Real Escape Game

First ever escape room; did the Zero Escape one. I thought it was awesome; I didn’t have anything to compare it to, but yo, it was fun! The video game references were kinda just to give the escape game a vibe; they were fun, especially if you’ve played the Zero Escape games, but don’t worry about missing out if you haven’t played them. Like I said, I can’t compare it to any other escape rooms, so I thought the puzzles were fun and a good level of challenging. Some people will say that the rooms are thrown together with stuff that could be bought at Ikea, which is pretty true, but you wouldn’t say that a simple pillow fort isn’t fun, would you? The props were fun to have, since they’re trying to make you feel like you’re in the video game, and some people would say that they’re kinda shabby, but it’s a game, so have some imagination, yeah? Get a little lost in the moment.
The staff was great. They were friendly and helpful, and really felt like they wanted you to have a good time in your escape. Personally, I get a little cringey when someone starts putting on an act in front of me, but makes for a fun time, considering you’re walking into a fictional scenario. They offered hints when we were stuck on puzzles, and didn’t make us feel dumb when we were trying so many different things to solve one of the bigger riddles, although I’m pretty sure they were laughing at our «just try everything» attempts, because who wouldn’t? They were also really nice about everyone wanting to get pictures with their phones.
Unfortunately, we didn’t escape in time. It’s exactly the same thing you’d hear from others that review this game: «If we had like 2 more minutes…» or something like that.
Still fun though: D
Would recommend.

This was my first time with the Escape Room and, wow, what an experience. The staff members were friendly and well-​prepped. Because we were such a newbies, the staff members offered enough hints during the game that made it less frustrating when we were absolutely stuck on a puzzle. Even though we didn’t make it out, It was a fun evening. And now I’m thinking about getting another group together for another Escape Room night. Kudos everyone. Really had a blast!!!

The Zero Escape room is an absolute masterpiece. The production was incredible, the puzzles were stellar. The atmosphere was perfect. Some of our group had played the video games and some hadn’t, but we all agreed that it was an excellent experience. If this is truly a limited-​time adventure, I recommend making plans to visit before it’s gone. This place does all the things that escape rooms strive to do.

tldr: It’s insanely fun and totally worth it. Grab some friends or go by yourself and have an absolute blast.
Okay, so I’ve done both the «Time Travel» room and the «Zero Escape» room, and they were both amazing. The puzzles are well thought out and work well with the environment. It is a completely unique experience and each room is themed extremely well. I went into the Time Travel room with a bunch of co-​workers and came out with a bunch of friends. I went into the «Zero Escape» room with a bunch of strangers and came out with survivors. Both times was amazing. And those of you who are nervous about how the «Zero Escape» room holds up with the rest of the game series, it fits AMAZINGLY WELL. But it also manages to be accessible to those who haven’t played the games. So yeah, if you’re in the area (or even if you’re not) you should get there and have a wonderful time!!!

Imagine being trapped in a laboratory where scientists have been focusing on time travel. When something goes wrong, your team is charged with finding and correcting the problem so you can escape.
This room should be played by everyone who’s into escape rooms. Though the room hasn’t been in Los Angeles forever, it’s the recreation of an escape room that’s been popular in the Bay area for quite a while. It’s an important element of escape room heritage.
The teamwork in this room is particularly fun and there’s an element of whimsy that one doesn’t always see in escape games. The room is really well thought out with great décor and the staff is absolutely terrific.
Our group didn’t quite escape the game, but we had so much fun that we didn’t mind. This is really good room for people of all experience levels because of the fun element. I highly recommend it.
Parking can be challenging, so public transpo may be the best choice.

First time ever doing an escape room and it was fantastic! I went with three other friends (all first-​timers as well) and were part of a group totaling to 9. And even though we were thrown into an escape room scenario with five other strangers, the stress/​panic induced by the game is a surefire way to break the ice. Wooo!
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it out… If only we had just a teeeeny bit more of time! Guaranteed to be one of the fastest hours of your life. I’m definitely hooked on these now and I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fun group activity! :)
(We did the 999 video game based escape game. I wasn’t familiar with the video game at all, or even online computer escape games for that matter, but neither factored into the experience, so don’t be intimidated by any lack of experience!)

