Are Escape Rooms Like the Escape Room Movie?
Are escape rooms like the “Escape Room” movie?
We actually get this question a lot. The short answer is NO! We are an escape room attraction, not the set of a horror film.
Bartonsville Gamemaster and Director of Streaming, Mike Parrotta, said he hears this question often.
“People come in and look at me wearily and tell me they just saw the movie,” he said. “The movie set a precedent that all escape rooms are scary, only good for adults, and will kill you. The movie teaches the audience that escape rooms are 100 percent horror.” And that thought couldn’t be further from the truth.
What Is An Escape Room?
Simply put, an escape room is a themed experience where you solve puzzles. Traditionally, they focused on players being locked in an environment and needing to find clues to escape.
Now, however, they typically have teams focusing on completing a mission by solving puzzles left around the room. The goal is to finish within a specific time frame, typically anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hours. And despite the name, many escape room games are not just one room.
The "Escape Room" Movie
If you’ve never seen the movie “Escape Room,” it’s a 2019 psychological horror film that follows a group of people trying to navigate through deadly escape rooms. Six people, from various backgrounds, are given a puzzle cube.
When they solved the puzzle, they were invited to participate in an escape room with a monetary prize. The six strangers all arrive at an office waiting room waiting for the Gamemaster to arrive, but no one ever shows up. That’s when their horrific adventure begins.
From a broken door handle, to finding secret passages, to stepping into an icy room, the movie follows these unwilling players through various disasters and deaths.
So, What's the Difference?
So, are escape rooms like the “Escape Room” movie? NO! Escape room attractions are not a horror movie in any sense. Your Gamemaster just wants you to have a fun time, they are not looking to trap you forever.
Players are never actually locked into a room, and are always capable of exiting if they need to. Games will never feature components that could potentially injure players. The name “escape” may make you think these experiences are intimidating but, rest assured, they are not. They are just fun and thought-provoking games that help you escape reality for a little while.
While there are some scary escape rooms, they never actually put you in any situation out of a horror movie. Definitely prepare for some jump scares and spooky ambiance, but your life isn’t actually on the line.
But What If I Want Scary?
Do the thrills of the “Escape Room” movie make your heart race in a fun way? Do you want to really work your brain while being terrified out of your mind? We can definitely help with that.
At Trap Door Escape Room, we offer a range of experiences between horror, creepy, and family friendly. If you’re looking for an escape room experience that’s darker in nature, keep reading.
Witch Hunt is a creepy escape room experience that takes you back to the Salem Witch Trials. As Constables to the local sheriff, players are tasked with finding evidence to condemn a woman accused of witchcraft. They’ll have to search her whole house, looking for anything that proves without doubt that she is a witch.
While not inherently scary, Witch Hunt is still one of our creepiest experiences. The setting truly takes you back in time, and the charges you’re facing create an authentic sense of urgency. We don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but it does get rather intense. Witch Hunt is a one hour experience at our Morristown, NJ location.
Fear the Bogeyman
Fear the Bogeyman is our first horror escape room experience. Players arrive to the scene as paranormal investigators looking into a recent missing child.
As the case develops, they discover more missing children and a very frightening suspect- the Bogeyman. They’ll have to face the supernatural in order to find and rescue the children. Of course, along the way the Bogeyman hunts them, trying to slow them down however he can.
This game is in our Bartonsville, Pa Location, and is only available after sunset. It lasts up to one hour, and features a live actor. Be warned though- this is not for the faint of heart.
Witch Hunt
Witch Hunt is a creepy escape room experience that takes you back to the Salem Witch Trials. As Constables to the local sheriff, players are tasked with finding evidence to condemn a woman accused of witchcraft. They’ll have to search her whole house, looking for anything that proves without doubt that she is a witch.
While not inherently scary, Witch Hunt is still one of our creepiest experiences. The setting truly takes you back in time, and the charges you’re facing create an authentic sense of urgency. We don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but it does get rather intense. Witch Hunt is a one hour experience at our Morristown, NJ Location.
Cure Z
Do you have what it takes to save the world from the zombie virus? That’s what players have to figure out. Make your way through a post-apocalyptic zombie city and into the laboratory where you will have to find and recreate the zombie virus cure. From the second you enter, it’ll feel like your whole world has changed.
Cure Z is available as a one or two hour experience in our Bartonsville, PA Location. With over 10 rooms to explore, there’s always something new lurking around every corner.
While this game does not feature any live actors, the set alone is enough to have you checking your back every second. Add in a few jump scares, and this game makes for a spooky experience, though it doesn’t quite hit the bar of horror.
Related Content
Mentioned Experiences
You are a Paranormal Investigator trying to recover missing children taken by the Bogeyman.
$45 Per Player
There are 60 minutes to escape the theme at $45 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, this theme is sure to provide a thrilling adventure. This Poconos Escape Room is three times larger than the average escape room experience. All bookings are private.
You are Constables for The Sheriff of Salem and are tasked with finding evidence of Witchcraft before the town hanging.
$39.99 Per Player
You have 60 minutes to escape, at $39.99 per person plus tax. At a minimum of 1,000 square feet of playing space, this theme is sure to provide a thrilling adventure. Witch Hunt is three times larger than the average escape room experience. Most importantly, however, all bookings are private.
The City is locked down and it is up to you to find a cure for the Zombie virus.
$50 Per Player
This Zombie Escape Room spans over 10 rooms and 2 Hours at $50 per person plus tax. These are the largest Escapes in the country spanning upwards of over 3,000 square feet of playing space. All bookings are private.
Trap Door Escape Company
Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.
History
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Location
Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the Dead, Witch Hunt, and The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure Z, F5 Tornado Escape, Fear the Bogeyman, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, We’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.
Trap Door Escape Room also offers team building, streaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366