You’re in a room full of clues and puzzles, the clock is ticking, and a mystery must be solved. Isn’t there just something special about the escape room experience? Your heart is beating faster, your mind is racing, and you can feel your adrenaline levels getting higher by the minute that you’re closer to solving the mystery or puzzle in front of you.
For those who don’t know, an escape room is precisely what the name suggests. People get locked in a room, or a series of rooms that usually have a theme or a setting, and they need to play games (puzzle-solving or problem-solving) within a certain amount of time to accomplish goals that lead them to find the key that can unlock the room.
Escape rooms can be so much fun, especially when done with close friends/family. However, leave your short-tempered friends and family members at home. Escape rooms are also a fun activity for birthday parties (kids and adults), a fun date, or as a team-building activity. Believe it or not, escape games are a great way to learn more about a person. You get a front-row seat to someone’s problem-solving ability, common sense, and observational skills while having a lot of fun.
Let’s go through the best escape rooms Auckland has to offer!
Escape Room or Outdoor Escape Game: The Best Of The Best
Escape HQ Takapuna
Address: 495 Lake Road, Takapuna, Auckland
Website: https://www.escapehq.co.nz/
Phone: +64 9 489 4999
Email: auckland@escapehq.co.nz
Working hours:
Every day: 10:00 – 22:00h
Services:
Four live escape rooms, playing in your own home, one outdoor escape game, kids parties, ideal for work colleagues, hen/stag birthday party, school groups, date night package, private party room, flexible packages (with food and drinks)
Escape HQ opened in 2017 with only two escape rooms. Now, they have seven games that you can choose from, a spacious lounge, and a set of duplicate rooms that allow you to race head-to-head in two groups. There is also an outdoor game where you track international fugitives and recover stolen items. It’s definitely a fun and challenging game where you will have to search high and low for clues. Escape HQ also offers five online games right now that you can play with your friends/family at home, including the fun games Ben’s Big Heist and Time’s Ticking.
Escape Masters
Address: Level 11, 300 Queen Street, Auckland, CBD, 1010, New Zealand
Website: escapemasters.co.nz
Phone: +64 9 869 2058
Email: info@escapemasters.co.nz
Working hours:
Monday-Thursday & Sunday: 10:00-22:00h
Friday-Saturday: 10:00 – 23:30h
Services: Ideal for team building, events, parties, teen parties, virtual reality experience, big escape room range to choose from, work team race
Escape Masters has a reputation as one of the best escape rooms with a good reason. There are 17 different experiences to choose from, including identical rooms, (ideal for corporate groups), and every game has a captivating story. They also have a virtual reality experience that takes place in their escape room with a live game master that acts as your eyes and arms via Google Meet. You’re guaranteed an awesome time, and after just one game – you’ll want to check out the other rooms too. What are you waiting for? The clock’s ticking…
Escape Rooms NZ
Address: Level 2, 9 Anzac Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622, New Zealand
Website: https://www.escaperoomsnewzealand.com/takapuna
Phone: 09 929 4688
Email: info@escaperoomsnewzealand.com
Working hours:
Mon – Sun: 10:00 – 22:00h (last booking at 20h)
Services: birthday parties (all ages), corporate events, private events, hens nights or stag nights, date nights, choose a themed room (5 themes)
Escape Rooms NZ is the only place that offers a 90-minute game in New Zealand. There are five themes to choose from: Da Vinci, Mad Hatter, School of Wizardry, Back to the Past, and The Asylum. Each room is unique and offers different challenges. The games are appropriate for all ages and involve solving problems and puzzles and using technology to decipher codes. It’s awesome fun, no matter which room you pick. Don’t worry if you can’t figure it out and get stuck in a locked room, the helpful staff will swing by with an emergency key.
Auckland’s Top Escape Rooms and Escape Games
Escapade – Kiwi Escape Game
Address: Level 1, 23 Victoria St East, Auckland Central
Website: https://escapadenz.co.nz/
Phone: 09 303 3570
Email: contact@escapadenz.co.nz
Working hours:
Monday & Tuesday: 12:30 – 20:30h
Wednesday – Friday: 11:00 – 22:00h
Saturday: 9:00- 22:00h
Sunday: 10:30 – 21:30h
Services: escape rooms, customised game, licensed lounge bar, work events, birthday party, online experience
Escapade brought a distinctly kiwi flavour to their escape games. Kiwi culture is embodied through the nice set-up in the kiwi themed rooms. Escapade has been rated number one on Tripadvisor, so the experience will satisfy even those with high expectations. They have a spacious lounge where you can have a relaxing drink after your game (we don’t recommend playing while drinking). There are six escape rooms to choose from plus one outdoor escape experience. Custom escape rooms are available for special events. At-home escape experiences through their escape home app, and live video escape rooms on Zoom are also offered. People love the puzzles and often come back to check out the next room.
Great Escape
Address: 28 Lorne St, Auckland
Website: https://www.greatescapethegame.co.nz/
Phone: 021 0830 7230
Email: contact@greatescapethegame.co.nz
Working hours:
Monday-Tuesday: closed
Wednesday & Thursday: 14–20:30h
Friday: 14:00–22:00h
Saturday: 11:00–22:00h
Sunday: 11:00–20:30h
Services: “real life” escape game, at least 9 years old to play (ideally over 12), fun with friends, team building, all events for work colleagues
The Great Escape will show you that you didn’t know you could have so much fun while locked in a room. Here, groups of three to seven people spend an hour locked in a room together trying to solve clues and puzzles. The five rooms to choose from are Prison/Break, Psych Ward, Dreams of Alice, Behind Enemy Lines, and Titanic. We recommend Prison/Break where you and your friends will be in a maximum-security prison. Is your common sense powerful enough to get you out? It’s what the Great Escape calls a “real-life” escape game. The staff is helpful and kind, so you won’t have to worry about feeling judged if something doesn’t go as planned.
