MagnificoEscaparium - LavalEscape roomIRLExperiencing Magnifico leaves no doubt on why it's rated so highly. This is more than an escape room. It's a labor of love. And I'm not an expert in the business side, but judging by the throughput of customers to staff ratio, they are definitely running this for the artistry and not for profit. What sets Magnifico apart beyond huge budget and set design, is the artistry. The narrative is first, and the puzzles are integrated into the narrative. I have always enjoyed rooms where the puzzles "make sense" and are part of the story, not just jammed in to be a puzzle, and this room takes it to the extreme. Each puzzle/group of puzzles has its own story introduction, and you are always working towards a narrative goal. The puzzle themselves range mostly linear but there are sections where you can work on 2 at a time, but even the linear puzzles require multiple people and teamwork, so everyone always has something to do. The grand scale of the experience is actually misleading, as the reason Magnifico is maxed for 4-6 people is how intimate the scenes are. I think 4 is the perfect amount of people for this room. I was ultimately left in awe on how much effort was put into just "entertaining" our small group of 5 people, and all the effort the MULTIPLE staff members put into acting, running the game, etc. And speaking of awe, the set design is out of this world. There are multiple very ambitious elements, some even just for ambiance and story, and Magnifico even has its own custom soundtrack! If it hasn't been clear so far, I unequivocally recommend this room, and can't wait to see if any other escape room can ever top this experience.
Hope EndThe Ministry Of PeculiaritiesEscape roomIRLHope End has been one of my most anticipated rooms, as it is the best ranked room in southern California. As the room is spooky and didn't allow children under 12, the Capyparents went along with our extended family while the kids were at grandma's house. As soon as you walk in the immersive theater starts, with the very, very chipper intern Janice getting us set up for the room. She gave us the backstory and asked for info about us, which ends up in a cool investigation report you get to keep later. Very awesome keepsake, and probably the best one I've seen so far. Once it starts, the spooky purveyor of Hope End, Dolores Wright, appears from the darkness and guides you into the first part of the experience, which is a split start. This room is fairly standard, requiring both sides to work together, but most of the first part is essentially searching and communication. The highlight of the experience for me was the next part, in which the theater part shines strongly. Great use of the actress and the environment here, as well as a very thematic and interactive logic puzzle. Nothing new per se, but one of the best themed implementation of it I've ever seen. You're then left alone in the last room, which is 5 different non-linear puzzles that make great use of the room and the theme. I will note that due to its age, there are some components that weren't 100% working. Luckily, they didn't prevent forward progress, but did require some GM intervention. Overall, it's very clear that Hope End does 2 things very well: the atmosphere/acting, and the tying of the puzzles to the theme. Enthusiasts who demand brain boggling puzzles might be disappointed, but for everyone else, Hope End is a must try and easily proves the hype real.
40 ThievesMindTrap Escape Room - TemeculaEscape roomIRLEasily the number one escape room I've played, though I've only hit about a dozen at this point. Theatrical intro opens into a well themed room with a lot of non-linear puzzles. The sheer amount of puzzles in this one is pretty high, and they manage to have just about every kind. No combo locks, but a lot of the puzzles have the shortcut of if you figure out the first 3 parts, just brute force the last part. We also had a lot of random brute forced moments by accident, but nothing ruined the game (actually kind of funny). Theme is on point and the surprises and reveals were super cool. We managed to do this as a 2 person team, but I definitely recommend a solid 4 players for this game. Lots of puzzles and things to do as a group, just need to keep track of solved puzzles.
The Last SupperQuest TavernEscape roomIRLAfter finishing Hope End just last week, I was eager to try the Last Supper and compare 2 of the top live actor escape games in Southern California. I attended this one with a meetup group, since it would be too scary for the full capybara family. I considered bringing big bro, but after experiencing it myself, I was glad I didn’t! Without giving away too much, know that there are jump scares. However, I will say the acting in this room is top notch. They do let you know that you will get what you put into it, and if you’re willing to participate, it makes for a fantastic experience. I will go into more details in my spoiler review on this particular subject. The escape room portion of the experience was mostly “normal” in terms of challenge. A unique twist that they do here with this room, at least as far as I can tell, is that if you’re blazing through the puzzles, you actually get more live actor interactions. This is pretty genius in a way as it allows you to experience the full hour that you pay for, though people who like to go for speedruns might be disappointed. I’m more in the former camp and loved every minute of it. The puzzles are a mix of traditional locks and some cool tech. Overall, I definitely do recommend The Last Supper as every run is unique to you and your group. Our Lord Garrick was great, and in general, all the staff at Quest Tavern is great. If you’re willing to interact with the live actor, run, don’t walk, to this escape room!
