Review: The Relic, Red Door Escape, Encinitas, CA (San Diego)
Fun Factor 6
Red Door Escape Room
687 S Coast Highway 101, Encinitas, CA 92024 (San Diego County)
Date we played: April 27, 2025
Booking size 2 to 6. We recommend 2 to 4.
Game time: 60 minutes
Objective: Follow the clues at a dig site left by the prior team of archeologists to seal away the dark presence created when that team discovered an ancient relic.
Horror Theme: No. There are brief moments that some might find spooky.
Difficulty: Advanced
We had fun playing The Relic at Red Door Escape Room in Encinitas, CA (San Diego) and can recommend it with a fun factor of 6. We recommend this room because it has a lot of content - a lot of puzzles with a wide variety of solving techniques, and there is a lot of hands-on manipulation of props that we enjoy. The set is a basic one-room scene - but it is decorated well for its size. We rated the difficulty level of this room as "advanced," due to several puzzles that are less common and require more sophisticated problem-solving skills.
The room can be booked by two to six players. We recommend two to four as a good number for the size of the space and level of content. There are some non-linear elements that will engage teams that split up - but given the size of the space this room is definitely playable by two experienced players.
The scenario is set at an archaeological dig site involving a mysterious artifact with hidden powers. A previous team uncovered this artifact but unintentionally unleashed a dark force, leading to their disappearance. Before vanishing, however, they managed to leave behind important clues at the site. Your mission is to follow the trail they've left, solve the puzzles, and contain the darkness they accidentally released. While not a horror-themed room, there are moments that some players might find slightly spooky—we found these moments to be thematic to help drive the story.
Much of the game flow centers around solving puzzles to obtain a collection of obelisks. The obelisks must be placed appropriately on the altar before the final artifact can be placed to complete the objective. The game flow is enjoyable as we always felt engaged and that we were making progress and making discoveries.
The room’s game flow periodically introduces slightly spooky moments through an engaging game mechanic that adds extra puzzle content. At certain intervals, partial darkness envelops the dig site as spirits momentarily interrupt the team's investigation, providing hints about offerings that must be placed on an altar to restore the light and end the interruption. During these brief episodes, the lighting dims (but doesn't become fully dark), and distracting sounds encourage the group to temporarily pause the main storyline to quickly solve these riddles. We enjoyed this mechanic; the riddles were accessible, occasionally humorous, and at most intermediate in difficulty. They appeared frequently enough to enhance the experience without becoming repetitive or annoying, and resolving them typically took us less than 30 seconds.
The Relic features a satisfying variety of puzzle styles, including some non-linear elements that allow multiple team members to contribute simultaneously. Several of the more challenging puzzles benefit from collaboration, which we found to be the most effective approach. Although the space is relatively small, it is suitably decorated to evoke the atmosphere of an archaeological dig site.
The hint system used is a standard escape room method. The Relic delivers hints over a monitor by the entrance to the room. The Relic is played is small space that is reasonably decorated with a variety of props. This room does not require significant physical exertion or mobility beyond standing and mild movement.
We found all of the game hosts we met to be friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed discovering this charming area of Encinitas, which offered plenty of restaurants and convenient parking nearby.
If you are in the Encinitas area, we recommend you play The Relic at Red Door Escape Room. Please let them know you saw a Fun Factor Escape Room Review - let us know what you think…and HAVE FUN!
