Coming up with new date night ideas, or even a fun night out with friends or family, can be difficult at times. However, there is a fun trend sweeping the nation that offers not only a unique experience but also a way to strengthen your relationship with others. Yes, we are talking about escape rooms!
What is an escape room?
An escape room is a cooperative experience played with friends or family where you must solve a series of puzzles or riddles to escape the room within a specific time frame, typically an hour.
History of Escape Rooms
Beginning in the early 90s, ‘escape’ video games like the Myst series became popularized. These video games required players to interact with their surroundings and solve puzzles in order to complete the challenge.
In 2004, Toshimitsu Takagi created a video game called Crimson Rush that resembled escape rooms as we know them today and is said to have had a strong influence on the creation of “live” rooms.
Although there is some debate, it is widely accepted that the first live escape room was founded by the Japanese company SCRAP in 2007.
It did not take long for the world to catch on to this new experience either. By late 2019, there were said to be about 50,000 escape rooms worldwide with 2,350 of those being in the US.
What are the different types of escape rooms or escape room experiences?
There are many different types of escape rooms or escape room type experience, each coming with their own unique offers for those looking for a fun activity to do with others.
Traditional Escape Rooms
Traditional or “live” escape rooms are what most of us think about when we picture escape rooms in our head.
Typically, traditional escape room businesses have 3-5 different rooms that you can book with your group. Usually, each room has its own theme as well as its own series of puzzles and riddles you must try and solve.
Some popular escape room themes include: zombie apocalypse, murder mystery, medieval dungeons, or “diffuse the bomb”.
With these live rooms, each member of your group pays an entry fee and rooms are typically booked “per head”. Most escape rooms can be done with two or three people with a max of six or so. Too many people in one room can make it difficult to maneuver and keep track of information.
Once your group enters the room (sometimes after an introduction video explaining the story behind the theme), you will have a certain amount of time to escape (usually one hour).
Some rooms will have “gamemasters” in the room to give you hints, while other companies prefer to have their gamemasters in another room, typically communicating through a PA-type system.
The goal of an escape room is to solve all the puzzles and complete all the challenges as fast as you can or before the time runs out.
Virtual Escape Rooms
In lieu of social distancing and the effects of COVID, “virtual escape rooms” are becoming more and more popular.
The goal of a virtual escape room is the same as a traditional one: to escape as quickly as possible. However, virtual rooms can be done from the comfort of your own home.
Instead of physically being in the room, your experience is played out using video conferencing where you are viewing the room from the eyes of the gamemaster who is physically in the room. You tell the gamemaster where to go and what to do.
Virtual escape rooms are a perfect option for those groups that want to stay home.
The added bonus of virtual rooms is that you can try different companies from all over the world (assuming they are offering the service).
Escape Room Boxes
Because of their popularity, traditional escape rooms have inspired many new companies that focus on providing the same escape experience with physical products that can be done at home.
The “escape room boxes” still offer the team-building aspect of escape rooms, without the pressure of finishing before the time runs out (if time does run out, you can always continue playing). Because of this, escape boxes are great for couples or smaller groups of two that still want to have that experience.
Escape Room Video Games
Another option for that escape room experience are video games! Since the early 90s, there have been many video games that offer the escape theme. Today, there are hundreds if not thousands of options, many at the tips of your fingers!
There are many apps and online escape games you can play today. These are a great option for single players or those just trying to pass the time.
Why escape rooms are a perfect date night idea
Escape rooms can be the perfect date night idea because they offer a unique experience while also helping to strengthen certain parts of your relationship.
To start, it can sometimes be difficult to come up with new date night ideas. But if you and your partner love escape rooms, you can find different companies to try around town. And when you travel out of town, you can always look to see if there is a new company in town to try together.
In all its fun, escape rooms have an even more important benefit when it comes to date night: strengthening your relationship. In order to successfully escape, you’ll need to strongly communicate with your partner and work together to solve problems. In addition, this communication also leads to you both sharing ideas and different perspectives, building your bond.
Conclusion
Whether you are looking for a fun night out with friends or a new and unique date night idea, escape rooms can provide an experience that will be remembered forever.
Did you know we've actually released an escape room date night box ourselves? You and your partner are trapped inside of an old, haunted hotel and must solve riddles and clues to complete a ghastly task and escape back home.
That's not the only one. Every month, we release a brand new, never-before-seen date night box built around growth and laughter! Experience the convenience of a fully-planned date night right in your home with Crated with Love. ❤️