Ink & AshesExodus Escape RoomEscape roomIRLInk & Ashes is a fantastic, story driven room. I'm always a sucker for good narrative and this room has that in spades (pun intended). The room has a good mix of locks and high tech stuff, with a lot of really cool special effects and story moments. The puzzles are mostly non-linear, and would be great for a group of 4. In terms of difficulty, I'd rate this one as medium-hard. Our family of 4 escaped with about 13 minutes left. Our GM David was great. Definitely my favorite of the 3 Exodus rooms I've done so far.
The Bridge BetweenQuest TavernEscape roomIRLI approached this one with some trepidation as I was doing this with our family, including an 8 and 4 year old. But with a few hints, we were still able to make it out just before the 75 minute mark! In retrospect, this room felt like the same amount of difficulty as their through the sugar glass room. Theming of the room is pretty good. Most of the time is spent in a bazaar shop, and the hint system is thematically integrated, though hard to hear if you're not in the first room. The third act of the room requires a bit of imagination, but I get the idea they were going for. In terms of puzzles, this one definitely has a good amount to do, with enough for 2 people or 2 groups to do at the same time. I think 4 people would be the perfect amount of people for this room. One thing that kept me from loving this room and only liking it, is that there were three color puzzles in the first room, and when some puzzles require you to do things in sequence, it makes it quite confusing on which clue belongs to which solution. Technically the sets of colors are all different, but it still sends you for a loop as you have to confirm. Also not a fan when you need to cycle through shades of the same color. There was also one puzzle that was a bit finicky in activation that needed GM help, and one puzzle we randomly solved accidentally. GMs are all great here at Quest Tavern. Overall, I liked the room and the vision the designer was going for, just those minor things with the puzzles that keep me from loving it. Still very worth doing, and my third favorite room at this location.
Winnie The PoohMindTrap Escape Room - MurrietaEscape roomIRLHands down the best escape room for families I've seen anywhere. This room has it all: Great theming Puzzles that are fun for kids, teamwork puzzles, fun dexterity tasks, and logic puzzles for the adults. Great special effects I think this room exemplifies how fun escape rooms can be and would be a great first choice for kids and adults alike. Staff were friendly. A few caveats: There is one scene that can get a bit scary with the special effects, so I recommend kids 6+ only Some of the stuff is a little worn down and has things you need to push in fully or it doesn't activate Start time was a little late for me due to room being used before, so there was about a 5 minute wait
Wild Heart RanchWild Heart RanchEscape roomIRLAt first I gave wild heart Ranch a like rating, but the more I thought about it the more I realize I loved it. The puzzles here aren’t that numerous and are fairly simple (though silas's puzzle is pretty cool), but they are very thematic and makes sense in the flow of the story. What makes wild heart Ranch so unique is that it is an experience that you live in. In most escape rooms you finish the room and then you basically leave immediately. What this place does different is give you a chance to finish the experience and then live in it and feel as if you’re part of the experience. It is not about escaping, but about discovering, with themes of family, wonder and mystery. While I can’t say it’s the best Airbnb nor is it the best escape room I’ve played, but what I can say is that wild heart Ranch is incredibly unique and worth doing, especially with your family.
Through The Sugar GlassQuest TavernEscape roomIRLOne of the best family friendly escape rooms in socal. Theme is you're inside a gingerbread house essentially, and there's even real candy scattered around! We brought our 3 year old with us and he loved being in the room and pointing out all the treats everywhere. Also impressive with how much puzzling is packed into this amount of square footage! The room itself is actually fairly challenging, and is apparently their second hardest room. We escaped with less than a minute to spare (mom, dad, 8 year old, 3 year old)! Kind of ironic that quest tavern's 2 most family friendly rooms are also their hardest, haha. Our GM/barmaid Nico was great and helped guide us at the appropriate moments so that we would have a good time. This room is an easy recommend for families AND enthusiasts.
Mutiny: Skull IslandEscape Games at the RiverEscape roomIRLDecided to challenge myself doing a room solo. Called and the owner was very helpful, and let me know mutiny was one of the games that didn’t need two people physically. Also this place has the nicest bathroom for an escape business I’ve ever seen. Room itself was a mix of locks and high tech puzzles. What sets it apart is the fantastic production quality. Don’t know how old it is but everything is in good shape, and the theming and effects are off the charts. Gameplay itself was fairly standard, but everything made sense logically and flowed decently well. I managed to make it out solo in about 51 minutes. Highly recommend mutiny and will have to plan a trip back to the area to try their other rooms in the future.
