The Puzzalarium

YOU MUST PLAY THE PARLOUR BEFORE IT CLOSES! The Parlour is one of the most fun rooms I've done of the 120+ rooms I've experienced. Super unique set up and mechanic, it is a puzzle lover's dream in a darkened room full of secrets to uncover. This room requires a lot of interaction with the game master in the room with you and entertaining side tasks that can keep a larger group preoccupied. It is linear if you want it to be or you can divide and conquer, it's all up to you! The scoring system is a bonus feature at the end. I recommend no more than 6 people as space is tight. Puzzles range from easy to hard, intentionally so, and you can choose which ones you prefer. Definitely requires patience and calm in a pretty time pressured environment. Being observant will get you far! The Boiler Room is a much more traditional escape room but it has innovative features that make it more entertaining. I think this one was a less easy flow and  more difficult to play with a large group. 4 is ideal. Puzzles were not difficult, just hard to find! I did not like this one as much as the Parlour but still worth trying before they close this location. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Absolutely loved my visit here a must see

Reviewed on Google Maps

One of the best escape rooms / living games I have been to, out of a dozen or so in many different states. The puzzles were well done, without any cut corners or loose ends; there was a lot of variety even within one room. I thought having the actor in the room would feel weird, but he was absolutely awesome. Unlike some escape rooms which are very linear and narrow, this one had lots of different ways to win; there were two puzzles we didn't even open! We did The Parlour as a group of four, and ended up working a few puzzles each in teams of two, which sometimes switching it up to get a new perspective. We ended up getting the exit key - 15 seconds too late! Guess we should have been less stubborn and asked for our first clue a little earlier. It was a pleasure to lose though, and I definitely want to go back to try their other two rooms. I heard they are closing in October (lost their lease?), which is a really big shame - should definitely go before these rooms are gone forever! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Last night was our fifth visit to the Puzzalarium...if I'm not mistaken, we have played every room that they have ever offered and one of the rooms twice, (for version 2. 0 or 2.5 if memory serves).  I only wish I had the ability to coordinate schedules with enough friends to come here more often.  I absolutely adore all of the staff. The Director, (who, to my knowledge, The Puzzalarium was the brainchild of), is easily one of the most mesmerizing individuals I have had the pleasure of meeting and I'm always thrilled when he is running our room.  We are never made to feel stupid when we fumble around aimlessly, (although I suspect his internal monologue surrounding our ineptitude may be quite comical), but he quietly drops hints and guidance with nary a sigh or eye roll when our progress grinds to a screeching halt.  Both when in character and out, he's just an impressive human. The puzzles are challenging enough to keep my more brilliant friends scratching their heads and forces the slower members of the group, (like me), to collaborate with the others.  The point I'm trying to make here is that there is something for everyone.  The most and least clever among you can contribute.  I've worked in some of the Puzzalarium rooms and instantly would grasp the solution to one or two puzzles and then promptly be struck with the dumb for the next four.  Hence, I don't recommend bringing your ego along as it WILL be slapped around. This particular review is going to focus on The Boiler Room. I believe The Boiler Room is the third "escape room" from the Puzzalarium, (they also have a group game called "The Floor Is Lava" and that is even more awesome than any version you dreamt up in childhood, but is not an "escape room" per se).  The Boiler Room follows on the heels of The Study, (retired/reabsorbed into Ethos), and The Parlour, (very much active and available to enter).  I highly recommend that you tackle The Parlour before The Boiler Room.  It will prepare you for what's to come...The Boiler Room is linear.  You are given a goal and upon entering the room, need to sniff out your first clue to progress.  It is logical without being obvious...which really adds to the fun![Please note: if you opt to bring in purses or valuables, they will be kept in the room with you.  The rooms do tend to be dim, both for ambiance and strategy, so please be prepared for that as well. You are currently allowed to utilize your cellphone flashlight, but please know that it may not always serve you as well in your quest as the items provided to you by the staff.]I recommend thinking both inside and outside the box with regard to your approach.  The tangible puzzles are all handmade and painstakingly so, so please don't use force on any of them...it isn't necessary and definitely will not help your progress, (in fact, using force may hinder it)!  Bring friends from every walk of life, there is fun to be had by all, but if you opt to imbibe, I highly recommend wait to get your drink on until after your escape attempt...you will need your brains running at their highest capability if you want to be part of the 8% that complete the objective!A sincere thank you to the three visible members of The Puzzalarium Crew that were there last night to give us yet another great, challenging, fun and...eerie(?) experience.  I hope to see you all again soon!!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

So fun! Loved the atmosphere and the decor and all the people who work there. They made it an extra fun, memorable experience!

Reviewed on Google Maps

A very fun puzzle room in the Parlor. My group enjoyed it. We solved it and escaped too. Creative! Worth a trip.

