Escape The Room Boston

I went as part of a team building event with work and had a BLAST! The puzzles were challenging, but solvable. It was a great example of how you need to communicate with each other to get the job done. We didn’t end up getting out of the room, but we were so close! I’m already planning this event with a different group and waiting to hear when it’s a new puzzle so that I don’t already know how to get out.
My only criticism was that the building was not marked. For the future, I would recommend that they add something to mark the door. Thankfully, we were trying to figuring out where it was at the same time that one of the employees was walking in. Otherwise, I would have had to figure out how to get in before I could escape!

Very fun, challenging hour of puzzle solving! Great outing when you are looking for something different to do. Great way to celebrate a birthday or other occasion or as a team building exercise.

loved doing this with my friends, wish we were given more time to finish. We were so close. will go again for the other puzzle.

It’s been days since my puzzle and I still can not stop talking about it with my friends! Escape the room is a great way to spice things up, rather than spending a few hours at the bar. The puzzles are well thought out and planned, leaving you to ponder the answers for days.
Price wise, I personally think it was a bit steep for 1 hour of play. I have heard that there is sometimes a groupon, which I think would make me feel better about the price I pay for a one hour game.
Overall, great experience!

I went as an add-​on for a team building activity for my friend’s job. I only knew her and one other person, out of nine, and I still had fun! I could see how it would be even more fun with a bunch of your closest friends but don’t be discouraged right away if you have to join someone else’s group!
No point in rehashing how great this place is, most people seem to be in accord! I will add that the staff was extremely organized and punctual, Escape The Room runs quite a tight ship. And you get to take a group photo at the end-​with signs to match. Thanks guys!

This place rocks! Right when we got to the door there was already a little ‘puzzle’ we had to solve before even entering the actual room. I went with a group of friends and it’s honestly all teamwork. After our host explained the rules and such we went into the room. After that, it was an hour before the puzzle was over. She was super helpful with the hints and when she pulled those jokes I literally cracked up because I’m a sucker for a pun. Anywho, our group had a lot of different knowledge which made solving the puzzle a little more easy. It was super fun and very well set up. There are multiple ways of actually solving the puzzle because that happened to us. We eventually solved the puzzle with just 2 seconds and it’s such a good feeling.

Myself and a few friends found out about this place on a link for things to do in Boston, and it grabbed our interests immediately. We bought our tickets for the following day and grew more and more excited. After arriving in the lobby, we were happily greeted by a worker and told to have a seat in the waiting room to wait for our other team members. Because my group only had four people, we were waiting for a group of six strangers that would inevitably be the difference between winning or losing. Luckily we had GREAT teammates. The game was definitely tricky and made you think outside the box. With each clue brought frustration, confusion and a ton of laughter. This was such a great activity for you and your friends. Worth every penny!

Awesome! So much fun. Just try and escape the room. The place is definitely hidden away in an old building. It is a team effort, def split up. We did The Dig. Very well themed. Our group Escaped the Room with only 32 minutes to spare.

Gster got this for me for my birthday present, and let me say… it is one of the coolest things ever! I don’t even need to write more to my review… just stop right now, go to the website, and sign up for a time (With a few friends)!
The escape the room is a mental, social, psychological challenge. It is a fun idea for dates, for a group of friends, or for a work event. We did the «dig» challenge, but they have 2 that they often switch up. We unfortunately did not solve it… but we were only 1 clue behind! So close! It truly is challenging, and it seems impossible, but once you solve one clue its an adrenaline rush until the next… it’s way more fun than I ever anticipated. The clues, the challenges, the secret passageways and the decoding is all very mysterious… I felt like I was nancy drew…
I also had been freaked out by the whole being in a locked room thing… but you end up talking to the moderators every few minutes and are working on different projects that you kind of forget about it.
I LOVE the idea of this, and LOVE how fun it was… it makes me want to change my career path to be a detective!

