Welcome back to the next issue of Escape Rooms Australia.
As the leaves change and the excitement of the school holidays are upon us, we are thrilled to announce that it’s that time of year again the TERPECA Awards are just around the corner! This prestigious event recognizes the best escape rooms worldwide, and we can’t wait to see which rooms will take home the coveted titles this year. The nomination phase begins in October, where enthusiasts will have the opportunity to nominate their favorite experiences. Be sure to stay tuned for the announcement of this year’s nominees and finalists in early November!
Mark your calendars: the winners will be revealed on December 21st! This is an exciting time for our community, as we celebrate excellence in creativity, design, and immersive storytelling within escape rooms.
Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for the escape room industry.
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Redemption
Just one question. Do you feel conscience?
Recently, there have been several cases of missing persons in Yendys City. According to survivors, they were all kidnapped and held in the abandoned basement by a mysterious organisation that called itself “Cain”. Today, you woke up and found yourself in a cell along with other strangers.
Waking up in a cell, you are constantly being told by the one who hides in the darkness of the sins of the fearful, which are awakened from the depths of your memories. Do you feel guilty or repentant when you’re locked in a cell, looking back at your life in endless darkness?
* Important Information
Redemption is a horror-themed room. Please ensure all paticipants wear enclosed shoes and refrain from consuming alcohol before the game.
Due to the nature of it being a horror-themed room, there are some restrictions on the participants. Participants with any of the following conditions are not suitable to do the horror-themed rooms:
– Pregnancy
– Heart Conditions
– Claustrophobia
– Nyctophobia
– Epilepsy or Photosensitive Epilepsy
– Requires disability access
Please ensure you carefully consider these restrictions before participating to ensure your safety and a smooth experience. If you have any questions or specific concerns, fell free to contact us for more information.
WARNING：Small spaces, smokes and flashing lights in the game.*
Players: 3-10
Difficulty: 3.5 out of 5
Suggested Ages: Suitable for 14 to 65. At least 3 members over 14 are required. (NOT admitted younger than 10 or older than 70.)
Duration: 1 Hour and 20 minutes
The Great Comic Book Heist
Can you steal a comic book worth a fortune?
A rare comic book worth thousands of dollars has hit the shelves of your local comic store. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to break into the store and steal the comic to claim your fortune.
- Rated PG
- Loud sounds
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 1.5 out of 5
Suggested Ages: Suitable for all ages.
Duration: 60 Minutes
The First of Them
A mass outbreak of the viral infection known as ‘Cordyceps’ has sparked fear across the world. The virus infects humans and causes them to transform into zombie-like creatures.
Someone close to you has been bitten by an infected host, and will shortly turn into a zombie.
Our sources have managed to locate the laboratory where the vaccine research is being carried out. With help from an insider, we have been able to get an aluminium case smuggled out. This case is now in your hands.
Our only hope is that their scientists were successful in creating a vaccine, and that you can get inside this case in time.
Please hurry. Our fate is in your hands.
Please note: This is a portable escape room game in a box, and not a physical escape room. This portable game box is designed to be played at your own location, and not at Social Escape’s venue in Alexandria.
Players: 1-6 per game box
Difficulty: Not specified
Suggested Ages: 15+
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes
The Flaming Pearl
Legend has it that eons ago a dragon and phoenix found a large shiny stone by a stream. The dragon diligently honed it into a pearl glowing with prosperity. The phoenix then infused it with fire and the essence of longevity. Attracted by its fiery glow, a heavenly queen ordered her guards to descend to Earth to steal it one night as they slept. Upon learning of her treachery, the enraged dragon and phoenix flew up to the heavens to retrieve their beloved pearl. But as they scuffled with the queen, the pearl fell into a deep lake and was lost.
An antiquities dealer found the mystical pearl during a recent expedition. He crafted it into a powerful amulet that has blessed him with good fortune and health. It’s well hidden in a special room and protected by 12 exotic mechanisms inspired by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Your team of treasure hunters have managed to sneak into that room. But can you deactivate the challenging security system and steal the flaming pearl before being caught?
Features:
A vibrant meticulously themed room with highly interactive props, amazing tech and production values. 75-minute duration due to there being so much to do! Ideal for those not fluent in English.
Players: 2-9
Difficulty: Medium to Advanced – (depending on group size)
Suggested Ages: 5+
* This is not an accessible room due to pre-existing stairs.
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Crystal Mine
Treasure hunters, you must brave the Crystal Mine to claim the legendary riches lost inside! Will you unveil the mysterious treasures and discover the secrets hidden within? Or shall you meet the fate that befell those who dared to tread this path before you?
