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Find out what is happening at Cross Roads Escape Games! Here you will find the latest news: upcoming games, special events, prizes, and more!

EScape Room Enthusiasts

Escape Room Enthusiasts LA Mixer

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You’re invited to the next Escape Room Enthusiasts Meet Up!

Hey everyone! Madison here. I am the CEO and Creative Director at Cross Roads Escape Games. I really appreciate you taking the time to read our blog! Thank you for your support! 

Ever since my husband and I opened Cross Roads in early 2016, we have been big advocates for creating a community between escape rooms, not competition. We love escape rooms and are enthusiasts ourselves. We have played over 200 escape rooms together. We come from a theatre background and we have seen what wonderful things can be created through collaboration and teamwork, and try to promote that as much as we can with our business. 

I run the SoCal Escape Room Enthusiasts Meetup group, which is a growing community of Escape Artists often posing about needing additional teammates for their games. I try to make events on this page as much as I can, but I was not as involved last year as I became more and more consumed with creating and building The Psych Ward. 

Now that The Psych Ward is up and running, I am trying to get the Meetup group active again. If you are interested in helping me run this group and creating events, please send me an email and can make you an event host! 

Back to what I was saying about collaboration, I reached out to a very cool place, Two Bit Circus in downtown LA, which is a micro amusement park with VR entertainment, arcade games, and escape rooms. I also reached out to a bunch of escape room owners in SoCal and have asked them to come to the event, and bring discount codes and flyers to their games! I am hoping the community comes together like for our last ‘Discount and Drinks’ events and we have a big turn out.

I would like to invite YOU to our next meetup: Games, Discounts, and Drinks at Two Bit Circus on Wednesday, July 10th from 6-9pm.

Games: Play in an ever-changing landscape of immersive entertainment; including multi- person virtual reality, narrative-based escape/story rooms, and indie arcades at Two Bit Circus in Downtown Los Angeles! 

Discounts: Mingle with other escape room enthusiasts and enjoy a table full of discounts to great escape rooms in Southern California!

Drinks: Enjoy $6 happy hour in the bar at Two Bit Circus!

More info: Admission is FREE. To play games and attractions, stop by the main desk and buy a playing card. This event is open to all ages and there is free parking outside the venue.

I hope you can make it!

Join our meetup group and RSVP here:

Games, Discounts, and Drinks at Two Bit Circus

Wednesday, Jul 10, 2019, 6:00 PM

Two Bit Circus
634 Mateo St Los Angeles, CA 15 Enthusiasts Attending

Join us for our biggest Meet Up yet! Play in an ever-changing landscape of immersive entertainment; including multi- person virtual reality, narrative-based escape/story rooms, indie arcades, and $6 happy hour at Two Bit Circus in Downtown Los Angeles! Mingle with other escape room enthusiasts and enjoy a table full of discounts to great escape roo…

Check out this Meetup →

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The Milestone Award for YOU!

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Do you love escape rooms? Are you about to play your 25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, 150th, 200th, or 250th Escape Room Game? Come celebrate that major milestone with us!

Choose a game at Cross Roads to be your milestone marker and celebrate your escape room accomplishments. We will even award your special player with a FREE certificate, documenting this historical achievement.

Show off your achievement with this amazing Escape Room Master Milestone Award Trophy! Available in both 6” and 9” sizes.

After your game, hang out with your friends in our private lounge and enjoy specialty designed cupcakes for your team!

Call or email us today book your game and plan your party! (714) 572-1004 or info@CrossRoadsEscapeGames.com

Since our games are replayable, come on back and see if you can beat your last score!

Prices:

Private Lounge Rental: $50 per hour

One dozen specialty cupcakes: $20 + tax

Large Trophy (9”): $25 + tax

Small Trophy (6”): $15 + tax

‘I Escaped!’ T-shirt: $20 + tax

Enjoy your Milestone party in our newly renovated private lounge!

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Twitter & Instagram Contest

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Show off your group photos and write a fun caption to win!

Contest Dates: June 10th- June 30th, 2019

What to do: Post your Cross Roads Escape Games group photo with a caption on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtags #CREGContest and #CrossRoadsEscapeGames

How to win: Winner will be notified through social media on July 3rd after all submissions have been reviewed. The best caption & photo combo wins! 

