Anaheim

September 18 2017

Zoltar’s Premonitions: Avoiding The Terrible Fate of Eternal Imprisonment

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If you have had the chance to meet Zoltar the Great inside The Fun House, I’m sure you may have found yourself wondering how could someone so handsome and so powerful get trapped inside a painting for all eternity? Well, you are not alone in your pondering! It is a question I get quite often, so I decided to go straight to the source and ask Zoltar the Great himself. Here is what he had to say:

Zoltar The Great

“Greetings and salutations dear readers, I am Zoltar the Great, the Seer of Secrets, and today I’ll be your guide to avoiding the terrible fate of eternal imprisonment.

“It all starts in 1940. I was part of a very prestigious travelling circus that would draw crowds from near and far. During this golden age of circuses, I was the gem in the crown of my ring leader’s performance. Ah yes, I was truly a site for people to behold. And, oh, how they would gasp when I would peer into my crystal ball and lay bare the path to their future. Secrets? Scandals? Deep wells of unknowable knowledge? No problem for the Great and Powerful Zoltar.

“But alas, the 40s were a turbulent time, and even a talent like mine was not enough to drag people from their sorrows and into our seats. Ah yes, it was quite the low point indeed.

“Naturally, the Ring Leader had some tough choices to make and one by one the other acts were cancelled. Now, I will admit that this was curious, but I did not fear for my job. No, no, no. I was merely worried that another circus might come by and take me away from my beloved circus. That’s it. That is why I sought out our magician, Morgan something or other, for a cure to my worries.

“Now it was no secret that Morgan and I didn’t get along very well. He, like so many others, couldn’t help but go green with jealousy when he would see the adoring fans showering me with compliment after compliment. However, when I so humbly asked him for a spell that would keep my act in the circus forever, he set his grudge aside and graciously agreed to help me. Perhaps he believed that by helping me, he might be able to bask in the glow of my success for that much longer.

“Or at least that is what I thought at the time.

“Morgan said he had something that would give me exactly what I wanted. He handed me a terribly dusty scroll and said if I signed it, I could be part of the circus forever. Without overthinking anything, I dipped my quill into some ink and signed the scroll with a perfect autograph.

“Suddenly everything became shaky and my vision started to darken. Next thing I knew, I was trapped within a magical painting of myself.

“Oh, woe was me in that moment. Sure, things could have been worse. Sure, he could have shaved one of my perfect eyebrows, or scarred the flawless skin on my face, but nonetheless this was definitely a terrible predicament to find myself in.

“Luckily for me, I was still able to speak and my powers of foresight were keener than ever. So, I called out for help. And who would show up but the apprentices of the very magician that had done this to me.

“I talked to the children and told them of how their master had tricked me and, bless their hearts, they believed every word I said. I gave them some good advice and sent them on their way to the magician’s tent.

“By using their wits and working together the two apprentices were able to discover the mysteries inside their master’s tent and return to me with Morgan’s dreaded Grimoire. I was so pleased that I declared that they should be made worthy magicians at once!

“But this was not the end of the tale. There was no happily ever after yet. Oh, no there wasn’t! The two young magicians looked through the Grimoire and found nothing in it that resembled a counter spell. Alas… I Zoltar the Great, the seer of secrets, and soon to be 5-time beer pong champion… was still trapped.

“In the end, Morgan the Magician was arrested for the improper use of magic against a national treasure, the two young magicians were given a center stage performance in the circus’ main event, and I was trapped for what seemed to be all eternity.

“Basically, you could say that the circus just wasn’t the same anymore. The two young magicians eventually left for better things and as the circus fell into debt, I was eventually sold to an old pawnshop owner whose hearing was so bad, I could never convince him I wasn’t an ordinary painting.

“But, as Mother always said, when life gives you a lemon, just wait around until you find someone who knows how to make lemonade! My fate changed the day I was purchased by a lovely couple who saw my talent for what it was truly worth! They gave me a well-paying job at Cross Roads Escape Games and since then, I have made it my mission to test those who wish to take on the Fun House, sorting the worthy magicians from the clueless clowns. It is my earnest hope that one day I will find a magician worthy enough to free me from my magical painting.

