Game Theory vs. Decision Theory

Iain Banks’s 1988’s novel The Player of Games is all about gaming and game theory. The main character Jernau Morat Gurgeh finds himself in an intergalactic gaming competition versus some of the universe’s most elite gamers. Banks uses some of the novel’s unique game platforms as a reflection of social conditions.

The game-based society Empire of Azad had created a labyrinth as a prison for convicted criminals. The basis of the labyrinth was moral insofar as each criminal could be free within a couple of weeks by successfully passing certain virtue-based scenarios; or, upon failure, would be damned to fall deeper into the labyrinth. If the offender were to fail these moralithms continuously, they would eventually be deported to a penal colony. How fair: the most epic escape game where freedom is a prize for the condemned.

In a more advanced society, could a realistic decision theory-based simulation bypass legalities and assess someone’s moral compass? Yes and no. The catch-22 in The Player of Games ‘legal labyrinth’ is that it could only assess its participant’s morality if the scenario isn’t exactly the same as the one in which they were convicted and/or the perpetrator has prior knowledge of their conviction within the moral scenario. Otherwise, Azadians are only testing for systematic manipulation.

Escape games like Krakit use gaming cryptarithmic scenarios to outline parallels to real life conundrums. It doesn’t mean that you are a bad person if you can’t pass a Krakit escape game, but it may mean you need to practice puzzling in order to develop keener lateral styles of thinking.

In Burnaby’s escape room, you might develop mental tools for taking care of business you never knew you were capable of using—and, you can have a ton of fun. Nothing sucks about that!

History’s Great Escapes: The Catalpa Rescue of 1876

Thomas Darragh, one of six Fenians to escape during the Catalpa rescue

This incredibly impressive escape happened more than a 140 years ago, back when Australia was still considered one big giant jail for the British Empire’s undesireables. As much as we’d like to see an escape game made out of the Catalpa’s story, there are far too many moving parts and unbelievable scheming needed to make this a room anyone could break in 45 minutes or less.

Let us elaborate.

In the 1860s, the British sent dozens of members of the Irish Republic Brotherhood—otherwise known as Fenians, who were fighting for Ireland’s independence—to what was then the penal colony of Western Australia. A few of the Fenians managed to escape from Australia and several others were eventually granted pardons. Yet by 1876, there were still six men imprisoned—but they were not going to let their story end there.

One of the prisoners, James Wilson, managed to smuggle a letter out of Australia and to one of his escaped brothers who now was living exiled in New York. Upon receiving the letter, John Devoy and his fellow Fenians masterminded a rescue plan that would go down in history as one of the greatest prison escapes ever.

Escape of Fenian convicts from Fremantle, Western Australia, engraving

They bought a three-masted whaling vessel called the Catalpa, and, on April 29, 1875, they left New Bedford, Massachusetts, with 22 sailors onboard—who were none the wiser of their true mission. There would be no whaling done on this ship.

Instead, they pointed themselves toward Australia—relying on their own navigational skills to get them there, since they learned too late that their navigational tools were broken.

After dropping anchor in international waters, the rescuers assumed fake identities, managing to: 1) become chums with the Governor of Western Australia; 2) get an official tour of the prison where their friends were; and 3) organize the destruction of all the telegraph lines in the area that would otherwise spread word of their daring escape.

Not bad, right?

Nearly one year after they had left the USA, the day of the escape arrived: April 17, 1876. One rowboat chase and several cannon shots later, the six remaining Fenians were aboard the Catalpa. Though the authorities gave chase, the Fenians informed them that any attack would be considered a hostile action against the entire country of America, since they were in international waters.

Beaten by their own rules, the police backed off and the Catalpa headed for the Indian Ocean.

Don’t worry—our escape rooms don’t take a full year to crack, but less than an hour! Book one of four themed escape games here: bookeo.com/krakit

10 Reasons You Should Play an Escape Game RIGHT NOW

1. Escape rooms are fun fun fun

Let’s just get this most obvious reason out of the way. Why play an escape game? Because it’s 45 minutes of pure fun, from the word go to the last second on the timer.

2. All the kids are doing it

Although people of all ages love a good escape game, they’re especially popular with millennials. Clearly, hitting an escape room is the hip thing to do.

