Unlocking clues at The Locked Room; Omaha’s newest escape game
Let’s play a game, shall we? You’re a passenger on the Titanic. You’ve spent your savings for a trip of a lifetime and a chance for a new life in America. Suddenly, a large thud occurs. The lights go out. Total darkness surrounds you.
As you struggle to find a way to safety, you come across some lanterns. In the dim light, you realize you’re in the captain’s office. You pull on a door, but it’s locked. As you search for the key to the door and your survival, you realize you’re a player in the captain’s sadistic game. He has hidden the key and the only way to locate it is through a series of clues and locks…and more locks. You have an hour to solve the puzzle for your freedom. Or, you go down with the ship.
The Locked Room is Omaha’s newest interactive escape game. It opens to the public this week. Located near 120th and Burt Streets, The Locked Room is on the east side of the business center.
Teams of 2-10 people can participate in the activities. Players are led to their theme room, where they must use a series of clues to help resolve the puzzle and unlock the door. A clock on the wall counts down from 60 minutes. The last thing you want to see is all zeroes on the clock prior to unlocking the door.
We took part in a locked room as part of the company’s beta testing. We had a team of six people who worked well together to solve the clues and unlock a set of padlocks. The padlocks varied in how they were opened; some had keys, some used numbers or letters, while some used directional moves.
In the Titanic room, we had about a dozen locks to undo. It was challenging. The owners told us later that the Titanic is probably the most difficult room to work through. As players work through the rooms, they shouldn’t hesitate to ask for clues if they become stumped. We were OK through about the 30-minute mark. Then we seemed to ask for clues about every 10 minutes.
The excitement people have when they succeed must be amazing. For us, we actually failed. However, since we were on the verge of unlocking the last lock, The Locked Room staff let us finish. As Jamie (our natural leader of the group) said, “We would have held our breath as we opened the door and swam to safety.” Ever the proactive thinker.
The Last Hour of the Titanic room is one of three available to be reserved. Back in the 50s features a malt shop, where players must find a hidden will. Death by Wine features a wine cellar. Contestants are “served” a neurotoxin and must solve the clues left by the host in order to find the antidote. A fourth room – Fresh Meat – features zombies and should open within a month.
Omaha’s The Locked Room takes its name from a chain in Calgary, Alberta. That’s because the Omaha owners have an “in” with the Canadians. Harvey and Brenda Marshall’s son-in-law is one of the owners up north. The Canadians approved letting the Omahans use the name.
The Marshalls have been prepping for The Locked Room for most of 2016. They’re excited about opening to the public. Initially, The Locked Room will be open Friday-Sunday. For the next month, customers can take advantage of a 25 percent discount off the regular rate of $25 per person. Lisa has visited other similar businesses, while this was my first experience. I would spend $25 for the experience. It was fun.
We had a great time with friends and family. Joining us were Jamie Thomas (founder of Adventure and Leisure Travel Experts and a great photographer), Kris Ballard (co-founder and co-owner of Nebraska Wine Tours) and Lisa’s aunt and uncle, Vicki and Bryan of Omaha.
We strongly recommend trying out The Locked Room. We’re pretty sure you’ll enjoy it.
For more information, visit www.lockedroomomaha.com.
