In this age of social media with so many eagerly tweeting every detail of their day, from breakfast choice to how many reps they did at the gym, it is almost impossible for anything to remain a mystery.
So when we turned up for our session at Breakout Games Aberdeen without a clue what to expect, I was genuinely excited.
Breakout Games, located in The Arches just behind Union Square, is a real-life escape game, a concept born of an encouraging trend to take what starts as a sedentary video game, and turn it into a physical challenge that requires patience, observation, critical thinking and cooperation. As someone who is admittedly lacking in one or two of these traits, I was glad to learn that it is a group activity so I recruited my own crew of experienced gamers – my children.
Without giving too much away, the adventure begins when you and your team are taken to a room and presented with a scenario. The scenario varies in theme and degree of difficulty depending on which room you have chosen to play in, but suffice it to say that they all involve being locked in and then forced to use your nous to identify clues, crack codes, and determine what information is and is not pertinent to making your escape – and all before the clock runs out.
In the shortest 47 minutes I have ever experienced, I learned that a shared goal can create a common ground for even the most varied group of personalities. We began as five people scratching our heads but soon individual strengths were shining through and every single one of them played a role in our eventual breakout. Admittedly, the youthful minds fared better than mine, with its tendency to grossly overcomplicate things, but that only added to the entertainment value.
Whether you go to Breakout Games as part of a family outing or a team building event, the only thing you will want to do once you break free is get locked up again.
www.breakoutgamesaberdeen.com