So fun! Getting into the building is a puzzle in itself — there is very little advertising and you need to get buzzed in, then make your way up to the third floor.
My small company was looking for something unique to do together and this was perfect. There were nine of us so we were by ourselves. I think it would have been weird if we had some random people join us, so I’d suggest getting as close to 10 as you can if planning a visit. Also, we were running late and lost some valuable minutes, so make sure you show up early!
Awesome group activity for coworkers or friends. I (and according to the guy who was working there) would not suggest this for a first date!

My mom always told me I was special. And smart. My experience at Escape the Room may beg to differ. I am, or, more accurately, my team was, among the 80%…that didn’t make it out.
We did «The Dig», and I’ll spare you the hairy details because goddamn it, we didn’t have any extra help to start with, and neither should you! What I will say is this: between the hidden symbols waiting for your group to decode them, secret passageways, and «cluemaster» who communicates with you via a computer screen, it’s very Legends of the Hidden Temple-​esque in all of the best ways. While trying to interpret crude hieroglyphs, I was kind of cursing myself for not having worn my Green Monkeys t-​shirt. Alas, no sign of Olmec.
There were five of us in my group and we were paired with a mom and her two kids– they were a good match for us, but be aware that if you sign up as a small group, you’ll likely be working with strangers to solve the puzzle. Additionally, it should go without saying that Escape the Room is not for the claustrophobic, or easily frustrated! But for those who missed their shot at 90’s Nick active-​game shows, Escape the Room just might be your saving grace.

Decided to do a group activity for my trip to Boston. Chose 9 of my friends to go with me with threats of «loser shots» if we didn’t escape the room. The woman at the desk stressed us out by saying that only «1 in 5 groups make it out.» Stakes were even higher now.
We didn’t make it out, but it was definitely a great group activity. The entire group hadn’t hung out before so it was a great bonding experience. We solved most of the puzzles in time, but didn’t get the last one before the clock read 00:00.
It was $ 30/​person, which wasn’t too bad for an hour-​long activity.
Definitely repeating this in other cities if given the chance!

Went with 5 friends last Saturday night for my birthday. We had 4 random people join us. The concept is fun, however for our particular experience they really dropped the ball. The woman introducing us to the rules and the room seemed very nervous. Which is fine, but she gave us instructions that impeded our puzzle solving later.
For example she said not to take things apart but there were clues inside and underneath things that needed to be ripped off and that would never come off normally. The actual room was kind of beat up and didn’t feel worth the $ 180 bucks the 6 of us had paid, the fish-​tank water was gross, things were kind of loose; looked very very home made with exposed screws and hot glue, and there are lights hot-​glued to a globe and one is kind of in the wrong spot. They also forgot to put one of the clues into the trashcan for our challenge, which basically made 3 or 4 of us waste half an hour on something that could have been solved in 30 seconds. I mean they didn’t even set it up right for us. All in all I would kind of like a refund.