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 4 out of 5
Suggested Ages: Recommended for players who are 10+. If you are under 10 you may still play however the puzzles are designed for older ages.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Alice in Puzzleland
The Mad Hatter is in trouble!
Save him from the Queen of Hearts without losing your heads. With Alice nowhere to be seen, it’s time for you to fill her shoes.
You find yourself at the Hatter’s cottage. The table is set but no one is around.
Curiouser and curiouser… Find and return the Queen’s Tarts in 60 minutes, or it’s off with the Hatter’s head. Chop chop!
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 2 out of 5
Suggested Ages: 7+. U15s must be accompanied by an adult
Wheelchair Access: Yes. Please call venue to confirm details.
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Cursed Carnival
Step right up ladies and gentleman to the greatest show you’ll ever see.
Mr whitlocks carnival has been travelling all over the country and has finally landed in your town. You’ll have so much fun that you might never leave.
Step through the gates and enjoy yourself.
Please note that this room has some confined spaces, atleast one member must be able to operate in them.
Additionally we ask that people with pace makers do not complete this room.
Players: 3-6
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Suggested Ages: 8+ (U13s must be accompanied by an adult)
Duration: 60 Minutes
Mad Monster
Handcuffed to a chain running through the floor and back up to your friends within a shipping container, you survey the space around you. Suddenly an immense sense of dread takes hold as you realise you can hear one of the nearby crates breathing…
Mad Monster is a seated, single room escape experience designed to provide a shocking treat for players of all skill levels. Do you have the power to turn the chains that bind you into the key that unlocks your freedom?
Please enter at own risk, warnings apply:
– Contains flashing lights and loud noises
– You are handcuffed for this game’s full duration
– Monsters within have not been fed for days
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: Medium
Suggested Ages: Not Specified
Duration: 60 Minutes
Enchanted Forest
Deep within the Enchanted Forest lies the Crystal of Power, a gem that maintains the delicate balance between magic and nature. Since the beginning of time it has protected the forest and all its creatures from harm. But now, a dark cloud has cast its shadow over the forest.
A group of evil wizards, drawn by the crystal’s immense power, have devised a sinister plan to seize it for their own purposes. They have captured the forest’s guardian creatures, threatening to unravel the very magic that sustains this realm. If they succeed, the forest will fall into darkness, and its magic will be lost forever.
But all hope is not yet lost. You, intrepid heroes, have been chosen for a crucial mission. The wizards’ plot is already in motion, and you have just one hour to find and reclaim the Crystal before they do.
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
Suggested Ages: Rooms are recommended for ages 12 and over. Players under 12 must have a paying adult play with them.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Shady Jim’s Jewellery
Shady Jim has acquired a very precious item through nefarious means, and as such, YOU have been hired as a group of crack shot super sleuths! You will have to sneak into Jims and drop off the item (whatever that is) for your contacts before being caught by Jim’s security!
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: Moderately Challenging
Suggested Ages: 18+
Duration: 50 Minutes
Red Creek Asylum
Enter Red Creek Asylum, a nightmarish hospital where the boundaries of sanity and horror blur. Known for the infamous Dr. Damien Blair and rumours of his brutal lobotomies and patient torture, the asylum hides a dark legacy. As a detective investigating an anonymous complaint about these horrific practices, you must navigate the asylum’s twisted history and uncover the secrets of Dr. Blair’s gruesome methods. Will you solve the mystery, or become a part of Red Creek’s dark history?
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 4 out of 5
Suggested Ages: Suitable for all ages.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Paranormal Activities
The Featherstone House has a dark and tragic history dating back to its original owners who had unnatural and disturbing practices. An evil, sinister entity possessing the house has awakened, growing stronger over the years by feeding off the fear and suffering of its victims. Your team of paranormal investigators has been called to the Featherstone House, where a series of unexplained events have terrorized the occupants. Your mission is to uncover the dark secrets of the house, find a way to banish the malevolent spirit, and escape before it claims you as its next victims.
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
Fear Factor: 5 out of 5
Suggested Ages: 18+
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Nun
Deep in the mountains stands the Karnar Orphanage. In recent years, there have been multiple cases of orphans collectively disappearing from the orphanage. Police investigations were unable to uncover what happened. Since then, numerous terrifying rumours about the orphanage have spread among the villagers.
You are a group of orphans who lost your parents in the war, and today you have been sent to the orphanage. By the time you arrive, it is already past midnight. A sense of dread is in the air, you can’t help but wonder: can you survive tonight?
