The idea that inspired escape rooms originated in Japan in 2004 as a point-and-click video game. In 2007, the Japanese company SCRAP opened the “Real Escape Game”, which took off in Asia and Europe. The first escape game in the US opened in 2012 in San Francisco, and the rest is history.
Since 2012, the US escape room industry blossomed to more than 2,250 escape rooms as of August 2020. This popular date night/family fun/team building trend isn’t going anywhere either. Puzzle minded individuals and organizations all over the world are working hard to create new storylines and games.
So what exactly is an “escape room”?
It starts with a story–a script defining the objective of the game and what you’re trying to accomplish. You start in a room that is meant to immerse you into that story line. Think about it like being part of a movie set, with decor and ambiance that makes you feel like you’re really part of the adventure.
This room has objects, puzzles, locks, and hidden clues for you to find. Once your 60 minute clock starts, the game is all yours. You and your friends and family will search through the room for any clues that allow you to complete your quest. Each clue and puzzle solved will lead to more clues and more puzzles. If you’re lucky, and your team works together, you’ll be able to complete the quest and “escape” the room, which is a feeling unlike any other!
And don’t worry, you’re not really locked in. You can totally leave at any time. The idea of “escaping” is for fun only. “Escaping” only means that you’ve beat the game, which is all an escape room is at the end of the day–a game.
Who will enjoy escape rooms?
Escape rooms are great team-building activities and are great for date night or family outings. The goal is to have an immersive, fun, and somewhat challenging experience together that you will talk about long after the escape.
Don’t worry about prior knowledge–you won’t need that. And don’t worry about looking or feeling stupid. The puzzles are challenging, but solvable. The more rooms you tackle, the better you’ll get!
If you have questions about any of our rooms or want to know more about specific rooms, please email us at [email protected] or give us a call. We will be happy to create a special memory for you and your friends and family!