Break Out Charleston — Local services in Charleston

I have done over 10 escape rooms throughout the US, Europe, and Asia. Unfortunately this was probably my worst experience of all. It was well decorated but the puzzles didn't necessarily match the theme. The game master seemed unwelcoming and not very helpful from the moment we walked in. Usually they are really friendly & try to get you excited to play and win and come back, but he seemed to have a bit of an attitude, especially with my youngest (who is almost 8 and was excited to be there - she has done probably at least 7 escape rooms already because it is what we look forward to doing in new places we go). It could have just been that he is awkward with kids or has dry sarcasm idk but it just rubbed me the wrong way from the beginning. I dont know how to explain it but just little remarks throughout our time there and his energy made it feel like he wanted you to lose from the beginning. 🤷‍♀️

I was a bit shocked to learn there were a max of 3 clues (especially for a small group 2 adults (1 was her first time) and 1 child. But whatever we gave it a go (the Old Wild West room), but the first clue we asked for he was distracted outside talking to someone else and he asked me if we did something and I responded with what we accomplished in that area, but we could still hear them talking outside our room. Finally after several minutes he came back on the walkie talkie & acted like he didn't hear me respond, but told us where to look.

Aside from 1 other location we have been to, it seemed like all the game masters actually paid attention to what you already accomplished so they could step in when they see you struggling and not even close to figuring it out.

Maybe if we got farther some of the extra stuff in the room would have made sense but we didn't get very far so a lot of it seemed to be thrown in just to throw you off or waste time. And the last thing we got stuck on we wasted like 15 minutes and my forearms feel like they are gonna be bruised tomorrow from how long I tried to get the thing to do what it had to do to make the other thing open (trying not to give spoilers). One of the items on the puzzle didn't have a light flicker when it was triggered (like the others did) so it didn't seem like it was being counted so I wasted time trying to get the damn thing to light up assuming it wasn't being counted. (The game master couldn't tell if it had been triggered or not from his end so I kept trying until i gave up and sat my butt in the rocking chair the last 3 mins - at like 15 seconds mark my daughter got it solved but was way too late). Aside from having to do fairly complicated mental math in South Korea, lol, it was prob the worst puzzle piece I have encountered - because it was just a major time suck (no clues can actually help you complete it just lots of tries and time) and it didn't enhance the room.

Unfortunately we probably would not go back to this one even though the serial killer room seemed like it would be fun and we have 2 more rainy days on this trip, and plan to travel back in the not too distant future. Thankfully there are several others in the area to choose from. 😀

I highly suggest working on paying attention to what's going on in the rooms & when people are struggling be more flexible on the clues to make it more FUN so that people wanna come back and drop another $100-200 for 1 hour. Because when we have fun and escape (or at least get really close to it) we definitely want to go back and try all the other rooms!! But when we barely got through a few of the puzzles & already used up all our clues it definitely ruins a...

Booked the Death Row Escape Room after being unable to do a room at Escape in 60 (they’re closed on Tuesdays). When we arrived, the location definitely looked more like we were visiting a dental office after hours — but once you step inside, there’s no question you’re at an escape room. The waiting area was fun and engaging with several metal and wood puzzles to play with while we waited.

Our game master was great — he pointed out the restrooms, gave us a chance to take a quick break, and then went over the rules. We were told we get 3 free hints, and if we wanted more, we’d have to dance for them (which we thought was a fun twist!). My boyfriend and I usually try to go hint-free, so we agreed to take on the challenge as usual.

The Death Row room was well thought out with a few red herrings, but nothing that would throw you too far off track. There are three rooms total to work through, and only the final puzzle tripped us up for a bit. We escaped with 8 minutes to spare and had a blast. Afterward, we asked if either of the other rooms was more challenging. Our game master let us know the Serial Killer room only has a 35% escape rate and mentioned that if we booked within 24 hours, we’d get a discount — which was a great tip!

We went out for a victory dinner, talked through the puzzles we’d solved, and decided we had to come back the next day. I called in, got the 20% code, and booked the Serial Killer room.

The next day, we were back, went through the quick rules, and got started (this time with one free hint as a head start). The Serial Killer room definitely felt more challenging, and without spoiling anything, you’ll open several doors before you even make it to the first room — which was such a cool twist. We did use one hint toward the end for a tricky puzzle, but still escaped with 7 minutes and 42 seconds left. Honestly, we were surprised we’d finished because we thought there was still one last room to go!

Overall, we loved both rooms. They can absolutely be done with just two people; we work well together and know each other’s strengths, which makes it so fun. It’s always exciting to see what different states have to offer when it comes to escape rooms, and our game master even recommended the Morty app so we can find more rooms to try in other cities we visit.

Both experiences were a blast, and we left with that awesome “we escaped!” feeling both times. Highly recommend Breakout if you’re looking for challenging, well-designed rooms and friendly staff who clearly enjoy...

Apparently you can't try this for date night unless you're willing to pay for three people instead of just the two. Pretty sketchy way to make extra money. Other places in Charleston don't hold a 3 person minimum. We've booked rooms before where other strangers will join to make full use of the room, thats ok! Not anymore. Called and talked to them and everything. "The third person would just be a booking fee". Never heard of a$33 booking fee. I've heard such great things about this place too.... we've got no kids and we're not the double dating type. Not a very fair business model

In response to your response... I have experienced your rooms before, years ago, as a date night. We've done many escape rooms here and out of town. Never has there been such a "fee" to book the room. Sometimes others would join, sometimes they wouldn't, we were fine either way! Never was there such a "fee". If people got upset about having others join... then they should book for a private room. Why charge for an extra person when there's not even a third person! As for the $250 to book a private room, we never did that because we never requested a private room. You're making us all book private rooms and you're gaining free money off of people that only have 2 people to join. That's what really gets me. Thats where the 1 star comes into play. You won't even offer public rooms. I'm sure we're not the only couple that has opted for somewhere different due to the ridiculous prices...