Classic escape rooms / Packard Rd, south-east Ann Arbor
Decode Ann Arbor
A family-run escape studio on Packard Road in Ann Arbor: three rooms plus a game you play from your own car. USA Today 10Best named it one of the three best escape rooms in the country in 2023.
Open today · Daily, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., by reservation. The Finding Stella drive-in game runs nightly after dark.
At a glance
- Group size
- 2–16 players
- Game time
- 60 minutes
- Age policy
- All ages welcome. Players 13 and under need a paying adult with them, and big teams of young players need at least one adult for every two kids.
- Price
- The Mezzanine $39 per person (4-ticket minimum); Around the World in 80 Days $33 per person (6-ticket minimum); Trouble in Paradise $136 per game (up to 5 players); Finding Stella $56 per car; $3 off if you walk, bike or take transit.
- Hours
- Daily, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., by reservation. The Finding Stella drive-in game runs nightly after dark.
You can book the whole room for your group
01 / 8
The rooms you’ll need to escape
Room details are based on what the venue publishes on its own site.
The Mezzanine
Land in a cosmic lost-and-found and find your way home: 60 minutes of play, 15 minutes of bonus challenges and the venue's best special effects.
- Group size
- 2-15 players
- Game time
- 60 minutes
Around the World in 80 Days
Fly with pilot MiLo to iconic spots around the globe on a 1,000-plus-square-foot set built over two years in a former warehouse.
- Group size
- 5-16 players
- Game time
- 60 minutes
Trouble in Paradise
Things keep vanishing at the Paradise Hotel, and your small team tracks the disturbance to its cosmic source; call to book.
- Group size
- 2-5 players
Finding Stella
Play from your own car in front of the building, using the car radio and two phones to find the missing North Star.
- Group size
- 1 car (2 recommended) players
- Game time
- 80 minutes
The Minerva Project
No longer running
One of Decode's earlier games, now retired.
Minerva's Return
No longer running
The sequel in Decode's earlier Minerva story, now retired.
Spellcasting
No longer running
A magic-themed game at Decode's former Ann Arbor address, 4072 Packard St.
Around the World in 30 Minutes
No longer running
A short, 30-minute early version of the travel game at the old 4072 Packard St location.
- Game time
- 30 minutes
02 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Brothers Peter and Patton Doyle founded Decode; their mom is the puzzler, their dad is the woodworker, and the team says it's been at it since 2016. The games adjust their difficulty as you play, so kids and seasoned players both stay busy, and nobody ever gets locked in. The Mezzanine picked up a Best of Morty award, and the Around the World in 80 Days set took two years to build inside a former warehouse. Decode gives 10% of its profits to Southeast Michigan causes, and its buildings run on solar power.
- USA Today 10Best 2023: one of the top three in the U.S.
- Finding Stella: an escape game you play from your car
- 10% of profits go to Southeast Michigan causes
Plan your visit
Open daily 10 a.m.–10 p.m. by reservation; book most games online, but call for Trouble in Paradise. Teams run 2 to 16 players and every game is private. Walk, bike or take transit and you get $3 off.
Accessibility
Every Decode game except The Library in Ypsilanti is wheelchair accessible, and some games offer closed captions.
A closer look
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