One exit. One hour. And a slew of puzzles, codes, and keys. This "trap house"- pardon the pun- could be the perfect setting for your next night out. The game originated in New York City, and now a Philadelphia branch not far from Suburban Station offers two operating games- "The Office" and "The Dig." You don't have to know every episode of Murder She Wrote, and you don't have to bring your own Sherlock Holmes cape. You DO need to pay $30 per person, but the unique experience generates valuable memories- especially if you tackle the challenge with friends.
Once you enter the building marked by the clear-cut "1528 Walnut Street" sign, you have to go a few flights downstairs before arriving at a small waiting space. There you can warm up your cerebral cortex by playing board games like 5 Second Rule and Cards Against Humanity. When your reservation comes up, a "Clue Master" will introduce the basics of the game and lock your squad of up to 10 people in the room. The Clue Master supervises the game from start to finish, watching via cameras and interacting by typing messages that appear on a mounted screen. When my friends and I beat The Office last week, our Clue Master was a highlight; he had a lot of enthusiasm and responded to our antics with jokes and individualized hints.
I won't spoil the content of the rooms, but I will say that The Office is a much better-lit, open space than The Dig; if you're concerned about panicking in the middle of the game, you should take that into consideration. I will also say that the room distinguishes you, building you into a team, no matter what your role is. My brother brought a bag of marshmallows into the room and ate them the whole time while also serving as a loud-voiced, humorous conduit for communication. My friend Nia always knew everything that was happening so that she could draw separate pieces together, while I focused on one struggle at a time and called in specialized help as needed: Rachel, who has a knack for numbers, or Lucy, who maintains a remarkable bank of general knowledge, or Francesca, who sees things with a sharp, artistic eye. Complicated goings-on sounded simple whenever Liz explained them aloud. At one point, Jenna, Eve, and I smeared war paint on our faces, because we knew that spirit is key to success. Everyone contributed to our win. That's what made my hectic hour a good time.
Whether you escape in an hour or not, the Clue Master tells you the path through the puzzles in the end- you might be crying out, "WHY DIDN'T WE THINK OF THAT?!" or you might be nodding coolly. Then you get a real reward: squad pics. If you lost, you have to hold signs that say "LOSERS," etc., but if you won, the messages are a little more boss. Check out some of these champions. Will you join their ranks?
