漆黒の悟り [Shadow Zen]

There’s a moment, about halfway through Shadow Zen, where I realized our team of four should have been solving slower. In the beginning, one of the owners told us to stay together, solve together, and experience it together. And we did. But we finished quickly enough that we could have spent more time in the incredible environment they created. Essentially, it’s a room designed to be experienced, not conquered. One of the things this room offers is an act of historical immersion. A faithful reproduction of the streets of Osaka from a hundred years ago. The textures, the colors, the subtle wear on the walls—it feel as much like historical fiction as an escape room. The puzzles? They’re there, and they’re solid, and sometimes intensely clever. One mechanic, in particular, added to our understanding of Japanese culture almost without our noticing it—until we stopped and realized what we’d just done. It was elegant. And then the room went somewhere we weren’t expecting. And we loved that, too. I don’t know if this room will be everyone’s favorite. If you’re here for puzzling challenges, you might leave wanting more. But if you’re here for immersion, for mood, for a thoughtful, culturally-rooted experience—this is a great option. You could do it with two people. But I’d recommend doing it with four. Not to be efficient—but to share it. Because this room, at its heart, wants to be a collective experience.

Studio Escape is one of the best Creator for Escape Rooms. I recommend this room for English speaker. Unfortunatly, Japan's Escape Rooms are required you the skill of Japanese and Deep understanding of Japanese culture. We usually refer to escape rooms that also require Japanese language skills as escape rooms, and overseas those that only have physical gimmicks as the main feature are sometimes called Shanghai type.

Amazing immersive experience! The aesthetics were amazing!

I was not expecting to find a top-notch escape room in Osaka, with the staff, narrations and puzzles all in perfect English. Additionally Shadow Zen (the only room we had time to do sadly) was one of the 3 best themed rooms we’ve done (>30 total) and one of the top 3 overall. It included a puzzle mechanism that was unique to our experience and completely unexpected. Puzzles worked very well with two people. I wish we could do the other rooms!

I've played over 50 rooms and this might be the best one I've ever played

I recently had the incredible opportunity to experience Studio Escape Shadow Zen in Osaka, and it was truly unforgettable. This escape room is nothing short of amazing, offering a story-driven adventure that captivates you from start to finish. From the moment you step into the room, you are immersed in a unique atmosphere that sets the stage for a thrilling experience. The design and decor are meticulously crafted to enhance the storyline, making you feel like you’ve stepped into another world. One of the standout features is its accessibility for English speakers. The entire experience is available in English, ensuring that you can fully engage with the story and puzzles without any language barriers. The puzzles themselves are well thought out and challenging, requiring teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking to solve. Each clue and task is seamlessly integrated into the narrative, making the entire experience feel cohesive and rewarding. Overall, Shadow Zen is hands down the best escape room I have ever done. If you find yourself in Osaka and enjoy escape rooms, this is an absolute must-visit. You won't be disappointed!

This is my favorite room we have done to date. It had cultural elements that made it like an extension of our Japan experience. We were nervous about the English but it was fine. It was very detailed oriented and had a great atmosphere. Wish we were able to do their other rooms while we were here.

A must play for any escape room enthusiasts visiting Osaka! This experience will scratch your itch if you are looking for a game themed to the Land of the Rising Sun during your Japan vacation. Studio Escape has crafted a uniquely cinematic escape experience. I loved how they tied the history of the surrounding area into the experience. Once through the front door, you feel as though you have stepped onto the same city streets you were just exploring but 100 years ago. The customer service is top notch and you can tell the owners have put a lot of pride and care into this experience. Bonus points for being able to enjoy a beverage in the room afterwards. Pro-tip: ask to see the book they created documenting their build process for this room.

Amazing escape room experience. Immersive decor and impressive technology!

Awesome room, nicely decorated, storyline and puzzles make alot of sense. Room is really immersive from the moment you enter the building, you don‘t realize how you‘re already in the puzzle. Really the best room if you wanna play a japanese-decorated room, as it really is beautifully done here. Gamemaster gave a few too many tips/hints and too early, to our liking, but language barrier of course makes it hard to convey. Overall, though, well done room and very suitable for English speaking Escapees. Really liked it!