Escape the winter blues with something a little different…

The cold season is in full flow, though sometimes we just cannot get ourselves outdoors in the freezing chill. So why not get our creative juices going, try something completely new and dive into a (warmer) world of imagination? Escape Rooms are the place to be this winter! The trendy new entertainment concept ensures an immersive experience throughout and is the perfect way to forget adult life for just a few hours.

Escape Rooms are popping up everywhere these days. The concept of being locked in a room filled with riddles, which a team has to solve in order to ‘escape’, may seem a little frivolous at first. But wait until you have tried it, and the fever for finding ingenious clues, overcoming mental obstacles and winning the game in time has taken over.

The trendy entertainment concept has long established itself in various major cities from London to Berlin. Escape Rooms offer the perfect indoor activity to challenge your own mind while the freezing cold stays outside. Get your group of friends, workmates or family together and see if you can outsmart the game.

And rest assured: this is far from child’s play!

Here are some of the top Escape Rooms across the DACH-region.

TeamEscape, Hamburg

In the two Escape Room locations run by TeamEscape in Hamburg, you and your team are given 60 minutes to search, collect and combine clues and objects in order to ‘escape’ before time runs out. Each room is differently themed: there is, for example, ‘The Gallery’, where you are part of a group of thieves trying to commit the perfect crime by stealing Christopher Columbus’ compass from an art collector. Or try the Escape Room called ‘The Hofman Formula’, where humankind depends on your team finding the antidote to a deadly virus. It will most certainly be anything but boring. teamescape.com/hamburg

Trip Trap, Geneva

Trip Trap is known for being a factory of grand immersive experiences, so it should come as no surprise that they also came up with their own Escape Room concept. At Trip Trap, there are a variety of themed rooms to choose from. In one of them you will meet the greatest voodoo priestess – and maybe realise that accepting her dinner invitation was a mistake. The level of this Escape Room is known for being hard, but who does not relish a good challenge?! triptrapescape.ch

Illuminati Escape, Berlin

As the name suggests, teams fight the secret organisation Illuminati from taking over the world. In particular, the room called ‘Cyber Attack’ comes highly recommended. It is a bit more technical, but you certainly do not have to be a computer expert to solve this game. Another room involves a secret NASA blueprint, which has to be secured in a casino setting – again, 60 minutes is the time limit and the clock is ticking. It is a great one for team-building challenges and corporate events. illuminati-escape.com

Crime Runners, Vienna

This is an Escape Room of the next level and is centred around a secret agent theme. The classic concept has been extended with special effects and incorporates great storytelling. A brand-new premium room is currently being constructed and it promises to be another action-packed adventure where teams have to follow the instructions of a secret operator.  crimerunners.at

The Room, Berlin

With a great sense for detail, the one room that keeps being recommended the most here, is called ‘Beast of Berlin’. Not quite for the faint-hearted, teams are part of a special police force and need to solve the mystery around a serial killer on the streets of Berlin. The story is set against the backdrop of the vibrant 1920s and includes historical facts, which give the game a realistic feel. Sophisticated puzzles and a great range of props make this a full-on immersive adventure. the-room-berlin.com

Masters of Escape, Linz

Story is everything in these particular Escape Rooms. The team behind them fell in love with the concept, but realised that the standard of Austrian Escape Rooms was not quite there yet – hence, they opened their own and it became a great success instantly. Try the room ‘Prison Break’, to use your creativity and logical thinking in order to break free. If you like to think outside the box, choose ‘Wudang Shan’ and dive into the world of old China and Thai-Chi masters. linz.moescape.com

Regardless of which one you choose or how sceptical you are at first, Escape Rooms are certainly worth a try, even for those amongst us who are generally not into games as such. The immersive element usually takes over very quickly and it is a good reminder that there is a creative kid in all of us after all – and from time to time we should nurture that part of us a little bit as well.