Welcome back to the next issue of Escape Rooms Australia.
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The Witching Hour
In an abandoned house the witching hour has triggered a series of frightening phenomena. Doors are opening by themselves, the floorboards are creaking, knocking can be heard beyond the walls.
Can you banish the dark entity or will you be tormented forever?
We offer a duplicate of The Witching Hour. Book both sessions within the same hour to compete head to head against your family and friends
Age Restriction: 13+
WARNING: This game requires some crawling has strobe lighting and loud noises and vibrations – please let your game master know if you need an alternative pathway.
Players: 2-8
Duration: 60 Minutes
Intruders
A hospital outside a town was mysteriously abandoned a few years ago and the local council has ordered the hospital to be demolished in the early hours of this morning.
There have been reports of alarms sounding at night from inside the hospital and the initial investigation team disappeared for an unknown reason.
You have heard that a YouTube director who investigates paranormal activities has organised an urban exploration before the hospital is demolished. For your own personal reasons, you asked if you could join as part of his film crew.
You only have 90 minutes to sneak into the hospital to discover why the hospital was abandoned before the demolition crew arrives.
Players: 3-6
AGE: Suitable for 15 to 65. At least 3 members over 15 are required.
Duration: 90 Minutes
ZEN
You know that famous saying – YOLO – You Only Live Once? Well that’s not actually true. The truth is, you only die once. You’re living everyday. But are you really living? You wake up. Eat. Work. Sleep then repeat this over and over and over again every sad day of your existence until the day you die.
Is this what you call life? No.
But the team at ZEN are here to help! You start by entering an all white room and you have 60 minutes to bring the joy and colour back to everything and everyone around you.
Players : 2 – 8 (min 4 on weekends)
Recommended minimum players : 4
Difficulty : Medium
Suitable for all ages, large group size and experienced teams
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Dunny
Nature calls so you’ve slipped free of your tour group in search of a restroom.
Unfortunately, the only toilet you’ve seen on the tour of celebrity Huge Axeman’s house is the old dunny out the back. And ever since the man himself had gone crazy and taken to the bush several years ago, its door has remained permanently closed…
But now, with a little force, you’ve managed to pry it open enough to slip through and make use of the long drop inside.
Sitting silently in the fading light, you’re almost finished your business when you hear a rustling outside. You sit up abruptly to take a cautious look outside when suddenly the door slams shut!
Your greatest fears are realised as you try the door, and realise it’s locked. With only an hour of sunlight left, you’ll need to work quickly to escape and make it back to your friends. Otherwise, like the Axeman himself, you may disappear forever…
You have one hour to escape…
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 3/5
Recommended Age: from 9 yrs
Duration: 60 Minutes
Hitman
A sudden power surge brought on by an electrical storm snaps you from your daze. The lift you’re in shakes violently and a comes to a grinding halt. Buttons for both the 7th and 8th floors light up, and a moment of false hope leads you to believe you’ve reached your destination.
As you prise open the elevator doors, you discover you’re actually caught between floors in what appears to be some type of top secret organisation…
Your heart races as you read the organisation’s name on a nearby document “Assassins Anonymous”. You feel your chest tighten and you realise you’ll need to find an alternative way out, fast!
Only a combination of quick thinking and a cool head is going to get you out of here alive.
Dare you enter?
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 4/5
Recommended Age: from 9 yrs
Duration: 60 Minutes
Entombed
You take one last look at the cash before closing the lid on the briefcase. It’s only the deposit, but enough to have enticed you to take on a seemingly impossible case.
As a private investigator working in Cairo, you’d heard whispered rumours about the disappearance of Dr. Smith long before his widow approached you. Her motivation is simple. No body, no insurance payout. And it’s a big payout. You’ve accepted the job…
So as you slip into Smith’s study, your thoughts are on your objective: find proof of his demise, or locate the treasure of Khufu – Smith’s obsession before he disappeared. Either one will give provide you and his widow a healthy pay cheque.
