Escape Games

[drfrightner]

Who is planning on opening Escape Games? We are going to build the MEGA Escape Game here in St Louis. I don't know if we will have it open for Transworld or not but we hope to ... we are going to start selling them to clients. Who else is planning on building these?

Larry

[Jim Warfield]

An Escape Game?

My patrons are already inside my house for usually 90 minutes. Asking them to figure something out would add 20 more minutes to it.
I think it was Henry Ford -1) Who said:"Thinking is the hardest job there is,that is why So Few People want to do it.'
I could see those "Thinkers" remaining at their monitors rather than inter-acting in any thought processes with other people who are standing there, looking at them, breathing on them.. picking their nose....
But! I have been wrong before! Good Luck!

[Spikerip]

We’re making plans for an Escape room to test during our Happy HorrorDays event after Christmas. It’ll be set up just outside our Funhouse attraction. We'll charge a separate fee for participation. They’ll have three minutes to solve a challenge/puzzle. We have plans to expand it next October to a separate attraction; possibly with three rooms taking more time and tougher challenges. I posted something here a week ago and only Jim responded; I thought maybe we were the only ones trying this. Glad to hear you are working on it Larry.

I think this could be another revenue generator for our haunt. Gamers seem to be interested in this concept. From what I’m reading; it’s pretty big in Europe and there are a lot of gamers in the US.

Kelly Collins
The ScareAtorium Columbus

[haunter1313]

I think haunted house owners are and would be the best operators of such attractions. In fact I feel all the people trying to open escape rooms across the country are going to fail. Here is why, I just think its a fad first off and second I feel that the overwhelming amount of competition will crush the entire concept. Look at the zombie runs someone did well then they got crushed with competition and bam everything done. Escape games will be the same deal and those who open them biggest competition will come from haunt owners.

I personally have talked to at least 10 to 15 of my buddies in the biz who are all planning escape games attached to their haunted house.

We also plan on building one here.

[Jim Warfield]

I Tried Murder-Mysterys

The problem with them was usually many people either don't want to "play" (Childish, you know!) Or they can't be bothered to have any "Fun" that didn't come finding them from a screen, whether it is Tv or a computer game.
Adults also often will not follow directions to allow something out of their comfort zone of experiences to happen, they just outright refuse!
I learned very early with Murder Mysterys that I had to write them so a minimal number of speakers/actors would actually HAVE to ACT or "Heavan forbid-Speak!" To allow the "Play" to happen, or move forward.
If they were handed 25 sealed envelopes (a part in each envelope) I would instruct the person buying the box of parts to make sure the envelopes with a certain marking on them got handed to someone who was going to speak, act a little, otherwise you end up with mostly nothing at all happening! People just standing around gauking at one another! (And with all of their clothes "ON" too!)
Great fun was had ,when most of them were willing to participate.
I tried to create a bunch of silly character names and sometimes a guy would play a female part to everyone's amusement.
A younger group, late High School-- College age,possibly a group of good friends,or a theatrical class or group would be the prime users of a Murder Mystery or the game room scenario.
Often the Murder Mysterys would degenerate into a group playing Hide & Seek.. so we eventually forgot a Murder Mystery ,scripts, ex cetra, and just rent the house for them playing hide and seek!