Room Escape Artist

Operation Gryaznayavoda is one of the best escape rooms in Portland, Oregon. Here are our recommendations for other great escape rooms in Portland.

The first puzzle is pronouncing it

Location: Portland, OR

Date Played: October 3, 2025

Team Size: 4-10; we recommend 3-5

Duration: 60 minutes

Price:  $40 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: Players need to manage stairs.

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

Operation Gryan… Operation Gryznav… Grrz&#! We called it the OG, and while it felt like an old-school escape game, we were happily surprised to find an original spy storyline and creative puzzles, including a few that made the game memorable. We’ve played plenty of Cold-War themed games, usually set in some type of nuclear bunker paired with a doomsday scenario. But the theme for this game had a local spin; we’d awakened a sleeper cell looking to poison Portland’s water supply. Our mission: put a stop to the evil plot before the past destroyed the present. 

Gameplay flowed really well with a steady stream of interesting puzzles and tasks needed to save Portland. There was not only a lot to do, but also a nice variety of unusual tactile props to interact with. While the set was not particularly compelling, it was the props and the quality of the puzzling that elevated the game. 

At first glance, the approach to puzzling seemed somewhat standard. But as we considered what we’d done during the game, it was so much more than that. One familiar puzzle was elevated with a more challenging logic component. Another task that had us running around the room in search of clues utilized a unique input device that fit right in with the scene. My favorite puzzle was so simple, but uniquely clever and fun to solve, requiring logic, ingenuity, and cooperation from the entire team. It was a cool moment, and we really appreciated how elegantly it was implemented. The puzzling overall was very deliberate and connected seamlessly to the narrative.

In Operation Gryaznayavoda we experienced a strong narrative blended with fun, and at times, unique puzzling. It felt deliberate and well executed, placing In Search of an Exit among the best in the area. When you go to Portland, play Operation Gryaznayavoda, no matter how you pronounce it.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Soviet moles
• Any experience level
• Players who don’t need to be a part of every puzzle

Why play?

• Flash back to the Cold War
• Puzzle variety
• Fun props

Story

Back in the 1980s, there was a rumor that Soviet spies had tried to poison the Portland water supply. It never actually happened; it was all just an urban legend. So when we stumbled on the Soviet’s secret hideout in the old Lombino building, we never thought we’d accidentally trigger a 40-year-old plot to do just that. 

Setting

The game started in a space that resembled an employee break room with a fridge, a brown plaid couch, and full-size Tetris and pinball machines. One wall had a bank of red lockers with coats and other personal items hanging on hooks. Combined with green patterned carpet and bright yellow walls, the space had a clean but overall dated, mismatched look. Only the travel posters of Russia around the room alluded that this was NOT an normal employee’s break room.

Gameplay

In Search of an Exit’s Operation Gryaznayavoda was a standard escape room with a moderate level of difficulty… and a hard name to pronounce. 

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

Analysis

➕ Our transition from the outside world into the gamespace involved a series of activities that seamlessly bridged the two worlds, effectively explaining how our team of escapers was now discovering a Soviet sleeper cell. It was an imaginative opening to the game. 

➕ Overall set design, while not especially immersive or polished, fit the theme well. One oversized set piece looked authentically worn and fit right into the story.  Unique props and layered puzzles elevated familiar puzzles and were fun to interact with. 

➕ Puzzles were a mix of team-based tasks and solo solves. While not everyone saw every puzzle, we were always engaged and busy.

➖ One puzzle used a device that was hard to see clearly, and it took some trial and error to finally solve the last part.

➕  I was impressed with a late-game puzzle that required precise coordination from the whole team; it was simple, yet elegant, and I’d never seen it done quite like that before. We felt highly accomplished when finally nailing it after more than a few tries.

➖ We were confused by one puzzle when a prop did not trigger the expected feedback; the gamemaster bypassed this step so we could complete the puzzle.

➕ Our final task involved a somewhat familiar tactile puzzle, but with an additional, unexpected step that made me pause and announce what I was going to do, since it couldn’t be undone.

📖 For those who are curious, gryaznaya voda (pronounced gree-az-nah-yah voh-dah ) translates from Russian to English as dirty or foul water.

Tips For Visiting

• Street parking is available. 
• For public transit, the location is only a 4-minute walk to the Hollywood Transit Center, off the red/ blue/ green MAX line, and about a 30 second walk from the 75 and 77 bus lines.
• We enjoyed Chin’s Kitchen next door.

Book your hour with In Search of an Exit’s Operation Gryaznayavoda, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: In Search of an Exit provided media discounted tickets for this game.