't great when you're forced to solve the room with strangers because you have no idea if they know what they're doing). It was definitely more chaotic than other escape rooms I've done. The rooms were small and they use locks for a lot of the puzzles, which isn't innovative. They also forgot to put back one of the pieces we needed to get the final combination, so we almost didn't make it out because we had to keep guessing. HOWEVER, the worst part of the entire experience was how RUDE the man was that was helping us on the walkie talkie. He would give us attitude every time we asked for a clue. Why give clues if you're going to rude when people use them?

Our visit was scheduled online for the Japanese Thrilled Escape Theme Room. We arrived and it was a…read morebit disappointing to see a homeless person sprawled out asleep and nearly blocking the entrance to the stairwell if this business. It is in an apartment complex in Hillcrest, and it is upstairs. So sad that the homeless problem has affected San Diego so much. We weren't sure if the homeless man was alive or not, but one person in our party said that could see him breathing. We then climbed the stairs to the business. We were greeted by a nice man who invited us in. We sat in the business lobby, awaiting our instructions. The nice man gave us our instructions, and some game playing tips. We would solve in 4 rooms, as a group, and we had a certain amount of time for the escape game. Cons: The rooms of this location are a bit shabby. They seem to be worn, old, and dusty. The escape game items are somewhat dirty and could use some refreshing. We had a hard time touching the materials for clues because they seemed "touched" by many other hands before ours. The lighting is a bit problematic. The walls and overall room settings are not in the best condition (and I don't mean creepy nor horror best, but needing a good refresh/cleaning wipe down). The sad homeless situation at the entry of the business was disappointing. Pros: The clues are great and playing the Japanese Thriller Escape Room game is super challenging. The staff person who greeted us and setup our group escape room was very customer service oriented. We will try the other locations to see if they are a bit more updated and cleaner.

Connor was the best game host. Super friendly and helpful. Gave awesome recommendations for future…read moregames

Tommy and Norman did fantastic! Great room and very fun puzzles, my group made it out with 4…read moreminutes to spare!

They were wonderful !! Dylan was so helpful answering questions and made my daughter's birthday…read moreextra special by all the perks ! The team made my daughter a custom card and asked about her interests etc. they spoiled her ! Happy to report they escaped the Prison Break!! 13& 14 year olds ! Not too shabby! Thanks for being so kind!! I highly recommend it

Dezirei was amazing and super kind and supportive!! been here multiple times and this has been the…read morebest one so farrr. it was perfect and will be coming back for sure!!!

What a unique and fun experience! Totally worth the time and money…read more I had recently had an amazing experience with Brainy Actz. I saw them on Yelp & found their Groupon. Some existing reviews made me have some initial doubts which led me to attempt contact before I go through with paying for the experience. There were no issues trying to reach the staff via phone to answer any questions or concerns. They were very efficient and helpful in helping me book the experience instantly. When I had to make some same day scheduling changes, they were so accommodating and worked with me on a new time. Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by Ella. She was thorough in giving us a run down of how our blackout escape room experience works and provided us with useful tips when we needed assistance (and we definitely needed some assistance; the game was challenging enough to maintain excitement but doable enough to motivate you to keep playing). Ella was so kind and encouraging and made our visit feel super special. The blackout experience was so different than anything else I've ever experienced. It's exactly as it sounds. You are in a single escape room that is pitch black the entire time. There's some background sounds to create a somewhat nerve-wracking ambience that got me extra paranoid especially because I couldn't see a thing. There were just two of us trying to navigate the room, and the space definitely felt much bigger in the dark. This would be just as fun and comfortable with a handful of friends. You have one hour to use your remaining senses in the dark to decipher some cryptic hints given through the loud speaker with the press of a button. You're allowed to relisten to these hints multiple times this way. However, if you need further assistance, you will have to communicate via walkie talkie that is handed to you at the start of the game. One of their staff monitoring you throughout your gameplay will guide you through the current necessary action. You're allow unlimited hints but keep it within three if you're competitive and wish to make the leaderboard. I have no shame and did not hesitate to ask for help when really stuck. LOL I which case, Ella's voice would reply over the walkie talkie and provided us aid to help us continue. We managed to finish the game and definitely felt like we were given a full experience delivered in the best way! Whether you're a lover of the more typical escape rooms or just trying to find something new to do, I highly recommend checking out Brainy Actz and experience this for yourself!

***Edit***We went and had an epic time. I forgot to get the ladies name that helped us, but she was…read moresuper nice and attentive. We battled out to a game of old school Mortal Kombat before our rage session and the arcades are free. So fun. Highly recommended! Just want to say we haven't even arrived yet, but we are booked for a few hours from now, and I needed help booking online. I called and spoke with Oliver and he was so nice, helpful, and amazing. Give that man a raise!!!! Awesome customer service!!

Banger of an escape room experience. The theming was spot on with a hidden temple and treasure. Our…read moregroup finished with 2 minutes to spare. They had the perfect number of puzzles that didn't have silly things to solve, they all used logic to do it. Really enjoyed this. Also Shereen did a great job checking us in.

My friends and I did the Scooby-Doo escape room, which I thought would be too silly or childish,…read morebut it was actually a lot of fun! The available timing worked best for our schedules, and it was easy to book online. Allot plenty of time for parking since this is in the "back" of Belmont Park - or we just parked as far as possible. The introduction to the room was great. We loved the puzzles (honestly we crushed it!) and it made for perfect photos at the end. I'd come back to this Escapology again. I recognized the brand from where I live in Denver and expected a high quality experience. There looks to be a weekday discount, so take advantage!

