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.

We did this for my son's 13th birthday and we had so much fun because it was his first escape room…read moreand we did a level eight "museum heist" both my wife and I had experience with escape rooms before but we also had our daughter who was age 9. We only used one clue and got out with 18 minutes left on the clock. This was set up in a fun way and we were surprised by the little tricks and hidden clues. The kids had so much fun and the service was great. Shout out to Kam who helped us. I understand the complaints by other helpers if you were in a larger group, it would be more difficult to coordinate, especially if it is four other strangers. Luckily it was just our family of four and we were able to have enough space and time to think. At least for our room it was nice to have just four people.

I took a date here for their birthday. It was his first escape room and I thought the setup was…read morereally well done. We did the submarine room and the clues were hard but engaging. However, they place you in the room with another group, and that group was extremely drunk. Some of the men were argumentative and pushy. Others crumpled to the floor freaking out. It made it hard to enjoy the game. The one sober-ish guy was apologetic afterwards, and the Escape Game offered us another game, which we did not have time for as we were visiting from out of town. The staff were great and very professional. But I really think they should have turned that group away, or put them in their own room as they were literally falling down drunk. I would definitely come here again if I had a big enough group to fill the room, but I wouldn't come on a date.

This particular Escape Game location has it all - production value, fun puzzles, and…read moreabove-and-beyond customer service. As escape room enthusiasts, my husband and I sought out this particular location because they are the only site in Southern California (for now) that host the Ruins: Forbidden Adventure. We have done all the other Escape Games except this one! Angela was our game master and she made sure that we had a great time. We were joined by my sister who is fairly new to escape rooms, and Angela honored our request to only provide hints after we ask! We also shared with her beforehand how we had a negative experience with having random strangers join our game. Because the day we stopped by had slower foot traffic, she was able to make our particular game a private one. I can't promise that they will do that on a busy day! The Ruins: Forbidden Adventure is rated a 6/10 difficulty, and I thought that this rating is appropriate from our experience. I know that there is a bigger version of the Ruins in Nashville but this version was so much fun that it made me more excited if I ever get to be in this side of the country in the future. Because we had done all the rooms, we were able to sign their Wall of Fame and that felt particularly special! They also sell pins to commemorate each room. Parking is easy enough. You can tell the staff love working here. Thank you so much Escape Game UTC and Angela. I will definitely recommend this particular franchise and location to all my friends! They also have validation from what I was told - always a plus!

This was a pretty fun escape room experience. We did the Playground puzzle which is rated a 6/10…read moredifficulty. It was a well-orchestrated puzzle with nested clues and lots of interactive parts. We were able to solve it in time with seconds to spare. As many other reviewers have mentioned, there's no way of guaranteeing a private room (unless you were to theoretically book all spots). When booking, it only tells you how many spots are remaining. To avoid confusion, they could easily say how many are remaining out of the total (eg 7/12 spots remaining instead of 7 spots remaining) as the puzzles' capacities vary. We were with two other groups and there was a quick "ice breaker" beforehand. I was unimpressed with the staff member who led the puzzle experience but the guy doing the check-in was nice and the process of filling out a waiver was seamless. Price is high ($45.99) for an escape room, definitely docking a star because of that alone. For an hour of entertainment it's really steep considering the limited amount of staff working. Would I go back? Maybe. They have six different puzzles in total so there's an opportunity to try something new.

***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!!

We did the blackout room and it was super fun! I've done a lot of escape rooms, and this one was…read moresuper different! So I really liked that I got to try something new. It was definitely an adventure. I will say however... it was really hard. We couldn't get through anything without a hint . I don't even think I'm bad at escape rooms, it was just really hard. Sydney who was working the manager on site was incredible! She was warm and fun to talk to, and absolutely was the one to make our experience memorable.

We've done two rooms here and had a great time at both! The puzzles are a lot of fun and the hints…read morehelp out when you're stuck without solving the whole thing for you. We've completed the Antidote and Lost City rooms and we're hoping to go back for another round later this summer.

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!

This place was AMAZING. Setting, effects, story, they have it all! Did the bewitched room. Slightly…read moredifferent than a classic escape room as it incorporates "puppets" who actively talk to you along the way. Wasn't sure what to expect at first but they are hilarious! Such a fun time and it got a bit scary at the end but it was a good funny scary to laugh about after! Definitely will come back!

Stopped by here for the first time today to do the cannibal room. And without any spoilers I'm a…read morehuge horror fan and I was scared. I was not expecting this place to be as good as it was. I screamed. I laughed and had a great time. Definitely will be back to check out the other rooms. Nasir who helped us was so nice and great at his job! Almost made me book another room with him because of how much fun we had.

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

I've done about 15 escape rooms, mostly in San Diego, and the two rooms here are some of my…read morefavorites! 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!

I found this place online while searching for an escape room near San Diego for my birthday. Once I…read moresaw their "Hotel Nocturnus" escape room, I was immediately hooked! I loved the theming and the puzzles were so much fun. I did it with 5 other people and we had an absolute blast. The staff was super sweet as well. She offered hints without directly telling us how to solve the puzzles which was lovely. I will be coming back with more of my escape room loving family

Much needed update on this review…read more Have now payed Hotel Nocturnus and Last Chance and will definitely be back for the rest. Have done 300+ Escape Rooms at this point and Hotel Nocturnus is one of the craziest rooms I've ever seen. Very challenging, but very fun. Shane, the owner, is super welcoming and knowledgeable about Escape Rooms and it shows in his work. Do yourself a favor and do not sleep on this place if your looking for an escape room in SD!

My boyfriend and I came here for Valentine's Day, and we really appreciated the ability to book for…read more2 people! The room was genuinely so fun and was one of the best escape rooms I've ever done (and I've done at least 10!). The puzzles were well constructed and the rooms were decorated beautifully! I really enjoyed how the theme of the puzzle even extended out of the escape room itself (the office where you sign your waivers/get the story introduced to you was decorated like a room in the story). We did "The Disappearance at Fogmore Manor", and if we're ever back in San Diego we'd love to do the sequel to this story. I cannot emphasize how great this experience was!

Our group of 3 had an amazing time - 2 of us first-timers! It was an easy location to find and…read morereach. We were greeted promptly and given a quick rundown of how everything worked. The escape room itself was setup very well with just the right amount of difficulty and a great ambiance. Looking forward to trying other rooms here!

The sister duo and game show made our night, glad to have them host! Coming back and requesting to…read moredo the game show again!!

So much fun!! I will definitely come back for more…read moreadventures. The staff are so nice, Torrin and Jesus are so helpful