Escape STL, an immersive team gaming experience designed to match puzzle-solving abilities with teamwork, opened Jan. 29 at 2650 S. Hanley Road, according to a press release.
This is not to be confused with Escape from St. Louis, a similar business at 7403 Manchester Road in Maplewood, which opened in the end of 2015. See also: Escape From St. Louis to open after a week of testing
The challenge, at Escape STL, involves a team of four to 10 people attempting to escape from a room within one hour, only has a 22 percent success rate. The experience includes problem solving, leadership and perseverance in order to succeed.
After participants are briefed, the door locks and does not open until the group escapes or 60 minutes expires. Two fully-themed missions are available: Mr. Dupree’s Office (as a CIA agent, your task is to decipher and solve the mystery) and James Bomb (literally stuck in shackles, your mission is to deactivate a bomb before time runs out).
Missions are scheduled Wednesday and Thursday from 4:30 to 8 p.m., Friday from 4:30 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. Escape STL is open to participants 10 and older with adult accompaniment required for those 15 and under. Tickets are $29.95 per person, with corporate opportunities available.
The leased 3,500-square-feet of custom-built escape rooms, which utilizes the newest technology and floor plan, cost more than $120,000 to build out.
Parent company Barn Co., which was founded in 2003 by owner Matt Ames, is a management company based in Minneapolis comprised of participation-based entertainment experiences that includes MN Pro Paintball, Escape Inc., Challenge for Children’s, and Knocker Squad.
Escape Inc. was founded in April, 2014 and currently has locations in Kansas City, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. Additional locations in Cincinnati, Columbus, Indianapolis, Louisville and Nashville will be opened during 2016. The St. Louis experience is the company’s largest location to date.