Real Life Escape Games

Real life escape games are a team-based, mental challenge in which a group of people is locked in a room and must figure out how to get out within a set amount of time. There are puzzles and clues scattered around the room to help participants get out. Some escape games involve a series of rooms, and various companies provide challenges at different difficulty levels.

Challenges put your critical thinking skills to the test. There are codes to break, passageways to crawl through, even lasers to negotiate. It’s almost as if you’ve stepped into a video game.

The trend began mostly in Asia, particularly Japan, Taiwan and China. Now, however, they’re starting to migrate to the United States and Canada — and beyond. The Asian-influenced town of Richmond, near Vancouver in British Columbia, is home to at least five companies offering real life escape challenges.

Companies offering these experiences include British Columbia’s E-Exit; Living Room Escape in Las Vegas; HintHunt with branches in London, Dubai, Paris, and South Africa; AdventureRooms, which has numerous locations around the world including Florence, Munich, and Athens; Inside Out Escape in Helsinki; and Room Escape Adventures, with locations in London, Madrid and numerous spots in North America.