Reviewed on Yelp

Escape rooms really are fun. My hubby and I have done a handful, some in San Diego. What's different about this one is that there is someone in the room with you at all times in character. I invited two other couples to come hang out and 6 ppl really worked out well. We did the parlor and it's a 2-6 person room. It's different from most escape rooms because you can purchase clues. But the fragments also give you points too. They have a leaderboard, so If you want to be ambitious you can try to escape the room and get the high score. You don't have to complete all the puzzles to get out of the room. I wish we could have done more puzzles. But this gives you incentive to come back and repeat the room. Some of the puzzles were tough. Some of them were easy. Some of them just took time. We thoroughly enjoyed playing through all the puzzles. Towards the end we had enough time to try to compete for points. Definitely come check this place out. And if you're ambitious enough, try to knock my team off the #1 spot on the leaderboard! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This escape room was a first for our family and we had a blast! We were early and had the opportunity to play a really fun game before entering the Parlor. After escaping, we entered the Lava room to try out a new version of an existing game. We couldn't stop laughing! My kids are still talking about the whole experience and how awesome the hosts were! More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

This is an excellent escape room, especially for escape game enthusiasts. There is a live actor in the room who does a great job curating the experience. I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing escape room experience. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

This is an excellent escape room, especially for escape game enthusiasts. There is a live actor in the room who does an excellent job curating the experience and the unique twist on the escape game format is refreshing. Overall an amazing experience and definitely highly recommended! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Really enjoyed this place. The acting is fun and different from other escape rooms. The owner took the time to show us and explain a little bit about the Lava room when we were done. Hope to try this out too! Also appreciated how he explained the route to take to get out (we didn't solve it) of the room we tried to solve. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

This was such a fun night! Not sure what to expect, but my friend wanted to do this for her birthday, so we gathered the troops and came! They were super easy to reserve ahead of time and gracious with amount of people in the reservation (we ended up having more than the amount we booked for). It's easy to find, but a fun maze to get to. I loved the games at the beginning, it got our minds and spirits in the competitive-game mode. It took midway through the 2nd round for me to fully get the hang of strategizing. Even those who were tired to uncertain about coming, enjoyed themselves and got into it. Definitely a fun night! Thank you! And even though I died every round, they still make the afterlife exciting. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

So much fun we wanted for thyme, and fell for it! It’s absolutely worth it.

Reviewed on Google Maps

A different kind of escape room. They have a host in the room! Worth the try.

Reviewed on Google Maps

This place is a MUST TRY. The guy that runs all of these mazes (and creator) is GENIUS!!! It's not like your normal run-of-the-mill escape room and forces you to think in unique ways. PLUS, there is an interesting source of guidance in each room instead of those annoying walker talkies, which everyone in our group loved way more!! This place deserves more recognition. Oh and if you have at least 7 friends and enjoy psychological warfare, we suggest trying your hand at THE FLOOR IS LAVA which is like no game you've ever played before! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The host himself made this place amazing. But even separate from that, the escape room was amazing. Having done many others before I thought I knew what to expect. I was wrong. This is unlike the others in the best possible way. Be prepared to really use your brain if you want to make it out in time. The puzzles were amazing and so difficult.  I felt dumb the whole time. Thank god we actually escaped to sort of vindicate myself. I can't help but recommend this place. This is the best ever escape room. Seriously come check it out More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wife and I did The Parlour at Puzzalarium. We have done approximately 25 escape rooms and this room easily placed in the top-3 and was possibly the best one ever. Definitely the most unique room we have ever done and the only one with true replayability. I highly recommend this room. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This escape room was freaking awesome. Husband and I had a great time. The parlor room was hard and fun. Highly recommend this place. We didn't get out but we were so close. We will be coming back to do the other rooms and probably this room again. Staff were nice and great. Telling all our friends and family about it. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is the best escape room in San Diego (and probably the first one that opened in the city). The rooms are more intricate than others and lots of the puzzles are very clever and custom made. Streeper is a great host and truly cares about the craft. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Easily the best rooms we’ve ever done. The passion and fine detail work we saw here are incredible, the Puzzlemaster being in the game was fantastic! If you love escape rooms, go do these! More...

Reviewed on Facebook

This was a fantastic place and experience!!

Reviewed on Facebook

We did The Parlour and really enjoyed it.  The staff were super helpful without giving away the puzzle answers.  The puzzles were challenging -- it took six of us to figure out enough to escape within the given hour.  What is really cool is that there are so many ways to escape and so many puzzles that we could easily go back again and have a really hard time escaping in time.   Great location.  Tough puzzles and everyone had a great time. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great time highly recommend it for groups.