[Epilepsy Warning: This game contains sequences of flashing lights, which may affect players who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy. Not recommended for players with a history of seizures or epilepsy]
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 4
Physicality: 2
Fear Factor: 5 out of 5
Suggested Ages: 12+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Unseen
The Black Lake Church became notorious for being haunted after a priest was inexplicably found dead decades ago.
10 years ago, a group of famous YouTubers ventured within to shoot a paranormal investigation video but mysteriously disappeared. The news shocked the world, and the church was quickly sealed off by the government.
More recently, people have gradually forgotten about the incident, and the watch over the church has become less strict. You and your group of adventurous friends found the old records online and decided to sneak in tonight for an investigation of your own.
Players: 2-5
Difficulty: 3
Physicality: 3
Fear Factor: 4 out of 5
Suggested Ages: 12+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Ninja
Deep in the alleys of Tokyo’s Shinjuku, lies a mysterious traditional ramen shop that opens from midnight, and only serves one group of customers at a time.
You are a group of novices in the ninja world. To become official ninjas, you must first pass a test by the clan. Following the marks hidden by the clan along the way, you surprisingly end up at this ramen shop.
You are given an important task. The mightiest ninja has been born…
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 3
Physicality: 5
Amusement: 5
Suggested Ages: 12+
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Secret Chamber and The Deathly Grail
The imprisoned evil spirit known as the “Death Prophet” has entered the magical school through sorcery and stolen the Divine Artifact known as “The Deathly Grail” from the Headmaster’s room. If the Death Prophet succeeds in gathering all the Divine Artifacts, it will gain the strength to break free and cause great calamity to the world. You and your fellow wizards must travel from the Room of Teleportation into the magical prison to retrieve “The Deathly Grail”. Ready for a magical adventure?
Players: 3-8
Difficulty: 4
Physicality: 2
Amusement: 5
Suggested Ages: 12+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Buccaneers Bounty
You and your fellow buccaneers are trapped on the infamous pirate ship, The Breakout Buccaneer, under the command of the dreaded pirate captain Edward Lyttleton.
After attempting a bold mutiny against Lyttleton, you find yourselves locked in the brig.
The ship is rumoured to carry the most elusive treasure map, leading to fortunes untold! So, brave buccaneers; your quest? You must work together to escape the brig, navigate through the ships’ storage area, and finally reach the map room where the coveted treasure map is hidden, and finally escape, before the captain arrives back on board!
Are you up for the challenge, scallywags? The Breakout Buccaneer awaits!
Players: 2-8
Difficulty Rating: Family Friendly
Suggested Ages: 12+. Children 12 and under MUST be accompanied by an adult inside any game, and anyone under 18 must be preregistered by an adult over 18.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Lost Loot
Gather your courage, summon your wit, and prepare for an unforgettable adventure as you set sail for fortune and glory in the ‘Lost Loot Lair’ – where legends are made and treasures await those daring enough to seek them!
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 1 out of 5
Suggested Ages: PERFECT FOR BEGINNERS & kids wanting to complete a game without adult supervision.
Duration: 45 Minutes
The Other Side
Are you looking for a scary escape room? If yes, then enter “The Other Side..”
Stranger things have happened on The Other Side – parallel dimensions are no longer just theory. You must venture through a portal into a dark parallel world to find 3 sacred relics before it is too late. Can you close the portal from the other side, or will you let our world descend into eternal darkness?
Warning: This room contains dark confined spaces and the storyline and theming deals with the super natural. It is not recommended for a younger audience.
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: Not specified.
Suggested Ages: Ages 10 and above is recommended, but everyone is welcome to play. Children under 7 play for free. Ages 14 and under require a guardian to be present during arrival and when the game finishes.
Duration: 60 Minutes
Meltdown
The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant has been a beacon of technological prowess and safety for decades. However, recent seismic activity has caused structural instabilities, leading to a catastrophic chain reaction. The plant is now on the brink of a meltdown. You, a team of elite engineers and scientists, have been called in to avert the disaster.
*Colour dependent puzzles
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 3 out of 5
Suggested Ages: 8+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Experiment
Can you concoct a critical drug and escape the lab, or will you fall victim to EXPERIMENT X?
You and your team of scientists wake up in a secret human testing lab created by the mysterious organization “SPECTRUM”. As you come to your senses in the stark, clinical environment, fragmented memories start to flood back. You remember being approached by SPECTRUM, intrigued by their promise of groundbreaking research. But soon, those memories turn darker, recalling how you were forcibly taken and brought to this hidden facility.
