Being trapped in a room may not sound like a hoot, but it’s the new fad in town. Trapped! Escape Room (1796 Coventry Rd., 216-309-1796) in Cleveland Heights will “lock” visitors in a room for 60 minutes, challenging folks to team up and make a getaway. Corral friends, family or work buds and pick between themed rooms including The Cell, the Pirate Tavern and the Chainsaw, which is coming out just in time for Halloween.
Here’s how it works: A group of three to eight people enters one of the rooms where they're "locked in" (this isn't a real hostage situation, you can leave at anytime if necessary). The time starts ticking. Find all the clues and solve the puzzles, like decoding messages and finding nooks to secret doors. There’s also the game master who watches via a surveillance camera and chimes in if the riddles are just too darn hard (trust us, they are!). If the team escapes before the time ends, they'll have the glory of joining the nine percent who’ve succeeded at The Cell, or the 20 percent who’ve made it out of Pirate Tavern.
We walked the plank and got a look at what the Pirate Tavern’s all about. Inside, there are 12 different boxes to unlock before “Captain Black Beard” comes to shoot down any dreams of winning with a cannon ball. If all the locks are cracked, anchor back to land and simply push the door open.
Now, we won’t spoil too much. Our documented experience speaks for itself:
You can book online here. There's a minimum limit of three people and an option to join others if it's a small group. Trapped! caters to just about everyone: families, friends, corporate outings and other groups like wedding parties. It's $28 per person.
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