I Escaped The Perfect Escape!

I've seen my friends posting on Facebook about escape rooms for months now.

I'll be honest- I really had no idea what they were.

But I'm always up for trying new things. So, when The Perfect Escape, a new escape room in Arlington, contacted me about trying it out, I jumped at the chance!

I invited my brother, his fiance, my sister and my husband to help me out, because, if I'm being honest, I'm kind of crap at puzzles. Or, at least, it takes me a bit longer than it takes, ahem, others, to figure out the answer.

The premise of escape rooms is this: you get "locked" into a room with up to seven other people and have one hour to find all the clues that lead to keys or lock combinations to escape the room. (For safety reasons, you are not actually locked in)  If you get stuck, you can request up to three hints from the game master, who is watching you and your partners-in-crime via cameras in the rooms.

Here is the premise of Arlington's escape room, taken from the website:

We’ve lost contact with several agents trying to put away known local thug Franky “Sawed-Off” O’Bannion. Our informant has revealed some evidence might be kept at one of his store fronts that launder his illegally gained wealth. Do you have the skills it takes to help get this criminal off the streets!?

I have to be honest- I LOVED it! I went in having no idea what to expect and left saying "I can't wait to try this again!" It was challenging in a very creative way. Piecing all the clues and bits together to escape the room before time ran out proved much more difficult than I would have expected, and that made the experience all the more worth it! The twists are turns were many. We were frantically piecing bits together until, quite literally, the very last second!

This is great for adults and children alike. It's not spooky the way some may think (my sister-in-law was worried this would be like a scene from Saw come to life!), and is suitable for kids. I'd recommend ages 12 and up as the clues are a bit sophisticated for anyone younger. This is fantastic team building experience for businesses and corporations. Or great for breaking out of your usual dinner-and-a-movie date night rut!

The Perfect Escape is $30 per person and is located at 2501 Avenue J, Arlington, 76006. Times are available all day. Each "escape" is designed for up to eight people. If your party is smaller, you will be booked with others. Trust me, you'll want all the help you can get!