Now, it becomes clear that you are part of “EXPERIMENT X,” SPECTRUM’S most critical and secretive project. Chosen for your special skills and expertise, your urgent mission is to create a life-saving drug that can cure a specific, deadly sickness known for causing rapid organ failure and severe neurological damage. This drug not only aims to cure but also has the potential to prolong life significantly for those afflicted.
As you navigate the lab, you uncover dark secrets about SPECTRUM and the true cost of their research. You learn that many test subjects have perished in the name of progress, raising ethical questions about the lengths SPECTRUM is willing to go to achieve their goals.
Will you and your team manage to create the drug and escape the lab before it’s too late, or will you become another victim of EXPERIMENT X?
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 4 out of 6
Suggested Ages: 14+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Sinister Circus
Can you escape the circus before you become part of the show forever?
Disclaimer: Please note that this room may not be suitable for individuals with claustrophobia due to enclosed spaces and intense atmospheres. We recommend considering this before booking.
Note: Sinister Circus room is not wheelchair friendly.
Welcome to the Sinister Circus, the show that’s the talk of the town! Tonight, you and your friends have exclusive tickets to a special performance.
As you take your seats under the grand tent, you overhear whispers from other guests — tales of previous spectators who vanished without a trace after attending similar exclusive shows. Now, with the ringmaster’s eerie smile seeming more ominous, you realize that escaping is your only chance to avoid disappearing like the others.
With only an hour until the show’s grand finale, you must unravel the circus’s secrets and solve the puzzles embedded in the acts.
Can you and your friends find your way out before the final curtain closes and you become part of the circus forever?
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 5 out of 6
Suggested Ages: 14+
Duration: 60 Minutes
Sherlock Holmes Telephone
Australia’s Smallest* Escape Room Experience
Playing a Strictly Limited 5 Week Run At Escape This Perth CBD, Then To Sydney!
Step into a classic red London telephone booth for a heart-pounding escape room experience where you become the key player in an eternal battle of wits between the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes and his arch-nemesis, Moriarty!
Trapped by the cunning Moriarty, you find yourself alone in this iconic British setting. Surrounded by clues steeped in the lore of Sherlock Holmes, you must think like the detective himself. Decode cryptic messages, solve challenging puzzles, and use your keen observational skills to unravel Moriarty’s devious plan. With each puzzle solved, you inch closer to freedom.
But remember, time is of the essence! Moriarty’s trap is intricate, and only by channeling Sherlock’s brilliance can you hope to escape. This is not just a test of intellect, but of your ability to stay calm under pressure and think like the greatest detective in literary history. Are you ready to step into this immersive adventure and outwit Moriarty in a game of minds?
*You will be escaping an old-fashioned London Telephone box… Small in size but a BIG adventure!
Players: 2-2
Difficulty: 7 out of 10
Suggested Ages: 13+
Duration: 45 Minutes
Click Image for Answer
The Adventure of the Mystery Lodge
If you’re a reader of ERA, you like puzzles. There’s a strong chance you’ve even come up with your own puzzles. But how many of you readers have moved these puzzles from your mind to something that others could play?
Last year I realised I had come up with enough puzzles of my own to turn my apartment [briefly] into an Escape Room and get my friends to play it. In the next article I’m going to walk through my process of designing one of the puzzles, but for now I’m going to talk about the lessons I learned from all the mistakes I made in creating the overall experience. But first:
Start With What You Have:
You have ideas. You have items. You have seen other puzzles. Inspiration can come from anywhere, but the best source is to start trying to be creative. Your first idea for a puzzle might be awful, but by finding out why it was bad, you can learn where to do better on the next effort. I’ve been in Escape Rooms where I have stopped and tried to “fix” a puzzle in my head for how I would design it better. Bring your own ideas out to play – and then test them (see below). I have a …couple … of bookshelves, so I tied these into the theme of my Room.
Linking clues:
My living space is busy, and players never see a puzzle in isolation. Books, plants, curios, whatsits, even just furniture, there is a lot going on already, so I needed to clearly link pieces of puzzles and the relevant locks together. If your player doesn’t know which input goes to which output, they’re going to just wander around trying out each lock they can see. Grab some matching items or get your coloured pencils out to help your players spend more time solving puzzles and less time solving locks.
Decor vs Distractions:
Also, finding the balance between a full space and a sparse room is important. I’ve been in rooms where everything is a puzzle because the owner had only the bare basics (not even a coat of paint on the walls). Immerse your players with decor that fits the theme, but give them a guide to find what they need. Making a room in a domestic space is tricky to rule out most of your possessions (no Lawrence – my sock drawer is not arranged in a particular pattern you need to identify).
Also I found that my bookshelf layout makes a number – totally unintentionally.
