Rockwall’s Great Escape

(ROCKWALL, TX – Sept. 26, 2016) Recently I spent an evening locked in an old professor’s office with six of my good friends for a little over an hour, trying desperately to hunt down a key that would allow me to escape. I didn’t have my cell phone on me, so I was armed only with my wits, a sense of curiosity, and a series of complicated clues.

This might sound like a reason to panic, but on the contrary, it was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had.

Earlier this year, a new business called Escape Rooms Rockwall sprung up on Ridge Road. I heard about a new puzzle room fad sweeping across the nation from friends and reality TV, and I had always thought it would be something fascinating to try. Essentially, an “escape room” works like this: You and a small group of friends or coworkers enter a room filled to the brim with unique props and clues. You’re given a set of instructions and a time limit to solve the series of riddles and puzzles that will lead you to a physical key or lock combination, allowing you to safely escape from the room. No cell phones are allowed, so you can’t cheat with a quick Google search (which would ruin all the fun anyway, in my opinion).

At the Rockwall Escape Rooms location, guests are continuously observed by staff members using cameras mounted in the corners of each room. This ensures a safe experience, and allows the staff to occasionally grant a helpful clue using a monitor mounted on the escape room wall. Each group starts out with a paper copy of a riddle, and can request up to three additional clues during the course of their time limit. After 60 minutes are up, you chance to escape is over.

Garret and Jenna Carruth, the owners of Rockwall Escape Rooms, told me groups successfully escape about 50% of the time. But according to Garret, the ones who don’t make it out are often the most likely to return and play again. I can see why the experience becomes so addicting.

Fortunately, I brought a gang of old high school pals who were just as enthusiastic about the experience as I was. Our brains were operating at maximum capacity the whole time as we raced around the room opening secret drawers and doors, studying maps, flipping through books, and occasionally celebrating our success each time we cracked a code. Eventually (with the help of several clues and a couple of bonus minutes) we did successfully escape from the professor’s office.

The room we played is called Orion, but Rockwall Escape rooms also has two other options for players who want to return. School of Locks takes place in an adjoining principal’s office and classroom, while Year of the Roommate allows players to hunt down clues in a Chinese restaurant and a college dorm room. According to Garret, there will be more new escape room options every few months, including a special murder-mystery themed room this October, just in time for Halloween.

For potential escape artists on the fence about claustrophobia, fear not: there is an additional safety feature. Although the exit door to each room remains locked for the purpose of the simulation, there is an entrance door that remains unlocked at all times. This allows guests to come and go freely if they need to use the restroom, and it can be a source of comfort to those who want to get in on the puzzling fun but don’t love the idea of being trapped.

I can personally attest to how rewarding it feels to spend some quality, smart phone-free time with friends uncovering mysteries and solving clues. It stretches your brain and allows you to bond with your team, and it gives you the unique sensation of being a hero in a movie. I can say without hesitation that I will definitely be back for another chance to escape.

By Julie Anne White, Blue Ribbon News reporter.

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