Alex Mosher
Staff Writer
Imagine this: you’re locked in a 9×12 jail cell, rushing to solve a maddening puzzle before a timer runs out. You reach inside the tank of the silver prison toilet and find a slip of paper. You quickly crack its cryptic cipher. Then, you panic, only 10 minutes left to find the way out.
That’s just one anxious scenario to expect from an escape room, a physical adventure game that requires a team of players to strategically solve a series of riddles, clues and puzzles in order to escape the room before time runs out.
Communication, focus and the ability to think outside the box are key to a successful game. Puzzles may include, but are not limited to, hidden objects, mathematics, pattern identification, riddles, ciphers and object assembly.
Thrill-seekers and puzzle-solvers have flocked to escape rooms around the world for a decade, but the attraction has become even more accessible in recent years. The concept behind the growing phenomenon branched off of the idea of “escape-the-room” or “escape-games” style video games that were set in a variety of fictional locations, with elements like zombies, dungeons, prison cells, pirates, haunted rooms, hostage, kidnappings, treasure hunts and more.
Escape rooms took off in 2007 thanks to 35-year-old Japanese entrepreneur Takao Kato, who was the first to transform the game into a reality. The concept made its second debut in Singapore in 2011, then made its way shortly afterwards to Budapest, the first European location.
The first American city to have an escape room was San Francisco in 2012. The next year, Puzzle Break, a company founded by game designer Nate Martin, became the first American-based company to implement the escape room concept on a larger scale.
As of 2017, over 8,000 escape room venues have opened up worldwide, including two in the Pocatello area: Level Up and 13 Locks Escape Room.
“Escape rooms are challenging, interactive and a great way to make memories with your family and friends,” said Tambra Lockheart, manager of Level Up.
Level Up, an entertainment center that hosts trivia nights and game tournaments, is located at the Pine Ridge Mall. It currently has one escape room with a jewel heist theme, and its owners are working on the second theme of the second room.
“The goal is to retrieve 12 gems from the room in under an hour,” Lockheart said. “The rules are simple: work together and escape in the time provided.”
Level Up first opened its escape room doors on Halloween in 2016. It costs $10.60 per person and can hold groups of eight to 12 people. Aside from its escape room, Level Up offers a variety of family-friendly activities such as board games, laser mazes and game rentals and sales.
Closer to campus, 13 Locks Escape Rooms offers two escape room themes perfect for double date nights or team-building exercises. Defuse bombs and escape the evil genius in Dr. Deadbolt’s Lab or evade the electric chair in Cell Block 13.
Parties at 13 Locks must have a minimum of 4 members, and a 60-minute escape room adventure costs $25 per person, with discounted rates for large groups, students and veterans.
