What is the Scariest Room at The Basement?

The blood-pumping, blinding sensation of true fear is so rarely experienced. It can be a shock to the system to feel every creeping hair stand up on the back of your neck, to feel the white-hot chill sicken the deepest part of your stomach. The floor drops out from under you, the ceiling falls, the dark beckons with hungry whispers. Brave souls looking for otherworldly sensations of tingling panic ask again and again: What is the Scariest Room at The Basement? To answer that, my dear, you must first answer me this: What are you Afraid of?

Our Horror Escape Rooms

The Basement: A Live Escape Room Experience offers four uniquely themed escape games that follow a through-line of storytelling. A cannibalistic serial killer named Edward Tandy has kidnapped you and forced you to solve your way out of his home, or die trying. Should you prove your wit and worth, escaping with your lives, there are three more opportunities to perish in fun and creative ways. Our escape rooms feature live actors, challenging puzzles, and scary, immersive environments to explore. The Basement is a horror-themed escape room, with a focus on intense puzzles to solve. We are not trying to scare the absolute pants off of you, but you will encounter scary elements and thrilling experiences.

We are not a haunted house or an extreme haunt. Instead, our games feel like stepping into one of your favorite horror movies. Each room is crafted to be super fun for horror-fans and puzzle enthusiasts alike. A great deal of the excitement generated before you are locked in comes from the creeping unease we foster from the moment you step inside the building.

What are You Afraid of?

The four escape rooms at our Los Angeles location cover a wide variety of phobias and general fears. It’s up to you to decide which story you wish to follow. Let’s explore some common fear-inducing situations and see just where your escape room team might find them.

Scotophobia – The Dark

All of our escape rooms begin in The Dark. A classic way to enhance the terror of any space, even our lobby and loading areas are kept largely cloaked in darkness. The only place where you will experience prolonged moments of Pitch Black Darkness would be in The Basement and The Elevator Shaft. The Study has one brief moment of darkness but is otherwise considered to be our “brightest” game.

Claustrophobia – Small Spaces

The Elevator Shaft (A Los Angeles exclusive game) is our most frightening escape room if you are claustrophobic. The room itself is made for 4 players rather than 8, has a pathway that is very tight (only needed to be traversed by one player,) and the ceiling is literally pressing down on you. Exposure therapy at its most scary for those afraid of small, inescapable spaces.

Monophobia – Being Alone

The Study has two moments of group separation that can make anyone feel the dread of loneliness. Being separated from your friends, in the dark, without any hint as to what is about to happen creates quite the cocktail of adrenaline pumping fear. The Basement, however, makes you feel like you are totally alone in all the world. Close your eyes and accept your fate; no one is coming to save you.

Hemophobia – Blood

The live actors in all of our escape rooms are in some way bruised and bloody. Remember, your goal is to survive by any means necessary. Sometimes that means sacrificing a family member. (Just kidding! Or are we?)

Cynophobia – Dogs

The Courtyard’s constant threat is Edward’s pack of rabid dogs, specially trained to make the maiming as long and painful as possible. They shake the doors, barking and snarling, hungry and ready to attack. You can hear dogs barking and baying in The Basement. (There are no actual dogs on property, but the threat is ever-present in those rooms.)

Xenophobia – The Unknown

The scariest escape rooms prey on your innate fear of The Unknown. Walk into the dark room, put your hand in the hole, open that door, find those clues. Every discovery, every intense search leads to some level of horror and chance of escape. It’s more than just a spooky room, it’s an experience of exploring that dread of the unknown.

Foniasophobia – A Serial Killer Murdering You

Stalking around every corner, welcoming you to his home of puzzles and traps, Edward Tandy has devised this game just for you. Foniasophobia is a completely logical phobia, a sign that your common sense is intact. These escape rooms offer you a chance at living this terrifying reality.

Horror Escape Room Games for Non-Horror Folks

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “These people are crazy! Who would ever want to do something like this? Scary escape rooms sound… well… scary!” You’re not wrong! They definitely can be. However, here at The Basement, we have found the perfect amount of horror to blend into our games. We don’t rely on cheap jump scares or try to really spook our guests with intense scares. Instead, we create a sense of foreboding. We deliver on the scares, the puzzles, and the scenery. Terrifying to some, tame to others, no matter what level of horror you’re ready for, we can guarantee you will have an absolute blast. Creating a great experience for our guests is what drives our team to scare, solve, and play along side you.

All this to say, although our escape rooms are not paralyzingly scary, they are considered PG-13 experiences. These games are not for kids under the age of 12.

(Please note: if at any time our escape rooms become too terrifying, there are panic buttons located in multiple areas throughout all of our rooms. A friendly host will be waiting to escort you to safety. No matter what, we want to ensure you have a great time. And don’t worry, it happens fairly often!)

Facing Your Fears

Each game rewards the brave, the foolhardy, and those that embrace the scare. Our challenging puzzles come with the hope of escaping with your life: motivating every team to escape the real world into our waiting jaws. There is nothing that brings people together like being afraid. Facing challenges together can turn a group of friends into a family, and an afternoon into an unforgettable adventure. Get that adrenaline pumping and solve some puzzles! Escaping is cool and all, but it’s really all about the journey.

So, Which is The Scariest?

We’ve arrived at the end of this tale, I’ve prepared you all that I can. Have you decided on where to face your innermost fears? When asked which is the scariest escape room we have, my answer tends to fall back on The Basement. It’s the creepiest, most suspenseful, and darkest room. To me, it does a fantastic job of integrating puzzles into the scares and really pulling you into its story. The actors held captive in The Basement do an incredible job of selling the desperate need to escape, to survive. I’m a little biased, but hundreds of guests agree, it is such a great experience.

Visit Us!

Check out our social media pages for updates on our games, discounts, and contests! We can’t wait to eat- I MEAN MEET you soon!