Prize: Two weekend tickets to Midsummer Scream and instant sign up for the new Cross Roads Mini Game! Midsummer Scream is a Halloween and Horror Convention in Long Beach on August 3rd& 4th. Cross Roads Escape Games will be there with a brand-new mini game experience. Winning this contest also gets you instant sign-ups for the game!

 

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An Egg-stra Challenging Easter Event!

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Join us for a special event this week only! From April 17th-21st there will be 17 golden eggs hidden inside The Hex Room game. If your team is able to find them all and escape you could win some amazing prizes!

The Hex Room is our hardest game with a 20% escape rate and 5% survival rate. We have made this already challenging game egg-stra challenging by hiding 17 golden eggs inside. Can your team take on this egg-stra challenge and still escape?

If you do, it will be worth your while! We have over $1,700 worth of prizes donated by local businesses.

Prizes include:
Tickets to Medieval Times, Buena Park
Tickets to Midsummer Scream Halloween Convention Aug. 3rd & 4th, Long Beach
Tickets to GlowZone, Huntington Beach
Gift Card to Stereo Brewing, Anaheim
Free Pizza from Top Class Pizza, Anaheim
T-shirts from Cross Roads Escape Games, Anaheim
Escape Room Table Top Games
And more!

Prizes available while supplies last, so book your game today!

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Win exclusive Pet Sematary prizes!

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“There is something up in those woods. Something that brings things back. Sometimes dead is better,” warns Jud Crandall in the trailer for the upcoming film Pet Sematary.

I cannot tell you how excited I am to see the new Pet Sematary. Starry Eyes, the first film from directors Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer, is one of my favorite horror films ever and from the moment I heard they were taking the helm of adapting Stephen King’s book, I knew we would be in for a dark and twisted treat. The film has already been receiving rave reviews after its screening at SXSW.

We here at Cross Roads are huge fans of horror. Every day we get to see people live out their very own horror flicks in The Hex Room. The Hex Room is a unique escape room because it is designed to be replayable. Before your game you are cast as either the Detective, Jock, Rebel, Prom Queen, Nerd, or Virgin. You are then placed into individual rooms within the game where it is your team’s job to communicate and escape the individual rooms to come together and escape the game in its entirety. Furthermore, teams are able to leave some players behind. Of course, this leads to a difficult game and often leaves us with a few casualties along the way. Don’t be disparaged, however; sometimes, dead IS better.

Dead Is Better
If you don’t escape your first try at The Hex Room (or if your group left you for dead), there are a few upsides to experiencing a horror movie death.

• You are now familiar with the gameplay. This will allow you to know just how much communication and teamwork the game requires.
• You will most likely have more time to focus on your Hex Box so you survive the horror flick.
• You are now the scariest thing in the room.

Promoters of Pet Sematary teamed up with Cross Roads Escape Games to offer players some merch. Anyone who plays one of our games can reward themselves to a Pet Sematary poster.

For those cunning enough to escape and survive The Hex Room with all SIX survivor medallions, the group will win a Pet Semetary flashlight while supplies last.

See if you have what it takes to survive a horror film with The Hex Room at Cross Roads Escape Games. And don’t worry. If you don’t make it out alive, we know how to bring you back. Prizes available while supplies last!

Watch the Pet Sematary trailer below!

About the movie: Based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King, Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences. In theaters April 5th, 2019.

Geoff Durham
Game Master, Manager, Would Pet Church the Cat
Cross Roads Escape Games

FDD _ Delusion

Win 2 free tickets to Delusion!

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Escape Rooms make you feel like the star of your own movie. You know what else does that? Interactive theatre! Delusion: The Blue Blade is giving away 2 free tickets to Cross Roads’ fans. Just enter your email below to enter to win! Last day to enter is February 25th, 2019.

For the first time ever, the vanguard of interactive theatre announces an extension of its hit play, The Blue Blade, into Spring 2019! The sixth story in the Delusion Universe has guests embark on a live, otherworldly adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones. You must play your part in the most epic theatrical production of its kind.

Fun Fact: Co-Owner of Cross Roads, Madison, was apart of Delusion for its first 3 years! You may remember her as Julia, a creepy little girl who tucked you in for a bedtime story in Delusion: The Blood Rite. She says, “This is a show you don’t want to miss!”

Enter to win here!

