Tag Archives: blackpool

Now open in Blackpool: Escape

Escape Blackpool logoThe Escape chain has been expanding steadily southwards, Edinburgh and Glasgow to Newcastle and now Blackpool. (They have good business in other countries too, notably the Dublin site in Ireland, among others.) The site will be opening on Leap Year’s Day; by tradition, of course, this is the single day every four years on which the site gets to escape the players, rather than the other way around. Exit Games UK has always thought that Blackpool was a market with excellent potential and Clue HQ seem to have done well already. The Escape location is central to the town, very close to Blackpool South train station and opposite a branch of KFC.

Escape Blackpool is launching with three games, each of which takes two to five players and has a 60-minute time limit. Exit Games Scotland point out that the games represent the best of both the Edinburgh and Glasgow branches of the Escape chain.

The Da Vinci Room sees you “take on the role of thief, but for the greater good. Dr John Albright has studied the workings of Da Vinci in great detail. He has amassed a huge collection over the years, including what many believe to be the Holy Grail. Having gained his trust by helping him “acquire” items over the years, you have access to areas of his home and knowledge of his security that no-one else does. You’ve been paid well for your services over the years, but you’ve always felt that an item of the importance of the Holy Grail should be on display for all to see. The professor is away and now is your chance. Get in the room, grab the grail and get out. It should be easy! “The Da Vinci Room” is a live escape game with a twist, you need to get an item out of the room as well as you! The setting is a beautiful old study with artwork, certificates and various vintage items ranging from typewriters to violin cases! Primarily focusing on code-breaking, symbolism and association problems The Da Vinci Room offers an exciting challenge for players young and old.

In Contagion, “You and your team of fellow scientists have been working tirelessly to create a vaccine for the fatal CYE disease. Unfortunately you have all managed to contract the virus. Either sit around and let it take you or you redouble your efforts and create a vaccine. This is not your only problem. After creating the vaccine you must find a way to beat the lock down on the laboratory. The timer is set to 60 minutes, after which the room and all traces of your work, will be incinerated. Create the vaccine and escape the room if the rest of humanity is to benefit from your work!

There’s also the Taken room, which (aside from being a good excuse to link to this post by Really Fun) tells the tale of “A rogue policeman, Brian Miller, has been obsessed for some time with finding the killer of John Doe and in his eyes the evidence points to you and your friends. Part of your group will be Taken and locked away, meaning you will have two tasks to complete: rescue your friend(s) and escape the room. Although separated, the full group will still be able to work together to complete the game. Officer Miller has been cunning in the way he has hidden clues around his somewhat dilapidated room with some impressive gadgetry used along the way. You will need to do some searching and finding in the room as well as the puzzles if you want to Escape. This room is no normal room – let’s just say it’s lacking in some of the comforts of our other rooms – but it’s just as much fun!

Games start on the half-hour between 9:30am and 10:30pm seven days a week: nine games of Taken, nine of Contagion and eight of The Da Vinci Room. (There’s probably wiggle room in the schedule, by arrangement, if two teams want to race against each other and start at the same time.) The tariff matches the Escape UK standard: £66 for a team of 3-5, though couples can apply a code to play for just £48. The site’s Twitter account has posted a code for a 25% discount for a limited time and a quick search reveals no social buying deals yet, so this might be the best time to get involved.

Coming soon to Blackpool: Clue HQ

Clue HQ BlackpoolClue HQ has long been one of the more creative and well-regarded exit games since it opened in Warrington last year. In this site’s interview with proprietor Stuart Rowlands, he hinted at a second location; this has turned from theory into impending practice, surely more quickly than most had expected. You can see a hint to its location in the background of the second site’s logo above, as well as explicit confirmation of this in the text. Blackpool is such a strong tourist destination that it has long seemed to be an excellent fit for whichever exit game turned out to be first to set up there.

The facility will be located some distance from Blackpool’s famous Golden Mile, but it will share premises with the Impact Blackpool entertainment facility, offering an indoor counterpart to the site’s outdoor activities: air rifle shooting, archery, human table football, mini Highland Games, laser tag, paintball and various Segway races. It’s probably not sharing any secrets to suggest that Stuart Rowlands was able to strike up a deal with the site based on having supplied their Segway racing services through his Ride Segway business, so it looks like an intuitively natural match.

The site doesn’t suggest which the first game will be played at the Blackpool location; investigation suggests that a brand new game may be installed there, with potential for a second to follow at the same location; Clue HQ have been known for their originality (as well as their difficulty!) so whatever ends up being installed is likely to be a cracker. There may also be a month or so before the games are available for booking, as well. The prices are set to match those charged in the original Warrington location.

The site is within a short walk of four bus routes, but the site have also arranged a deal with a local taxi company which may work out to be about as cheap for a large party as well as somewhat quicker. The original Warrington site’s How to Find Us page gently requested people not to arrive by hot-air balloon; in Blackpool, all the page says is “ If you plan to arrive by hot air balloon please give us notice before the day of your game“. That would be a way to arrive in style!