No. 1 Escapes, Escape Room — Attraction in Irvine

Unprofessional and Aggressive Owner – Avoid This Place

I don’t usually leave reviews like this, but I feel it’s important to share what happened so others can make an informed decision.

My family and I booked this escape room expecting a fun experience, but what we got was the complete opposite. When we arrived, there was no clear signage, no instructions, and no one there to greet us. We waited outside a random door for about 15 minutes, unsure if we were even in the right place.

Eventually, I went upstairs to ask for help, and instead of getting a friendly explanation, the owner reacted withimmediate frustration and rudeness. He seemed annoyed that I was even asking, and told my wife and daughter to follow him downstairs in a tone and manner that felt aggressive and unnecessary for such a simple situation.

The way he spoke and carried himself made my daughter visibly uncomfortable and scared, so I calmly asked him to tone it down. That’s when things escalated. He started yelling at my wife, demanding she “look at the sign” (again — there was no obvious sign), and when I asked him not to speak to her like that, he completely lost it. The entire interaction felt hostile and out of proportion to anything that happened. It ruined the experience and left our daughter in tears.

This is supposed to be something lighthearted and enjoyable. Instead, it felt like walking into a confrontation we never asked for.

The location itself didn’t help — it’s in aloud industrial area near the airport, and with no real signage, it felt confusing from the start. The office was cramped and unkempt, which only added to the uncomfortable vibe.

One last thing I want to mention: I wouldn’t be surprised if the owner responds to this review with a denial or some version of events that makes it sound like we were the problem. But I encourage anyone reading this to consider — what would I gain by making this up? I’m just a regular person who wanted to enjoy a fun family outing. Instead, I felt the need to warn others so they don’t have a similar experience.

Bottom line: This place is not worth the stress. The owner seems to have zero patience for customers and made what should have been a good time into something upsetting. There are plenty of escape rooms out there — pick literally...

My group and I were absolutely shocked upon entering the “Jester’s Revenge” room. The room decor looked like it had been done by a five year old. We had experienced an amazing escape room shortly before trying this one and the difference between the two was eye-opening. The puzzles were absolutely unrelated to the story line and some were extremely tedious with little thinking involved. It was also clear that the room was poorly kept due to the amount of dust and faded lettering on many of the puzzle clues. There was 0 immersion due to the lack of decor and the fact that you could see right out of a window and onto the parking lot from the second floor. The only thing this place had going for it was the friendly gentleman working the front desk.

Either the reviews for this place are fake, completely outdated, or the quality of this location is in a plunging downward spiral. The rating was the main reason we decided to go here and our group was completely deceived. We felt completely ripped off after our experience. I am thankful that this was not my first escape room experience otherwise the bar would have been set at an indescribable low. Do yourself a favor and pick a different escape...

Unprofessional and Discriminatory Behavior

We’d like to clarify a few things regarding our experience. At no point did anyone in our group climb on the furniture or act aggressively toward the puzzles. We were simply trying to find our way through the game and engage with the experience, as most customers do. Regarding the mention of vaping, there were no visible signs in the room or any clear communication that it was not allowed. If it had been addressed clearly, we would have absolutely respected the rules. Unfortunately, what disrupted our experience most was how the game master handled the situation. He entered the room abruptly with a confrontational attitude, which not only startled us but also completely broke the immersion and fun of the game. Instead of calmly addressing any concerns or giving a warning, we were treated in a way that felt unprofessional and dismissive. We understand and respect that every business has rules, but we also believe customers should be treated with fairness and respect. Our intention was never to be disruptive or disrespectful, and we hope you take this feedback into consideration for how future situations...