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Escape Room Valentines

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Have you ever thought of playing an escape room for a first date? Sure, being locked in a room for an hour with someone you’re not sure if you’re interested in like that can be a little intimidating, but there are a myriad of reasons to make an escape room your first choice for first dates.

For starters, you won’t necessarily have to be alone. Whether you’re worried about stagnant conversation or would just prefer to be around other people, you can find an escape room that you can invite other friends to: like your best friend Jill who is really good at puzzles but really bad at setting you up on dates. There will be friends (or other strangers, depending on the game) to make you feel less isolated. In fact, make it a double- or triple-date and everyone will be in the same boat!

Game Masters are excellent wing-people. We can spot a budding romance a mile away and there’s nothing we like more than watching the drama unfold before our eyes. Are you really into her? We know how to make you look super smart like you just solved the hardest puzzle on your own. Not really into him? Zoltar can make him do push-ups for hints. It’s an untold truth that game mastering an escape room is like watching a bunch of hour-long telenovelas all day long. In fact, someone should totally get on with making an escape room soap opera.

Another reason to play an escape room for your first date? You’ll have something to do. You’re not just sitting at a movie wishing you could make a snarky comment (or trying not to tear up at The Lego Movie); you’re taking part in the action. You have puzzles to solve, tasks to complete, doors to open! You’ll be amazed at how quickly time goes by when you’re laughing, joking, solving puzzles, or accusing your date of stealing your points in The Psych Ward.

If you’re still not convinced that an escape room is the right choice for your first date, take a look at these valentine’s cards. There’s no way you can deny escape room puns!

Although we will be closed this Valentine’s day, you can still get your date a Cross Roads Escape Games gift card to use on a future game. Trust me, you’ll never forget a date like this.

Geoff Durham
Game Master, Manager, Basically Cupid
Cross Roads Escape Games

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3 Years of Fun

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I can’t believe Cross Roads has been open for 3 years already. We love brining our crazy ideas to life and it is so exciting to see you play and enjoy them. We often get asked about what brought us to this point or what inspires us, so I figure this is as good of a time as any to reflect on the last few years and share them with you.

How we got into this business

My husband, Luke, and I both have degrees in theatre. After college we became a tag team duo working in theatre, film, and haunts. We went to our first escape room in October 2014 and fell in love with this new form of entertainment and truly felt like it was just touching the surface of what it could be.

We began working on our own business model in January 2015. We looked at hundreds of locations, went through the rigorous city permitting and building departments, quite our full-time jobs, and finally, one year later, we opened in January 2016 with The Hex Room.

Before we opened, we played every escape room in Southern California, which was only 30 games at the time. We did our research and we saw what was missing from these experiences. Our main goal with our first game was to increase the production value, add special effects such as lighting and sound, and most of all make everyone feel like the star of their own adventure.

Our games

The Hex Room was revolutionary for its time, and still continues to get recognition for its unique game design. The Hex Room adds a new challenge to the traditional escape room by dividing the players physically, but still requiring them to work as a team to escape. After a few months, we realized that The Hex Room might be a bit too advanced for our current market. We were creating a game for enthusiasts like ourselves, but our main audience was playing for their very first time.

We then opened The Fun House in April 2016, which was a beginner room. Something more traditional in game design, but still fun an innovative in the puzzles, decor, and special effects. In March 2017 we opened The Fun House KIDS, which was an alternate version of the Fun House that allowed kids ages 8-13 to participate more inside the game. We saw a need for more family friendly games, so we wanted to have that option available for our guests with younger players.

The Asylum, our 10-minute mini game opened in June 2017 and premiered at Midsummer Scream, a local Halloween convention. This is where we tried to change things up once more. In the Asylum you were strapped in a straight jacket to your other teammate. Your goal was to escape your straight jacket and the room in under 10 minutes.  It was a huge success and we knew that from here on out, we had to continue pushing the boundaries.

In December 2018 The Psych Ward finally opened. It took much longer than we thought it would mostly because we continued to have more ideas, and more creative technology was becoming available to us. We wanted to make a game that had the escape room elements that everyone loved, but we also wanted to show people that there are many different games that could be made with this type of immersive entertainment. The Psych Ward is not an average escape room. It is an interactive game of deduction, trust, and betrayal with escape room, board game, and immersive theatre elements.  We hope this game helps revolutionize the escape room industry.