Warning: Various 90’s logic puzzle game dorky references and mixed metaphors. If this adversely affects your health, please skip and read my next food review.
So a friend of mine wanted to celebrate part of his birthday with friends in a windowless room that we all had an hour to escape. And I do like a challenge…
The premise is that you’re placed in a room with your group. There’s a maximum of 10 to a group and you can collaborate with another group if you’re just a couple or so. You have an hour to find the way to escape that room. There’s a monitor that periodically provides clues or other prompts if you’re stuck or breaking the rules.
Finding the way out requires perception, logic, finding clues, puzzle solving, etc. Sometimes you have to decipher cryptic messages, etc. There isn’t much of a physical aspect to the challenge, so you don’t need to bring your +7 Magic Sword or necessarily have someone in the group with 90+ strength. Generally speaking, you probably won’t have to MacGyver your way out like by making a pick-​lock with a coconut and two strings. And unless you do something silly, you shouldn’t lose very many hit points either. *snort*
Here are some helpful hints:
1. Bring a phone with a flashlight. The room we were in had some dark parts to it. You don’t want to be eaten by a grue either. *snort*
2. If you have someone in the group that kinda wants to be pensive and stay in one place, have him/​her stay in the first room (if there are multiple rooms) to watch the monitor for clues. The monitor makes a noise before it flashes something new but it’s nice to have someone around. Plus, you might have missed something in the first room too.
3. Consider designating an «inventory» person. You’ll have props, keys, and other things to have to hold on to. If you have someone that has everything, it’ll be easier to access things instead of having to find the person that has a specific prop. Often times, you’ll find a prop but won’t know what the purpose of it until later.
I have to admit, compared to the other room (I only briefly glanced at that one), the one we ended up with was more enjoyable. It had an Indiana Jones/​Myst/​Zork Nemesis feel to it. There were multiple rooms for us, and the puzzles weren’t linear. So you had to go back-​and-​forth between rooms to solve puzzles. The tasks generally made sense afterward, though a couple of them, while solvable, left me wondering: what was the point of that?
If you have experience playing logic puzzle computer games like Zork or Myst, that experience might help you identify puzzles/​tasks/​clues a little faster. Some of the puzzles resembled ones I’ve seen (or at least the concept) in past computer games.
Thankfully, the group managed to escape the room before the hour passed. Since we’ve mostly known each other for a while, we calmly conquered the challenge. I guess if we failed to finish, I might’ve lowered my grade: yeah, that’s a toolbag moment I must admit.
The host claimed that 17% of the groups that participate actually escape in the allotted time. Upon a cursory look at the pictures of groups that did/didn’t complete (It’s posted on the company’s Facebook page), I would say the passage rate looks more like 35−40%. I mean, it’s Boston: there are a few smart people around here, right? Plus, the monitor clues can be extremely helpful, though some clues came up too late as we had already figured the relevant puzzle out.
What doesn’t make this a 5-​star experience was the price. $ 28 is rather pricey for what you get. You don’t get anything for your success either, not even a t-​shirt that says, «I Escaped The Room and All I Got Was This Lousy T-​Shirt». Having a Groupon or other discount makes it more palatable.

Having never been to an Escape the Room before, and hearing some good reviews on Unilocal about this place, I decided to round up 9 of my friends and do this.
We had a blast. IMHO, it was engaging, the clues made sense, and the solutions seemed elegant. Unsurprisingly, get ready for some level of stress — having 60 minutes to «be one of the 20%» can easily pressure yourself to do your absolute best :)
The gamemaster was very accommodating — part of our party arrived late due to parking/​transportation hiccups, and the gamemaster still let everyone in. There was a place for us to hang our coats, and we were able to leave the room throughout the game as needed, for instance to use the restroom.

It was pretty cool. I can’t say that the price is justified by the experience for which I deducted one star, and I also thought that the room itself and props/​clues were kind of lackluster, like someone went amok in a thrift store and tossed a bunch of stuff and a room, and then said, «hey let’s hide old used stuff and charge people thirty bucks to find it!» It was underwhelming. Some of the puzzles for «The Office» room we booked were very difficult and even post explanation, it made no sense as to how we were supposed to figure them out, as the clues didn’t match the explanation to solving the problem. Then again, we didn’t work as a team well. It had a cool factor but I just wasn’t pumped after, and I knew it wasn’t because we didn’t escape the room.
Also, the whole «you get the satisfaction of winning if you escape in time» isn’t enough of a hook to make you want to come back. Geez, for thirty bucks at head at least hand out tee shirts to winners or a coupon to come back and search another room. I wouldn’t expect a consolation prize as someone who didn’t beat the clock though. Its nice however that they send you a photo before leaving. But I could do that in the lobby myself. Incentive is a force in game theory. ESR team, take heed to that statement.
I decidedly deducted the second star because they know the majority of people don’t escape and they actually believe that in itself is the draw to coming back. Since when is losing money and patience at the same time a motivating factor in seeking leisure activities? How does that equal fun? Its like the staff explains to you how you will lose before you enter. If I need this many tips and hints, that means the game itself is not working and defies logic a bit. Its very sequential in nature, and don’t believe for a second its not, no matter who downplays that.
A good experience will leave you wanting more. We kind of left like, «Meh, that was different. What now? Wanna go have some real fun? OK let’s drive to Dave & Busters or something.» You can see the glazed boredom in our faces in the photo. If you have money to waste and an hour to blow, then by all means give it a whirl.
I’m sure the local college kids might dig it but I can think of at least 15 better, less expensive things in Boston to do and I’m not even from here. This isn’t a bad review because ETR has potential but needs improvement to give the «game» added value.

