In 2013, after years of popularity in Japan and Europe, a new definition of “hands-on” puzzles was introduced to America. Escape rooms are interactive environments where players are fully immersed in a puzzle and must find hidden clues to escape before time runs out. The idea is believed to have originated from someone who wanted to make break-out video games, like Crimson Room (2004), a little more realistic.
There are currently over 2,000 escape room experiences in the U.S. The most popular being a SAW themed room in Las Vegas. These games are guaranteed to be high adrenaline and exciting! When the clock starts ticking, your relationships and trust in others are put to the test.
If you’ve never had the adventure of getting locked in an Escape Room, now is your chance to experience the fun! FSU’s Leach Student Recreation Center is hosting a taste test to experience their new, mini portable escape rooms on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5 from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. There are 200 spaces up for reservation and 300 walk-in spaces each day. The best part is that it is completely free with an FSU ID. With only 500 spots available, the rooms will surely fill up quickly. Be sure to hop to your FSU Rec app to reserve your spot asap.
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You and your friends will only have ten minutes to solve the puzzle. The standard game time for escape rooms is usually 60 minutes. Some rooms, like the Roosevelt Escape Room in California, even have 90-minute games and higher difficulties. If you are claustrophobic, beware! Ten minutes may feel like a lot of time. For the rest of you, these ten minutes might fly by. But regardless of the duration, this is a cool opportunity to get a look at what the craze is all about.
Each escape room has a different theme that creates your experience. For some, it’s escaping a kidnapper and for others, you are working for President J.F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis to determine who shot down an American plane. At the Leach, you and a group of friends (recommended six people total), will be working on a bank heist. The FSU recap says your three goals are to solve the puzzles, break into the bank vault and escape. Unfortunately, I don’t think you’ll get to keep any stolen money, but you will for sure have a cool story to tell everyone about at the end of the day. So, get away from Strozier for a little bit next week, grab some friends and come see what the excitement is all about. MarketWatch reports the average success rate for escape rooms is 41%. Do you have what it takes?