Lifestyle /
Fantasy to Life: Escape Rooms
Indoor Fun With Mystery
Growing up, I followed the adventures of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, which left me fantasizing about one day solving a mystery of my own. Unfortunately — or maybe fortunately — life hasn't given us a murder mystery or a crime scene investigation opportunity where we could practice our Sherlock Holmes skills. But for all you thrill seekers, adrenaline junkies, CSI enthusiasts and James Bond fanatics, let me introduce you to the wonder of escape rooms. This is a contagious indoor interactive gaming concept spreading from Japan to India, Europe to North America.
Also called "adventure" or "mystery" rooms, they usually involve you and your friends getting locked up in a room with 60 minutes on the clock. Your aim is to escape using the clues, puzzles and codes hidden in the room. The games are offered at various skill levels: beginner, intermediate and expert. To solve the mystery, you or someone in your group should be able to follow simple instructions for the most part and have basic math and problem solving skills — but, most importantly, you should be imaginative.
Themes
The adventures come in a variety of themes and the choice is yours when picking your challenge. My favourite options are haunted themes — not for the faint of heart. You're most likely going to be locked in a dark room with flashlights in your hands, which makes finding clues or reading puzzles even harder. Some games also put on scary music or creaking noises to throw you off. If that isn’t enough to get your adrenaline pumping, then there are zombie escape rooms. Yep, you're locked up in a room with a zombie!
Another popular theme is jail break — available at mystery rooms in both Toronto and New Delhi. Sometimes you start the game handcuffed to the wall — making it difficult for you to move around and reach for clues. These mystery rooms pretty much have everything from Egyptian tombs and archeological sites to space adventures, just to keep things interesting.
Technology
You can expect to use a wide array of elements — from lasers to tablets, projectors and radios, remote-control toys and electronic safes. One of my favourite components is the use of a black light and finding glow-in-the-dark clues. In one game, we had to align mirrors to a laser source to open a door. Weight- and touch-sensitive puzzles are another tactic to keep you guessing!
Element of Surprise
The games are very well thought out. They involve hidden rooms behind shelves, safes behind pictures and secret passageways! Not to worry: you're never alone. The staff has cameras in every room, and sometimes fire exits and telephones too. Some places also allow you to call for help or a clue if you're stuck on a puzzle for too long. And don't be afraid when the timer runs out if you haven't solved the mystery — the staff will come and set you free!
So grab a bunch of friends, put on your thinking caps and head to some mystery rooms for puzzle solving fun!
Cover photo courtesy of Pascal
Prison cell photo courtesy of Mark Doliner
Group photo provided by Naemah Abid
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Naemah Abid
Author
Born in Saudi Arabia and originally from Pakistan, this Canadian immigrant is all too familiar with airport life. After taking her first pleasure trip abroad post-graduation, Naemah was hit with the travel bug. Find this frequent traveller sharing pictures and experiences, offering up advice and tra...
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