“At least, that is the story I tell people… it is a timeless tale of woe, betrayal, and not reading the waiver before messing with dark magic… One might say this story is a people pleaser. Trust me, this is the story you want to hear… It is much better than the one about the troll…

“But perhaps that version will be a story for another time.”

And there you have it dear readers. Straight from the horses mouth. Now your new question that you should be asking yourself is if YOU will be the one who is worthy enough to set Zoltar fee?

Jason Sakal
Manager & Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

September 11 2017

Updates On The Psych Ward

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Psychopath: a mental disorder.
Symptoms include: lying, breaking laws, acting impulsively, lack regard for others and other’s emotions.

Is it crazy to look out for yourself? To win? To be competitive? Or is it true human nature? What is the line between sane and insane? Who is the one who chooses?

I know we have been keeping a lot of information from everyone about The Psych Ward, and a big reason is because the game play is completely different from most escape rooms. We have a lot of beta testing planned, and we will probably make plenty of changes once we see how people react to this new type of game design.

If you are interested in being a tester for this game, please click HERE to enter your email address and we may contact you in the next few months.

As of right now, here is all the information I have been allowed to release:

About-
Theory: If put in a controlled environment, some patients will exhibit more psychopathic symptoms than others.
Hypothesis: Patients will lie, betray, and manipulate their friends to get what they want.
Experiment: Two groups will be placed in a controlled room with challenges and rewards. To succeed, bonds must be made and broken, as test subjects must outwit the other participants to get the most rewards. Truth is unreliable. Trust must be established. Betrayal is necessary.

Difficulty- Every game will have one winning and one losing team.

# of Players- 4-8. This is a PRIVATE game. We will not put your group with strangers.

Ages- This game is for ages 16+.

Opening- NOVEMBER/ DECEMBER 2017

Click HERE to sign up for our mailing list to be the fist to know when tickets go on sale!

Make sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tublr as we reveal more teaser trailers and clues for a special prize!

Madison Rhoades
CEO, Co-owner, & Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

September 4 2017

Cross Roads Escape Games is Nominated for Best Escape Room in the US!

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Cross Roads Escape Games has won quite a few awards, but nothing says “Wow!” more then being nominated for best escape room in the US! When my husband and I started out on this quest over 2 years ago we knew we wanted to bring something new to the world, and we knew it was going to be great, but we never imagined this!

I can’t tell you how honored we are to be on this list! And a special thanks goes to YOU and YOUR VOICE for telling the world how much fun you had at Cross Roads. We can’t thank you enough!

Make sure to vote at USA Today for your favorite escape room! You can vote once a day until Sept. 25th. Winners will be announced on Sept. 29th!

We would also like to mention some great reviewers who have helped us become recognized for this list. Thank you Escape Room Tips for ranking us #1 on your list of best escape rooms in Los Angeles, even through we are not even in Los Angeles County! Thank you Escape Authority for giving us a 6 out of 5 key review! Thank you Escape Room Addict for a 9/10 score! And thank you Room Escape Artist for awarding us the 2016 Golden Lock in Award!

Cross Roads Escape Games Awards

We would also like to thank Best L.A. Escape Rooms, CreepyLA, Horrorbuzz.com, Live Escape Room Reviews and others for the amazing awards we received in 2016 and 2017 for Best Escape Room.

We hope you can find the time to vote for your favorite escape room on USA Today! There are so many amazing escape rooms on that list, and we are honored to be among them!

We hope to blow you away in 2018 with a few new games we have planned! We promise to always bring you the next level of entertainment!

Madison Rhoades
CEO, Co-Owner, & Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

August 28 2017

First Look at The Psych Ward

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Here it is, the first look at The Psych Ward, our 3rd full length game opening THIS FALL! I know we have been teasing about it for over a year, but now we will be giving you updates all the way until it opens! If you have not yet, make sure to put your email on our mailing list to be notified when tickets go on sale!

The Psych Ward

The Psych Ward has taken the longest to build, and that is mainly because we just don’t like to make things easy on ourselves. As you can tell by The Hex Room, we love creating new and innovative games that no one has seen before!

