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All day today, we were stretching our minds to come up with an event (or 38 events) that would be great to celebrate in an escape room. Or to phrase it differently, when would an escape room be appropriate and fun?

Of course, that led us down the rabbit hole of pondering how we relate to people around us. How well do you know your coworkers, friends, family? Maybe you know them in predictable situations but not in crazy, stressful ones. Or maybe you know them in stressful situations only when it comes to that project deadline or who will drop off the forgotten lunch at school. You know each person in a very specific context.

Connecting with Others

We like to think of connecting with people around you as a superpower. Can you pay attention? Can you focus on them in a new situation? In other words, can you be present in the escape room for the people around you?

The strangeness of the situation forces you to be present. Again, this is valuable in interacting with people. You can’t zone out on your phone or do things the routine way. If you could, then your brain would run in auto mode and there’s a good chance you wouldn’t remember much of what happened. Our brains simply don’t process familiar tasks/experiences with the same fervor and vividness as they do new experiences.

An escape room also lets you be present because you live the experience through your eyes, not through your phone’s camera. How often have you been somewhere amazing (a fireworks show, the Grand Canyon) and people are busy looking at things on their phones as they film it? They’re essentially watching a live video of the event rather than the event itself. Sure, those videos are great to have (we take lots of them here too!), but they’re never a substitute for the actual event. So before you pick up your phone to start snapping photos, take a moment and a few deep breaths to appreciate what you’re looking at. The escape room experience, because it doesn’t allow phones, naturally gives you that pause and moments to breathe. Except those moments last 60 minutes! And go by really quickly! And are full of suspense and questions!

We’ll stop. You get the idea. An escape room experience allows you to be present in the moment for an entire hour, something that modern society doesn’t always indulge in. (Eeeesh, I sound 86 years old right now. I promise I’m not.)

With that personal challenge in mind, we have a very tiny totally manageable list of events for when we recommend doing an escape room.

Events That Will Prompt an Escape Room Booking

• Family night out. We like to think of this as the family version of date night. Plan something fun, grab the kids, and head out to make some memories! If you can make it a regular occurrence (once a month, every other month), you’ll soon have tons of good stories to share with each other and others. The bonding opportunities here will be huge. 
• Birthday parties. Of course this idea is on the list! Escape the Place has event space for 50 people and we love to host parties. Bring or cater in your own food, and enjoy the event space for up to several hours before your escape room experience. This is a low-stress way to create an unforgettable birthday.
• Date night. Speaking of getting to know someone better … how about date night? You and your significant other will have the chance to work through puzzles and challenge each other while you race against the clock. Who knows, you might learn a lot about each other and you’ll definitely have good memories of that date.
• Bachelor/bachelorette parties. Similar to birthdays, we just love hosting parties. Start the party off right with a group escape room experience before heading out to the bride’s or groom’s favorite restaurant for dinner. Alternately, have food catered in and enjoy time together as a group before tackling the escape room together.
• Corporate parties. Our brand new event space makes hosting a corporate party a breeze. Guaranteed to make you the best party planner in the office. And, like we might have mentioned before, you’ll get the chance to interact with coworkers in a completely different situation than usual, which is a fabulous way to build meaningful connections beyond “How was your weekend”.
• Outing with friends. This one is great because it’s so versatile. You can grab just a couple friends to experience one escape room or a huge group to experience a couple rooms. Plan dinner afterward, hit up your favorite brewery, or [insert your favorite activity] to make it a great night.
• When you want a new story to tell. Because who doesn’t want a good, dramatic story? And for those of us who love the thrill of new experiences, our five escape rooms are a gift that keep on giving.
• Holiday fun. We like the versatility of this one too. Are you trying to plan a holiday work party? Do you have family in town and not sure what to do with them? Maybe the kids are on a school break and have already blown through your list of fun activities. Book an escape room! That will definitely bring people together and create good memories – just like all those Pinterest pins filling up your boards.
• To learn about people. Had to throw this one in! Now that you’re fired up about being present in the moment and learning about the people around you, why not give yourself the challenge? Grab a few people and your observation spectacles (I know you have some) and hit up one of our rooms to learn more about the people you’ve let in your life.

 

 

 

The One Event Not to Book an Escape Room for

While typing up this list (and getting new carpal tunnel symptoms, apparently), we could think of only one situation where an escape room would not be enjoyable: a one-year-old’s birthday party. Seriously. Indulge in cake-smashing and adorable outfits elsewhere. Other than that, we can only think of great reasons to book an escape room today.

See you soon!