Escape room in Medina is chance for bonding with a break from technology

Posted 31 August 2016 at 1:05 pm
Photos by Thom Jennings This group tried to solve the clues in the Medina escape room last week. They include, from left: Tracy Jennings, Terry Stephens, Laura Stephens, Chris Dix and Megan Dix.

Photos by Thom Jennings This group tried to solve the clues in the Medina escape room last week. They include, from left: Tracy Jennings, Terry Stephens, Laura Stephens, Chris Dix and Megan Dix.

By Thom Jennings, Correspondent

MEDINA – Medina’s burgeoning Main Street has added another unique stop, Orleans County’s first escape room, Into the Enigma.

For those who are not familiar with what an escape room is, it is a live action adventure game where groups of people try and solve a puzzle and “escape.” The rooms are popular attractions for groups of friends and corporate team building activities.

Into the Enigma is located at 525 Main St., Medina.

Into the Enigma is located at 525 Main St., Medina.

Into the Enigma follows the standard model and starts with a narrative before you enter the room to look for clues.

While there are some rules of thumb, just about anything in the room could contain a clue so players must examine everything.

If players get stuck there are opportunities to receive additional clues to help get everyone on track. There are time penalties when you use an additional clue.

Into the Enigma houses one room, and for the sake of reviewing the room I gathered up a group of six players. I was the only person that had ever experienced an escape room.

From my perspective the room was well thought out and extremely challenging. As a group we were able to work together to find clues and while we were stumped on occasion it was never frustrating. The 60-minute time limit went by very quickly because we were having a great time and enjoying the twists.

Facebook: Myke LaVoice, Tim Elliott, and Joe Gould worked together to develop the escape room at Medina. The trio tried other escape rooms in the region. They are pictured after getting out of the Queen City Escape Room on Louisiana Street in Buffalo.

Facebook: Myke LaVoice, Tim Elliott, and Joe Gould worked together to develop the escape room at Medina. The trio tried other escape rooms in the region. They are pictured after getting out of the Queen City Escape Room on Louisiana Street in Buffalo.

The new business is the brainchild of three people: Mike LaVoice, Joe Gould and Tim Elliott.

The three of them started discussing the idea of creating a Medina based escape room back in May and tried out a number of them in Western New York to understand the model and develop their own room.

The business opens to the public on Thursday and will have one room for patrons to try and escape from, a second room is in the works and should be open by early October and then two more will be developed next year.

Rooms will be revamped periodically, anywhere from eight to ten months.  Each room can accommodate from three to ten people at a time.

The number of people does not give you any major advantages, but larger groups will force people to work together, and there are more than enough clues to keep a large group busy.

Whether or not you are good at puzzles really does not matter, the rooms are meant to entertain and engage.

In an era where people are chasing Pokemon with their cell phones, Into the Enigma offers a great opportunity for people to disconnect from technology and have a great time.