Great Room Escape — Attraction in San Antonio

Thanks to Groupon, we were able to knock out three rooms for a Saturday morning family outing, escaping from Bomb Squad, Orient Express, and Anubis. We enjoyed the three rooms and were glad to add these experiences to our list of 100+ escape adventures (especially Bomb Squad!), but perhaps because we did three at once, we also saw many shortfalls that make us less inclined to go back for the last two experiences.

Parking (Timing is everything): As other reviews state, the parking situation can be an unexpected and aggravating cost if you have to use a nearby lot. We had an early appointment and were able to use street parking, which saved us about $20.

Facility (Neutral - maybe avoid winter time): The building is rundown on the outside and difficult to enter for some with mobility issues due to the front steps. Inside, it feels like a warehouse with a great atmosphere, decoration and set-up, but the size seemed to make it hard to heat. We were there for 3 hours, and had jackets on (it was January after all), but we were still shivering by the time we left. On some of the puzzles it was tough to concentrate while we kept blowing warm air into our hands.

Room Maintenance (Ok but just poor enough): All the rooms had highly-detailed and immersive decoration, but there were too many technical difficulties and issues where wear and tear created more of a distraction and disappointment then there would have been if it hadn't been there in the first place. In at least four cases, it made it harder if not impossible to complete a puzzle without gamemaster help. Customers can be destructive, but it's important for immersion and smooth operation to stay onto of upkeep and repairs, even if it seems cosmetic. As examples, train windows (monitors) that were glitching or blank and then broken and loose temple wall bricks (foam blocks) become a distraction, but worn down symbols and hieroglyphs (and damaged statues) make it harder to distinguish codes and solutions. We like puzzles that make us think harder but not just see or guess harder. The worst part was when we were at the end of Anubis, the final function didn't work. To avoid spoilers, let's just leave it at utter disappointment, like when the final July 4th display fizzles out and you don't get the satisfying finale. That kind of ending can undermine all the build-up that precedes. (In this case, almost, but not quite.)

Hint System (Average): The entire hint system seemed based on shouting and being heard from outside the room, which resulted in communication typed messages on the screen. We were the only ones in the facility, so either he wasn't watching or couldn't see what was happening in the rooms. It's always aggravating when requesting a hint requires 1 to 2 minutes of walking through everything you have done up until that point. The game master did a good job of hinting without providing outright solutions.

Staff (Started high, ended low): The game master was very friendly and engaging. He knew the business and the rooms really well. Unfortunately, we don't think he was the one who set up the rooms the night before, because the Orient Express has multiple clues hidden in the wrong places. On two occasions, we needed the game master to intervene so we could progress, just to find the last needed piece in the newly opened space. Finally, when complete, a family had come in for axe throwing, and we weren't even acknowledged as we left. No photo, no "goodbye," and no "hope to see you again." I...

We recently had the pleasure of visiting the Great Escape Room, and it was an absolute blast! Avery and Reagan, two of the fantastic staff members, truly made our experience unforgettable. They went above and beyond to ensure that we had an incredible time and their enthusiasm was contagious.

We chose the Zombie-themed room, and let me tell you, it was an adrenaline-pumping adventure! From the moment we stepped inside, we were transported into a world of suspense and thrills. The authenticity of the characters in the room was mind-blowing. We were genuinely scared and on edge throughout the entire experience. It's incredible how committed Avery and Reagan were to maintaining the integrity of their roles.

Avery and Reagan's attention to detail and their ability to immerse us in the story made all the difference. Their dedication to providing a truly immersive and exciting escape room experience was evident in every aspect of the game. They were incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and made sure we felt comfortable throughout the entire experience.

We were thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism and the passion that Avery and Reagan brought to their roles. It was evident that they genuinely cared about creating a memorable experience for every participant. They kept us engaged, challenged us with clever puzzles, and made the entire adventure incredibly enjoyable.

The Great Escape Room as a whole is a top-notch establishment. The attention to detail in the set design, the quality of the puzzles, and the overall atmosphere were all exceptional. However, it was Avery and Reagan who truly stood out and made our visit exceptional. They elevated the experience to a whole new level.

We couldn't be happier with our visit to the Great Escape Room. Avery and Reagan were wonderful, and their integrity and commitment to their characters were truly impressive. If you're looking for an adrenaline-filled adventure that will keep you on your toes and leave you wanting more, we highly recommend visiting the Great Escape Room. Ask for Avery and Reagan - you won't be disappointed!

Thank you again, Avery and Reagan, for an incredible experience. We can't wait to come back and try...

We did not have a good time when we visited.

The room we chose was the Orient Express and several of the props did not work. For example, we placed all the triangle pieces into the drawer almost immediately, but the associated cupboard didn’t open until the game was almost over.

Another clue that didn’t function properly was tilting the books. We found the correct sequence and attempted that clue for probably 10 minutes but never got it to work. After we failed to escape, the employee informed us that it was a “timing thing” and that we needed to do it faster. I think this is neither intuitive nor fair.

The switchboard at the base of the wall also wasn’t set up properly because one of the times on the wall clock was incorrect. We were able to troubleshoot that one ourselves.

Another issue we had was the top of the desk opening. When we triggered that clue, nothing happened. Only after asking for a hint did the clue master tell us that the desk needed a push. Still, it was not obvious which piece of furniture or which part of the surface needed help moving.

I think nearly all of these clues could have been mitigated by an attentive employee but unfortunately, we had the opposite.

Within the first 5 minutes, we discovered that someone had scrawled notes in pencil on the back of one of the props. I asked if that was a part of the game or just leftover from another team but never got an answered.

We also did not receive timely hints when asking via the doorbell. Sometimes our rings went unanswered and other times, the hint was just encouraging us to keep trying what we were doing. Either way, it was obvious that whoever was manning the station was not paying attention to us.

Finally, adding to the overall frustration of our visit was the temperature of the room. There was a single AC unit for the entire room that barely kept the room below 80 degrees. Perhaps it hadn’t been turned on before we started playing but we left sweating and frustrated.

I had selected this company because when I played back in 2021, I had a great experience. I am sorry to see that the quality...