Spooky Interactive Experiences: The Real Life Escape Game Trend
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Dude. A little late for Halloween, maybe, but we just heard about this. Have you heard about this?
I remember playing those Flash-based Escape the Room puzzle games online a few years ago, back when Flash was still a thing. You’d click around under the bed or in the air ducts or whatever and look for hints and mini-puzzles that, once solved, would get you one step closer to getting out.
A few months ago, we heard about a company in Beijing, China, running real-life “room escape” experiences. Mr. X Mystery House, with branches in both Beijing and Shanghai, is part of a growing real-life escape game trend where participants are locked in an enclosed area surrounded with hidden clues, with only one goal: to get out. Adding to the creepy vibe, support staff watch the guests’ attempts and liberation on hidden video cameras. This is partially for safety reasons, of course, but there’s another angle: participants are allowed one hint. If they get stuck, they wave at the camera, and Mr. X produces a clue. Now that’s what I call team-building.
Games can be themed as well: Mr. X offers Harry Potter, sci-fi and vintage themed games, across a range of difficulties. The recommended number of players at a time is 6-10.
But China isn’t the only location for these types of games: they’re taking off across the globe. Check out this super creepy video from Xcape Singapore: