Review: 13th Basement, Exit Game OC, Orange County, CA
Fun Factor: 8
13th Basement
Exit Game OC
2975 E White Star Ave, Anaheim, CA 92806
Date Played: February 27, 2026
Booking Size: 2 to 8 players — we recommend 2 to 4
Game Time: 60 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Horror Theme: Not really scary, but it does include brief darkness, loud sounds, gore-themed props, and moments of heightened tension.
Objective — Spoiler-Free
Do serial killers have hobbies?
Apparently, yes!!
In 13th Basement, you have found yourselves inside an escape room created by a serial killer who also happens to be an escape room enthusiast. He has designed what he believes is his masterpiece, filled with puzzles, traps, and all the classic escape room ingredients he loves most. Your team has 60 minutes to solve his creation and escape before your time runs out.
Our Experience
We had a lot of fun playing 13th Basement at Exit Game OC and highly recommend it with a Fun Factor of 8. Escape room fans should definately play this room!
This rating is driven by the puzzles, the game flow, and the story concept. The puzzles are varied, clean, and satisfying, but what makes the room stand out is how well the puzzles support the central parody of the game. 13th Basement is not just a horror-themed escape room. It is a very funny, very self-aware send-up of escape rooms themselves.
The premise works because the designers clearly know the genre. The room lovingly pokes fun at escape room tropes that longtime players will recognize immediately: searching, counting, directional locks, blacklight, waivers, split starts, and all the things that were perhaps a little too common in earlier generations of escape rooms. But here is the trick — 13th Basement does not merely mock those elements. It uses them well.
That is what made the room so much fun for us. Some puzzle types that might normally make experienced players roll their eyes were given a clever twist. A puzzle that first appears to be almost too basic may reveal a more satisfying layer. A familiar mechanic may show up in a way that feels playful instead of tired. The room is parody, but it is parody built by people who understand what makes escape rooms fun.
A comedic horror-themed room - complete with a serial killer’s most essential tool….the directional lock!
A Comedic Horror Escape Room
Exit Game OC describes 13th Basement as a comedic horror escape room experience, and that is a helpful way to think about it.
“Comedic Horror Escape Room Experience - The game has some minor jump scares/loud noises(including a loud popping noise). Most of the game is played in low lighting. There is also some crawling involved (only one person has to crawl). The game is intended to be creepy but not scary.”
This is not a room we found scary. Not even close. But it does have a horror-room vibe, and there are deliberately gory or disturbing props and set pieces along the way. The tone, though, is clearly exaggerated and comedic. The room is less interested in terrifying you than in having fun with the idea of a horror escape room created by someone with very strong opinions about escape rooms.
Movie Poster Style!
EXIT GAME OC
That said, if you do not want to see gore-themed props or horror-style set pieces, even in a clearly silly context, this may not be the right fit. For us, the humor worked, the tone was clear, and the horror elements supported the parody rather than overwhelming the experience.
The Parody Works Because the Game Works
The opening setup makes the tone clear right away. The serial killer introduces his “masterpiece” and proudly explains that he has included all the best kinds of puzzles: counting puzzles, searching, directional locks, and blacklight.
“You are about to experience my masterpiece. I have included all the best kinds of puzzles, counting puzzles, searching, directional locks and black lights!”
You are about to experience my masterpiece. I have included all the best kinds of puzzles, counting puzzles, searching, directional locks and black lights!
For newer players, some of that joke may not land quite as strongly. Good news: the room is still fun. But for experienced escape room players, especially those who have played a lot of older or more traditional rooms, 13th Basement has an extra layer of enjoyment.
And yes, I still remember being in an escape room that proudly advertised its enormous square footage and then handed our team a single blacklight to find one hidden symbol somewhere in the room. So when 13th Basement started joking about blacklight, searching, and other classic escape room habits, I felt personally seen. The other extreme bad use of blacklights is when it is overused to excess – when you’re not sure if you should look at everything with the black light. But not to worry – 13th basement’s use of blacklight does not come close to hitting these extremes.
The room even includes a split start, which is usually something we try to avoid. But here, it worked. The setup was smooth, the collaboration was manageable, and the separate-start mechanic felt like part of the joke rather than an unnecessary frustration. We also appreciated the use of individually wrapped single-use blindfolds, because comfort and cleanliness matter. The portion of the game split is reasonably limited and was fun.
Game Flow and Set Design
The footprint of the game is generous, especially for a 60-minute room. We moved through multiple areas, explored different spaces, and later returned to familiar ground in ways that made the room feel like it was continuing to evolve.
That kind of game flow is one of the room’s strengths. 13th Basement gives players a familiar escape room structure, but it keeps finding ways to make that structure feel fresh and not cliche. The space is used well, and the room repeatedly invites players to look at things differently as the experience unfolds.
We especially enjoyed how the endgame played out. Without spoiling anything, the finale was surprising, funny, and very satisfying. This was one of those escape rooms where we were having so much fun that we did not want it to end — and, well, let’s just say the room seems to understand that feeling too.
Puzzles
The puzzles are the heart of 13th Basement.
This is a puzzle-forward game with a strong variety of challenge types. There is searching, observation, communication, light physical interaction, sequencing, locks, and some moments where players need to literally step back and recognize what the room is really asking them to do.
What impressed us most was that even puzzle styles we normally do not love were handled with care. Counting puzzles, directional locks, blacklight, and searching can all become tedious when used lazily. Here, they are part of the parody — but they are also implemented in ways that are clear, fair, and fun.
The room also has a few clever callbacks. Clues, jokes, and earlier moments pay off later in ways with satisfying payoffs for the intentionality. It is obvious that the designers are escape room players themselves. They are not making fun of escape rooms from the outside. They are poking fun from inside the hobby, with affection and good humor.
Team Size Recommendation
The booking size is 2 to 8 players, but we recommend 2 to 4.
We played as a team of two and had a great time. That said, there are moments where an additional player could make communication and tracking easier, especially in one section that has a bit of controlled chaos by design. A team of three or four is probably the sweet spot for most groups.
Larger teams can play, but because this room relies on observation, timing, and communication, I would be cautious about going too large unless your group is comfortable staying organized.
Things to Know
13th Basement is an excellent choice for escape room enthusiasts who enjoy clever puzzle design and genre-aware humor. It will likely be especially rewarding for players who have played enough rooms to recognize the tropes being spoofed.
Newer players can still have a fun time, but some of the parody may not land as fully if they have not experienced the older escape room habits the game is lovingly teasing. That is not a flaw — just part of the room’s personality.
Players should be mindful Exit Game OC’s heads up that the room includes brief darkness, loud sounds, some crawling, and gore-themed props. We did not find the room scary, but it is not completely free of horror imagery.
Final Thoughts
13th Basement is a very clever, very funny, and very satisfying escape room. It succeeds both as a puzzle-forward game and as a parody of escape room conventions.
The room takes familiar mechanics — including some that we usually do not love — and turns them into something fresh, funny, and genuinely fun. The puzzles are clean, the flow is strong, the humor lands, and the endgame gives the experience a memorable finish.
We had a great time and highly recommend 13th Basement with a Fun Factor of 8. If you play, 13th Basement, please let Exit Game OC know you saw a fun factor review. Also please drop us a note we would love to hear from you.
As always, we only recommend rooms where we genuinely had fun — and we definitely had fun escaping this basement.
Until next time, keep escaping and remember if a serial killer builds an escape room, you should read the waiver very carefully… and have fun!
