Cardiff's first ever Escape Rooms have opened
Posted: Fri Mar 04, 2016 10:27 pmCardiff's first ever Escape Rooms have opened and competitors have to beat the clock to break out of a locked room. This is what you can expect
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Can you pit your wits against the clock at Cardiff's Escape Rooms?Can you pit your wits against the clock at Cardiff's Escape Rooms?
What happens when you lock two journalists, a lawyer and a HR manager in a room together?
Well, given they’re some of the least popular professions it may not surprise you to hear they tried steal something - obviously.
Cardiff ’s first ever Escape Rooms have opened. If, like me, you’ve never heard of them, the idea is quite simple - you’re locked in a room and have an hour to get out.
If you're slightly worried, don't be - any worries about being locked in a room disappear as soon as the competitive edge kicks in.
Inside Cardiff's first Escape Rooms
But to do that, you have to get your collective thinking caps on and beat the clock and some exceptionally frustrating puzzles.
The Escape Room phenomenon started in Hungary and has now spread across Europe.
The themes can be as varied as a mocked-up hostage situation (in Bristol) or a prostitute’s bedroom (in Amsterdam - where else!) but in Cardiff’s first, the options are Heist, Sherlock and The Tomb.
Owner Calum told us Heist is the most conventional, Sherlock makes you think and The Tomb is a mix of the two. Think the Crystal Maze, but without the jumpsuits and with less running around - oh and it all happens just above Costa on St Mary Street.
I can’t - and don’t want to - give too much away because I hope you’ll go and give it a go.
Frustration will most definitely kick in at some pointFrustration will most definitely kick in at some point
We were in the Heist room and the task was to try steal a diamond from the locked vault. You’re shown into the room, about 4m squared, and locked in. Only when you turn the light above the door green can you leave (unless there's an emergency in which case there is a button)
While you can take up to five players into the room, we were just four, so that gave us a slight disadvantage the staff later told us.
We had to work as two pairs, using keys, codes and maths to crack the challenge. We even had to go all Tom Cruise and survive a laser maze.
I am delighted to say, we did it - just. There were just four seconds on the clock as we made a hasty run from the room clutching the diamond we needed.
Can you grab the diamond?Can you grab the diamond?
We had been frustrated, elated and exhausted all within 60 minutes. When we found keys to get into a padlock, we were delighted and then frustrated as we realised we had 50 different keys to try.
We had to crack a code using a light, a poster and a totem pole (no, really).
If, like us, you get stuck, don’t fear. The staff are watching all the time through cameras in the room and will give you clues via a screen on the wall. They start off easy but they will drop more and more hints if you need it (like we did).
Just what will you find in here?Just what will you find in here?
Annoyingly, there were times we had the right idea but just couldn’t put it into action. If you’re a bit of a perfectionist, at the end the staff will show you where you went wrong - cue an awful lot of kicking yourself at this point.
Calum hopes it will target everyone from families and students to stags and hens and corporate groups. If you fancy something different to a night in the pub (this is an activity best done sober) or at the cinema and want to see exactly what your mates are made of, I cannot recommend this enough.
Just expect to get really frustrated at yourselves (and those pesky padlocks).
How can I take part in Escape Rooms Cardiff?
Prices vary depending on how many players. They start at £17 a player in a group of five and rise to £25 if there’s two players.
The Escape Rooms are at 119 St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1DY, email bookings@escaperoomscardiff.co.uk or call 02921 679 700.
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*****
Can you pit your wits against the clock at Cardiff's Escape Rooms?Can you pit your wits against the clock at Cardiff's Escape Rooms?
What happens when you lock two journalists, a lawyer and a HR manager in a room together?
Well, given they’re some of the least popular professions it may not surprise you to hear they tried steal something - obviously.
Cardiff ’s first ever Escape Rooms have opened. If, like me, you’ve never heard of them, the idea is quite simple - you’re locked in a room and have an hour to get out.
If you're slightly worried, don't be - any worries about being locked in a room disappear as soon as the competitive edge kicks in.
Inside Cardiff's first Escape Rooms
But to do that, you have to get your collective thinking caps on and beat the clock and some exceptionally frustrating puzzles.
The Escape Room phenomenon started in Hungary and has now spread across Europe.
The themes can be as varied as a mocked-up hostage situation (in Bristol) or a prostitute’s bedroom (in Amsterdam - where else!) but in Cardiff’s first, the options are Heist, Sherlock and The Tomb.
Owner Calum told us Heist is the most conventional, Sherlock makes you think and The Tomb is a mix of the two. Think the Crystal Maze, but without the jumpsuits and with less running around - oh and it all happens just above Costa on St Mary Street.
I can’t - and don’t want to - give too much away because I hope you’ll go and give it a go.
Frustration will most definitely kick in at some pointFrustration will most definitely kick in at some point
We were in the Heist room and the task was to try steal a diamond from the locked vault. You’re shown into the room, about 4m squared, and locked in. Only when you turn the light above the door green can you leave (unless there's an emergency in which case there is a button)
While you can take up to five players into the room, we were just four, so that gave us a slight disadvantage the staff later told us.
We had to work as two pairs, using keys, codes and maths to crack the challenge. We even had to go all Tom Cruise and survive a laser maze.
I am delighted to say, we did it - just. There were just four seconds on the clock as we made a hasty run from the room clutching the diamond we needed.
Can you grab the diamond?Can you grab the diamond?
We had been frustrated, elated and exhausted all within 60 minutes. When we found keys to get into a padlock, we were delighted and then frustrated as we realised we had 50 different keys to try.
We had to crack a code using a light, a poster and a totem pole (no, really).
If, like us, you get stuck, don’t fear. The staff are watching all the time through cameras in the room and will give you clues via a screen on the wall. They start off easy but they will drop more and more hints if you need it (like we did).
Just what will you find in here?Just what will you find in here?
Annoyingly, there were times we had the right idea but just couldn’t put it into action. If you’re a bit of a perfectionist, at the end the staff will show you where you went wrong - cue an awful lot of kicking yourself at this point.
Calum hopes it will target everyone from families and students to stags and hens and corporate groups. If you fancy something different to a night in the pub (this is an activity best done sober) or at the cinema and want to see exactly what your mates are made of, I cannot recommend this enough.
Just expect to get really frustrated at yourselves (and those pesky padlocks).
How can I take part in Escape Rooms Cardiff?
Prices vary depending on how many players. They start at £17 a player in a group of five and rise to £25 if there’s two players.
The Escape Rooms are at 119 St Mary Street, Cardiff, CF10 1DY, email bookings@escaperoomscardiff.co.uk or call 02921 679 700.
