Real life room escape games have been cropping
up around the United States with greater frequency over the last two
years. These stylized escape games which pit creative problem
solving against a ticking clock started in Hungary and took off in Japan where
they are extremely popular. In our own area there are currently no
less than five puzzle room companies in Seattle and at least one that I know of
in Redmond, with many in Portland as well.
Theatrically speaking there is a spectrum to
the experience. On one end of the spectrum there are simple puzzle
rooms that are filled with a variety of puzzle types. Small teams of
people work together to figure them out until each puzzle leads them to meta puzzles
which leads you to the means to leave the room.
On the other end of the spectrum are thematic
escape rooms. These carry a story or plot line along with the
necessary puzzle solving to make the escape. They are immersive to a
place or time and can heighten the urgency of the clock. Think a
prison break or escape from a mad scientist’s lab.
It is this story driven type of puzzle and
escape room that I will be bringing to Tacoma (in conjunction with some great
local partners). I wanted to create something that would be a
combination of stage play and puzzle room, with the idea that
plotting, story line and stagecraft such as lighting and special
effects would enhance the experience.
At its core it will
still be type of physical adventure
game in which people are locked in a room with
other participants and have to use elements of the room to solve a series of
puzzles, find clues, and escape the room within a set time
limit. But there will also be a plot, characters and a story line added
to the experience.
It would be possible
to put it together today and run a beta of it next week (and I was tempted to).
However, I would rather up the quality as much as I can. This means
more time and money to build a dedicated set, create special puzzles and
purchase props. So I am going to run a Kickstarter campaign to raise
funds for a higher end product through perks that will include first patron
advance ticket sales, puzzle sponsorship and hopefully some cool
swag. At the very least, this will give me the opportunity to spread
the word, find some beta testers and up the quality of the experience.
If you are interested
let me know, and look for the upcoming campaign.
"Know him, Hear him, See him, Free him" - Assisting Houdini in His Last Escape
No comments:
Post a Comment