3. Escape games work out your brain

Not just fun and popular, escape rooms offer a chance for you to put to work brain muscles you might not have exercised since high school. Keeping those synapse firing and your logic gears working means escape games provide great brain care.

4. You can impress your date with your bravery

Not only can you show your new beau how smart you are, you can impress him with your bravery when the zombies begin snapping their teeth at you, with only 5 minutes left on the clock …

5. Being under pressure is good for you

There’s proof that pressure makes us accomplish more, helps our brains work better, and turns us into more resilient people. Thanks, escape games!

6. Escape games make for some serious bonding

Need to make a team gel? Throw them into an escape room. Then see what a well-oiled machine they are after working together to crack all the codes and clues we throw at them.

7. A little scare never hurt anyone

Although not all escape games are scary, our favourite ones sure are! Here at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game we currently have three horror-themed rooms to get your blood pumping. Extra shot of adrenaline, coming up!

8. Belly laughter is the best medicine

What follows a jump scare or a seriously fumbled clue but serious laughter? You and your friends are guaranteed at least three giggle fits with each escape game you play.

9. You get your money’s worth

Pound for pound, a ticket to an escape room provides you with more than any movie ticket or baseball game (especially on Cheap Tuesdays at Krakit!). Why? Because immersive entertainment is more fulfilling and memory-making.

10. Escape is good for the soul

Taking some time for a little fantasist escape is necessary to staying sane in today’s hyper-paced world. It’s like Dungeons & Dragons come to life! What’s not to love.

Test your skill in one of Krakit’s four Vancouver escape games by booking here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Escape Game Forefathers: 4 Not-Famous but Very Famous Codebreakers and Codemakers

Lewis Carroll's Alphabet Cipher

In the long history of codebreaking, there are few highly famous codebreakers. Probably has something to do with the secrecy that surrounds cryptography … but we try not to focus on that here at Krakit Escape Game!

One of the best-known codebreakers of all time is definitely Alan Turing, who led the team at Bletchley Park (which was home to several other famous codebreakers) to break the Enigma Cipher. And though he may be fictional, Sherlock Holmes is another person that comes to mind when thinking of secret codes.

But along with these few famous cipher sleuths, there a whole host of non-famous cryptographers, who are, paradoxically, also quite famous.

1. Johnny Cash

That’s right—the Johnny Cash was no stranger to codes and ciphers. During his time in the United States Air Force, the future music icon was a Morse Code Intercept Operator for the Soviet Army. Basically, Johnny Cash eavesdropped on Russian spies. Now we know one of the reasons he was such a badass. We're also pretty sure he would've been a major horror escape game fan.

2. Lewis Carroll

The man who wrote Alice in Wonderland was a fan of riddles and tricks of logic, and he also developed his own cipher. The code he made was called the Alphabet Cipher, a simple polyalphabetic substitution that is nevertheless quite clever.

3. Charles Babbage

You may not be very familiar with his name, but you’re certainly very familiar with his work. Charles Babbage built the first successful automatic calculator and made scientific contributions that led directly to the computer. He also was a highly successful codebreaker—although this wasn’t known until a century after his death, due to the military keeping it hush-hush. Now Babbage is fully recognized for solving the Vigenère Cipher during the Crimean War.

4. Galileo Galilei

The man who confirmed that the earth went around the sun was also rather fond of making his own codes. Perhaps not surprising from a scientific mind such as his. He was also onto the fact that other people were aware of his brilliant brain—and probably wanted to steal his ideas. So, he simply coded his correspondence with other science geniuses, including Johannes Kepler. Problem solved.

Try your own hand at solving codes and other riddles at one of our four Vancouver escape games. Book here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Haunted Escape Rooms: Top 5 Things Every Haunted House Must Have

It’s the most wonderful time of the year—at least according to us at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game. When the nights grow longer than the days, that means one thing: more time for creepy crawlies and spooky ghouls to do their thing. Namely, scaring us human types.

To celebrate the fall season and the approach of Halloween, we’re making one of our escape rooms into a full-fledged haunted house experience. So not only do you need to use your brain to solve the puzzles and escape the room, you also need to watch your back, because you never know who—or what—might be lurking, just out of sight ...

