This particular Escape Game location has it all - production value, fun puzzles, and above-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! read more

The Escape Game - Wall of Fame - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

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This was a pretty fun escape room experience. We did the Playground puzzle which is rated a 6/10 difficulty. 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. read more

The Escape Game - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Loved our experience at the Escape Game! It's located near Macys & Red Robin inside UTC mall so plenty of parking and lots to do before and after your game. I think all the games are priced the same at $45.99 each. Their site has all the details about the room when making a decision. Kim was an excellent game master. She explained everything thoroughly and left time for questions. Kim also gave great hints when asked. All employees were nice & helpful. We played the Timeliner room which was super cool! This was a linear room- meaning you have to solve one thing before moving onto the next. You get to go back in time for clues and such. Loved that you can take pics in the room which we did after we "escaped." Room was never locked to begin with so don't worry about that. The only two gripes I have is that there was no place to put our things - just a hook behind the door & the corner of the floor. Not a big deal but other places do have small lockers. So maybe something to think about for the future? The second being is not getting a private room. I understand they want to maximize the use of the room (Room allows for 8, we only had 5) for extra income, but it kind of took away from our group working together (alone). No disrespect to the fam that joined us- they were great & we worked well together, but just wish we had it all to ourselves. Again, maybe something for the future. I know it's a new establishment. Other than that, the game was a lot of fun. Will be coming back for more rooms for sure. read more

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Let me say this is favorite escape room franchise overall! It would have 5 stars but the mall its located in reduced its free parking from 2 hours to 1 hour recently. I have been to their other location in Gaslamp (downtown) which has some of the same rooms but this location has more selections. The production value is the best with the escape game and I feel they are technologically ahead of their competitors. Every time we finish a room here the staff will offer you a discount to do another room. We always try and do two. I have been here with friend, family and coworkers. This is a great place to do teambuilding. If you can start doing validated parking I will update this review to a 5. I have tried this franchise at 4 other locations in different states and each one has the same quality. Some have exclusive games so if your traveling check them out. read more

The Escape Game - Cleared The Heist with over 11 minutes to spare! - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

I wish I could give a bonus star. My son and his 6 friends played Playground. Jules made my son's 13th birthday the most memorable evening! She went above and beyond, reaching out in advance asking if there was a celebration and when she found out, I'll just say she went the most above and beyond I have ever experienced. When the kids were playing, they have a very solid and supportive guide, Cole. Cole helped them with clue looking and the kids made it out! I can tell you, this escape room is very interactive and a genuine blast. The kids loved the slide and the climbing etc. It was perfection. We will 100% be back to tackle each room... What a great experience. Thank you Jules and Cole for a wonderful evening. read more

The Escape Game has opened at UTC, with 6 different rooms with varying difficulties. At the time of our visit, they were offering 20% off all their games! Located in the UTC mall, they're right next to the Wetzel's Pretzels stand. Mall parking is free for the first two hours so this should be more than enough time since games are only an hour long. But make sure to come about 10-15 minutes before your scheduled time so you can settle in, sign the waivers, use the bathrooms, etc. We did the Cosmic Crisis room and this was rated as 7/10 difficulty. We only booked 6/8 available spots and luckily, we didn't have to play with strangers but it's a possibility. If you want a truly private game, you'll have to book all available spots. Before the game starts, the staff will go over rules but if you're a seasoned player, you can usually skip through a lot of that. Overall, the game was really fun! The puzzles are non-linear which means everyone could be doing something different to get to the end goal. Hints are unlimited and we always aim to use 0 and we successfully did for this experience! Can't wait to be back to try their other rooms! read more

