Escape rooms (also known as escape games) have been springing up everywhere. If you’ve never heard of them or experienced one, keep reading…
The idea behind escape rooms is for people (who know each other or random strangers) to participate in a physical group event where they solve clues to escape from a room in a set time limit. Each escape room or game is centered around a theme like “Escape Your Kidnapper” or “Escape Jail.”
The room is furnished to match the theme, and clues are scattered around the room, along with various padlocks, tumbler locks and combination locks holding drawers, cabinets and other containers closed; these containers contain additional clues.
The host describes a scenario and tells everyone to scour the room for clues to escape.
The escape adventure I took part in with six other women was an Undead Outbreak zombie escape.
Before being locked in, we were given a walkie-talkie and told we could ask three questions during the adventure when we were stumped (like lifelines on the TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?).
The room we were locked in had animated “zombies” moving past fake “windows” on the walls, as if the building was surrounded by hordes of marauding zombies. The host told us the goal was to escape the zombies, and explained that we’d — at some point — crawl through an opening into another room when we solved enough clues. (An optional door was available for those who couldn’t crawl.)
The room itself was furnished like a living room, with a couch, book shelf and books, a desk and a fireplace. Several round peep holes were drilled in one wall, and half of the ceiling contained a giant maze, with a rubber ball in one corner, and holes on the opposing wall.
We immediately dispersed to look for clues — lifting things, pushing on things, running our hands around the edges of doorways, picture frames and the fireplace. It was definitely a “free-for-all” where everyone was determined to find something valuable!
The remainder of the hour was pretty chaotic; small groups formed and reformed to try to solve various clues, with people yelling out what they’d found.
We did manage to unlock quite a few containers and find extra clues, but nothing was obvious. The clues were really cryptic!
We eventually ended up in a bathroom with fake blood stains on the shower walls and a couple of zombie limbs scattered around. And — of course — more locked containers.
With the host’s help (we went WAY over our 3-question limit!) we ended up in a 3rd room — a science lab complete with beakers and a freezer in the corner. We found a few more zombie limbs and decided the head must be in the freezer.
By that time, though, our hour was up. And we were still locked in.
The host returned and explained the clues we hadn’t solved, so we had “closure” on the experience. And then he opened the door and set us free.
The host took several parting group photos of us holding a variety of signs that were Velcro’d to the walls, and he gave us markers and invited us to write on the walls with them.
Some show-offs (!!!) had written messages like “Made it out in 38 minutes!” But we couldn’t come up with anything to write except “We tried…” so we skipped that step… and slunk out of the building.
I was still feeling a little “dumb” the next day, but it was definitely an adventure — and a unique and interesting night out with friends!
Related blog posts:
- Second Women’s Hiking and Kayaking Weekend in Brevard: Wonderful Except for the Near-Death Experience
- Fall Fun at a Women’s Adventure Weekend in Brevard, North Carolina
- Fun New Fitness Activity: Disc Golfing
- A Tribute to Amazing Women, Fabulous Females in My Life
- Nicest Things People Have Ever Done for Me
- How to Host a Fun Girlfriends Wreath-Making Party
- Brave Women Go Places Alone
- Making New Friends as an Empty Nester can be Awkward
- Funny Friends: Laughter is the Best Medicine
- Finding Female Friends Online: Don’t Laugh, it Works!
- Blown Away by Women’s March on Washington
- Starting a Mothers Group Transformed My Life
- Confessions of an Adult Learning to Swim
- A Unique Workout: High Intensity Adult Trampoline Class
- Aerial Adventure Park: A Unique and Exciting Fitness Experience
- Polga (Yoga and Pole Dancing) Awesomeness
- Nothing Makes You Feel Better than a BODY PUMP Workout
- Exotic Chair Dancing: Not Your Grandma’s Exercise Routine
- Aerial Yoga: A Fun and Uplifting Experience
- Dragon Boating: A Unique and Fun Team Sport
- Ping Pong: Not Ready for the Olympics
- How to Add a Low-Cost Reading Rack to Your Treadmill to Make Walking More Fun
- Sports and Hobbies: How Many Can You Squeeze into a Lifetime? 79 So Far…
- Zumba is Exhilarating
- Stand up Computer Desks: Take a Load Off your Seat
- Take a Load Off Your Seat #2: Adjustable Stand-up and DIY Cycling Desks
- How to Add a Reading Rack to a Treadmill
- Fitbit Fun — 10 Months Later
- Don’t Lose Your Fitbit! A Fabulous Fitbit Accessory to Keep the Clasp from Opening
- Fitbit Charge Review (New Product to Replace Fitbit Force)
- Stand-up Paddleboarding: Testing the Water
- Find Lost Fitbit, Get a Free Fitbit Replacement
- Fitness Fun with FitBit
- Fitbit Fun: 22 Months Later
- Fitbit Fun — 10 Months Later
- Fitbit Charge Review (New Product to Replace Fitbit Force)
- Regal Princess Review: Top 20 Amenities
- Weird Solo Travel Experiences
- Vacationing on Your Own: Pleasures and Perils of Solo Travel
- Traveling Solo: Why I Love Princess Cruise Lines
- Weird Vacation Incidents on My South America Cruise
- South America Cruise: Ushuaia, Argentina the End of the World
- South America Cruise: Adventures in Punta Del Este, Uruguay
- South American Cruise: A Day in the Falkland Islands
- South American Cruise: Penguin Rookery at Punto Tombo National Reserve, Argentina
- Crown Princess Review: South America Cruise
- South America Cruise: Buenos Aires Shore Excursion
- South American Souvenirs
- Traveling Solo: Why I Love Princess Cruise Lines
- Weird Solo Travel Adventures
- Regal Princess Review: Top 20 Amenities
- Cruisin’ Solo and Lovin’ It
- Mediterranean Cruise to the Greek Islands and Venice: Off to a Bumpy Start
- Mediterranean Cruise: Lost Luggage Second Year in a Row
- Mediterranean Cruise: An Adventure in Montenegro
- Mediterranean Cruise: A Day in Santorini, Greece, Climbing a Volcano and Exploring a Mountaintop Village
- Mediterranean Cruise: A Day at the Beach in Katakolon, Greece
- Mediterranean Cruise: Touring Athens
- Mediterranean Cruise: Fabulous Venice
- Mediterranean Cruise: Weird Incidents
- Mediterranean Cruise: The $847 Hotel Room
- Mediterranean Cruise: Souvenirs from Italy and Greece
- Mediterranean Cruise: Palma de Majorca
- Mediterranean Cruise Souvenirs
- Mediterranean Cruise to Malta
- Ode to Lost Luggage
- Why I Love Solo Cruising
Pingback: The ultimate adult boredom buster guideThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: Fun New Fitness Activity - Disc Golfing with FrisbeesThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: Polga (Yoga and Pole Dancing) AwesomenessThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: Flotation Tank Experience: A One Hour Relaxing Float in a Tub of Buoyant WaterThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: Women's Kayaking and Hiking Weekend: Wonderful Except for the Near-Death ExperienceThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: Making New Friends As an Empty Nester Can Be AwkwardThoughts, Tips and Tales
Pingback: 169 fun things to doThoughts, Tips and Tales