Escape Room – You Have to Try This!

Looking for a new activity? Try an Escape Room! We had a blast and you will too. I recount my fun experience and how I learned something about myself.

When I heard an Escape Room had opened in Breckenridge, I had to try it. The idea of solving clues in order to escape during an allotted time period piqued my wild imagination. When I told my family about it, one of them said, “I wouldn’t want you to be on my team. You would freak out.” I wondered if they were right. I have been known to be impulsive under pressure. The challenge was on!

When I met our team, I worried that eight of us inside a small room would be too many people. Would I end up being an onlooker while others solved riddles or would I become Little Miss Bossy Pants? I would soon find out. Our new teammates introduced themselves as family and friends from Texas who were engineers. Hmm. Engineers, a businessman – my husband, Danny, and a novelist/artist – moi. It would either be a great combo or a major failure in communication.

Our guide instructed us not to take photos or videos and then led us into the room. He showed us the TV that would count down from sixty minutes. We could ask for three clues. Then he shut the door and the game was ON!

It’s killing me NOT to share the details of the game, but I don’t want to prepare anyone before they go. We used a wide variety of tools. Surprise and discovery were the best parts!

One of the Texas women took charge of the group and made some suggestions. We spread out to search for the first piece of the puzzle. Every time we solved a clue, we made a huge stride. We hooted, hollered, and high-fived. It was such a rush!

As the clock wound down to thirty minutes remaining, I was surprised by how chilled-out I was. One of the men said we should ask for a clue. It seemed like cheating to me.

“Let’s wait another five minutes,” I said. When the minutes passed, we used the phone to ask for one.

Our leader read the clue on the TV and then we dashed around the room with this new piece of information. After that, we didn’t waste any time asking for the last two.

With a COUPLE MINUTES TO SPARE, one of the men was having a problem with a padlock. I asked if I could try. Danny told me the numbers. I took my time and swept the dial sequential order. IT OPENED! The Texas girl used the piece of information revealed and together we solved the last piece of the puzzle.

With one minute and thirty seconds left, WE ESCAPED!

Afterward, the Texan leader turned to me and said, “You were so good at finding clues!”

That surprised me. I hadn’t kept track of my contributions, but said, “Thanks. You were a great leader. I think we all helped one way or another.” It was true. We all focused on different parts of the room and kept moving around while working together. No one freaked out or gave up.

V for Victory!

On our way home, Danny and I recounted the game. He insisted that I had done the lion’s share, but I was so in the moment, I didn’t notice. The biggest surprise was I was one of the calmer people in the room.

Somehow, working with everyone evenly distributed the stress. We all had one common goal. We depended on each other to escape in time. There was no question that we were all doing our best. It really taught me the value of teamwork.

Would I do it again? Absodanglutely! There are three levels of difficulty, so I expect the next escape room will be a lot harder. Don’t worry, I won’t wait thirty minutes for clues. Maybe we’ll escape five minutes sooner!

Have you ever gone to an Escape Room? Have you heard of them? How do you work under pressure?

Related posts:

Escape Room Breckenridge

I Survived the Halloween Circus

It Was A-Maizing!

Creepy or What?