My husband and I have played over 150 escape rooms, and honestly, they are starting to get kind of boring. Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE escape rooms, but after so many, the experience gets dull. But, I can now list some new skills to my resume: expert bank robber, jail breaker, spaceship repair team, and private eye (to name a few). Although these game all have different themes, the challenges and puzzles all feel the same. I feel it is our job as entertainers and enthusiasts to create something new.

That is where The Psych Ward comes from. What if you were in an escape room but you didn’t know who was on your team? How would you manage to work together? Would you use your friends for your own gain? Or would you still work together even if you had different motives?

These questions were so interesting that we had to dig deeper. What if one of the puzzles of the escape room was how you choose to play the game? What if we pit teammates together? What if some had information that they could choose to share? With this new game play, the rules and preconceived ideas of escape rooms become lost, and it is up to you as to how you want to play your game.

The Psych Ward is a game of trust & betrayal. Who can you trust? Who will trust you? That is just one of the many puzzles inside this thrilling mind game.

Take a look at our first trailer below. Make sure to check back as we slowly reveal more videos, pictures, and information to the craziest game you will ever play. I promise you only have to wait a little longer…. Don’t worry, you can trust me.

Madison Rhoades
CEO, Co-Owner, & Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

August 21 2017

The Asylum Mini-Game

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The Asylum is an exclusive 10-minute mini-game created as a teaser game for our up coming full-length game, The Psych Ward. The Asylum mini-game is a mobile game that we take with us to conventions to show new players how fun escape rooms are!

The Asylum Mini-Game

The Asylum is only 10 minutes long and for exactly 2 players. You and a partner are strapped together in a straitjacket, thrown in a small padded cell, and forced to work together. You are suffering from split personality disorder; 1 body, 2 heads. Two sinister looking nurses strap you together and lock your straitjacket with an assortment of locks. You must work together with your other half to unlock the locks on the jacket so you can get to the key and escape.

It’s a huge hit at the conventions we have brought it to such as Midsummer Scream and ScareLA. It also has an exclusivity to it that we like, because it only holds 2 people at a time and is only made available a few times a year.

Players love this game because it forces them to work with their partner every (literal) step of the way. It’s also fun to unlock locks that are on yourself instead of on boxes or walls. The cell is eerie and dirty with the sounds of screaming coming from another room.

It was created to get people excited for our new mental hospital themed game, The Psych Ward, which will be an hour-long game at our location in Anaheim, and is opening soon! Although there will be no straitjackets in The Psych Ward, it will be in a similar world… and may contain a padded cell. I can’t give away too much but I will say this game is unlike any other escape room you have played.

The Asylum mini-game by Cross Roads Escape Games

Patients in The Asylum

Madison Rhoades
Co-Owner and Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

August 14 2017

What Makes The Hex Room So Unique?

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Since The Hex Room opened back in January of 2016, it has received rave reviews from fans and critics who consistently claim it as their new favorite escape room. But what makes The Hex Room so unique and popular? Is it the room’s dedication to absolute immersion? Is it the set design perhaps? Though these aspects play a huge role in people’s experience, I believe that the number one reason for the Hex Room’s popularity is its unique style of game play.

Owner and creator of The Hex Room, Madison Rhoades, says, “My husband and I created The Hex Room because we wanted something new. We played about 50 escape rooms, and they were starting to all blend together. We wanted something that gave each player an individual experience and their own moment to shine, without having to battle over it with other players. We also wanted to create an escape room that was replayable. We love escape rooms so much, but once we played one we really enjoyed, it was impossible to replay it with new friends without already knowing all the answers. It was a huge challenge to create this unique design, but after a lot of testing, it all came together in the end!”

In a standard escape room, you and your team all start in a single room with clues to find and puzzles to solve. You are told to communicate and work as a team, but not everyone needs to participate. Sometimes there aren’t enough puzzles for the number of people in the room. Sometimes people are shy and let the more assertive players take the lead. Either way, it is possible for parts of your team to do all the work while other parts of your team do very little. This is the biggest difference between the standard escape room, and the Hex Room.

