Room Escape Artist

Good help is hard to find!

Location: San Mateo, CA

Date Played: November 14, 2025

Team Size: 2-4; we recommend 2-3

Duration: 30 minutes

Price:  $26 per player

Ticketing: Private

Accessibility Consideration: None

Emergency Exit Rating: [A+] No Lock

Physical Restraints: [A+] No Physical Restraints

REA Reaction

At 30 minutes, Captain Maniacal’s Lair-bratorium was shorter than the average escape room experience. The theme followed the familiar trope of the evil mad scientist, but thankfully, instead of feeling malevolent, the space was bright and inviting. The puzzles were clearly clued, making the gameplay smooth and enjoyable.

It was slightly chaotic, likely due to our group being at the maximum player capacity for the room. Since we were all experienced, we immediately scattered to tackle the puzzles with the enthusiasm of rabid ferrets. Despite the shorter time frame, there was still a reasonable number of puzzles, and I felt satisfied with the pacing of the content.

If you’re bringing newer or younger players with you to an escape room, or you’re interested in making an escape room part of a longer day of fun in San Mateo, Captain Maniacal’s Lair-bratorium would be a good choice.

Who is this for?

• Story seekers
• Robot fans
• Newbies

Why play?

• A half-hour game is an easier way to introduce newbie friends to escape rooms, or for younger players with short attention spans.
• It is conveniently located in a large mall and can be part of a longer day of fun.

Story

Captain Manaicals had lost his assistant and needed our help completing his diabolical experiment.

Setting

This game was set in an industrial workshop containing numerous large pieces of technical equipment.

Gameplay

Red Door Escape Room’s Captain Maniacal’s Lair-bratorium was a standard escape room with a low-to-moderate level of difficulty.

Gameplay consisted mainly of traditional escape room logic puzzles, with an emphasis on observation and pattern matching.

Analysis

➕ The puzzles were generally what one would expect in a traditional escape room, and were reasonably well clued.

➖ The room had a completely industrial-metallic aesthetic, except for one odd puzzle that used brightly colored figures, which did not quite match the vibe.

❓ The space felt small and slightly crowded for our group of four, and some of us occasionally found ourselves with nothing to do. I would advise following the team size recommendations for this game.

➕ A half-hour game is uncommon, and it was an appropriate length for this game. It would make a great introductory escape game!

Tips For Visiting

• Red Door San Mateo is located in a shopping mall with free parking
• There are many food options. There is a large food court a stone’s throw away, along with numerous other restaurants in the mall itself.

Book your hour with Red Door Escape Room’s Captain Maniacal’s Lair-bratorium, and tell them that the Room Escape Artist sent you.

Disclosure: Red Door Escape Room San Mateo provided a complimentary game.