Eric Jou reports on Beijing's hot mystery room businesses, in which customers are locked into single-room funhouses where they have to solve a mystery in order to escape. Some mysteries are supernatural, others are crime-scenes, and others are "hospital-themed." They're inspired by similar video-games and cost less than a movie-ticket to play.
Each room escape has a different theme to it. Some are hospital-themed, others are murder scenes, there are even a few supernatural scenes. There is no photography allowed inside the rooms, with some organizers even asking patrons leave their phones with security before the game begins. Each game usually lasts about an hour. If you're still inside the game after the clock runs out, the company staff will come and release you.
The games cost about $10 per person and offer a decent amount of entertainment. It's slightly cheaper than a movie ticket in Beijing and it offers some form of interactive exercise. The reservation specialist, surnamed Qu, at one of the more popular mystery rooms located in Beijing's university district, says that the events are great for team building exercises.
"We have a lot of college students and a lot of white collar folk come in," said Qu. "It's a great way to exercise the brain and decompress after a long week of work or study."
Escape From China's Mystery Rooms! [Eric Jou/Kotaku]
(via Super Punch)