In the Hex Room, each person is divided into separate rooms based on a personality quiz that is taken before entering the room. Each person is given costume pieces based on which stereotypical horror movie character their personalities best match; such as the Detective, Rebel, Jock, Nerd, Prom Queen, and Virgin. You are then led into the rooms one by one. Once divided, it becomes each player’s imperative to try and escape their individual room. Though the team is divided, everyone must still work together to escape. Each player must search their rooms for clues to help themselves and their team mates.

HEX_Characters

In the Hex Room, everyone must work as a team and effectively communicate between their individual rooms. They must be able to tell their team mates what they see and what they have; they must ask for and pass clues between their rooms; and they must actively participate throughout their experience if they are to have any chance of escaping alive.

When six players enter the Hex Room, they will leave with six completely different experiences; each of them feeling a sense of accomplishment for their contributions to their team. There are no passive observers in The Hex Room, only active players!

Once each player is inside their room, they are instructed to remove their blindfolds and are instantly immersed within their own horror film. Cross Roads is dedicated to making each player feel as though they have stepped out of their normal lives and into the extraordinary adventure. This engaging environment makes players want to participate and see more of what the room has to offer. I have, on several occasions, had a player admit to me that they normally just stand around and let their team mates do all the work, but in the Hex Room they felt so completely immersed and engaged in the experience that the thought of standing around never even occurred to them. This is the magic of the Hex Room.

As mentioned before, The Hex Room is also the only replayable escape room in SoCal. Because each player has such an individualized experience, you can come back and play again as a different character and enjoy the game all over again with new friends or family members. We have had multiple guests play up to 6 times because they wanted to experience every room.

The Hex Room has a stressful and demanding style of game play that requires each member of the team to push themselves to escape. When this is combined with our movie quality set design and immersive ambiance, players are compelled to suspend their belief for an hour and experience what it feels like to step into the shoes of a horror film character. This completely unique style of escape game is exactly why the Hex Room has become the #1 escape room in both Orange County and Los Angeles.

If you are a fan, or even if you have not played yet, make sure to check out our pinned post on our Facebook page for a chance to win 2 free tickets and an awesome box of horror swag by tagging who you and your friends would play as in The Hex Room! Contest ends September 4th.

Jason Sakal
Manager & Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

August 7 2017

Confessions of a Game Master

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Have you ever wanted to get a peek into the life of an Escape Room Game Master? Wondered what goes on in the mind of that person locking you in a room? Thought about becoming a Game Master yourself? Get prepared for Confessions of a Game Master!

An exclusive look at what goes on in the minds of the people who run and reset the games you love playing, we want to give you some insight in to what it takes to be a game master and perhaps even get some tips from people who live and breathe puzzles.

Our game masters at Cross Roads Escape Games are skilled actors who immerse you in the world of the escape room, which is just one of the reasons The Hex Room and The Fun House are a couple of the most unique and exciting escape games available today. We pride ourselves on keeping you in the story from the moment you enter the room until the timer finally runs out.

For our first installment of Confessions of a Game Master, we ask our team to describe what being a Game Master means in just 7 words, the most important skill for a game master to have, and finally, one piece of advice they want to give players. Our Game Masters Jessica, Mack, Bradley, Tom and Zach share their opinions.

And of course, stay tuned for future episodes of Confessions of a Game Master, where we will reveal even more secrets from the minds of game masters, plus some tips to help you improve while playing your own games.

We want to know what you want to know! If you have any burning questions for our game masters, feel free to let us know in the comments below, on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram or YouTube! We will be releasing a new Confessions of a Game Master at the beginning of every month.

Geoff D.
Manager & Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

July 31 2017

SoCal Escape Room Community

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Most SoCal Escape Room owners do not see one another as competition, in fact there is a great community of Escape Room staff that gets together about once a month and we talk about our favorite thing- Escape Rooms!

Brian Corbitt, from Countdown LA, has been very influential in the escape room community and was the first person to extend an olive branch to other escape room owners and got us working together. I’ve always been a big fan of teamwork (I mean, isn’t this what escape rooms are all about?), so I decided to contribute and take over the Escape Room Enthusiasts of SoCal Meetup group.

