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If you have never done one, “escape room” is an unhelpful name. It sounds like a stunt. It is closer to a board game you can walk around inside. Here is how the thing actually works.
The basic idea
You and your group are shown into a themed room. The room contains objects, locks, and information. Working out how they relate to each other opens things, which reveals more information, which opens more things, until you reach the end. You have an hour, give or take.
That is genuinely it. There is no acting required, no general knowledge, no physical strength, and no trick you are expected to already know.
Are you actually locked in?
No. This is the question behind most people’s hesitation, so: the door opens from the inside at any point. If someone needs to step out, they step out. The “locked” part is the story, not the building.
How the hour is structured
The briefing, before the clock
Your games master explains the room, the hint system and the goal. A few minutes, no test.
The first ten minutes: search
You open drawers, read things, look under and behind. This feels unproductive. It is not — it is how every group that finishes begins. Gather first, theorise second.
The middle: the pattern clicks
Someone connects two things. A lock opens. From there it tends to accelerate, because each solve gives you the material for the next one.
The last ten minutes: noise
Either you are close, or you are taking hints at speed. Both are normal. Very few groups finish comfortably.
What kinds of puzzle come up
- Finding — something is hidden and you have to notice it
- Matching — a set of symbols here corresponds to a set of symbols there
- Ordering — four things exist, the order matters
- Reading carefully — the answer was written down and everyone skimmed it
Almost nothing requires maths beyond counting, and nothing requires knowledge you were supposed to bring with you.
What if we get stuck?
You will, and it is designed that way. Your games master watches the whole game and gives you a nudge whenever you ask. No penalty, no scoring, no prize for silence. Ask early — the groups who run out of time are usually the ones who waited twenty minutes before admitting it.
Who is it for?
Almost everyone. Rooms take 2 to 8 players, and the puzzles reward different kinds of thinking, so mixed groups do well — the quiet ones frequently turn out to be the ones who crack it.
Our age policy: 16 and over can play alone, 14 to 16 need an adult close by, under-14s need an adult in the room. Under-7s play free. Full detail on who can play.
Is it frightening?
Only if you choose a room that is. The Lamorna Brown Affair has no scares whatsoever. 28 Pasties Later has a playful zombie streak. Nothing ever touches you in any of our rooms.
What it costs and how long it takes
Allow about ninety minutes for a sixty-minute game including briefing and photos. 28 Pasties Later runs a full 90 minutes of play. From £60 per room, charged per room rather than per head, so bigger groups pay less each — about £20 a head for a full room. The room is always private.
Try one
We are at 44 New Street, Penzance, open 10am to 10pm seven days. Check availability, read the FAQ, or ring 01736 691049 and ask us anything.