What is next

Now in 2019, it has grown from 30 escape rooms to hundreds in Southern California alone. Luke and I have played over 200 games ourselves, and can’t keep up with how many new companies are opening. Unfortunately, with how many escape rooms that are out there, our issue is that the new ones continue to copy what has already been done. We haven’t seen any innovative ideas in a very long time. If you are interested in opening your own escape room, please think outside the box and create something that has never been done before!

We hope you enjoy what we have created. Everything we do is for you. We take chances and risks with our new ideas and we are so happy that they are appreciated and recognized. We have big ideas for the future with Cross Roads and working on projects with others. One thing you can count on is that we will never make an average escape room, everything you get from us is going to be something you have never seen before. Stay tuned for future updates coming this year. You will always find out what we are working on right here!

Madison Rhoades
CEO and Co-Owner
Cross Roads Escape Games

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The Psych Ward Playbill

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The Psych Ward has been two years in the making and it could not have been finished if it was not for the amazingly talented team we had behind us. A huge shout out goes to the team at Diablo Sound, who came to our rescue and got us to the finish line. They also provided us with the hilarious, hardworking, and amazing programmer Fernando Vasquez, who we can not thank enough. He listened to all our crazy ideas and made them come to life. The Psych Ward would not exist if not for him.

I also want to give a huge thank you to Lauren Orgill who came almost every day and did any odd job asked of her. We also would not have been able to complete this game if it was not for her wonderful ideas, support, and constant help.

This game took a lot of hard work and long hours, and we want everyone to be recognized for the great work that they did. Thank you again for everything! We did it!

 

Game Design by Madison and Luke Rhoades

Programmers:
The amazing team at Diablo Sound with special thanks to Fernando Vasquez
Kevin Resler

Sound Design by Dan Waldkirch

Videos Directed and Edited by Geoff Durham
Cinematography and Video Graphics by Zach Dahm

Actors:
Gary Lee Reed- Dr. Griffin

Lindsey Alterman- Patient
Vincent Catalina- Patient
Brian Corbitt- Doctor
Susan DeCenzo- Woman
Bob Glouberman- Doctor
Tommy Honton- Man
Jordan Laemmlen- Man in Park
Ian Momii- Doctor
Blake Orgill- Doctor
Lauren Orgill- Doctor
Jessica Patow– Patient
Matt Rhoades- Doctor
Ruth Rhoades- Patient
Bradley Roa- Patient
Edwin Tactay- Doctor
Justin Tuthill- Patient
Morgan Walton- Patient
Jessie Wise– Voice Over

Costumes by Lauren Orgill

Set Design and Scenic Painting by Madison Rhoades

Scenic Construction by Luke Rhoades

Construction Crew:
Luke Rhoades, Madison Rhoades, Lauren Orgill, Blake Orgill, and Matt Rhoades.

Syringe Fabricated by Proficia

Score Board Fabricated by Raptor House Effects

Lights Fabricated by Union Digital

Illustrations:
Everett Arce, Mellanie Urquiza, and Alexandra Felix

Special thanks:
Fernando Vasquez, Drew Dalzell, Fionnegan Murphy, Noelle Hoffman, Brittany Cobb, Lauren Orgill, Blake Orgill, Jason Sakal, Zach Dahm, Geoff Durham, Donnie Buckingham, Jose Mendoza, Kerri Hellmuth, Sara Strain,  Ruth Rhoades, Theresa Rhoades, Tony Croupe, Liz Croupe, Marissa Bergman, and Cooper Floors.

Jose Games

Jose’s Top Table Top Picks!

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Imagine if you will, it’s Friday night, you’re hanging out with your friends, someone suggests you all go out and play an escape game. You decide to call Cross Roads Escape games but, alas, they are all booked up for the night. What are you to do now? Well, the fun does not have to end there, because there are plenty of great table top games for you to play! I know there are a lot of them out there, but here is a list of a few horror themed games for those of you who love The Hex Room, strategic trust games like The Psych Ward, and some wacky family games similar to The Fun House!

If you are a fan of horror films, love going through haunted houses, or even just enjoy horror themed escape rooms like the Hex Room, you are definitely going to enjoy these horror themed picks:

Betrayal at the House on the Hill

Betrayal at the House on the Hill is a strategy horror game all taking place in, you guessed it, a haunted house. Players create this haunted house one tile at time. As the players explore the house they may come across various items, events, and omens. Omens are what really drive this game; after an omen is revealed the controlling player must make what is known as a haunt roll. If the player makes a successful haunt roll, the game continues on normally. But if they fail, the haunting begins and the game takes a big turn. One of the players becomes a traitor to the group and based on which haunt was activated (that’s right, there are many different haunts that can be activated in this game) the players and the traitor now have a new goal to achieve.