Reviewed on Google Maps

Just went last night with the whole family (well, left the grandkids at home with a sitter.). Just getting inside the business is very cool, you go through this cute little Disney-looking alley.  We all had a great time playing the floor is Lava and wished it could have gone a little longer.  The game master was awesome, you could so tell that this was his baby.  Then we were sent a video of the whole thing so we could laugh about it all again tonight! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This is hands down the best escape room we have ever done in San Diego. Our team of 4 has done over 15 different rooms in San Diego and The Parlor was our favorite! The owner Steven was our game master and he stayed in character the entire time. He made the game feel so real and is such a great host. This room is different than other rooms because your game master is part of the room and in there with you the entire time. The puzzles are challenging and are done really well. We will definitely be back to try the other room here. The other thing that is great about The Puzzalarium is it is always going to be a private room so you don't have to play with random people. Thank you to Steven for such a great experience! If you're thinking about doing an escape room definitely check this place out. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Absolutely incredible escape room, by far the most intricate I have done so far. Highly recommend this place, but prepare to be tested. This one won't be easy by any means. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I came here about 3 years ago to try their first escape room: The Study. I've done nearly 20 escape rooms so far and I still consider The Study the best room I've ever done. I recently looked into booking another room with them as I had friends coming from out of town to visit and discovered their newest attraction, the Lava Room. We went and had such a blast. The host was great and in character the whole time. He was very accommodating and showed us a great time. My only complaint would be that the game was too short. We could've easily played for another good hour. All my friends really enjoyed the experience and were down to come back to play more. Can't wait to come back and try their other rooms! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Best escape room I have been to. The parlour was so much fun! I will be waiting very impatiently for their new room (the boiler) to open!

Reviewed on Yelp

The best puzzles in SD! Great attention to detail, and well thought out puzzles. Wonderful host enhances the overall experience! 100% recommend to all who love interesting & fun collaborative game experiences! Can't wait to return to try the "the floor is lava" & "the boiler room" once it's ready! Always a pleasure attending anything "Puzzalarium" More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had an amazing time with our team! We LOVED the floor is lava and totally worth the cost - cheaper than most escape rooms and 10x more fun! I would love to see it continually updated so we can continue to play more times but even now if I went back it would still be just as fun if no changes were made. The atmosphere really added to the experience too. From the decor and props around the space to the attire of the staff, it made for something unique and special. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

As others mention, this room has a different format than most. We really enjoyed it, though we were a bit surprised how quickly we could have exited if we wanted to (about 30 minutes remaining). We ended up sticking around just to see more puzzles, of course! We enjoyed the puzzles and overall theme. It smells a bit due to the cigar bar downstairs. Definitely worth checking out! I'd say 3-5 is a good player count, depending on your experience. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

This is not your typical escape room but was a breath of fresh air for a couple that have completed about 40 escape rooms. This one was a ton of fun.. Challenging and exciting. Has a great time. We escaped with 1:30 left. Loved it and would recommend it to anyone More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

The Lava Room was so much fun and way worth the cost! Came here for a work bonding activity that would accommodate all types of people and this was the perfect choice. Everybody enjoyed it quite a lot and we were talking about it for hours afterward evaluating the game. I definitely plan on coming back here again in the future. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Your establishment is incredible!  The atmosphere and the creativity of the puzzles are astounding.  We loved every minute of it.  Thank you for sharing this experience with us. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We went here while on vacation, based on reviews we'd read, and it didn't disappoint! Very unique, creative room. Different than a typical escape room, but we had a blast! The actors were fantastic as well.

Reviewed on Google Maps

Great Fathers' Day activity for the 4 of us (kids aged 15 and 12) in the Parlour. I'd love to go back!

Reviewed on Yelp

Escape room.

Reviewed on Google Maps

Funfunfun!

Reviewed on Google Maps

A bit silly, but an overall fun experience.

Reviewed on Google Maps

Fun fun fun!

Reviewed on Google Maps

Nice staff and some good fun in there lava room

Reviewed on Google Maps

These guys are good! Very thought-provoking puzzles, the hosts stayed in character from start to finish. Good job guys

Reviewed on Google Maps

Went here for a company team-building and played "The Floor is Lava". Was a great time, staff was fun and the game was well handled. I highly recommend it for any similar needs or just fun with friends. If you show early they might be able to squeeze you in and there's plenty of fun board games in the nice waiting room for some pre-play. For our team building we went to a nearby restaurant for lunch (plenty nearby) then gelato afterwards (also nearby). More...

Reviewed on Google Maps

So we were a party of 18 people and reserved ahead of time. Our car came late, so by the time we entered the lobby, the game master was already entertaining the rest of our party. Stevenson, Daniel, and Dwight are super friendly and super accommodating. If you love theatrics and love games, this is the place for you. If you have ever played 'Hot Lava' as a kid, you know what im about to talk about. Once we started, we were able to slowly learn the fun and crazy rules of the game. My mind was blown with how fun and challenging the whole experience was. Right when we thought we were comfortable with the rules, they added more and more. Overall it was a fun and engaging experience only if you are open to it. Glad to have them in SD and glad to have been part of the experience!! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Fun. Fun. Fun! It is like a playroom for adults! TONS of games of all shapes, sizes, and levels of ability. We played with some of the board games and then did the floor is lava! It was fun, more fun for those who are super competitive and aggressive. The game masters are incredible helpful and nice. The reason why it has 4 stars is because it is HIDDEN!!!! Took me 30 min to find it. It is way in the back, behind a restaurants kitchen, behind a cigar bar. 100% recommend if you are looking for a fun, easy night. More...

Reviewed on Google Maps