Escape rooms are live-action adventure games in which players are locked in a room and have to solve a series of puzzles, clues, and challenges to escape the room within the given time limit. Each room uses a theme to tie the room, puzzles, and props together into an immersive, interactive experience.

Escape rooms got their start in Europe and Asia in the early 2010s. Since then they spread to the U.S. where they’ve taken off in recent years. Players willing let themselves be “locked” in a room and then must use an elaborate series on creative clues, hints, and riddle to solve a collection of puzzles. Each puzzle opens a door, offers a code to a lock, or reveals a key that you use to move about the room. Your goal is to navigate the puzzles and escape the room in the allotted amount of time – usually 60 minutes.

Games are meant to be played with other players. Most games are for 2-8 players, but some rooms are large enough to handle 10 players. This makes escape rooms a great option for team building, corporate outings, private events, and even just a group of friends.

You’ll find the good rooms have strong themes. All rooms will use some similar types of clues and locks. Alpha-numeric codes as very common, but the most creative escape rooms leverage high-tech solutions, electromagnetic locks, audio clues, and more to capture their player’s intrigue. And the best rooms have tightly themed rooms and clues where the puzzles are inter-related and the design of the room truly transports you into the game scenario.

If you’ve never tried an escape room, do it…..now! They’re full of challenging mind games that will keep you and your friends talking about them for weeks, and once you’ve played one, you’ll be hooked. You’ll find good ones and bad ones out there. They each have their strengths and weaknesses, but play enough and you too can master the escape room phenomenon!