The Bunker Experience, Can You Survive in a Post-Apocalyptic World?

Just when I thought all escape rooms were starting to seem the same, The Bunker Experience comes out to prove me wrong.

The Bunker Experience is an escape room located in the middle of downtown Pasadena. According to their Facebook, “The Bunker Experience is a real live escape game with a maze, set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world.”  With only 20% of participants having escaped so far, this room was going to prove a challenge.

Set in 2078, global warming has taken its toll and humans are nearly extinct. What’s left of the population is forced to live in underground bunkers to protect themselves from the elements. Unfortunately, there is a group of savages known as the Vandals who roam the world “Topside.” Led by Lightcrawler, the Vandals take every opportunity to loot, kill, and eat anyone that comes their way. Their next victim is you. You have to escape your bunker in time and reach the United Human Compound (UHC), the most secure compound in this post-apocalyptic world. Think you can make it?

My favorite aspect of The Bunker Experience was that every staff member was part of the story. This includes the waiting room and the staff that signs you in. The experience began even before we entered the waiting room and the acting in the introduction did a great job on setting the tone for the escape room. The Bunker is one of the few rooms I’ve experienced that incorporates a live actor and his acting was superb. Even when we broke and knocked over a couple props, he stayed true to character (sorry for breaking the table). The Bunker Experience holds true to its name by being held in an actual bunker and the staff took it to the next level with the setup. Hands down, The Bunker Experience is one of the top three rooms I’ve experienced in terms of production value. It’s easy to see the thought and effort the staff went through to give participants a one of a kind escape room experience.

Unfortunately, I do have one gripe on the escape room and it’s the props. To be specific, one certain prop that I won’t label because it was a clue. The prop in particular malfunctioned and the live actor had to improvise to help us out. It is an issue that can be easily fixed and I don’t doubt that staff will figure out a better alternative. Other than that one prop, I have no complaints about The Bunker Experience. So far, it is the only escape room to scare me good… to the point it made me walk to the opposite end of the room, and say, “NOPE!”

At the moment, The Bunker Experience is the only room the company has so far, but it is only the first part of a larger story. If participants are able to escape the bunker, the next part of the story is their journey to the UHC. With how great The Bunker Experience was, I’m excited to see the twists and the set the staff creates for the next escape room.

The Bunker Experience
20 North Raymond Basement
Pasadena, California 91105
(714) 423-0932
http://www.thebunkerexperience.com/