The Escape Game - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have done a few escape rooms with different companies and before I book the next one I will go through the list to see what's out there. I ended up seeing this place on Groupon and after reading great reviews I went for it and snagged a deal. I have never tried an escape room with this company so I was pretty excited, I will admit my expectations were pretty high. When my brother and his family come to visit from the east coast, we have been trying to make it a tradition to try an escape room. I was worried about parking since this was the downtown location. I was hoping to book for the other location at Westfield UTC. Parking would probably be pricey there too, but it is probably overall more convenient at UTC. Be wary of pricing if you book in advance, I ended up finding out I paid so much more vs what I could have paid that day. (We did go thanksgiving week on a Tuesday late afternoon) Staff at the front desk were very outgoing and welcoming. We were early and waited for our time slot to come up. The waiting area was somewhat small, but it was open to the street so people walking by might be drawn to come in and check it out. They did carry some of their merchandise within that waiting area if interested. The escape room was excellent! I know this company boasts about how immersive and different their rooms are and based on my previous experiences at different spots I would agree. The games seem to be thoroughly thought out, all of the equipment and props did not seem outdated, worn or old. It was extremely fun and exciting. We did the Special Ops: Mysterious Market Room which was 8/10 difficulty, I felt like we were challenged but did not feel as if we could not escape. Yes, they do have the option of unlimited hints!! But we kept it low to only 4. We will definitely be coming back to try another room. The only possible downfall of this company is that it is possible if busy times that other parties could be thrown into the room you're in. I find this definitely a deterrent for some people since you are paying quite a bit to play the game and most would want to do it with their family and friends. They should reconsider changing this to be an option. (If smaller parties would join with other smaller parties giving them a better chance to escape) I know some of my coworkers did not book here due to that reason. We did escape with over 4 minutes to spare. I think the next one on the list: Prison Break. Ambiance: 5/5 Food: N/A Service: 5/5 (oops- this review is actually for the downtown location) 232 5th Ave San Diego, CA 92101 read more

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We had a fun rainy birthday day doing escape rooms this location at UTC mall. We started with the Timeliner and found the room a bit obtuse just to figure out what the puzzle was supposed to be. After multiple hints to begin with, we solved the room with 2 minutes left and they offered us to return same day for 40% off ( I believe a weekday only promotion) so we couldn't resist. We came back for the Heist which was truly a lot of fun- tons of hands-on/manipulation puzzles and surprises (vs. the more digital aspect of the Timeliner) which we enjoyed a lot more. The second game guide offered us the choice of having spontaneous prods to help us and we wish we had not accepted (or had asked for hints only to tell us we were on the wrong track or did not have all the parts yet to solve the puzzle). We solved this room with 22 minutes left and would have preferred just to have worked a bit longer ourselves. Both rooms were high quality components and interesting puzzles and we look forward to coming back for some more. read more

Our group has done all types of escape rooms in the past (40+) so we were excited when we heard the EG opened up new rooms at the UTC location. Notes below: - inside UTC mall right next to that giant fish playground/Macy's. No bathrooms inside, closest one is inside Macy's or near the playground so come early! - they let you take videos and pictures in the room which is unique, never had an escape room that allowed that! - after every game, you have an option of buying the next game for 20% off. I bought the gift cards online during a 25% promo. You can use as many gift cards as needed per room but you have to call customer service to do so, their online booking portal doesn't accommodate gcs - Unfortunately, anyone can join your room if you don't fill it up completely. Most escape rooms I've been to are private (or has the option of paying an additional fee to make it private) - we did the Ruins room, which was super immersive. Unfortunately one of the sliding panels didn't open when we solved it due to faulty mechanism. It contained an item that does something cool (being generic as to not spoil anything..) - I felt it took away a bit of "magic" from the environment :( Overall, aside from the hiccups, the room had high production value and the workers there are super nice and energetic! read more

I love this place. I've done two of the rooms here and want to do all of them. The staff is amazing and the rooms are challenging but not too hard. I like the unlimited hits with no penalties. I would recommend being in a group of two or more. The Ruins is probably my favorite so far! read more

One of the better escape rooms we've been to. Super high quality props. Hints are just enough. Lots of different challenges and puzzles. Highly recommend! read more

