The Daily Sentinel: “Biz Buzz Feb 18, 2016”

Biz Buzz Feb 18, 2016

By Staff
Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Imagine you’re in a locked room and have only 60 minutes to find your way out by finding clues, solving puzzles and locating the final key code to open the door. It’s not a nightmare, but one of the hottest new trends sweeping the nation.

Epic Escape Game, 605 Grand Ave., is a new business and the only place in town to play live, interactive escape games where the concept is simple, according to manager Leslie Kell.

Players are locked in a room and must use their wits, problem-solving skills and teamwork to uncover clues, solve a series of puzzles and crack codes to ultimately find the key to escape the room, Kell said.

Escape rooms started in Asia in the 1980s as a video game and grew in popularity through a downloadable smartphone app. The game’s popularity continued to grow as operators took the concept from a video experience to a live group experience, she said.

“Live escape games rapidly spread to major tourist destinations in Asia, Europe, Australia and South America,” Kell said. “It’s now one of the fastest growing concepts in the U.S. It’s in New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Miami, Washington D.C., Phoenix and Denver.”

The business offers three, uniquely themed escape rooms to choose from. Each room accommodates up to six players. In “The Hunted” escape room, you are locked in a mountain cabin. On the fireplace mantle you find a note that reads: “You have a one-hour head start. Let the game begin.”

In another room, “The Watchman’s Chambers,” you and your team explore an old clock workshop to retrieve Father Time’s magic crystal that controls all of time, only to become locked in this workshop. Without the crystal, all of time is frozen. Players must put on their thinking caps and search around the room to find hidden clues that lead to a series of clever puzzles, Kell said.

“The Missing Manuscript” is the easiest room to escape from and is geared to families with younger children. It’s a great way for parents to interact with their children in a fun and positive way… [Read the Full Article]