We had the best time at Bewitching! It was the perfect level of difficulty for a group of teenagers…read morewhile still being so much fun for the adults. The room was immersive, exciting, and the characters and acting made the experience even better. A special thank you to Jonah for being so accommodating. We already can't wait to come back and try another room!

Lara's Labyrinth is located near the Mission Hills part of San Diego in an industrial area. There…read moreis no parking lot, but there is street parking across from the building. They're on the third floor, and the elevator didn't seem to be working, so it was a bit of a trek up three flights of stairs. We arrived ten minutes before our start time for the Cannibal room, checked in, and waited, and waited, and waited. We finally got started a little over twenty minutes past our scheduled start time. This room has an option to add a live actor for an extra $20, but we decided to pass on that. Waivers can be completed online before arrival. The room has a split start. I was in the smaller part of the start, and there were a few puzzles for me to do, but the other person was doing the majority of the work in the bigger part of the first room until we were united. Even though we didn't opt for the live actor, we could tell there was somebody in the next room a few times which added to the creepy factor. The room leans towards mostly linear and has a good mix of combo locks, logic puzzles, mechanical puzzles, memory puzzles, a keypad, and some back and forth between rooms. The decor is definitely gory and it is dimly lit. Hints are given over a speaker, but they were often garbled and hard to understand. The room is ranked five stars difficulty and I would agree it's a hard room. We escaped with only two minutes left. POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT: I've never had anything bad to say about an escape room, but after having done 70 of them, this was the first one that felt like it had some potential safety issues. Having to stand on a wobbly stool to reach something above, standing on another chair and handling some bare wires overhead to turn on something electric, an uneven transition between rooms which I stumbled on and almost face planted twice even though I knew it was there, and a desk drawer that came out way too easy and narrowly missed smashing my feet. Be careful! Our game master Nasir was cool, and he was happy to answer questions at the end. The cost was $54.50 per person for the two of us, and the price drops with three or more people. They sometimes have discount codes on the website when booking. Even with the negatives, we would still return to try some of their other rooms when we're down in San Diego.

For her birthday celebration, daughter requested an escape room. She did the research herself and…read morepicked 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.

probably the best escape room ive ever done! a really cool variety of puzzles that were very fun…read moreand 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 :(

Took my daughter and her friends here for her 16th birthday, and it was such a fun experience! They…read moredid The Clownatorium-2: Upside Down, and the whole thing was fantastic -- from the escape room itself to the awesome staff. The clown who followed them around was great! He gave helpful clues, cracked jokes, and kept everything totally PG for the girls, which I really appreciated. I wasn't planning on going in at first, but the owner was super nice and let me join to help out. The clown even checked with me before making jokes -- very respectful. The owner mentioned that the clown matches your energy, and that was spot on. The girls had the best time and kept it cool. It was our first escape room ever, and honestly, it was the perfect one to start with. Highly recommend this place!

Wow, I've only done a couple other escape rooms previously, but I think Nightwalker Caverns is now…read moreon my top list. My group of friends and I planned a trip to San Diego and a escape room was on our list of things to do. Luckily, this location was able to accommodate our group of 14! We had one group do the clownatorium room and the other did the hotel. We did our escape room back in September at night around 8PM. Upon entering, it was a little confusing trying to figure out where the entrance was. We first went upstairs to the door which turned out to be an exit, and then to the main entrance on the bottom floor. We knocked on the door with no answer and we were confused, so my friend called them and turns out a group was still finishing. No biggie! I don't want to spoil the rooms, but we were amazed by the effects and the challenges you had to do. Everything was super fun. The owner of Nightwalker and the other two game masters, Griffin and our clown (I forgot his name unfortunately!) were amazing. You have unlimited clues in the form of riddles. They were even so kind to let us tour each others' escape room once everyone was finished! They showed us the cool nooks and crannies of the other room. They let us take our time, we finally left the building at around 11:30PM. A friendly reminder that the rooms are on the mature side, and the minimum age to book is 14 years old. Our clown made some hilarious NSFW jokes while we were scrambling around to find out clues for our room. I highly recommend this escape room to anyone that is visiting San Diego!

We did the Disappearance at Fogmore Manor room and wow, one of the best rooms we've ever done. It…read morewas super challenging and kept us on our toes the entire time. Scott was our host and very accommodating and kind, he definitely added to the experience. Highly recommend this place and can't wait to try the other rooms!!

We decided to hit up an escape room for my niece's spring break…read more We booked 'Disappearance at Fogmore Manor.' We have done a handful of escape rooms at different spots and this one definitely was very different than the rest. Some of the steps were challenging to complete so if you waste too much time on those you will have no real chance of getting out. The puzzles are very unique. I enjoyed how thought out this escape room was and I will be coming back to try the other 2 rooms. (The Bayou and London Fog) I would say we probably needed another hour to get out! HA!

This place is so fun and such high energy. We have been here many times now and the fun never…read morestops. Tip always eat afterwards you will need all the energy you can summon. After you can rest. bring a small flashlight and a pencil to write with. and have some fun.

We celebrated a friend's birthday at Red Door's Game Night experience, and it was an excellent…read morechoice for someone who grew up loving game shows! The whole experience was incredibly interactive, and our host did a fantastic job keeping the energy high from the start. The games pulled inspiration from classics like Wheel of Fortune, The Price Is Right, and more, which made it easy for everyone to jump in and have fun. Our team went head-to-head against the birthday girl's team, and despite putting up a good fight, we lost!? The other team earned it though. They got a photo with the big trophy, while the rest of us got to pose with the smaller one. We had such a great time that now I'm curious to come back and try one of Red Door's escape rooms next :)