Escapism at the Wintergraden

Escapism is a new escape room experience open at Strike Bowling Wintergarden: locked together in a room with 50 minutes to escape

There are three scenarios to choose from- Butcher’s Burrow (A Saw-like scenario), Forensic (a murder investigation) or The Forest (escape an enchanted forest- more family friendly).

Feeling adventurous, my friend and I chose Butcher’s Burrow – what was the worst that could happen? (Besides, you know, mutilation or death.) I kept the chocolate bar quiet – rations might come in handy if anything went wrong. Also, the belt I was wearing would make a handy weapon… Imaginations whirring and ready for anything, we joined forces with a family of four. Staff briefed us about the rules of the game, gave us one phone we could use for hints, while all other belongings were safely put away for the duration of the ‘escape’. Blindfolded, we were lead into a room, told a brief background story and then the door slammed closed and the fun began.

Blindfolds were whipped off and we found ourselves in a dimly lit, small, blood smeared room. It was very atmospheric, complete with body parts and creepy soundtrack. Scouring for clues (we had been briefed it was important to communicate everything we found with each other) which, interestingly, didn’t reveal any more narrative but were instead geared toward solving puzzles and advancing to the next stage of the game. For example, you might have to open a lock to get a clue, which would then go together with another clue to allow you open something else.

I’m afraid I can’t say much else without giving anything away. Our group worked well together, and got just two clues away from escaping within the 50 minutes (the furthest anyone had got so far!). We probably would have escaped if we had been able to find a tiny clue that we knew we were missing – it had fallen out of the position it should have been in. The set-up is quite intricate, and being the first day, a few things were bound to need ironing out.

As someone who loves puzzles, I had an absolute blast. I was fully engaged in the game the whole time, and the 50 minutes simultaneously felt very quick and somehow suspended. For novel entertainment, I fully recommend Escapism at Strike Bowling in the Wintergarden.

For more information, visit the website: StrikeEscaperooms.com.au