The escape room craze?

The Crystal Maze

I do find the whole escape room thing a little odd, mainly because when I first heard about it I thought of something more like the movie Cube (less cube 2 and cube 0) . The reality is far less dangerous of course, but they also lack the lateral thinking which more excites me. Maybe this is why I find The Cube (how ironic) a little more interesting in this regards?

The Crystal maze is pretty much a series of escape rooms dressed up – let’s be honest! Due to the cult popularity and the mad rush for escape room experiences; its back without Richard O’Brian of course.

Someone at ARGnet has wrote a piece analysing the rise of the escape room. It doesn’t go into much detail but an interesting short read regardless. I find it interesting how big the craze of escape rooms has moved and so quickly. I was listening to some people in Tallinn, Estonia talking about an escape room in the airport which prompted me to write my thoughts.

I’d love to see something more like Exam.

The final candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a test so simple and confusing that tension begins to unravel.

More lateral and freeform. I’d also like to see people given roles (like Werewolf I guess, heck you could pay more to be the stodge?) to make things really interesting. Yes you could include stooges too.

Exam

Escape rooms currently feel too formulaic and logical, a bit like some of the less interesting Alternative Reality games which drag you from task to task rather than responding and giving you lots of space to think. I think there is a lot to learn from ARGs and maybe, who knows I’ll be raving about one…

For Sale: Escape Magazine the almost complete set

Escape: Issue: 2Escape: Issue: 3Escape issue: 4Escape issue: 5Escape issue: 6

Escape issue: 7Escape issue: 8Escape issue: 9 Escape issue: 10Escape issue: 11

Escape Magazine seems to have almost no history or mention. There’s my blog post written in April this year and the magforum which has this reference.

Short-lived title from Maxim publisher Dennis aiming to explore the World-Wide Web. The first issue was withdrawn for legal reasons. Jennifer Aniston was on the cover.

Obayifo left a comment he had issue one, the one which was withdrawn. It must be worth a lot of money now? I could really do with issue one to complete my collection but then again I am selling my collection, if anyones interested?

Once again, I really do think Escape was a head of its time. It was .net magazine crossed with loaded or maxim. Its slant towards Internet culture was great. Yes it was a men’s magazine but beyond the front cover it had some very interesting articles. For example in issue 2 beyond the half naked cover of Sandra Bullock you had,

  • Emails of the rich and famous
  • Better that Sex?
  • Skin up? (about Tattoos)
  • Xmas Goodies
  • Net Girls
  • From Watchmen to Soul Men
  • Your place or mine? (about swinging)
  • I don’t need this pressure, Ron (Rob Atkinson vs Championship manager 2)
  • Surfing for the board generation
  • This man is sick (about a guy selling a very dodgy cdrom)
  • Orgasmatron (interview with mike saenz, creator of Virtual Valerie)

Ok maybe thats not the best advert for the magazine… *smile*

Someone did point me to den of geek which I have to say is not quite as punchy as Escape’s writing staff but its not a bad substitute.

Now time to make a start on the rave flyers…