In recent years, the ultimate teen craze has been escape rooms! Though their popularity cannot be doubted, they are still shrouded in controversy. So … Are escape rooms really worth it? Are they safe? Too expensive?
You wondered, Beijing teens answered.
Let’s dive right in!
Safety?
While most reputable escape rooms are very safe to play in, there have been news reports of people getting injured at escape rooms. Though safety should not be a big problem, it’s important to understand and follow and safety precautions listed by the worker. For instance, those who are claustrophobic or have cardiovascular diseases should not participate.
“I personally don’t like escape rooms because I’m scared of the safety issues and also in most of the escape rooms there is very little space, so if anyone is claustrophobic then [they]should avoid going to the escape room,” says Kannika Mehrotra from ISB.
“The one I went to was quite expensive, but I think it was pretty worth it because of the quality. I could see where the expense came from because there were costumes and monitors and NPCs and props that had to be replaced after every group,” explains Tina Cui from THIS.
Expensive?
Usually, the cost for playing in an escape room ranges from RMB 100 to more than RMB 300 per person. But it really depends on the place you choose.
“I think it depends from person to person. Personally, I don’t think so that it’s worth paying because you’re literally paying to get scared, but I do understand that a lot of people enjoy such mystery and horror stuff, so for them it might be totally worth it,” says Mehrotra.
Selene Sun from Keystone Academy explains, “Personally I think they’re too expansive. Take the escape room Yin Yang Shi as an example. It’s RMB 500 for two hours per person. So when there’s five to six people, they’ll earn RMB 2,500-3,000 for a single round. That’s way too expensive, although the place is huge and there are many good-quality NPCs.”
Spend Time With Friends?
A large part of an escape room experience is solving puzzles or problems with your friends (for those who aren’t scared to death and at this point crying on the floor). Many enjoy this bonding experience as everyone gets terrified together, laughs together, and just has a good time together.
“It’s a nice place to kill time with friends and it’s also a chill place to hang out during summers,” says Mehrotra.
Cui says, “Every time my friends coerce me to go, I end up regretting it and wanting to leave the entire time. I’m miserable and pretty useless in solving tasks because I’m too scared to think properly. But afterward I usually don’t regret going because I can look back on the experience with humor.”
“You get to practice using your brain and just be happy with friends,” mentions Joyce Zhang from Keystone Academy.
“It’s a fun experience to be with friends and interact with a realistic storyline. It’s also a good place to hang out since often we don’t know where to go out with friends,” says Sun.
Popular escape rooms in Beijing for the daredevils:
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Mr. X (X 先生密室逃脱)
Find it:
2/F, Shimao Plaza, 13 Gong Ti South Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路13号世茂广场F2
Tel: 186 0004 9303
Hours: Open 24 hours. Average Price: RMB 249
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It’s Young (异次元密室逃脱)
Find it (1):
2/F, Shimao Plaza, 13 Gong Ti South Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工体北路13号世茂广场F2
Tel: 8453 8041
Find it (2):
B1/F, Gui You Building, 5A Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
朝阳区建国门外大街甲5号贵友大厦B1
Tel: 131 2195 1558
Hours: 10am-10pm. Average price: RMB 97
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Omescape (奥秘之家)
Find it:
B1/F, Bld. 12, Ban Dao International Compound, 18 Qu Tong East Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区阜通东大街18号半岛国际公寓12号楼B1层
Tel: 173 4300 5634
Hours: 9.30am-10pm. Average price: RMB 115
Images: Pexels, Dazhong Dianping
