Himitsu Station — Local services in Salt Lake City

We went here knowing very little about it, but thinking what we had seen looked cool. And it was indeed very cool! Most thematic escape room I have ever experienced. The puzzles were excellent and varied. Felt like every member of the company contributed something essential along the way. Plenty of opportunities to split up and work towards separate solutions and then come back together. I even got a hand drawn and written note for my birthday! Customer service was unmatched.

FYI the experience is an hour long but we never saw a ticking timer or anything (even though it is indeed timed). We just happened to play for exactly an hour and beat the story. That's pretty impressive design!

Honestly, every escape room should strive to be as immersive and unique as this one. So many moments that absolutely blew me away that I won't share here to preserve the surprise. (But they even had some awesome retro but exclusive software as part of the journey. Wow!)

A few notes that don't warrant reducing from five stars: The character voices can be hard to understand/hear if your group doesn't make sure to be quiet and listen. It was very hard to get out whole group to shush enough to make out every word. But we didn't miss anything too major. The ending is a bit anticlimactic. We didn't realize we were in the last room until we were done. It would have been nice to know it was the grand finale. Something to really boost the tension of the climax like a "do or die" situation would have gone a long way. It's really fun looking for the extra soul coins to get more points! But it also felt a bit pointless in the end. Maybe a weekly or all-time leaderboard in the lobby that displays the high scores would be a fun idea to really incentivize playing for higher scores. (Or being able to trade in coins for snacks/prizes Chuck E Cheese style would be awesome as well) (Or both!) Feels like it was maybe just a hair too expensive for the amount of time. Though it really is the best escape room money can buy at the moment.

Long story short: BEST ESCAPE ROOM I HAVE DONE TO DATE. If you are a fan of escape rooms, do it! If you are a noob, do it and just accept that you will never top this experience XD Thanks Himitsu Station for a great birthday celebration for me and my brother!

P.S. The front door does not look like an entrance but it is. It's under the sign and down the stairs. It's non descript as part of the immersion. The whole lobby and entryway are...

Arrival at Himitsu Station The sign flickered in the rain. I had arrived at Himitsu Station, the first stop on my way to Akihabara Electronic Town. They say the Shopkeeper of Dreams still waits there, surrounded by stalls that bustle in forgotten languages. Inside, the station air felt thicker than outside. The tiled walls seemed to listen. I waited on the platform, clutching my case, awaiting my turn.

駅長タイラー Ekichō Tyler, the station master, appeared behind the counter and spoke softly. “The train will come soon. And when it does, you’ll be ready to find what was lost.” That left me puzzled.

He left, but the train never came. The platform lights buzzed and dimmed, leaving only the soft glow of that strange vending machine in the corner. A pink cat’s face smiled back at me, its eyes too alive for something made of metal. I found a stray coin under the bench, inserted it into the machine, pressed my selection… and the world shifted.

The tiles peeled into light, the air bent around me, and suddenly I was standing in a market that stretched beyond sight. Neon stalls flickered with foreign symbols, and vendors whispered in tongues I couldn’t name. This wasn’t Akihabara as I remembered it. It was an alternate version that traded in something far rarer than electronics and nicknacks.

Every stall-keeper offered sundries containing fragments of dreams, memories. and ethereal identities. The currency were these unique copper coins. I could feel these hum like heartbeats in my hand. Somewhere in that endless maze, the Shopkeeper of Dreams was waiting, smiling behind a wall of porcelain Maneki Cats, ready to make his trade.

“Every coin here hums with a memory. Every bargain takes a little more of who you were,” the shopkeeper said. “How much are you willing to forfeit?” I was taken aback by this offering. Apparently, here… the currency was souls! I wasn’t prepared to make such a decision.

He continued, “Maybe you can make it back. Maybe not. The ones who wander through our alleys say you never really leave… not completely.” He handed me a spare coin. I held it in my hand and felt it pulse. It’s mine… or maybe just a piece of something that once was.

If I ever find my way back, it won’t be to the same reality. And if my soul survives, it’ll be different too, threaded with whispers from this place.

The question isn’t if I’ll return. It’s who I’ll...

Like Stepping Into a Studio Ghibli-Inspired Disney Ride – An Escape Room Masterpiece!

This was hands down the best escape room experience I’ve ever had. Ok. I haven’t been to a lot but I am sure it has spoiled me for all others! From the moment I stepped in, I felt like I’d been transported into a fully immersive, magical world hidden beneath a Japanese train station. The entire setting is an underground marketplace that feels straight out of an anime or Studio Ghibli film, full of vibrant colors, retro detail, and a touch of otherworldly magic.

What really blew me away was how much it felt like a Disney-level attraction. The creators clearly understand the power of immersion — the audio production alone is stunning, with custom soundtracks that change from room to room and perfectly match the mood. The set design is insanely detailed — from glowing lanterns and authentic signage to the texture of the walls, every inch feels deliberate and real.

You explore different themed shops like a tea shop, candy shop, and electronic store, each with puzzles tied directly into their environments. The electronics store in particular was a favorite — it features a retro-style video game puzzle that was so clever and nostalgic. The whole space is filled with vintage items you haven’t seen since the '80s, giving it this layered authenticity that’s rare in escape rooms.

As for the puzzles, they hit that sweet spot — not overly simple, but not frustratingly difficult either. They’re just challenging enough to make you feel smart, and they flow really well with the story. You also collect soul coins along the way, which adds a fun sense of progression and purpose – whoever has the most at the end “wins”!

Honestly, I didn’t want the experience to end. If you’re even remotely into escape rooms, anime, Japanese culture, immersive storytelling, or just having an insanely fun time — you need to...