The only thing you hadn’t considered… the spirit of a long deceased pharaoh who wishes to be left alone, and a study you may never escape from!
Dare you enter?
Players: 2-6
Difficulty: 3/5
Recommended Age: from 9 yrs
Duration: 60 Minutes
Darkness Falls
In a glance, the world around you changes. Everything looks strange and your memories become blurry. All you can remember was meeting a witch that offered you a Tarot reading. Trapped in a cabin inside a dark enchanted forest, solving her riddles is the only way to break the spell. A walk down memory lane takes you to places from your past that hold clues to help you fight the darkness that surrounds you.
Players: 4-14
Difficulty: 3/5
Duration: 75 Minutes
Zombi Lab
A lethal man-made virus is turning healthy people into bloodthirsty, emotionless zombies. The virus is spread through a single bite. Most of the planet is now infected and humanity is on the brink of extinction. You are a team of scientists who were shipped to Russia to find the cure. You have only 60 minutes to save yourselves and the whole world before the zombies break down the door of the lab and eat you!
Players: 2-6
Duration: 60 Minutes
Operation Check-in
With the world leader summit fast approaching, the agency has been tasked with assuring the safety of all key personnel.
Your team received intel and tracked a member of a religious cult to a nearby hotel. Surveillance has been set up in the hotel room, and it is highly suspected that there is an imminent attack.
With the suspect currently roaming the city and not in the hotel room, now is the best chance to investigate further.
Players: 3-5
Difficulty: 3/5
Duration: 60 Minutes
R18
The mysterious and anonymous billionaire has requested your presence at their seductive party of a lifetime. How could one refuse? Do us the honour of indulging in the worlds greatest pleasures, fun, laughter, and suggestive content. Rumour has it that hidden amongst their playthings, is a most prized possession worth too much money for only one to handle. Can you show all your kinks just to resist temptation and indule in lifes greatest pleasures? Or will you give in to all that money can off…
Warning: This room has a variety of themes to appeal to a variety of tastes including electric currents (please let staff know of any medical conditions that are affected by this before booking)
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Bunker
War is raging around you. The emeny’s secret military bunker has been found and holds secrets that can change the course of the war, but you only have 1 hour to solve the clues before the enemy break through and take back control. Can your team save the day and stop the destruction before its too late?
Players: 2-5
Duration: 60 Minutes
The Pirate’s Cove
You’ve found yourself shipwrecked on a coast island.
You have discovered mysterious chests all around… Could this be the legendary lost treasure?
To open the chests you’ll need your crew, but before you can enjoy your loot, you’ll need to defeat Medusa’s curse!
Be quick, Be careful! There is limited time
Players: 2-8
Difficulty: 7/10
Duration: 60 Minutes
CarnEVIL
eople come from far and wide to see Claude’s incredible CarnEVIL…. only to NEVER be seen again..!
Come in, come in, enjoy the carnival games.. BUT be prepared that your escape is unlikely.. We look forward you you all becoming part of the CarnEVIL menu soon..
Recommended for ages 14+
Players: 2 to 6 players
Age guide 14+
Difficulty rating: 3/5
Duration: 60 Minutes
Hitman
Just a quiet night out with friends. Dinner and drinks at the world renowned Lucky Noodle restaurant – What could possibly go wrong?
Unbeknownst to you and your friends an incoming electrical storm is set to play havoc with your evenings plans.
On your way up to the Lucky Noodle restaurant on level 8 of an inner city sky rise, the resultant power surge brings your lift to a grinding halt at floor 7 and a half. Breaking out of the lift you discover the top secret headquarters of Assassins Anonymous, an elite gang of guns to hire.
You’ll need to keep your wits about you as you scour the room looking for another way out. The big boss returns in one hour and you’ll need to be long gone before then.
First escape the broken elevator, second escape the room, third escape the…
Only a combination of quick thinking and a cool head is going to get you out of here alive.
Dare you enter?
