When was the last time you felt really TRAPPED ? Do you remember the last time you used the full power of your observation and imagination to get you out of a tricky situation?
With the popularity of virtual reality culture and online games, Escape Rooms have become the latest North American tangible experience trend that fosters team bonding and puts real life skills to the test!
Real-life Escape Games are a type of physical adventure game in which teams of 2 – 8 participants are locked into a themed room and have to use elements of the room to find clues, decipher a series of puzzles and escape the room within a set time limit – usually 45 to 60 minutes. The games will definitely challenge your wits and try your patience as you solve puzzles, observe your surroundings and communicate with your teammates to advance to the next level, find the key and escape.
Montreal currently has several locations where you can participate in various escape scenarios. I recently visited a new location called Trapped situated at 933 Ontario Est.
While their Montreal location has only been open for a couple of weeks, with their four fully detailed, bilingual and complex scenarios (Contaminated Hospital, The Ancient Pyramid, The Medieval Prison and Death Note –based on a popular manga series ) designed by a Japanese interior designer from Osaka, Trapped has already gathered quite a lot of attention as a wonderful location to host birthdays, corporate team bonding experiences, bachelor / bachelorette parties or just a fun place to share a new challenging experience with family and friends.
During my visit, I tried The Medieval Prison scenarios with 4 of my friends. We were going to incarnate 14th century peasants being wrongly accused of treason and condemned to be hanged in an hour…unless we find the way to escape!
After locking away our coats, cells and other personal effects in the locker room, we started our journey blindfolded as a staff member gently led us into a room that smelled strongly of fresh hay. One member of the team was equipped with a walk-talkie that remained our only connection to the outside world. When the ambiance music of prisoners screaming started, we were instructed to take off our blindfolds and take a look around our new surroundings. We found ourselves locked away behind bars with no key in plain sight…..Working collectively, we had to find clues left to us by the previous prisoner to escape before the executioner arrives.
With the clock ticking it became hard at times to focus on some of the clues which were right in front of our faces.The game definitely challenged all five of our senses and pushed our team to the very limits of our intelligence. The best teams know how to put their comrades unique talents and strengths to good use !
The trick is not to panic over the puzzles or riddles. In the 60 minutes that you have to escape, not all teams will succeed at a first try – ours almost did, but we were stuck on the last puzzle and had to take the picture of failure below:
For teams who are really stuck and find they cannot advance, the Trapped staff member will offer up to two clues to help you get back on the right track.
For first timers, I suggest wearing comfortable clothes and shoes and be careful about how you handle the artifacts and props. You certainly do not want to break anything and get yourself TRAPPED forever…
Montreal is Trapped’s second location outside of Toronto. Depending on the chosen scenario, up to 8 people can play at once in a same room that would require either more physical dexterity ( prison) or general factual knowledge ( hospital) to solve the puzzles.
I would definitely recommend trying an Escape Game as it challenges every member of your team on several levels, fosters good teamwork and is a genuinely fun, safe and exciting experience to have !
Please visit the Trapped Facebook page and official website for more details on prices and opening hours.
- http://trapped.ca/montreal
- 933 Rue Ontario E H2L 1P6