If someone told me a year ago that I would love doing escape rooms, especially the scary ones, I would have said that they’re crazy. But, for a few months now, I’ve started to go to them more often and I’ve found that they are great for a multitude of reasons.
Photo Courtesy of Pixabay.com
1. It is a great bonding experience! Sometimes, it can be really hard trying to get to know people, but when doing escape rooms, you can learn a lot about someone. How well they problem-solve, if they hold up under pressure, and if they can have fun without taking something too seriously. Honestly, I would recommend escape rooms as a third date type of adventure. It will definitely be an eye-opener as to whether or not that person is someone for you.
2. It’s also a great way to learn how to work well with others. There is no way to finish an escape room by yourself as almost all of them require some sort of team effort to solve the puzzles. Sometimes, groups have to be split up and work with each other by communicating from different rooms. Or you might have to have one person hold something in a specific location for someone else across the room to complete a puzzle. All of the rooms are different but there is always going to be some teamwork involved.
3. It’s a great way to meet new people! I once did a room with three of my friends and seven other random people and it was great! They were all game masters and employees of other escape rooms, which made it fun getting to know them and hearing their perspectives on different rooms in the area. It is common to end up in rooms with strangers, as you choose a room online and unless you make it a private event, other people can join.
4. It’s something different to go out and do. For fun, I usually go out to eat or to amusement parks. But since discovering I love escape rooms, it’s given me another option for late-night adventures. It’s also great because I never know what to expect. Nothing I’ve ever done has been quite like this and it is an amazing new experience.
Escape rooms are hard, I won’t pretend that they aren’t. Some clues feel impossible to figure out, while others come so easily. Some clues lead to dead ends and others are so easy that they are overthought and deemed unsolvable. Groups get split, you have to crawl through small spaces, and sometimes interact with the actors. Sometimes, you’ll get stuck on one part of the room and it’ll take so long, that you’ll run out of time. My advice is to just breathe. I know in the moment you won’t think to breathe, but it does help to take a second and then start again.
I have found that the best ones are the ones that are scary. I tend to work faster and have more fun because I am freaked out and want to leave as fast as I possibly can. There are a few in Los Angeles that have live actors in them, which can be both amazing because they give hints or absolutely terrifying because someone didn’t do their research ahead of time and surprise! There’s a live actor in that room ready to terrify you.
One thing that does make escape rooms sound like a turn off is the price. They can get very expensive, especially if you’re going in a small group. If you and a group of friends decide to go, some places do discounts if you buy in a large group or buy a certain amount of time in advance. So I would recommend doing that if the price is a concern.
Photo Courtesy of Escapehotelhollywood.com
A few rooms that I recommend would be The Basement LA (live actors), 60out, Escape Hotel Hollywood, and Zoe (live actors). So far, I have done the first two locations and I have enjoyed multiple rooms at them. The Basement is better, at least in my opinion, because it looks more professional and actually scared the life out of me. 60out was also good because they have many different themes and locations, catering to everyone that might have a preference on a room. They also do deals a lot so sign up for their emails.
The most expensive I have come across is Escape Hotel Hollywood, but there is always a line when I walk past it on Hollywood Blvd and the reviews are really great. It looks like a scary one and I hope it lives up to that expectation when I finally get around to doing it. And lastly, Zoe. This one looks by far the most horrifying. If you don’t believe me, watch their video here. This one has me questioning whether or not I’m actually going to do it, but knowing me, I will because I want that experience.
There are so many other rooms out there and they’re super easy to find by doing a google search. There are also a few local ones that I have yet to check out because they don’t have the scare factor that I tend to look for in a room.
I recommend escape rooms to anyone for any occasion. They’re a lot of fun, even if you don’t escape. If you like to get your adrenaline pumping then hop online and check out some escape rooms. Who knows maybe you’ll enjoy it. Escape if you dare.