Have you joined Meetup.com yet? It’s a great site and app that allows you to connect and meet up with people who have similar interests as you. Since you are reading this blog, I assume that you might be interested in Escape Rooms, and I encourage you to join our group!

San Diego Escape Room meetup — Huge turn out at the San Diego Escape Room Enthusiasts Meetup (June 2017)

Every other month I host the very popular event, Discounts and Drinks, for the SoCal Escape Room community. This is something I created to try and gather enthusiasts to meet one another and to meet the owners and creators of some of their favorite games. At the events, we reserve a private room where you can mingle with people who have similar interests, get exclusive discounts to over 20 escape rooms, and meet new people that could become great teammates if you are ever trying to find more people to play with! I know a lot of people go specifically looking to find people to play The Hex Room with to make the 5-person minimum.

This event usually takes place in a reserved space in restaurant/ bar that is hosting a great Happy Hour for Escape Room Enthusiasts to enjoy. Escape Room Owners are contacted and encouraged to come and bring exclusive discounts to their games! I’ve seen these discounts can range from anything between $5 off to 50% off. It’s really a fun night of meeting people and hearing about what are everyone’s favorite and adding more to your ‘must do’ list. I try to bounce from Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego to get as many people involved as I can, and try to turn everyone into an escape room enthusiast!

San Diego Escape Room meetup discounts — Over 20 Escape Rooms came and offered exclusive discounts only to those who attended the meetup

Whether you are an enthusiast, or first time player, you are invited to join us for any or all our events! Please RSVP on the Meetup page for the next one in Los Angeles on Sunday, August 20th! If you can’t make it, I hope you can join the group to be notified when more are scheduled near you!

I look forward to meeting you at the next one,
Madison Rhoades
CEO, Co-Owner, Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

UPDATE:
I also wanted to share with you the Facebook group: Escape Room Artists (ERA SoCal), which has been a great source to hear from enthusiasts about their favorite games and to get recommendations. Also, if you are reading this and the Aug. 20th Meetup has passed, don’t worry, there are more! Make sure to check out our Meetup page to see when the next one is scheduled!

July 24 2017

Zoltar’s Premonitions: Guide To The Fun House

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Greetings and salutations dear reader! I am Zoltar the Great, Seer of secrets, paragon of beauty, and your guide to navigating the ups, the downs, and the upside-downs of the Fun House! Every month, I will share with you important premonitions I may receive regarding tips, advice, stories, words of caution, and other news a magical painting may have!

Now, I know that you’re eager to begin your work as a magnificent magician, but do keep in mind we don’t just give that job away to anyone. First, you will have to prove yourself worthy of such an illustrious title.

The test ahead is a perilous one, filled with many opportunities to end up looking as silly as a clown. But fear not, for it is my most earnest desire to see you all prepared for your new jobs under the big tent. Stick with me, dear reader, and follow my advice; we might just make a magician of you yet.

First off, it is imperative to follow instructions, both written and verbal. Failing to do so can lead you down the express lane of clown employment, and nobody wants that. Do listen while the funny little men and women explain the rules of the Fun House. These rules are not only meant to keep you safe, but to keep you from wasting time by doing silly things that won’t help you in the slightest. Remember, a magician always knows the rules!

Speaking of silly things to do, please remember that you will not need to climb on anything. This test is one of wit, intellect, and perception! However, some people are much more clown than magician and will panic when presented with a test of the mind. It is not uncommon for clowns to reveal themselves by running in circles, by climbing on top of one another, or by performing a handstand to place their noses closer to the floor. Just to be clear, all puzzles within the Fun House can be done with your feet flat on the ground.

Speaking of which, here is a bit of advice on how to ground your thinking while in the Fun House. When brainstorming a possible solution to a puzzle do try and avoid overthinking things! If at any point, you find yourself saying something along the lines of “A is the first letter of the Alphabet, so that must be number 1…” TURN BACK! You have gone too far! I promise you that the solution is MUCH simpler than that. Try thinking of it as a game of connect the dots. Look for things that the clues have in common. Ask yourself, what are they trying to tell me? This will often help you to simplify your thinking substantially!

Another thing to keep in mind that many of the rules of your world do not apply in the Fun House.