I did the «Escape from the time travel lab» room, and had a ton of fun. The employees were all friendly and personable, and I was really impressed with how well the puzzles were integrated into the theme of the room. It’s one of the more challenging rooms I’ve done (my group was only a few steps from escaping before we ran out of time), but I would still highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys these types of rooms.

I’ve done at least 90% of the escape rooms in Los Angeles County. This one did not particularly impress me. I was expecting a lot better from a international escape room company; however, it feels like the fact that they’re trying to expand rapidly cuts back a TON on the production value in each room. The host proudly told us that they had a room in San Francisco with the exact same layout. After doing this room, I can see why: I could replicate the layout of this room at a glance with a printer and a membership to Costco within a day. Creative, yes; effortful, not really.
If you are a puzzle fiend, you will love this room. However, for the more adventurous and exploratory type, this room will not be your kind of room. Every room falls on a spectrum: one extreme employs a fully immersive experience where most or all of the puzzles are seamlessly integrated into the environment, and the other is the type where you take a bunch of random word and math puzzles and shove them into a decorated room. This room falls mostly toward the second type of room; there wasn’t a lot of «wow» factor to this room.
Let’s highlight the positives first: High quality props, immaculately clean, good puzzles. All things that you should find in good escape rooms, and most of the rooms around LA are like this. The puzzles themselves, while not altogether well-​suited to the theme of the room, were creative, tough, and engaging. Also, the latter half of the escape forces you to consider the «time travel» aspect of the room.
What killed this room for us is three things: SO many restrictions, wasted time, and not-​so-​helpful «actors.» It seems like all of these were results of the company trying to cut corners in production.
In almost every escape room, you’re free to go at your own pace; there are no restrictions or rules to follow besides, «Don’t break our stuff and don’t climb on the furniture.» Do you remember the original point-​and-​click games on which these real-​life events are based? That’s the very definition and the hallmark of an ESCAPE room: use whatever is in a sandbox environment to get out. There’s so much freedom to do what you want that the only thing that’s needed is a security camera to make sure you don’t hurt yourself. In this room, however, there was an awful lot of, «Don’t do that,» from the actors/​aides in the room with us. For example, I managed to pop open a lock, only to be told that that wasn’t the way I was supposed to do it and that we needed to go back. This sort of hand-​holding happened numerous times throughout the run.
Speaking of running: There is a gimmick in this room that was cool at first, but got very old very fast and would end up wasting a very, very precious five to ten minutes of our time. It kind of falls under the «restrictive» category, but this was what killed us in the end: Our team blistered through the first 75% of the room within half an hour, but the part where we had to use the gimmick again and again and waste thirty seconds every time… I understand why they need to do it, but there is a way to integrate it into the room without needing to force a team to slow down.
There were people in the room with us, and some of them are actors and some of them are actually there to help you out or guide you. Good luck figuring out who’s who, because some will help you escape, some will hurt your time and end up dooming your run, some will do neither, and some will do both.
I love puzzles, and I had fun doing this room, especially because I booked the whole room and was together with friends. However, you’ll have fun in just about every escape room you do. This room ultimately ends up being near the bottom of the barrel of escape rooms in Los Angeles County as a result of its low production value and the extra limitations that the host places on you.

We just escaped! Well… almost. If we had one more minute we for sure would have. Found out about this event through Unilocal as one of the suggested activities and decided to surprise my boyfriend for a date night.
Since there are only two of us (and I definitely suggest you have atleast 6 people in the over all group. The more the better) we had to sign up for a slot and hope other groups would sign up. Turns out we were the only people to sign up for our original chosen date/​time. The awesome staff, Willa, emailed me and allowed us to reschedule to give us a better experience. It was so refreshing that they were so accommodating.
Ended up playing with 7 others who were great to work with! We almost made it! We have found a new hobby to add to the list. We will definitely be doing the other escape games!

