Then head to the adventure game phenomenon Clue Room at Tyger Valley Centre before the 25th of June to experience this global pop-culture event right here in Cape Town.
Priced at R80, the experience should appeal to students who like to watch their budget.
The game involves a group ranging from four to six people spending an hour locked in a themed room, solving clues and puzzles to “escape”.
It’s an enjoyable way to spend an hour with friends, and possibly to make some new ones if strangers fill spaces in your time slot.
MatieMedia’s reporter experienced the game this past weekend. The game may not be for everyone. An hour spent in a hot room with a clock counting down and serious puzzles to solve may not be what everyone considers “relaxing”.
It is however extremely rewarding to solve the series of puzzles, and once inside, an hour flies by.
Those who do not enjoy team work might have a difficult time, but keeping an open mind and working with others makes the challenge both easier and more interesting.
Lise-Marié Richardson, a Clue Master working at the production, said the game is popular. People love puzzles but they often they don’t enjoy them anymore because of the instant gratification offered by cellphones and other technologies.
The experience is not designed to be stressful however, and if need be the Clue Master on hand can help via typed messages on a screen in the room, or a cat flap against the wall.
Richardson says this is depending on the team. “Some teams are annoyed if you check up with them too often, they want to solve the puzzles themselves. But each team is different.”
The popular Clue Room adventure game/experience can be an hour of fun for students watching their wallets. PHOTO: TEGAN MOUTON
Groups can choose between The Hospital which is slightly more mathematical and aimed more at families, or the Living Room which is for those over 13, and more word puzzle orientated.
At the time of MatieMedia’s visit the records for the group solving the puzzles the fastest were 39 minutes and 27 seconds in the The Hospital room and 38 minutes 55 seconds in the Living Room.
The concept of clue or escape rooms started around ten years ago, but recent appearances in popular culture like The Big Bang Theory, as well as the Obama family’s public participation, have led to increased public interest.
The entertainment publication A.V. Club reports there are over 2 000 active Clue Rooms around the world.
–Tegan Mouton