DOWNTOWN ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Being locked in a dark room may sound like a nightmare for some people, but for others, it's a form of entertainment and a way to bond with friends. They're called escape rooms and over the past few years, their popularity is surging nationwide.
Today, the first escape room opens in the Star City, Deciphered Roanoke. There's been a lot of excitement surrounding the opening-- as owners say they're already booking up reservations.
The concept is pretty easy-- players enter one of two themed rooms, the doors are shut behind them and they have one hour to solve a series of puzzles that will help them find a key and unlock the door.
Experts say there are more than 600 escape rooms in the United States, but with new ones springing up every day-- it's difficult to pin down an exact number. The owners of Deciphered Roanoke say since they first got the idea to open up in Roanoke last year, at least a dozen new escape rooms have opened up in Virginia alone.
One of the reasons they're so popular is because anyone can do them. It can be a date night, a weekend out with friends or even a work bonding experience.
"You don't need anything special or any prior knowledge," says Benjamin Shaw, the President of Deciphered Roanoke. "Just get a group of friends or buddies from work and come book a room and enjoy it."
Players use their problem-solving skills, but don't need to be an expert on any one subject to solve the puzzles-- which center around simple math, figuring out the clues and finding a key.
"Anything is a clue," explains Brandon Ford, the CEO. "If you go through a room and see something, try to relate it to anything possible. There are no boundaries with this so anything you see can be a clue."
Right now, there are two other popular escape rooms in Southwest Virginia. One Way Out in Lynchburg has been open for nearly a year and Puzzlr in Blacksburg caters to college students at Virginia Tech. Owners of both escape rooms say they're booked up almost every night, especially on the weekends-- big business Deciphered Roanoke expects to see as well.
Following Thursday's grand opening-- two rooms will be open to the public. The first is called Our Last Breath and is based on a space ship losing oxygen. Players start in an almost completely dark room, working to turn on the lights and gain access to a second room where they uncover even more clues and finish the room. The second escape room opening this week is called A Few Morsels, which takes on an old-timey cabin feel.
The creators worked hard to make sure the clues match the rooms, so in the rustic room there won't be a lot of technology, instead clues will be hidden in books and old cassette tapes.
It's not just a game, these rooms also become a form of entertainment as players learn more about the fictional story behind them.
"Our clues also kind of tell you a story," says Luke Croft, the Creative Director. "In this room, there are things that if you sit down and look at everything, you'll start to learn the story of the fictional person that actually lives in this room. The more you dive in, the more you realize these rooms are more fleshed out than just following steps."
Both rooms hold groups of up to six people. To find out more about the rooms or book a reservation, click here.