We did the Time Travel Lab, and boy, it was a blowout five star experience. It got a real cool unique concept, but I won’t give you any spoilers. Let me tell you that this game plays with your head (in a good way). 15 minutes into the game and I was about to storm out of the place to get my money back (JK… I won’t do that but I did think about it.) Then a WOW moment happened and BOOM! the fun began!
Production value 5 stars out of 5 stars
Awesome production value, not necessarily in the set, but in the actors and the … well, no spoilers, lets just keep it that way. But trust me, high production value. The ambiance was great.
Customer Service/​location 4.5 stars out of 5 stars
The facility was hidden somewhat. We had 2 dropouts for the game, but they don’t give reimbursements. One of our players was a little miffed about that, but I understand, they do need to make some money. One of the actors were a little too stern with us, but the other two were awesome and just right. There are a million Japanese restaurants surrounding the business, so no shortage of good eats after the game. Parking may be challenging though, so arrive early.
Fun Factor 5 stars out of 5 stars
This game had a humorous vibe to it that made it oh so fun. It does not take itself too seriously, and everyone had fun. As an escape room veteran, I can tell you that the humor vibe is not common in escape games.
Puzzles 5 stars out of 5 stars
The puzzles were well thought out, unique, and the difficulty level was just right. It was fair but very challenging. You have to think about puzzles in very unique ways. This room was also designed for a bigger group. There was so much to do that everyone can contribute and be engaged. Very smart puzzles. There were a constant stream of WOW moments at the end that made your crack up with laughter while your adrenaline is still pumping. The WOW moments were abundant and awesome.
All in all, this room is perfect for 6 to 7 players. I highly recommend newbies and veterans to try this room out.

I went here for an event which I’ll write another review about that experience, but I wanted to give this place some props for their excellent customer service and overall strong effort to try and make the experience great for their customers.
The only thing I’m knocking it down a little is that they really didn’t explain the concept in great detail which would have been helpful for those who are completely new to the concept, such as me. Also, I think this type of thing is better to go with friends. I went with strangers which made it a little awkward since some people are very enthusiastic about finishing while I wasn’t.
I can’t say that I would do it again but for those who do like this kind of stuff, this seems like a good one to go to.
However take this review for what it’s worth since this is the only escape room I’ve attended. But shout out to he friendly and organized staff.

Escape Rooms are my favorite and now Little Tokyo has one! Their time travel themed room is awesome! The puzzles were super hard and fun.
We didn’t make it out so make sure your group is STACKED if you want to join the small percentage of escapees.
Bathroom: ⁵⁄₅
Staff: ⁵⁄₅
Overall Experience: ⁵⁄₅
Park in the Weller Court structure or maybe. A little pricey for 2ish hours, but REG is right up the stairs.

I’ve gone to a couple of escape games with varying success. I’ve done this game twice. I got to play a special mini-​game «Escape from the Bathroom» during the New Year’s special event and «Escape from the Time Travel Lab» which is a full hour. This game is slightly different. They give you paper to write down clues and figure it out. The games are tough and you really have to think it through.
If you don’t have enough people, they will pair you with another group. Trust me, you will need the extra people because there are a lot of clues to solve and pieces to put together in order to escape. It’s nice because I went to one game where we won and thought, «Wait, that’s it?» This is much more challenging. You definitely should bring all of your smart friends with you. We were grouped with some smart cookies but it was not enough and we ultimately failed. :(
This game was brought over from a company in Japan, which makes sense since it’s located in Little Tokyo. It’s on the second floor of Weller Court (in the corner), which is convenient, because I go to Little Tokyo often and like to console myself with a nice hot bowl of ramen after.
The staff is super friendly and nice. Justine was our host and kept us entertained while waiting for the other party. This game is absolutely fun but it’s also frustrating because I wanna win, dang it! It’s pretty hard. Bring your A-​game.

Really I can’t say enough about how terrific this is. Great staff. Great game. Took 10 ¹⁰⁄₁₁ year old boys– all VERY puzzle oriented academic kids. They were in heaven. Just ridiculously fun and complex and thrilling for them. These puzzles are hard. Not for kids — or not for most kids. But these kids could handle it. And it was an a++++ birthday!!!

