Room Escape Artist

Diamond Quest is one of Tempe’s best escape rooms. Here are our escape room recommendations in the nearby Phoenix area.

That diamond is mine!

Location:  Tempe, Arizona

Date Played: February 16, 2025

Team Size: 2-10; we recommend 3-4

Duration: 60 minutes

Price: $34.99 – $79.99 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration:  All players need to walk up stairs and crawl

Emergency Exit Rating: [A] Push To Exit

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Remember those Friday nights when you raced to your local video store, hoping to get a copy of the latest release? This nostalgia hit us hard at Paranoia Quest, where instead of the typical waiting area, we instead stepped into a brightly-lit, in-world lobby called Video Quest, a Blockbuster-like store and one of the most immersive escape room lobbies we have ever experienced. Instead of escape room players, we were new-hire trainees greeted by a manager and immediately put to work dusting shelves, organizing video tapes and completing other chores. Just before our game time, we were shown a short employee training video — aka the game rules — and led down a dark hallway to the Diamond Quest “movie” adventure.  What a fun way to wait for our game to start!

Once inside, the lobby faded away, and we found ourselves at the sealed entrance to an old abandoned mine.  Wooden supports, rock walls, and an out-of-order elevator created a realistic environment with plenty of room to explore. As the game progressed, special effects enhanced immersion as we journeyed deeper into this world, far from the video store we left behind. 

Diamond Quest integrated unique, well-themed puzzles within the set, including one activity I’ve only ever seen done in a much larger space. Several dramatic reveals added to the experience. But while interactions were fun and gameplay flowed smoothly, a few puzzles were excessively clued, making it feel like we were following a script and not solving a puzzle. And in one case, we carried a set of props with us, only to find out that they were additional clues for a puzzle we’d already solved. 

Paranoia Quest currently offers three movie-themed escape rooms at this location; we found all the games to be immersive and completely different, though Diamond Quest was the strongest of the three.  The next time you are in Tempe, make sure to stop in at Paranoia Quest and choose your favorite movie theme on their video store shelf. And don’t forget to “Be kind, and rewind!”

Who is this for?

• Adventure seekers
• Scenery snobs
• Miners
• Former video store employees…
• …or anyone who visited a Blockbuster in the 90s
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t have to be part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Immersive set and special effects
• Approachable puzzles
• Fun lobby experience

Story

Deep in the jungles of Central America stands an abandoned mine, deserted after a deadly explosion made it too dangerous to explore. Locals who survived the accident tell a tale of a hidden Mayan temple, though rumors suggest a curse protects the site.  As archaeologists, we wanted to explore the mine to search for the temple, hoping to find the Diamond of the Gods said to be buried somewhere within it.

Setting

The game began at the entrance to the abandoned mine. The doors to an elevator leading down to the mine appeared rusted, worn with age and apparently inoperable. Tools, not used in decades, hung on a wall near signs warning of the dangers ahead. The whole place gave off the distinct feeling of being shuttered in a hurry, yet untouched for a very long time.

Gameplay

Diamond Quest was a standard escape room with a low level of difficulty. 

Core gameplay revolved around searching, observation, making connections, and puzzling.

Analysis

➕ Paranoia Quest’s strength in world building was evident from the creative lobby to the immersive in-game scenery and special effects. Each space was realistic and exciting to discover and explore.

➕ The narrative flowed easily and was well-integrated throughout the game spaces.

➖ A major transition involved an impressive special effect, but it was too jarring and loud for us to really appreciate. I honestly could not wait for this part to conclude.

➕ One standard type of escape room puzzle was housed in a unique setting, and was a nice surprise to discover; it was so simple yet thematic, though only one member of our team got to fully experience it.

➖ Some puzzles contained an overabundance of directions, resulting in a guided “do this, then that” type of experience. While helpful for newer players, it sometimes felt like we were just going through the motions. 

📼 The Video Quest in-world lobby was a mini-experience in itself, and we happily returned to our roles as new hires to pass the time between rooms. A few free arcade games and a candy machine brought me back in time. It was a hoot, especially for the one team member who had previously worked in a video store! 

Tips For Visiting

• Paranoia Quest is located in a strip mall with a large parking lot.
• Allow a bit of extra time in your schedule before and after the game to experience Video Quest.
• We enjoyed Chou’s Kitchen in nearby Chandler.

Book your hour with Paranoia Quest’s Diamond Quest, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Paranoia Quest provided media discounted tickets for this game.