Answers to frequently asked questions about Palace Games, The Edison Escape Room, The Roosevelt Escape Room, The Great Houdini Escape Room, and Escape the Palace.

General Booking Information

What does it cost to book the Houdini, Roosevelt or Edison Room?

The Houdini Room, the Roosevelt Room, and the Edison Room are the same price!
Each escape room reservation is $400 (plus a $10 booking fee per room)*. This price is for the full room reservation. This accommodates a group of up to 10 players in Houdini and Roosevelt and up to 8 players in Edison.
*If the majority of players in a group are under 18, one $40 Under 18 Group add-on is required per room.

What is the best way to book?

Online! Make a booking by using the booking buttons on our home page!
Keep each room’s quantity at “1” when you checkout! You don’t need to input the number of players.
We can also make your booking over the phone if you are away from your computer. Please have a credit card handy as payment is due at the time of booking. Our number is 415-997-8522 x 2.
If you would like to book multiple rooms for the same time, add one room reservation to your cart and then click “continue shopping” to add the other room.

How many “tickets” do I need?

One per room! “Tickets” are sold on a per room basis.
The Houdini and Roosevelt Rooms can accommodate a maximum of 10 players per time slot.
The Edison Room can accommodate a maximum of 8 players per time slot.
We only offer one of each room per time slot.
You do not need an individual ticket per person.

Do you sell individual tickets?

No. We only sell full room reservations for groups of 6 to 10 players.

Will other players be in the room with me?

No. Your ticket is good for the whole room (unless stated otherwise) and therefore is reserved for the exclusive use of your group.

Which room should I play first?

Whichever one you want!
Our escape rooms do not need to be played in any specific order, therefore it is not necessary to play The Great Houdini Escape Room before playing The Roosevelt Escape Room or The Edison Escape Room.

What’s the minimum age?

The minimum age for the Houdini Room is 14 years old and the minimum age for the Roosevelt Room and the Edison Room is 16 years old.
Have a youngster or two under the minimum age? They are welcome to tag along with a group of adults. Parts of the Roosevelt Room may not be appropriate for young children.
Players under 18 must be accompanied by an adult during the game.
*If more than 50% of players in a group are under 18, a $40 Under 18 Group add-on is required.
Click here for more info about younger players.

What if I don’t see a time that works for me?

If you do not see our standard times available on your date of choice, this means that they have been booked. All our available time slots are on the calendar.

Group Size Information

What is the deal with the group size?

We know this can get a little confusing. We have found that the perfect size group is 8 players for the Houdini and Roosevelt Rooms. For the Edison Escape Room, we recommend 6.
A minimum of 6 players is suggested for the Houdini Room as it can be more challenging to play with 5 or fewer players.
A minimum of 6 players is required to play the Roosevelt Room.
A minimum of 4 players is required to play the Edison Room.
The Houdini and Roosevelt Rooms can each accommodate a maximum of 10 players.
An Edison Room reservation accommodates a maximum of 8 players.
With the exception of your host, every person in the room is counted as a player.
If you have a group of 30 or more players, check out Escape the Palace.

How can I accommodate a large group?

Palace Games currently has 3 rooms in operation. If your group is larger than the room limit, your group will need to split up into 2+ teams and play different rooms. You can book the Houdini Room, the Roosevelt Room, and/or the Edison Room to start at the same time on weekdays so teams can play concurrently.* (Subject to availability.)
Groups larger than 30 may need to book additional rooms in different time slots to accommodate the group size. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss options!
If you have a group of 30 or more players, also check out Escape the Palace.
*Please note that starting Summer 2018, escape room start times will be staggered on Saturdays and Sundays.

We have a large group split into four or more teams, what will the other team(s) do while they wait?

