Escape Rooms

[SarahSouth]

Anyone else done escape rooms? How did you find them?

Fun.

I’m a bit meh about them tbh. Done two and they were OK.

I’ve enjoyed them as I love testing those skills. But I think it depends on who you go with.

I quite like them, but due to cost they tend to be something we do on holiday.
7yo DD has been in a magical themed one and found it fun but some rooms are more adult themed.

Depends on who you’re with.

I went with people from work. The group I was in we’re all pretty useless. One didn’t turn up, so I took ds2(15) with me - I had to bribe him with pizza!

I think they'd still be locked in now if it wasn’t for ds2 and I. They’re lovely people, but useless at puzzles and practical things.

How many people do you all recommend to go with? I want to go just with DH, would that work?

I wanted to do this but will be checking safety procedure after those poor girls died of fumes from a fire in one abroad.

Really fun.

And I'm rubbish, but it's still fun! I don't mind whether I escape or not, some people do get really competitive though.

DC1 (14) has done a few as well and enjoyed them.

I loved it but I did it with a group of close friends so there was no politics. We had a laugh.

The people running it said that when they get work groups in it can get very fraught with people asserting a pecking order

I've done it with just two of us and it's been fine. It's obviously harder with only two, depends on how important the winning is to you. I think 4 is ideal. Anymore than 4 is too many.

Flissfloss I'm claustrophobic and have asked them to not actually lock the door and this has always been fine (so you could actually escape if there was a fire). They do seem to be set up in all sort of random places by all.sorts of people, I wouldn't trust the fire safety procedures tbh!

I've done one in a group of 5, we are all really good friends though and it was such a cleverly thought out theme and game. If anyone is near Canterbury I'd thoroughly recommend the escape room at The Pound. It's an old prison which is now a nice bar, upstairs they've turned the cells into an escape room.

I've been to a couple and they're great fun!

I went with my 3 best mates and we had a great time. I think it does depend on who you are with and how well you work together.

We’ve done several as a family and really enjoy them. My autistic son loves them as they seem to make sense to him.

Loved it. Did as a group of three, really really enjoyed it.

Loads, with family and with work. Fab every time.

Depends on the company. Break out always fun. Locked in annoyed me immensely but having a ‘puzzle’ that was literally nothing more than trying hundreds of keys.

Off to do my first one at 2pm!

Could someone give an example of what actually happens? A group of you are taken to a room/cell/whatever and have to solve a puzzle (or a series of puzzles?) within a time limit to ‘escape’ — but could someone say a bit more about the type of puzzle?

It could be anything. Puzzles I have come across are:

1: Chinese ribbon puzzle where a lock code was on a piece of ribbon you only found when you wrapped it round a stick to make marks line up

2: magnetic locks. Find 5 statues put them in the right place and a door opens

3: standard find the key puzzles

4: do a maths puzzle then fill a tube with fluid to the eventual figure that somehow opened a lock

5: morse code recordings and you have a key to work out the number it’s saying

6: ultra violet light finding numbers on walls

Basically anything and unscrew any ‘batteries’ screws’ or anything else that might have a secret compartment

Loved it. Team building exercise at work.

We were given a walkie talkie to speak to the front desk is there was a problem or they could give clues if you wish.

We were led in blindfolded and had to solve clues in one room before gaining access to another room where there were loads of puzzles to solve. Got out with a minute to spare.

I've done two. We escaped both

I enjoyed it as something different to do but I don't think I'll become one of those people who travel the country to do different ones.

My tip would be to go in as large a group as possible so that you can split up and be working on several puzzles simultaneously.

The puzzles in those I've visited were essentially in two parts -

1. Work out what the puzzle is
2. Collect things and put them together to solve it

Some of the puzzles needed (straightforward) maths, some manual dexterity and some were logic-based.

The owners of the room gave the occasional clue to move things along - I think that's normal, so you shouldn't find yourself stuck in a room for an hour doing nothing if you can't get started.

The best thing to do is start 'exploring' the room straight away.

Good fun, but I don't have that sort of mind to solve cryptic clues and riddles. We failed twice!

@flissfloss65 the bloke who runs the one we went said that it didn't occur to the people in the room that they could leave without solving the puzzles.

Thanks, everyone -- that's interesting to know what types of puzzles there are. If I imagine doing it with the colleagues in my department, I imagine a total bloodbath. We're possibly not very united...