As every horror fan knows, there are certain elements that every haunted house needs, especially these five.

5. Ambience

Dry ice? Spooky music? Low lighting? A chilling draft coming from somewhere unidentifiable? That’s all part of building the truly eerie haunted house experience. If your haunted house doesn’t have at least one element that raises your hackles before the experience even begins, they’re not doing it right.

4. Loud and sudden noises

There’s nothing more frightening than walking around a darkened and silent room when—bang!—there comes a sudden pounding from the other side of the door. This incredibly vital haunted house element is a big part of the next item on our list ...

3. The jump scare

The jump scare is a staple of horror cinema—and Krakit’s haunted house-inspired escape game, too, of course. These all-important rushes of adrenaline come courtesy of sudden loud noises and the unexpected emergence of a masked menace from a corner you previously thought empty.

Remember: no haunted room can be called complete without at least one live actor to scare the bejeesus out of you when you least expect it.

2. Perfect timing

You’ve got your horror-soaked ambience, you’ve got your Method actor going mad in the break room, just waiting to drag their fingernails across an unsuspecting guest’s back—what else do you need? Absolutely perfect timing.

The best haunted houses have a perfect tension between empty moments that build the tension and all-too-sudden events that make your heart pound.

1. A good story

Everything else won’t work the way it’s supposed to if there’s not a good narrative to go along with it. More than anything, haunted houses—and escape rooms, too—are about engaging the imagination. An immersive story to get you hooked from the get-go will make every shadow deeper, every noise louder, and every sudden scare that much more heart pounding. Accept no imitations this Halloween.

Above is just a little of what you can expect when you book your haunted house escape game with us here in Greater Vancouver. Grab a slot here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

5 Steps to Your Ultimate Vancouver Escape Game Experience

Lucky for you, our Vancouver Escape Games don't include oubliettes

1. Assemble your team

Pretty simple: get the gang together. You want to make sure you’ve got a nice mix of people, so see our guide on putting together the perfect escape game team here.

Remember: most people are pretty curious to try escape rooms, so be sure to ask around. You could be surprised who wants in—maybe even Steve from HR who never wants to go to anything!

2. Do a teensy bit of research

Right, we get it—research isn’t typically fun. But this kind is! Make sure you read over the game options available. Like it super scary? Like it more mysterious? Looking for an easier game or one that will drive your brain to its limits? Make sure you read about all your options—Krakit Vancouver Escape Game has four rotating themes—and figure out what will be most fun for you and your pals.

3. Do some cerebral jumping jacks

Before you find yourself behind lock and key, take time to prime your mind for the impressive leaps of logic and untangling of riddles that await. It’s basically like doing stretches before you go on a run—except you don’t have to wear any spandex.

Check out BrainDen.com for a treasure trove of excellent brainteasers.

4. Dive in and let go

A major part of having an amazing escape room experience is letting yourself become immersed in the situation. Yes, some rooms at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game can be a little scary—but go ahead and let yourself get spooked. It’s half the fun! And definitely don’t forget to laugh. A lot.

5. Recap for next time

Didn’t make it out? Doesn’t matter! Because it’s not over till you say it’s over. While playing the same escape room over again isn’t recommended, that doesn’t mean you can’t do a post-mortem in preparation for the entirely new escape challenge that awaits you—just down the hall.

Or are you clever clogs who busted the puzzle wide open? Well done! Figure out your top tactics so you can try a harder room next time

Assemble your escape room team, check out Krakit’s four current themes, then book an immersive experience here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Escape Games Go Wild: 5 Craziest Animal Escapes

Think escape games are only for clever human types? Think again! Animals are masters of the genre, and as long as we humans have been putting them into corporals and cages, they’ve been—well—escaping them.

For their daring, ingenuity, and sheer determination, we have no doubt the animal escape artists listed below could crack any one of our Vancouver escape rooms.

5. A Mob of Emus in Texas

Emus are native to Australia, which means they don’t really belong in Texas—and they most definitely don’t belong in the suburbs. That didn’t stop four emus from making a break for it in Round Rock, Texas, in October of last year.

