Review Highlights
“A group of four friends and I went to the Haunted Hotel room and we all agreed it's best escape room we have ever been to.” in 28 reviews
“This is my first escape room, in fact it was the first time for everyone in our small group of four.” in 12 reviews
“Did the Prison Break - really immersive and fun, got out by the skin of our teeth!” in 16 reviews
Location & Hours
Amenities and More
About the Business
Business owner information
William J.
BrainXcape specializes in offering unparalleled, immersive escape room experiences in the heart of New York City. We currently have three adventures - Rikers 1932, where you mastermind a prison escape, The Haunted Hotel, where you escape a spooky hotel room, and Elevator To Hell, where you fight to set your fate. Our team, which includes designers from Broadway shows and haunted houses, crafts intensely thrilling environments that go beyond simple puzzles or locked rooms. We focus on creating a captivating atmosphere that draws everyone in the group to participate. This makes every session a uniquely interactive and collaborative adventure. Instead of relying on gore or live actors, we create suspense and excitement through meticulously designed cinematic sets and cleverly integrated technological elements. This approach ensures a memorable experience that is as engaging as it is mysterious, designed to challenge and delight participants of all ages.
Ask the Community
Q:
Can kids go?
A:
It is a a little bit suspenseful and can be a little scary, so I think that they have an age limit, I'm not sure what it is at the moment. But if they are over 10 I don't think it should be a problem, there were no inappropriate themes within the… more
Marlyn F.2 people found this helpful
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Overall rating
140 reviews
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- 480409122Aug 25, 2024
Amazing theming and decoration here. Do all clues make sense? Ehhh close enough, but the vibes are on point
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - David N.New York, NY05Aug 3, 2024
Went with my teenage kids and their cousins of the same age. Whole experience was very interesting and engaging. Would recommend to anyone who is interested. My only wish is that it was 90 minutes as the hour flew by so quickly and we all wanted to keep solving!!
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Apr 15, 2023
Talk about an experience. Right off the elevator I was shook! I turned around the elevator door was closed. It was pitch black with flashing lights and then all of a sudden a phone rings( ahh) he said are you ready. We looked at what we could see of each other and said uhhh, beat the bomb sounding real good right about now. He then said if you have to use the bathroom go now and I'll call back when your done. I was ready to go home lol. Anyway we walked into our Jail cell cause that's what we chose and proceeded to play it was an amazing, we were very close to finish the game. However us thinking that someone would jump out at us made our brain go into fight or flight mode. We will be back without the kids
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Anastasiia K.Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY068Sep 10, 2023
Very fun! But you need to use your brain a little bit.
Otherwise I'll return for next rooms 100%
We had really good time with my friendHelpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Javier R.Pelham, Pelham, NY051Apr 6, 2024
Sawyer was the best in guiding us to the end with us using 5 hints! It was so fun and hard as well but the moment you walk in the elevator the escape room started which I never experienced ever! The phone call, the lights flashing I thought I was in the movie saw 12/10! Highly recommend Rikers 1932!
Helpful 1Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Casey A.Kapolei, HI172Dec 25, 2023
Escape Room was fun, a little spooky, and well-made! Would definitely do another of their games. Puzzles provided a good challenge, and Ryan was great.
Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Jun 23, 2022
This was a spectacular experience from the moment we stepped into the building to the moment we exited. You walk in and the security guard will verify you have a reservation then scan you into the elevator to access the third floor where the escape rooms are. What happens beyond then I'll describe below but you're going to want to go into it completely blind so you can be shook the way my friends and I were. I'll do a "spoiler disclaimer" for that but for now I'll be general.
All rooms are private. Whether you have two people or the maximum of 10, there will be no random people filling up the remaining spots in your reservation.
Depending on the number of people, the cheaper the cost (but only by one dollar or so). But beware that there's a booking fee. I had seven people for my reservation and our fee was 22 dollars in addition to the 37 we paid per person. You need to have all the individual emails of your party to get to the checkout page. Unfortunately you can't split the cost across multiple credit cards and the money is taken out of your account the moment you make the booking. If you have a huge party that is daunting because there's no money back policy (from my understanding of the website). One plus is that if you have a last minute friend who wants to join your room, you can send BrainXCape an email with your reservation number and the number of additional people joining and they'll charge your card for the new person.
We did the Rikers escape room and it was intense. Once you're in the room and sure you're not gonna chicken out, the door literally slams and locks. It is themed all the way through. The details are intricate and immaculate down to the walls. Taking photos would've been a 1000 dollar fine so you'll just have to trust me on how grungy and terrifying this set up was (or just look at the business owner photos). It's literally one of the primary reasons we went with this escape room experience over others and I'm so glad we did.
This room has only a 35% escape rate and my friends and I legit had only 2 more clues before we won so we're a little salty we didn't make it but also we never would have because the room was THOROUGH and really challenging. We used all our clues whenever we could get them.
If you wanna be totally surprised the way I was going into this adventure, don't read past this point and KEEP THE MYSTERY IN TACT.
When we got into the elevator we did not expect for it to open on a floor that was entirely PITCH BLACK. We legit took a moment to step out of the elevator because we literally didn't realize the experience would begin before we even GOT INTO THE ROOM. It was EPIC that we were thrown into it and it totally got us excited for what was ahead.
We wandered around the floor totally unsuspecting before we found a phone mounted on the wall which rang when we approached. I can only imagine how amused staff was to watch us clueless clowns running around like headless chickens. On the phone one of the staff members checked that we all had our party present and gave us instructions on how to proceed with the game.
The bathroom was textbook creepy with red titled walls and BLOODY HANDPRINTS with bloody writing just above. Loved it.
My friends and I cannot wait to return.Helpful 2Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Peter B.Old Bridge, NJ01Nov 20, 2023
Great customer service.
The check in kiosk doesn't work effectively and can waste time.
Other than that , it's always a Great timeHelpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0 - Mariah S.San Francisco, CA013Oct 21, 2023
We had such an incredible time! This is by far the best escape room escape room experience anyone in my group has had. Sawyer was our game guide and he was great.
Side note: They have an old location that still shows up when searching for directions so make sure you put in the correct address! (:Helpful 0Thanks 0Love this 0Oh no 0