When I visited The Escape Game with five of my friends in Midtown Manhattan, I had no idea what to expect. It was around 6pm in the evening after everyone got off of work, and we were excited to have booked the Special Ops adventure. Apparently, we had signed up to be “special agents” on a top secret and high-level mission located in the Middle East. After going into a cozy and well-decked out room that looked like we were in the middle of a local market, a woman came on the screen to explain our mission. Although I don’t want to spoil it for you, it was an amazing experience with a testament to how your friends behave in team work situations. We located different clues throughout several rooms with props like slippers; puzzle pieces; ornate doorknobs; real spices and beans; and interactive NASA-looking computer screens in order to ultimately solve the top-secret mission. By the way, we would have escaped if we had an extra minute left on the clock!
Opened last fall in New York City as one of their 16 locations nationwide, The Escape Game isn’t just for young adults, but those of all ages can do mind-boggling feats, from escaping prison to hunting for gold in the Northern California hills. Located conveniently in Midtown on Madison Avenue, and a short walk from Grand Central Station, each game was custom designed; built from scratch; and uses high quality props in order for you to escape the 60-minute challenge. The company employed robotics that you would find at some of the best theme parks in the country (without having to leave the city to experience this interactive fun).
There are five different adventures that you can sign up for with a guest count of 2 to a maximum of 8-12 people, depending on the game. Besides the adventure I participated in, Special Ops, there is the Playground adventure, which is the least difficult at a 6/10. The participants are landed in the school’s summer kickoff kickball tournament, and have to escape with a final report card in hand. The one that I want to try with my friends next would be the Prison Break, where it is set in the 50’s and my friends and I would be sentenced to life in prison with no parole. We would have to put our teamwork in place in order to escape prison. This one is the most difficult at 9/10.
The Heist, with a difficulty level of 8/10, takes place in a museum and the group would need to join forces in order to steal an art piece back from a corrupt curator. The last adventure you could choose, would be the Gold Rush for those fascinated with that era. The difficultly level is 7/10, and you would be hunting for gold in the hills of Northern California in order to escape.
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