Emmitt, Huey, Dewey, and Louie were eventually apprehended by slightly amused police (who filmed the entire thing) and were returned to their owner’s garden.

4. The Toronto IKEA Monkey

How did he get out of his owner’s car? Does he know how to work locks? Did he choose that coat himself? We may never know, but the Toronto IKEA monkey—aka Darwin—will forever remain in our hearts for his totally relaxed and casual approach to escape. Darwin now lives in an animal sanctuary, and probably has no further plans to go on the lam.

3. The Calgary Zoo Hippos

The most terrifying animal escape on the list is definitely the hippos who managed to slip out of their enclosure at the Calgary Zoo, thanks to rising flood waters in 2013. Luckily, that’s as far as they got on their unexpected escape run, though they were in danger of making a clear break into the nearby Elbow River.

2. The Swiss Elephant

Perhaps even more strange than emus in Texas is an elephant in the Alps. Back in 2010, the 10-foot tall elephant Sabu made a break for it from his circus handlers, spending two hours calmly wandering around the city, taking in the sites. Sabu was calm through the entire jaunt, and there was no recorded damage.

1. Evelyn and Jim take LA

The Los Angeles Zoo had to take serious measures to keep tabs on Evelyn and Jim, a pair of gorillas. The clever escape masterminds broke out of their enclosure not once, not twice, but five times—that we know of—using teamwork to make their multiple breaks.

While there might not be any animals at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game (except maybe the occasional werewolf), they’re still plenty of fun to play. Book here: http://bookeo.com/krakit

Woods, Cubes, and Hills: 5 Best Canadian Escape Thrillers

Canada is kind of a scary place. No—really. We’re not all polite mounties and adorable moose. Our country is vast, and full of dark corners. This place is mysterious! All you have to do is look at Canada’s film legacy to know that our countrymen have got a seriously dark edge—and a fear of getting stuck in any number of terrible situations.

Have you seen The Revenant? Sure, it’s not set in Canada, but we all know it is Canada (Kananaskis Country in Alberta and Squamish, BC, to be exact). Need we say more? It’s a scary place.

In fact, this entire country could be considered an escape game, given the right situation. Whether thriller, horror, or drama, the Canadian films below certainly have escape on the mind. It’s simply an anxiety that comes with living in a sprawling, unknowable, unpredictable country.

Krakit’s Five Favourite Canadian Escape Thrillers

1. Cube (1997)

What began as a Canadian Film Centre First Feature Project has turned into one of sci-fi’s most beloved cult films. Six strangers wake up in a maze made of a series of interconnecting cubes. Unfortunately, some of the cubes are death traps just waiting for some unlucky soul to crawl into their centres.

2. Backcountry (2014)

Here is Canada in all its glory: the great outdoors. But in this case, the outdoors ain’t so great. Two campers—who come from the city, of course—get lost in one Canada’s many provincial parks. Unfortunately, the bear that’s tracking them knows the woods a whole lot better than they do. Even better: Montreal-born director Adam MacDonald based his film on a true story.

3. Silent Hill (2006)

The video game may not be Canadian, but the creepy, nightmare-inducing film version is the work of Flin Flon’s own Roger Avary (who also works a lot with Quentin Tarantino). In the search for her daughter, a woman enters the deserted town of Silent Hill—then finds herself desperately trying to escape it.

4. The Captive (2014)

Vancouver-born Ryan Reynolds—currently the darling of both Hollywood and the Internet in general—stars in fellow Canadian Atom Egoyan’s recent crime drama. A little girl goes missing, locked up against her will and unable to escape. It’s eight years later, and her father, Matthew (Reynolds), begins to experience strange events that suggest she’s still alive.

5. Prisoners (2013)

Celebrated Quebec director Denis Villeneuve helms this offbeat thriller, which sees a troubled cop (Jake Gyllenhaal) and an anguished father (Hugh Jackman) go head-to-head as they try to track down the man’s missing daughter and her friend. Things quickly spiral out of control as desperate men take desperate measures. This film is not advised for people afraid of small spaces.


Book your own escape thriller in one of Krakit Vancouver Escape Game's four themed rooms, here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.