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Escape from Garden City

Interactive game dares people to find ways out of themed, locked rooms

A game that has swept through many Asian cities has landed in Richmond, giving people a chance to become escape artists in a safe, yet relatively realistic, environment.

"Exit" is a gaming room located on Garden City Road, which provides four trap scenarios whereby customers try to escape from a series of three rooms.

The owner of Exit is Justin Tang, who got the idea after visiting Asian cities where escape games are popular. He also thought there's a need for more activities like this in Metro Vancouver.

"I have heard too many times that nobody has anything to do here. People can go to a movie and after that, that's about it; maybe just go drinking," said Tang, whose game is targeted towards young adults.

"I think Canadians will enjoy this game," said Tang.

Customers pay $23 to escape from one of four scenarios. There can be two to six people to a room and they have 45 minutes to escape. Tang said only one per cent of customers have escaped since he opened Exit last October.

"The most rewarding thing is the moment they escape. They look like they just won the lottery; that's the expression on their face," quipped Tang, who said the key is to not panic and think critically.

The lost ship scenario sees soonto-be victims or the rare soon-to-be escape artists enter a room that's set up like the outside deck of a ship.

There are various props in the room, which act as clues to open a box that contains a digital code required to unlock the escape door. The next room is an abandoned ship cabin and the trapped players need to once again think critically about finding the next clue to unlock the door to the third and final room.

The Ancient Egypt room has a fake mummy coffin and the floor is covered with sand. Players are given lanterns as the rooms are pitch black.

The prison scenario also has several props that will make players immediately feel right in the game. Here, players start in a locked prison cell and once again need to escape before beginning to think about how to unlock the box to access the code.

Perhaps the most terrifying scenario is the laboratory, which evokes images of horror movies. On a white board high above the walls (that are splattered in fake blood and red handprints) is a riddle that may or may not provide valuable information for escaping. A dirty bloodied sink sits next to used medical tools and an empty operating bed sits at the centre of the room. A scattered mess indicates something went horribly wrong.

All the rooms are cold and dark, giving players a jolt to their senses.

"Sometimes the ladies get scared but it only lasts for the first minute and then they start looking for clues," said Tang.

All the rooms have intercoms in them in case of emergencies or if the players require clues (they're allowed two).

"I've heard a lot of people say this is the fastest 45 minutes they've experienced," said Tang.

While there are only four sets of rooms, Tang says he's hoping to expand to other locations.

In the meantime, he has already changed the themes once and will be changing the present ones soon. He's careful not to give away too many secrets.