Escape winter’s chill at The Real Escape

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/01/2016 (3776 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

You may recall my recent experience with claustrophobia, which nearly caused me to miss a family destination wedding.

With this in mind, I was hesitant to join my workmates on a visit The Real Escape on Portage Avenue. 

When I first drove past, I thought it said Real Estate, which didn’t interest me at all.  But this storefront actually houses a selection of quests that pit participants against the clock.

The experience is geared towards team-building and bonding, making it an ideal activity for co-workers, friends and families.

 As the name suggests, the goal is to escape a potentially doomed situation within a one-hour time limit. Everyone must work together to solve clues, which will allow the team to escape from a specific predicament. 

Escape from what, you may ask? 

Well, you may choose to break free of the insane asylum, the haunted Mavis House, the bank vault or death row. 

So, to summarize:

I’m locked in a smallish room, with several people, and we have to solve the clues to escape.  
My sense of adventure got the better of me, as I exhaled a big breath. I had also been informed that the access door in each room is not actually locked, to allow participants to leave if necessary.
 
The puzzles in each scenario are intended to incorporate different types of thinking, forcing the participants to work together to accomplish their objectives. 

It becomes easier once you relax and let your mind think outside the box.  Brainstorming aloud was a huge part of our strategy. 

The clues didn’t always make sense, until something else fell into place. 

Don’t worry though, if your group is really stumped, the staff may slip a little hint under the door.  There were howls of laughter, moans of failure, squeals of surprise and cheers of success.  Fortunately, our team managed to escape with one-and-a-half minutes to spare. 

The owners of The Real Escape are not surprised by the level of interest they’ve received since their opening in November, 2014.  Co-owner Megan Schmidt says that, “rather than go to another movie, people are looking for something different to do, to get out and interact with each other.”

If I can do it, then now’s the time to put down your electronic gadgets, pack up the family, and book your room at The Real Escape.

Wanda Prychitko is a community correspondent for St. James-Assiniboia. Contact wprychitko@yahoo.ca