Room Escape Artist

Latest update: November 2025

There is no better place to play more high quality games than Los Angeles… as long as you’re willing to drive.

The Los Angeles metro area is big, and the games are spread out. You’ll need a car. There will be traffic.

But it will be worth it. The best games are theatrical, experiential, and innovative. There are unique themes, interesting characters, and engaging puzzles.

There are so many incredible games that you can’t play them all.

If you’re planning a trip for escape rooms, dedicate at least 1 full day to each of the 3 major regions: Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Inland Empire. The first section of this guide is by region to help you organize your trip.

In the second section of the guide, we categorize the games by other factors such as family-friendly, optimal team size, and horror level. This region has a lot of horror, so we separated creepy vibes (probably approachable to most players) from games designed to scare you. Note that in this second section of the guide, the games can be pretty far from each other. The region is quite spread out.

SoCal Market Standouts

• Election Day, Appleseed Avenue 🔒
• Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities🔒
• Last Supper, Quest Tavern🔒
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room 🔒
• The Ladder, Hatch Escapes 🔒
• The Weeping Witch, Cross Roads Escape Games🔒

Quintessential Los Angeles

These games from 2018 or earlier helped define the region. They are still standouts today:

• Lab Rat, Hatch Escapes🔒
• Stash House🔒
• The Courtyard, THE BASEMENT
• The Elevator Shaft, THE BASEMENT 🔒
• The Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games 🔒 (and thoughts on replaying this room 6.5 years later!)

Best of Los Angeles City (Mid-City & Beyond)

• Atlantis, Escape Room LA
• Atlantis: The Forgotten City, Hypnotic Escape Rooms
• Black Dragon, Escape Room LA
• Escobar, The Escape Revolution
• Lab Rat, Hatch Escapes
• Stash House
• Something’s Out There, Maze Rooms
• The Ladder, Hatch Escapes
• The Nest, Scout Expedition Co. & Hatch Escapes
• The Pyramid, Escape Room LA
• They’re Coming, Maze Rooms
• Tombstone, Maze Rooms
• Whatever Happened to the Garretts, Maze Rooms
• Wrongfully Convicted, The Escape Revolution
• Wizard’s Treasure, 60 Out Hollywood

Best of South Bay (South)

• Treasure Island, Brain Games

Best of San Fernando Valley (North)

• Election Day, Appleseed Avenue
• The Courtyard, THE BASEMENT
• The Elevator Shaft, THE BASEMENT
• The Hideout, Arcane Escape Rooms
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Rooms

Best of Anaheim (Southeast)

• 13th Basement, Exit Game OC
• Cosmic Crisis, The Escape Game🔒
• Dr. Hader’s Cartoon World, Scenario Escape Room
• Ink and Ashes, Exodus Escape Room
• Irvine School of Wizardry and the Goblin’s Secrets, Hidden Donkey
• Irvine School of Wizardry and the Dragon Wand, Hidden Donkey
• Playground, The Escape Game 🔒
• Starship: Interstellar Escape, Wild Goose Escapes
• The Fun House, Cross Roads Escape Games
• The Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games
• The Mad Rapper, Scenario Escape Room
• The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse, Infinity Escape
• The Weeping Witch, Cross Roads Escape Games

And if you don’t mind driving 60 miles, check out 40 Thieves 🔒 and Winnie the Pooh at MindTrap Escape Room in Temecula, CA. 

Best of Inland Empire (East)

• 45 Lampkin Lane, Confusion Escapes
• Bridge Between, Quest Tavern
• Headcase, Breaking Point Escape Rooms
• Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities
• Pandora’s Box, Trapped! Escape Room San Dimas (reviewed in Las Vegas, NV)
• Playground, The Escape Game
• Last Supper, Quest Tavern
• The Menagerie, Trapped! Escape Room Upland
• The Tree House, Confusion Escapes
• The Trials of Merlin, Trapped! Escape Room Upland