Players: 2 – 8 players
4 – 8 players (Fri & Sat P.M. peak)
Recommended Age: 9 years and up
Difficulty rating: 5/5
Duration: 60 minutes
Bank Heist 2.0
Robbing a bank needs nerves of steel and detailed planning, but you’re confident you have it cracked. You’ve reached the vault through your tunnel.
But things start to go wrong. The tunnel has collapsed, so you are trapped. Then you discover that the deposit boxes are wired. If you open them, the police will be alerted. The only option is to steal them all, but some are empty, and others (the ones you want) are stuffed full of valuables.
You must find the right ones and leave the rest. The game is on – will you succeed before you are busted?
Bank Heist is an exciting adventure escape room from Escape This in Perth. Work together to find clues and complete intriguing puzzles to successfully carry out the heist. You have 60 minutes to escape the bank with the valuables before the police arrive!
DARE YOU ENTER Bank Heist 2.0?
Players: 2 – 8 players
4 – 8 players (Fri & Sat P.M. peak)
Recommended Age: 9 years and up
Difficulty rating: 4/5
Duration: 60 minutes
The President’s Briefcase
Communication with Air Force One has been lost! Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean, POTUS is flying blind with no comms in or out. But that’s not half the problem…
Someone has also initiated the launch sequence for the United States’ nuclear arsenal!! Could it be a government insider, a disgruntled nation state, or maybe even a terrorist organisation? You’ve got 30 minutes to avert nuclear Armageddon.
And for the first time at Escape This, not only will you be racing against time, but racing against each other, if you so choose! Have a friendly rivalry or dispute that needs resolving? Want to prove to your friends who is the better escaper? The President’s Briefcase can be played simultaneously across two identical rooms in which your group will be split into two teams. Each team will encounter the same series of puzzles that will challenge you physically, mentally and visually… but which team will be the first to beat The President’s Briefcase?!
Players: 2 to 5 players per briefcase OR
2 simultaneous games for 10 players max.
Recommended Age: 12 years and up
Difficulty rating: 3-5/5
Duration: 30 minutes
The Curse of the Pharaoh
Can you break the curse of the Pharaoh?
Egypt, 1922. Step into the Valley of the Kings, where an ancient curse has been unleashed and a fearsome mummy roams the land.
Archaeologists have prized open a pharaoh’s tomb and taken something that does not belong to them: a sacred amulet filled with the devastating power of the old Gods.
But taking the amulet has unleashed a power they cannot control. A walking curse in the form of a hideous mummy. This creature now stalks the land taking revenge on all who desecrated its master’s tomb.
Your only hope is to lead a team of adventurers into the heart of the pharaoh’s lair, return the amulet to its rightful owner, and break the curse before it’s too late…
Players: 2-6
Recommended Age: 8 years and up
Duration: 60 minutes
Little Block Nine
Teleported into a mysterious world of colorful blocks called Little Block Nine. Greeted by Blockie, you find out how the people here need your help. Meeting a chef, a police officer, a rubbish man, and a programmer, you get to tackle a series of intriguing tasks and puzzles that test your logical reasoning, reaction speeds, memory, and communication skills.
With only 60 minutes to complete the challenges and earn a master key to return home, team up with your friends, family, or colleagues to escape before the time runs out!
Players: 1-11
Children 12 years old and below must be accompanied by at least one (1) paying adult (18+).
Duration: 60 minutes
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Congratulations to our winner.
Kylie
Check your emails for your prize details.
The Adventure of the PreGame Ritual
Being a GamesMaster is a front row seat to group psychology. How teams prepare (or don’t) can vary massively. We’ve seen a lot, from the classic pre-game-wee to a detailed outlining of every player’s role once in the room. Results are … mixed. Here are some of the more common ones.
Chemistry
There are a few things we can use to alter our minds to get ready. The big one is obviously caffeine: the stimulant effect it generally has on concentration, coordination and reaction times is going to be a benefit. Experts say the positive effects generally occur from one to three hours after you drink, so plan accordingly.