The Escape Game recently opened a new location at UTC and were offering 20% off, so we decided to come check it out after my friends enjoyed one of their rooms at their other SD location. This new one in UTC is located by Marugame Udon and Wetzel's Pretzels. Be sure to come ~10 minutes early just to check in and get situated! They do have a restroom if you need to use that before starting. You can save some time by filling out the waiver online beforehand, but you can also do it there if you need to. There's a handful of seats and some merch too that you can quickly browse. We did Cosmic Crisis, which is a 7/10 for difficulty (only because members of our group had already done the harder rooms). We didn't fill all 8 spots in the room, but we lucked out and didn't get paired with any randoms, but just be aware it's possible if you don't book out all the spots. The room was challenging at times but very doable, and we managed to escape without using any hints. I thought the design and decor of the room was well thought-out too, with even one unique aspect/task that I've never seen before in other escape rooms. Overall, a great spot to get your escape room fix and I'll be back to try their other rooms! read more

I loved both of the rooms I did with my family! I maxed out Cosmic Crisis with 8 players and also 8 players in the Train Timeliner. I love the themes for each game. My gamehost for Cosmic Crisis, Sam, went above and beyond for me for my birthday! He surprised me with personalized cards and balloons in the escape room; so friendly and kind! In addition to the staff, the escape room game puzzles (especially in Cosmic Crisis) are unique and some of the favorites I've ever done. It's not boring lock and key puzzles! Highly recommend!! I've done escape rooms in LA, Orange County, Palm Springs, and San Diego and these at the Escape Game in UTC are top tier! read more

The Escape Game - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

Our family had a great time! It was my very first time doing an escape room and I want to go back and try a different room. We did the Ruins: Forbidden Treasure one which I was told was the most immersive. And from the other people in the group, they agreed. There were 5 of us and 2 people we didn't know joined us. I wasn't sure how that would work but they did a lot of other escape rooms so they were super helpful so it worked out well. So the seven of us solved the rooms in about 50 minutes and needed 2 hints. You get unlimited hints. The difficulty of this game was a 6/10. I thought the entire room was well planned and designed. Since this was my first time, I have nothing to compare it too. But we will be back! I just wish they validated parking cause after spending a little over an hour there, we decided to leave and get dinner instead of eating there. read more

The ruins is the special room for this location and we decided to do it since we love doing the specific rooms that are exclusive. We were originally in a group with 3 other people but at the last second they decided not to join us. We did really well but our guide, Brian, realized that he didn't fully reset a puzzle which lead to us not completing 3 other puzzles. He let us solve the 3 we didn't get it and he felt so bad the experience was not the full game he gave us a complimentary game and made it private for us as well. It was sooooo generous and so kind it caught up so off guard as we planned to buy more gift cards to come back to do cosmic someday. He was so apologetic but he insisted that he did that for us as he felt like we were owed it. We love his accountability and offer to take care of us. It was so, so kind and we feel very well taken care of. We ended up doing the cosmic room and that was fun as well. Lots of working together but we enjoyed the ruins a lot more. We look forward to coming back here!!! read more

I highly recommend this escape room experience The staff are ALL about making sure you have a great time and are super friendly and super helpful. My son is excited to come back. I will bring him back anytime because of the staff. read more

Dylan and Jules were fantastic game guides. 10/10 would play again. And now a haiku... What is a tadpole? From Prison Break to Playground Not these. All frog games. read more

The Escape Game - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

This is by far the best escape room I have been to! We did the Time Travel Train room and it was so much fun. We went on a date night and ended up doing this room with another couple we had never met. It may have been one of the best experiences we've had. Great puzzles, staff are super friendly and great layout! I think our guide was named Matt(?) but he was a really fun guide as well! read more

So fun and such high quality rooms! Best escape room I've been to for sure. We did the prison and the temple rooms and the temple was my fav. read more

Super fun experience ! The team is helpful, kind, and accommodating. The games are well thought out and very family friendly! My family has been several times and we will definitely be back!! Love love love this location. read more