Family-Friendly

• Inksidious, Escape Room 66
• Irvine School of Wizardry and the Goblin’s Secrets, Hidden Donkey
• Irvine School of Wizardry and the Dragon Wand, Hidden Donkey
• Jewel of the Sea, Intrepid Escape Rooms
• Magic Kingdom, Maze Rooms
• Playground, The Escape Game
• Spy Dogs, Maze Rooms
• The Fun House, Cross Roads Escape Games
• The Tree House, Confusion Escapes
• Winnie the Pooh, MindTrap Escape Room (note that this one is pretty far from Los Angeles)
• Wizard’s Treasure, 60 Out Hollywood

Small Team

• Dr. Hader’s Cartoon World, Scenario Escape Room
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room
• Jewel of the Sea, Intrepid Escape Rooms
• Starship: Interstellar Escape, Wild Goose Escapes
• The Mad Rapper, Scenario Escape Room
• The Magic Cottage: Sisters Curse, Infinity Escape
• Tombstone, Maze Rooms
• Wizard’s Treasure, 60 Out Hollywood

Large Team

• Atlantis, Escape Room LA
• Black Dragon, Escape Room LA
• Playground, The Escape Game
• Stash House
• The Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games (best with exactly 6 people)
• The Ladder, Hatch Escapes
• The Pyramid, Escape Room LA

Games with Actors

• 45 Lampkin Lane, Confusion Escapes
• Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities
• Last Supper, Quest Tavern
• The Courtyard, THE BASEMENT
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room
• The Weeping Witch, Cross Roads Escape Games

For Horror Lovers

Spooky Atmosphere

Even if you don’t like horror, we suggest you give these games a try. There’s a lot to enjoy here, and they are more spooky in theme than actually scary.

• 13th Basement, Exit Game OC (comedy horror)
• Headcase, Breaking Point Escape Rooms
• Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities
• Last Supper, Quest Tavern
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room
• The Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games
• The Menagerie, Trapped! Escape Room Upland
• They’re Coming, Maze Rooms

Terrifying

We recommend these games for folks who are excited to engage with scary content.

• 45 Lampkin Lane, Confusion Escapes
• Something’s Out There, Maze Rooms
• The Courtyard, THE BASEMENT 
• The Elevator Shaft, THE BASEMENT
• The Weeping Witch, Cross Roads Escape Games (the scariest one!)

Unusual Concept

• 13th Basement, Exit Game OC
• Election Day, Appleseed Avenue
• Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities
• Last Supper, Quest Tavern
• Pandora’s Box, Trapped! Escape Room San Dimas 
• The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room
• The Hideout, Arcane Escape Rooms
• The Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games
• The Ladder, Hatch Escapes

And The Nest 🔒 used a variation of the escape room format to tell an intimate and moving story. (Remounted in 2019 at Hatch Escapes)

And lastly, for an even more unusual experience, book your stay at Wild Heart Ranch 🔒, an Airbnb-meets-escape room in Twentynine Palms, CA (about 150 miles east of Los Angeles).

🔒 Golden Lock winning experience

Podcast Deep Dives

We have podcast interviews with many Southern California creators whose games are highlighted in this guide:

Reality Escape Pod

On REPOD, co-hosts Peih-Gee Law and David Spira interview immersive gaming creators about the nuance of their craft.

REPOD S6E3: Pics or It Didn’t Happen with Christine Barger, The Haunt Girl

REPOD S3E10 – Environmental Storytelling: Jeff Leinenveber and Jarrett Lantz Creators of The Nest

REPOD S7E12 –  Dreaming & Betting Big: Terry Pettigrew-Rolapp & Tommy Wallach of Hatch Escapes

Spoilers Club

In this monthly Patreon exclusive podcast, David Spira and Peih-Gee Law discuss an escape room in great detail, spoilers and all! They often bring on the show’s creator to go behind the scenes.

To listen to this show, back Room Escape Artist on Patreon at the “Search Win!” level ($15 per month). We have Spoilers Club episodes on the following games from this recommendations guide:

• Episode 33: The Ghost of Mentryville, Arcane Escape Room
• Episode 24: Lab Rat, Hatch Escapes
• Episode 20: Stash House A Los Angeles Crime Story
• Episode 12: The Last Supper, Quest Tavern
• Episode 11: Hope End, Ministry of Peculiarities