This game is a lot of fun and the replay value is amazing; I have never repeated a haunt. Definitely worth checking out and usually available at most local game stores.

Elder Sign

Elder Sign is a game that takes place in a museum and has you going up against Lovecraftian creatures. You play one of many investigators, each with their own special skills and items. It is up to you and your team to go out and seek the elder signs to prevent the Ancient one from entering our realm and wreaking havoc. Sounds simple enough, but let’s hope the creatures and dice don’t stop you from achieving your goal!

This game offers a wide variety of “Ancient Ones” to face off against and a few expansions if you want to enhance your experience. Of course, if you are looking for a game similar to Elder Sign, but want something a bit more challenging, then Arkham Horror is the game for you. But that’s a discussion for another time.

If horror themed games aren’t for you, you may want to try your hand at some detective work. Here are a couple of games based on deduction and your ability to read other players which will give you a leg up when you play The Psych Ward:

Secret Hitler

Secret Hitler is a game of political intrigue set in 1930’s Germany. Each player is secretly and randomly assigned to be either a liberal or a fascist, with one player becoming the Secret Hitler. It is up to the fascists to vote their leader into power, while the liberals must find and stop the Secret Hitler. This game really tests your ability to read your friends, as the liberals have no idea who the fascists or the Secret Hitler are. Each round the players vote for a president and a chancellor, who will work together to enact a law from a random deck. If a fascist law is passed, the players must try and find out if they were betrayed or simply unlucky.

Who can you trust? Are you able to find and assassinate the Secret Hitler and bring your country back from the brink of war? Find out when you pick up this beauty of a game for your next game night!

Cryptid

Cryptid is a newer game, released in 2018, that really tests your skills of deduction. You play a member of a team of Cryptozoologist, each wanting to discover the Cryptid and claim the glory for themselves. What’s stopping you from claiming Cryptid glory? Each member of this crack cryptozoologist team has a different piece of evidence leading to the whereabouts of the elusive Cryptid. In order for you to gain more evidence you’d have to give up some of yours, but be careful, give up too much evidence and Cryptid glory can be taken from you.

It takes a lot of what the game refers to as “Honest Misdirection” to achieve victory in Cryptid. Trust me when I say that a victory in Cryptid is well deserved.

Let’s say that you just want to play some games that are fun for everyone; well party games are what you are looking for! If you are looking for something wacky and funny like The Fun House, here are a couple of games that I’ve always enjoyed playing with family and friends:

Cartoon Network Crossover Crisis

If you’re like me and you still enjoy watching cartoons on Cartoon Network, or you’re nostalgic for classic Cartoon Network shows like Dexter’s Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, or Samurai Jack, then this is the game for you. Cartoon Network’s baddest adversaries are loose and it’s up to you to stop them. You’ll play as one of the heroes from Cartoon Networks past and present hit shows to get this done. While this game is a deck building game at heart, it’s the party game elements that sell this game. There are various cards in this game that force players to speak in ridiculous voices, or have you sing everything you are doing. Now I can go over more of the zany antics this game has going on, but I’d hate to take that discovery away from you.

This game has something to offer to both veterans and beginners to the deck building genre, and its expansion adds even more craziness to the mix. Definitely look at your local game shop for this one. Oh, and a last bit of advice: always play this game with onion rings on the table. You’ll know why when you play.

Quelf

The best way that I could describe Quelf would be “If Cranium and Truth or Dare had a baby.” This game brings random to a whole new level, and is one the most insane games I have ever played. You get to play as one of 8 zany characters and as you move around the board, you’ll notice your play group start acting odder than usual. Trust me when I say that this is a game that changes based on who you play with. The crazier ideas your friends can come up with, the more fun you are going to have playing this game. Go out and find yourself a copy of Quelf and watch your friends go through the most random experience.

That’s it for me, I hope you enjoyed reading about a few of the games that I have had lots of fun playing. If you have any other games you’d like to suggest for people to try out, post them in the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Jose Mendoza
Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

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