FunHouse_Teaser

This escape game takes place in a fantastical realm where many things are not as they appear to be. In the Fun House, it isn’t uncommon for stationary things to spin, and move, and dance; it isn’t uncommon for things to be out of place or out of order; It isn’t uncommon for potential magicians to be required to salute a picture of General von Kitty; and it is most certainly not uncommon for an enchanted painting to speak, sing, and demand worship from players in the form of flattering compliments.

And lastly, but most importantly, remember that it is never bad to ask for help. The Fun House can certainly be a bit overwhelming for new players. If it seems like you aren’t understanding something and you feel yourself getting frustrated, simply ask your team mates for help. If you all put your minds to it and still don’t quite understand something, then you can always turn to me, Zoltar the Great. Don’t let my flawless complexion intimidate you. I promise… I am only there to help.

Sincerely,
Zoltar the Great

July 17 2017

My First Escape Room and Why I’m Still Escaping

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If you’re reading this blog, chances are you have at least a vague idea of what an escape room is. Escape rooms have become increasingly popular just over the past few years. Thinking back, it’s strange how only three years ago, I wouldn’t have any idea what an escape room is. What makes these experiences so captivating and why are they becoming a staple for friend and family gatherings?

My name is Geoff, I am a Manager at Cross Roads Escape Games, and I am an Escape Room Enthusiast. I began working here as a game master with a few escape rooms already under my belt. Now I have experienced more than a dozen rooms, but I still remember my very first escape room. The first escape room I ever played was a zombie-themed room in San Antonio, Texas. There are similar rooms across the country: you are locked in a room with a zombie that is chained to the wall. Every few minutes, the chain gets longer and you must work harder to avoid getting eaten while still trying to solve puzzles.

Needless to say, we had a blast (And, yes, we escaped… with 3 seconds remaining). The team consisted of five coworkers, two complete strangers, and myself. It was a great way to test our multitasking abilities, our communication, and our ability to keep a cool head under pressure. It even showcased our ability to interact with and include strangers, which is something I find very important when doing public games. I think we also strengthened our relationships with each other, were inspired to create memorable experiences, and just plain had a great time. Teamwork, unusual puzzles, the rush that comes when you open a lock, and the total immersion into a new world; all of it made for an addictive and thrilling experience. That experience is what began my obsession with escape rooms.

After I moved to California, I got to play more escape rooms with friends. The first room I did with my friends was Cross Roads’ own Hex Room. I was the Prom Queen. We escaped with nearly 12 minutes remaining! To date, The Hex Room has been my favorite room because of its unique design and attention to detail. It was easy to picture myself as the star of my very own horror film, determined to escape before being brutally murdered. I really enjoyed being able to work on my own puzzles but still have friends nearby if I needed any assistance.

The ability to work together with friends, family, and strangers to solve puzzles and fully engage in a story is what keeps me coming back.

I think that’s why escape rooms are so popular: they are engaging, requiring the participants to use problem-solving skills and critical thinking, while building relationships and developing teamwork. In an age where most of us, me included, spend a lot of time interacting with screens, it’s nice to unplug for a while and use your hands. Not to mention, escape rooms aren’t mindless entertainment: You need to think, engage, interact, and be present. Plus, no two escape rooms are exactly alike. You get to experience and star in new and exciting stories every time. It’s fun to enter new scenarios and imagine you are really in this world, even if it’s only for an hour.

If you haven’t done an escape room yet, I think you should. They are a great way to do something a bit out of the ordinary while hanging out with friends or family, a wonderful alternative to going to the movies because you are still able to interact with your group, to have fun, and to laugh together. It’s an inspired way to spend time with family because a wide range of ages can participate. After the game is over, you’ll be talking about it for days, meaning you’ll never be wanting for conversation.

I believe escape rooms filled a niche for people who want to go out and do something together a bit out of the ordinary, offered an experience for people who love solving puzzles, and provided a place for businesses to offer their employees a fun and innovative way to work on team building.

I think it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing escape rooms for quite some time. I know I’m excited to try my next one.

Geoff Durham
Manager, Game Master, & Most Likely To Barely Survive A Horror Film
Cross Roads Escape Games