CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, March 08, 2017

Escape rooms like The Basement quickly growing in popularity in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Review-Journal: You’re locked in a dank, windowless room. A keypad next to the door will let you into the next room, bringing you one step closer to freedom — if only you could figure out the code. Seconds are clicking away on a bright red clock on the wall.

This isn’t a bad dream. It’s a new form of recreation, called escape rooms, that Las Vegans are voluntarily visiting in larger and larger numbers.

2 comments:

Rebecca Meckler said...

I agree that the reason that people like escape rooms is that it can be done in a group and is not through a screen, but I think there is another component to it. People almost always seem the happiest when they are engaged in what they are doing. I don’t even think the person necessarily needs to like the task, but being fully engaged means that you aren't thinking about what's better. The grass is always greener on the other side, but if you're so engaged in what you're doing, you're not looking at the greener grass. We check our phones as a way to zone out and feel involved or engaged in something else, but often there is no pleasure in looking at the screen. In these escape rooms, people have to be fully engaged with the game to solve it, therefore they are enjoying themselves. The factors mentioned in the article definitely are a contributing factor, but I think people enjoy these escape rooms because feel fully engaged for the entire time.

Claire Krueger said...

One of the most common complaints I’ve heard is how expensive a trip to Las Vegas can be. It’s true that the flights rooms and sometimes food can be a reasonable, sometimes cheap, price but it’s hard to find reasonably priced entertainment. Gone are the days of free and exotic performances. The thrilling night life people go to experience will cost a pretty penny if you're not into alcohol or gambling. Maybe escape rooms can help build the cheaper end of entertainment in Las Vegas. With escape rooms on the rise I could see Las Vegas becoming a hotspot for them, and with the cheap flights/rooms it has a lot of potential. While it’s not nearly as profitable as gambling it might be enough to reignite what Las Vegas used to be, or at the very least make it a little more bearable. Its an entertainment that doesn't cost a lot to maintain, and doesn’t come across as cheesy or cheap like a carnival. Not to mention they can be built practically everywhere.

Article Rating:
8/10
Notes:
In Michigan as of 435.251 Motor vehicles; sale on Sunday unlawful, exception.
Sec. 1. Cars may not be sold on Sunday.