TransWorld’s Escape Room Conference is coming to San Antonio this August.
If you’re going, we’re delivering a free State of the Industry talk and David will be on the Safety Panel.
For conference attendees and other travelers, here are our escape room recommendations near San Antonio, Texas.
Market Standouts
Extreme Escape is the company to visit in San Antonio. We haven’t played all of their rooms yet, but we really enjoyed the two we did play. We’re looking forward to checking out some of their other games in August.
Looking for an escape room near Los Angeles, California?
Latest update: October 11, 2019
Los Angeles is one of the strongest escape room markets in the United States.
This city offers some of the best sets and scenery we’ve seen in escape rooms. That doesn’t mean they skimp on the puzzles. The best escape rooms in Los Angeles deliver full experiences.
Boxed escape rooms will take you about 60 minutes to play. This is a longer list… but there are a ton of different games in this category. These were the standouts.
If you’re traveling to haunted attractions this holiday season, don’t forget to include horror escape rooms. It’s one thing to walk through a scary place; it’s way more fun to have to play and think within the space while you’re afraid.
Los Angeles offers many varieties of horror experiences. If you’re looking for horror in escape rooms this Halloween season, these are our recommendations.
Classic Serial Killer
At THE BASEMENT, Serial Killer Edward Tandy is out to get you. Even if you escape one of his rooms, there’s always another death trap to thwart.
The Elevator Shaft, THE BASEMENT – Our unconscious bodies had been tossed into the body-disposing, Death-Star-trash-compactor elevator shaft. We needed to trigger the override sequence. This dark, detailed, and badass set felt alive. It always doing something different… whether we wanted it to or not.
The Study, THE BASEMENT – As we explored our captor’s home, we stepped into a set that looked great in a dingy, “this is the worst place on earth to die” sort of way. Our escape included a superb solo moment that triggered fight or flight.
The Courtyard, THE BASEMENT – Next we played Tandy’s murderous game in his fenced-in courtyard, an incredible environment, combining nature with decrepit structures to deliver a sense of continual discovery tinged with foreboding. An actor-driven midgame puzzle sequence was unforgettable.
Truly Terrifying
This is the scariest escape room that we’ve found thus far. It’s worth a drive to Anaheim for this absolutely terrifying game… but only if you’re honestly ready for it.
Zoe, Escapades– This was a haunted house with escape room mechanics as gates. We were mind-controlled and at the mercy of Zoe as she paralyzed us with fear… then made us solve puzzles.
Poking Fun at Horror
Also in Anaheim, you’ll find a cheeky take on high school drama horror.
Hex Room, Cross Roads Escape Games – The Hex Room cast six players as different horror film archetypes. Costumed and locked into separate places, we became these high school drama queens. The set, ambiance, and isolation built fear through anticipation more than any in-game frights.
Image via Cross Roads Escape Games
Christmas Horror
Krampus, 60 Out – We were investigating the festive yet morbid apartment of the Krampus killer, who murders naughty children on Christmas Eve. It was intense and creepy… and heart-poundingly scary.
Horror of Old
Bloody Elbow, QUEST ROOM – Back in the 14th century, we awaited slow, gory, and creative deaths at the hand of a sadistic executioner by the name of “Bloody Elbow.” His torture devices alone instilled an urgency to puzzle out our escape.
The metro New York City area offers a lot of great escape rooms. If you’re looking for a fright this Halloween season, check out these scary escape rooms.
True Horror
In Manhattan, there is one truly terrifying escape room:
Cursed, Komnata Quest – This journey through an abandoned house haunted by the ghost of a little girl delivered tension, story, and puzzles. The practical effects made it both challenging and exciting.
Badass Moment
Take the 7 train to Long Island City for this creepy thriller:
Sanatorium, I Survived the Room – In this game with actors, we were at the mercy of the doctor in this dark, gritty, and creepy asylum setting. If you can puzzle through a nerve-wracking set, intense actors, and a deliberately gross environment, you might just get your hero moment.
Image via I Survived The Room
Actors in October
During October, 13th Hour Escape Rooms lets actors roam through their escape rooms, all of which take place on the premises of the creepy Hayden farmhouse. 13th Hour Escape Rooms is located in Wharton, NJ, about a 45-minute drive from Manhattan.
The Cookhouse, 13th Hour Escape – The murderous Hayden family cannibalizes their victims and we were about to be their next meal. This grotesque kitchen made us want to both shy away and interact.
The Dungeon, 13th Hour Escape – We started in individual cells and solved our way into a two-story macabre prison/ shrine to infamous American serial killers.
The Great Room, 13th Hour Escape – Locked in the majestic and creepy Great Room of the Hayden farmhouse, we needed to solve a series of challenging puzzles to survive.
Jersey Shore
Drive 1 hour south to Red Bank, NJ for this frightening escape room:
Bogeyman, Trap Door – In this hide-and-seek-and-puzzle game, the Bogeyman lurked behind any twist in the maze of rooms. Our investigation into a paranormal-influenced disappearance of children turned into a game of challenge and intrigue in the menacing world of the Bogeyman.
Are you traveling to Nashville, TN for a concert, bachelorette party, or other festivities?
In preparation for the escape room conference in Nashville July 27-29, 2018, we took a trip down to Music City and explored its booming escape room scene.
You can play some great games in downtown Nashville. If you have (or can rent) a car, we also recommend you drive 30 minutes south to Franklin, TN and 40 minutes southeast to Murfreesboro, TN. These recommendations cover Nashville, Franklin, and Murfreesboro together, which collectively make one fine escape room market.
Here are our escape room recommendations near Nashville, TN to help you choose the games you’ll enjoy most.