My sister got me, my fiancé, her husband, and two of my friends together to complete «Escape the Room» as a belated birthday present to me. We were paired with four friendly strangers to escape «The Office» room. We had a lot of fun! It was definitely something to different to do with your friends. It was difficult for us and we received a lot of hints from the gamemasters. We escaped The Office in 54 minutes and 55 seconds! Had we not received the hints, we would have never escaped within the hour. The puzzles were challenging and I’m glad we had a broad range of minds in the room to solve different parts of the challenge. I’ve read bad reviews on other Escape the Room-​like games where people hated being paired with strangers, as they didn’t work together and failed to escape. I guess we lucked out because our four strangers were super-​friendly and smart! We all had a great time.
EDIT: Also, I didn’t realize how much my sister paid for my ticket. $ 30 seems very steep for this!

I came here with a bunch of coworkers having no idea what to expect. So, we walk down some side street near the Boston Common and find the address. No advertising on the outside, but we went up to the third floor and it was obvious we were in the right spot with all of the little puzzle games and seats to sit down.
Our group of 10 included 4 randos. We had a quick introduction of what we can (and can’t) do. OK, sounds good — let’s go to the room. We get in the room and suddenly the game starts. I start scavenging around trying to find clues and answers along with my colleagues. Without giving away the details, we ended up figuring it out in just under 52 minutes. Sweet. Good job team.
I didn’t think we’d make it until things starting coming together at the end. Overall, a really fun experience and wasn’t awkward or boring at all. I would say that if I had to pay the $ 30 myself, it seems a bit steep, but this is perfect for a company outing or a 6+ group of friends.
Good stuff.

I had a great time here for a mere $ 15. I’m not sure what it is at full price, but look for deals or coupons to this place to make it even more worth your while ;) The owners are interested in expanding the Escape the Room series in the Boston area, and they are moving to a bigger space sometime soon.
Speaking of the place, it’s hard to find and easy to miss. Beware.
The game was a blast! Mostly airtight but I think the scenario could have been slightly better. There is only one scenario that Boston does currently, so if you have already done it, you should wait until they create a new scenario (I think in the Fall?)
4 stars because I had a great time for the price.

You’re in a room. And then you have to get out of the room. There are clues to find and puzzles to solve.
All in all this is a fun way to spend an afternoon. Without giving too much away, we had some issues with a clue relative to another clue that were the fault of the game that caused us to open a certain lock way before we should have and they had to give us on-​screen redirection to correct the issue that was not anything we could have avoided. I know this makes zero sense, but if I even told you what the issue was I’d give you a clue in doing so.
It’s nice that this is geared toward adults. And only like 15% of adults solve this. My group did not, but we were damned close and I think the above mentioned issue helped us fail.
I think, for what you get, it’s a little spendy. I say this not having paid for my admission and having had a wonderful time, but both of those things are more of a credit to my group than to the venue.
For a place that locks you in a room with no access to bathrooms for an hour (unless your’e dying — no worries — there is an emergency escape), they had two bathrooms that were both missing toilet paper and our group of 10 had to use paper towels because a staffer couldn’t be located when needed as we were waiting to enter the event and after be instructed by the staff to make sure we go!
All in all. Good time. Bring your phone. You can Google stuff!