Replaceable vs Unbreakable:
I was lucky that my friends and family that played my ‘room’ weren’t an aggressive bunch (except for Kat), but I had a renewed understanding of the options you have for props. Make everything:
-Unbreakable;
-Replaceable; or
-Unreachable.
Every prop, puzzle and decoration is going to be stress tested, repeatedly, so always have a backup piece.
This is also where you might find your limits in terms of construction. Have a poke around videos and guides online for some tutorials on woodworking, or for now, just make your puzzle out of cardboard or other bits out of your recycling.
Playtesting:
Test, test, and test again. Every puzzle in your head is too difficult for 99% of people. You start building a puzzle knowing how to solve it, but you n. Playtesting answers questions like:
Q. Does everyone get stuck on the same puzzle?
A. As a general rule, everyone taking more than five minutes means your puzzle is too hard. Provide another clue somewhere in the space. Hide a pattern, ‘train’ your players in how to solve. Cluing is an art as important as your original design. (If you want to make your experience ‘harder’, add more puzzles – two easy puzzles is better than one hard puzzle)
Q. What hints do I need?
A. Lots. No matter what delivery system you plan on giving hints via (walkie talkie, screen, voice of God, in-room actor/host), you need to have plotted out all the steps to solve it, as basic as possible. Following your friends around as they get increasingly frustrated at your puzzles is a … fun… experience.
Q. Is the puzzle fair?
A. Only the worst Escape Rooms boast about being unbeatable. Make sure your players have everything they need for a solve. Make it make logical sense.
General Thoughts:
-Laminators are fun – but check your spellig n gramma first!
-Don’t hold onto any singular puzzle too tightly – if it doesn’t work, split up the parts into new puzzles
-Use tracing paper if like me, you can’t draw
-Everything is awesome with Lego!
-Try ideas that won’t scale – i.e. stuff that needs replacing and is fine for a small number of teams only (try and involve the sense of taste!)
-Your puzzles are still too hard!
-Make a puzzle path to map out everything you can think of (meta pieces, clues, containers and locks)
-Follow your players around and make continuous notes (against your puzzle path) to improve your experience for the next group
-Lastly: photograph everything! So you can remember where it all goes!
Happy designing, building and playtesting!
Route Transposition Cipher
Come with us now, on a journey through time and space – well, maybe just a path of letters and directions.
It’s another transposition cipher this episode, a cousin of our Rail Cipher [July 2023 edition]. This means that we are not going to change the letters themselves – just the geometric order of how we read them.
Alternative Routes
To demonstrate a few variations, let’s first take a quick message and trace it through some basic formats:
In Green we have a standard reading style across lines; in Yellow reading downwards in columns; in Red reading clockwise going inwards; and lastly in Blue reading anti-clockwise going inwards but from the bottom right. The first three don’t pose much difficulty, but with the last one we can see how even just shifting the starting point slows the reader down. Still doesn’t prevent you from getting it I hope. Let’s progress it.
Stuck In Traffic?
Our Orange squares on the left are read in a spiral again, but this time from the centre outwards. The second Orange square here puts the cipher text into normal(ish) looking words that spell out the rows.
The Purple one is going diagonally down to the right, starting from the top left. The length of some of our words here makes it a bit easy to pick out some of it (almost a crossword style). Our cipher text in this example lists out the columns.
Remember you can expand the grid for a longer message, and can always use “filler” letters to help round up a shorter message.
Directions Please!
Okay time to mix up our journey. Below we have the same message as before in Red, starting from the top left position. But this time we will follow a sequence of directions that indicate the route to follow for the message. In Grey we see the directions to be followed – literally – go right for R, then down for D, left for L. In Blue I’ve swapped out these letters for an arrow path if that’s more your style, and lastly is the set of directions but instead reading across in rows.
Taking The Scenic Route
Here is a bigger example piece with directions. (Hint: start at the ‘S’, centre of the second-lowest line) (Also: your target needs to know where to begin!)
The Next Trip
If you really want to slow your players down so they can enjoy the journey, the Route Cipher can easily be combined with other encoding options. Sure, the reader will need to follow the letters around anti-clockwise going inwards, but if you have put your message through a Caesar / Rotation Cipher or similar, it’ll be tough for an unwanted reader to crack it.
Which Way Now?
When you have found letters set out in a grid, or a strange yet deliberate shape, you can test out the basic routes we covered earlier. But if these don’t work look around in your Escape Room for clues as to how to read it. It could be that you have been given way too many directions for a directional lock sequence, or there’s a two part cipher for you to work on. Good luck!