ClueKeeper Hunt: This scavenger puzzle hunt is played around the Palace lagoon and grounds on the ClueKeeper app.* It costs $10 per team. Teams can be any size, though we recommend 4 to 6 players per team. This hunt typically takes 45 – 60 minutes.
*The ClueKeeper app can be downloaded in the app store and is compatible with iOS and Android.
This hunt does not need to be facilitated by Palace Games’ staff.
Depending on venue availability, you can arrange to rent space at the Palace of Fine Arts for a catered meal, meetings, or other activities!

Arrival & Game Day Information

Where should I go when I arrive?

Please go to the Palace Games entrance at 3362 Palace Drive (Palace Drive runs around the back / western curve of the Palace). This is a set of large green doors with a Palace Games sign. This is the preferred entrance at all times.
Please ring the doorbell and/or call 415-997-8522 x 1 so that we may let you in. Our entrance is locked at all times.
For more info, check out our Arrival Information or our Map & Directions.

What should I wear?

Comfortable clothes and shoes.
Skirts and dresses may not be appropriate for The Roosevelt Escape Room.
We recommend dressing in layers. The Palace can get a bit cold (in colder months), but the room itself will be comfortable.

What should I bring?

Your energy and enthusiasm is all you need! In fact, we will ask that bags and phones remain outside of the room, in our lockers (you will take the key to the locker in the room with you).
We strongly recommend that you take all visible bags or valuables out of your car and leave them in our lockers while you play the game.
You do not need to bring your confirmation. We will have you on the schedule under your group organizer’s name.

What can I bring into the escape room?

Just yourself!
Pets (except certified service animals), food, drinks, cell phones, cameras, audio recorders, etc. are not allowed in the room.

Can I take selfies?

Unfortunately, no. We ask that you refrain from taking photos in the room in order to maintain the mystery for future players.

I am claustrophobic, will I be okay in the room?

The room will not be cramped based on our room capacities and the entrance door will not be locked. If you need to exit the room at any time because you are uncomfortable, you may absolutely do so.

How long will we be there?

Please block out 2 hours for the entire Houdini, Roosevelt, or Edison Room experience.

Game Information

How many Escape Rooms are available?

Palace Games currently has three rooms: one Houdini Room, one Roosevelt Room, and one Edison Room.
It is not possible to host more than three escape rooms at a time.

What is Escape the Palace?

Escape the Palace is not an escape room, but a private puzzle hunt game with escape elements available for large groups.
This game requires a minimum of 30 players.
Find out more about Escape the Palace and request a quote here.

Cancellation & Reschedule Information

What is Palace Games’ cancellation & rescheduling policy?

Palace Games accepts cancellations and reschedules, however, refund and store credit amounts available are dependent upon the amount of notice provided prior to a reservation start time.

5+ days notice: Eligible for a full refund to credit card (minus nonrefundable $10 per room booking fee).
3+ days notice: Eligible for a full store credit (including booking fee) / free reschedule.
OVER 24 hours notice: Eligible for $300 store credit per room.
WITHIN 24 hours of reservation start time: Eligible for $150 store credit per room.

*Please note no cash / credit card refunds available with less than 5 days notice.

How do I cancel or reschedule my room?

You can reschedule your reservation by clicking “manage this booking” in your confirmation email up to 7 days prior to your reservation start time.
If you need to cancel your reservation or reschedule with less than 7 days notice, please call or email us to make a cancellation.
Please call our main customer support line (415-997-8522 x 2) or email [email protected] and not individual members of our team, so we can ensure cancellations and reschedules are handled in a timely manner.
Get more information about our booking policies here.

What if our reason for rescheduling or canceling was a true emergency?

If you had to reschedule or cancel within 72 hours due to an unforeseen hardship, let us know and we will reschedule your room time without cost. We are here to make people’s lives happier, not more stressful.

Miscellaneous

Special circumstances?

We want you to have a great experience. If there is something special we need to do or know about to make your time with us more enjoyable, please let us know! You can include a note under “Comments” when you make your booking.
If you have a player that may need to rest during the game, there is a chair in both of our rooms.
If you need to exit the room for a bathroom break or other reason, you may do so.