Nutritionally, I’ve found with my team that we have always escaped successfully AFTER having a meal. When we’ve booked the Room before feeding time… Not so successful.
Warming up the brain
A lot of reception areas have small puzzles and games to get your neurons firing before you go into your game. Think metal brain-teasers, Rubik’s Cubes and wooden blocks, or you could warm up at home by playing a desktop Escape Room game with your group.
Lucky charms
There is a team that has played at my Escape Room in Sydney where half of the players have a “lucky” outfit. Seeing as their team has made our Leaders’ Board on all of our rooms (and thus you can see their near-identical photo multiple times), it is definitely something that appears to be working for them.
The pattern of Escape Rooms having their own merchandise means that more players are turning up wearing the trophies of previous triumphs. Hats, shirts, badges of completion are all great to get you into the right mindset. (The strongest player in a team I hosted last week was sporting a shirt from a New York-based Escape Room)
Team organisation
Talking out how your team can play to its strengths can help too. If you all know the assets your crew have, being ready to call out types of puzzle for certain players can help speed up your escape attempts. See a mathematical puzzle – call Chris over. Symbols in weird patterns – that’s one for Lawrence.
Knowing the solutions
Of course the best “preparation” you can have is to know all the answers. Now I haven’t personally been witness to this, but the ‘urban legend’ has popped up both in Australia and internationally. The story usually centres on a male player, who has played the same Escape Room a second (or even third) time. Maybe the first time he comes along with his regular team, and makes sure to get involved in solving every puzzle.
But then he comes back. To play the same room. But this time he’s in a smaller team: just him and a female companion. Only he hasn’t told her he has done the room before. And so he gets to dazzle her with his supreme puzzle solving ability, as they make their way through the room in impressive form. I wish them all the best.
So which one do you use? There’s always the newbies classic: all the team sits in the waiting area chanting “Let’s just not be rubbish at this”.
Polybius Square
Who’s This Square?
Old mate Polybius was a Greek born about 200BC, but the method he made famous has influenced more sophisticated systems to this day. Originally, old mate Polybius had intended this code to be used in conveying messages long distance by moving a flaming torch up and down in sequence, with the message passed from tower to distant tower.
Squaring Things Up
First we need a little table of our alphabet. This cipher typically combines the letters ‘i’ and ‘j’ in one cell.
Each letter of the alphabet has its own grid reference. ‘A’ is 11, ‘B’ is 12, and so on.
Using everyone’s favourite word ‘moist’ as an example, we find the reference for each of the letters: 32 – 34 – 24 – 43 – 44
32=M, 34=O, 24=I, 43=S, 44=T. Done.
What you do with the numbers from here, to further hide your code, is up to you.
Getting The Word Out
Let’s say you have been given a long number or sequence, delivered in the classic block of five characters.
42342
From here we can split it up into pairs, and find that the 9 at the end is just filler.
42 34 22 15 42 14 11 31 44 42 15 54 9
Find the grid reference for each of these combinations to find who we are talking about.
Knock Knock- …
The simple numerical nature of this encoding technique means that it can be communicated by sound too.
Forget your dits and dahs, you don’t need them any morse. Sorry, any more.
Using our basic Square setup, we could ‘knock’ the following to determine who is there:
Straight To Other Tables
This “tabula recta” can be filled out however you like. Mix up your alphabet to make it trickier, use a different alphabet altogether (Cyrillic or Hiragana), throw in your own symbols (or numbers to save time), or do all of the above and expand it beyond 5×5 cells.
Square Rooms
Where will you find this in your Escape Room? They will always provide the table as a key for deciphering, so hold on to the seemingly random sequence of numbers you have found. Repetitions of lower numbers are important (notice how our ‘9’ in the example above was just filler at the end).
Or, if you find the table first, start looking for an even-numbered sequence, but be aware, your crafty designers may have put an extra level of puzzling before you can use it to find your references.
22343414314513251543131135243322!!!
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