Scheduled a game for today on MLK day. Place was crowded and business was good. My daughter and i got put in a group of junior high and high school kids as a shared experience. At first i was like "here we go" not sure how this was gonna play out. I am mid 50s and my daughter is mid 20's. We entered the room snd were given instructions and told to find your way out. I was pleasantly surprised, our team had so much fun despite our obvious age differences. We all communicated well and worked through the problems together. I really had a great time and the other teammates were great. So much fun. After we finished the game, everyone said goodbye and congratulated each other. Once the other teammates left, an employee pulled my daughter and I aside and asked for a no bs assessment of playing with much younger players. If there were any issues or if next time we preferred to be paired with older players. They asked if it was challenging due to age differences or any other challenges we faced. I told her, "at first i was apprehensive and unsure if we were gonna come together as a team" or be three individual groups. Immediately once the clock started, we all started talking and the other players immediately took a leadership role. I was impressed. No power struggles of any kind, and all 8 of us talked and reasoned out the problems. ( with help from the clues provided when asked) These kids were sharp and so much fun to play alongside I told the employee that i was very impressed and that we had a great time. I was happy that our opinion mattered and they took the time to ask us if it was fun or a burden because of age differences. Overall i had a wonderful time. Would gladly do it again and was happy with the team we were given. It was slot of fun and as we waited to go into our room, i noticed groups of all ages and backgrounds kept coming. It appears like what you are doing is working well. Kudos......a job well done not only by the staff members, but also..... our team. We will be back read more

We celebrated my niece's bday with Prison Break. This place was so much fun and the CLEANEST escape room I've ever been to. Can't wait to try the other rooms! read more

Big thank you to the escape game team!!! I proposed to my future wife and they help me set everything up and it was just awesome very special and unforgettable! Big thank you for the Korean BBQ gift card!!!! read more

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we did the "Timeliner" escape room about being on a train traveling through time. very elaborate escape room with many unfolding rooms and layers and every puzzle felt new and different. some puzzles were easy and some were more difficult and that's perfect. we made it out with one minute to spare! amazing place read more

I've never been to an escape room and this was my first time. we did the prison room(9 difficulty) and it was so much fun! definitely difficult but we made it through. it was fun and we got stumped for a little but had hits and always lots of clues in the room. definitely recommend- if it's your first room maybe choose a less difficult room but we still thought it was so fun and made it out 20 seconds to spare! the worker helping us was named archer and he was super fun and nice, even took a picture of us after. read more

The Escape Game - difficulty 9 room - Escape Games Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had guest in town and wanted to spend time with them. What better way than an escape room with 5 of your friends! We were notified an hour before our time that our room would be shared. I wish we were notified sooner. read more

We just did the cosmic and ruins, they were both great and fun! Special thanks to our game masters Desiree (what a cutie!) and Anis (i think). We will definitely go again and play the rest soon! read more

Playground is perfect for families! We had 4 adults and 3 kids and all had a great time. Jack was a great gamemaster and Bryan at the front desk was terrific! We love the Escape Game! read more

We have been here 2x now - playground & the cell. Very clean, organized and fun escape rooms. It's nice to have space to move around.. the unlimited hints are cool because they still give you a little guidance and not just an answer. I do wish the prices were a little more reasonable- they offer a discount for a subsequent game same day but it still gets pricey for a family. They did offer a AAA discount tho :) read more

We played the Heist and it was a blast! The room was super clean and the puzzles were so creative. Our game master Kim was awesome as well. The one thing I will say is that the games are not private, so you may be joined by another group unexpectedly, as we were. It was still overall a fantastic experience and I would recommend these rooms. read more

Arav, Bryan, Anissa, and Paloma were incredible! We played 3/6 of their games: Ruins: Forbidden Treasure, Cosmic Crisis, and Playground!! Super fun, the puzzles were out of this world and everyone there was so hospitable and made it such a fun time. Cant wait to come back!! Highly recommend checking out if you're in the UTC area! read more