Played this on opening night, so this review is LATE (oops). Willa was an amazing host and the game itself was really challenging.
Unlike previous escape rooms that I’ve played, this one didn’t feel «gimmicky» at all. The mechanics were great and really rewarded teamwork (and getting to know strangers, ha). Each puzzle was really thoughtful and fun.
The whole staff was super courteous and professional. Even though my team didn’t make it out of the room, we all agreed that it was an awesome experience.
I’d go out of my way to play this one. The location is awesome, with great coffee and ice cream nearby, as well as awesome ramen. It would make an awesome date night!
Parking is kind of «typical» for Little Tokyo… I always park at the Aiso Parking Garage, where it’s $ 2 for the first two hours (and a $ 5 max! CHEAPER THAN THE METERS!) The Weller Court Plaza also has a cool light installation where you can pretty much reenact the «Hotline Bling» video.

It was so fun and I loved it! Seriously one of the most well thought out and engaging escape rooms around.
It definitely helps to work as a team and COMMUNICATE what you’re seeing. In the end, my team didn’t end up escaping, but we were seriously SOO close! Do yourselves a favor and grab 10 of your closest friends and sign up. You won’t regret it!

This was my first time ever playing an Escape Room game and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. Without giving away too much, the theme involves escaping the room before you are are lost in the spatiotemporal distortion caused from time traveling (scary right?). I personally thought it was pretty challenging but in a good way where it tests your ability and instincts. Being in a group of 10 or so, it’s interesting to see what type of skill or contribution each member of the team can provide. It’s truly a team effort and you won’t be able to escape the room without working together to solve these mysterious/​complex puzzles. Perfect for an hour-​long afternoon bonding activity with your closest friends.
The staff was very professional and I enjoyed the fact that they all dressed in accordance to the theme. It adds that extra element of fun and definitely made a difference in my experience. I came away with a positive experience and am now curious to see what other escape room games are available in the L.A. area. However, Escape from the Time Travel Lab by SCRAP has set the bar extremely high for me!

I’ll skip over what an escape game is, because you can find that in other reviews.
SCRAP Entertainment is known for making the most elaborate escape games ever and they never disappoint. I was a little hesitant coming to this escape room in that it wouldn’t be as good as their previous games, but I was pleasantly surprised. Actually, that is an understatement… I was EXTREMELY surprised. Having done over 25 escape games already, Real Escape Game «Escape from the Time Travel Lab» easily takes the top spot on my most favorite escape game of all time! I can’t give anything away but I gotta say, it was the most creative and well-​designed room I have ever gone to. SCRAP has apparently been working on escape games since 2007, and those years of experience definitely show!

I’m a huge puzzler — word puzzles, logic puzzles — all kinds, and I’ve done scores of these escape rooms. This one is TERRIFIC. If you like escape rooms, you should do this one, and if you’ve never done an escape room, this is a great one to start with. I would rank the difficulty level as high but achievable.
In addition to being a high-​quality escape room, the mall where this escape room is located is really cool and funky (the street is named after an astronaut!) and the hostess had a very dynamic personality. You’ll have fun, though you might not escape.

Something is broken in the time travel lab and you’re locked inside of it. You have an hour to get before time and space get really distorted! That is the 3 second summary of the Time Travel Lab room, the first room by Real Escape Game in LA, but there is so much to it.
I was lucky enough to be part of the preview night for this room.
They really integrate the theme into the room and the puzzles. There are several ingenious puzzles in this room that take full advantage of what you can do. The staff and MC do an amazing of pulling you into the story and letting the puzzles, situation, and atmosphere take a strong hold of you and never lets go before the finale.
The pacing of the story with the puzzle never gets lost. You’re in thick of the story elements until very last second of the game. That is probably my favorite part. Some rooms can really lose the theme and just kind of concentrate on puzzles toward the very end. This room didn’t. Theme was apparent all the way through.
I’ve been hearing so much about Real Escape Game ever since I’ve started going to escape rooms and I’m glad they’re finally in LA!