Cracking Horror-Themed Escape Rooms: The Benefits of Fear

Though not all of our rooms at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game have a hair-raising theme, you’ll notice we do have a taste for the horror-esque. Beyond being fans of horror films and spooky thrills, we use scary scenarios for our escape rooms because it adds to the challenge—and excitement—of the game.

In addition to pumping more of those fun, fun endorphins into your bloodstream, here are a few other benefits that our horror-themed escape games bring.

1. The ante is upped

Quite simply, the added pressure of escaping from the clutches of a madman or a horde of zombies ups the ante. Even though you know its not real, psychologically you’ll be much more motivated to save you and your team mates from certain death than you are to solve a scenario with lower stakes.

2. Fear is good for you

There’s nothing that will give you focus like a good dose of fear. It helps you to zero in on what’s important, which is a huge benefit when it comes to the basic goals of an escape game. With the shot of adrenaline that comes from the sound of zombie fingernails scraping on the other side of the door, quickly assessing the clues in the room and piecing them together will be your only interest.

3. Stress is your friend

Any escape game scenario is going to be a little bit stressful: all it takes for most of us to develop sweat on our brow is the knowledge that there is a clock ticking down the seconds until we’re deemed either a success or a failure. Add the knowledge that a chemical lobotomy also awaits at the end of the countdown, and badda-boom: you’re doubly stressed.

We know what you’re thinking: Why would I want to be even more stressed?! Because, friends, stress can actually boost brainpower and stimulate your drive to succeed. Not a bad trade off!

An escape room with a scary scenario, besides being extra fun for horror fans, actually puts you in conditions that will make you your best puzzle-solving you: focused, motivated, brain boosted.

Despite all this talk of the benefits of fear and stress, please do remember that an escape game

is meant to test your wits, not your ability to be in small or confined spaces. It’s a puzzle room, not a claustrophobia challenge!

Book your next go-round with our zombies or asylum here: http://bookeo.com/krakit

Johnny Ramensky: The Gentleman Safecracker and Great Escapist

The path to cracking an escape room is to use your wits, employing logic to figure out passwords and codes and locks. This is what will take you down the breadcrumb trail to escape game success. But out in the real world, sometimes beating a series of locks needs a much more physical approach. That’s where safecrackers come in.

Though a staple character in heist movies, safecrackers aren’t always necessarily bad guys. Sometimes people just forget the combinations to their super high-security safes—and someone needs to rescue those precious jewels from an eternity spent in a little metal box. But, it’s true: a safecracker, otherwise known as a peterman, is often up to no good.

Then there’s the peculiar case of Johnny Ramensky, perhaps the most famous safecracker that's ever lived. He even has his own folk song:

Ramensky was a Scottish safecracker who used his skills for both good and not-so-good. Born in 1905 and raised in a rough area of Glasgow, Scotland, the young Ramensky’s first work experience came as a coal miner—which is when he first came into contact with dynamite.

Explosives would be a key component to Ramensky’s future career: cat burglar. Using his knowledge of dynamite in combination with some serious ninja-like dexterity, Ramensky quickly became known as an expert safecracker. He also became known as a non-violent gentleman thief, who also never robbed individuals but only businesses, earning him the nickname “Gentle Johnny.”

His life of crime led to many years spent in prison—which he broke out of no less than five times, thanks to his skill at lock picking

However, when World War II arose, the use of Ramensky’s particular set of skills changed.

In 1943, after being released from prison, he joined the army, where he turned his abilities into an asset for the Allies. Over the remaining years of the war, Ramensky acted as a safecracking commando, who would often parachute behind enemy lines to retrieve vital documents. Now, in addition to being known as one of the best safecrackers in history, Ramensky is also a legendary Scottish war hero.

Not bad for one lifetime.

Following the end of the war, Ramensky returned to his life of crime, leading to a total of 45 years spent behind bars. He died in Perth Prison in 1972.

Though we don’t have any explosives or stethoscopes for you to use, you can get a taste of the safecracker life by taking on the challenge of one of Krait’s four Vancouver escape rooms. Book here.

When it is a Board Game Kind of Night.

Photo GinnyRobot. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Unfortunately, you may not be able to come to play with us at Krakit Escape Game, every single night, but we have come to know one thing about you (beyond the shadow of a doubt): you enjoy playing games with your friends. Here are the most bomb board games for you and your friends for raucous nights in:

Cards Against Humanity.

This game tops my list of funnest, and funniest, games to play with close friends; for a second or third date (we recommend a Vancouver Escape Game room for an impressive first date); or, as an icebreaker with new neighbours, friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Beware! This game is R-rated, capitalizing on raunchy humour and tasteless jokes. Worst person wins!

Monopoly.

An oldie, but a goodie. Unless you have been living under a rock for the past century, you have played at least one game of Monopoly in your life. Collect cash, set up a neighbourhood, and charge your friends exorbitant rental fees. Fun fact: monopoly was created in the United States in 1902 and sold to Parker Brothers during The Great Depression.

Settlers of Catan.

I have had it on my agenda to ‘settle’ down and play this game; I’ve heard only praises of its worthiness in the gauntlet of friendly competition. Here’s what the Financial Times had to say about Settlers: “Settlers has its own elegant economy, in which the supply and demand for five different commodities are determined by tactics, luck and the stage of the game.”

Come have a killer time with us at 4035 North Road in Burnaby! It’s a treat for a night out. And, remember, the first Monday of every month is Singles Night! Between 7:00-8:30 singles will be grouped together to play. Oo-lala…

Best Escape Room–Themed Game Shows on Television

It’s far from a secret that escape rooms are getting more and more popular and landing on more and more people’s lists of things to try. So it’s not really all that surprising that television networks are getting in on the escape room action. 

At last count, there are three currently airing TV shows that not just feature escape rooms—like Big Bang Theory, Conan, and Two Broke Girls have done—but completely focus on them. Like escape games themselves, this sort of puzzle-rific television has deeper roots.

To help escape game fans catch up on this essential TV viewing, we’ve rounded up the best escape room–themed TV out there.

1. The Crystal Maze (1990–95)

One cannot talk of today’s puzzle- and escape-themed TV shows without first mentioning The Crystal Maze. Hosted by Richard O’Brien (aka Riff Raff from Rocky Horror Picture Show), The Crystal Maze was one of the biggest and most beloved UK game shows ever to air.

Many Canadians may have missed out on the craze, so luckily there’s quite a few episodes on YouTube to catch you up. And, if you’re heading to London any time soon, it’s even coming back as a “live and immersive interactive experience” (aka, a sort of escape game).

2. Takeshi’s Castle (2002–04)

From the other side of the world—Japan—comes Takeshi’s Castle. The premise is that contestants are trying to make it through a trap-filled castle in order to reach the count, aka actor Takeshi Kitano. More physical than puzzley, Takeshi’s Castle is nevertheless a forebear to today’s escape room–themed television shows. Plus, it’s by far the zaniest—what else would we expect from Japanese TV?

3. Race to Escape (2015–)

Race to Escape is the brainchild of the folks at the Science Channel. Their inspiration comes directly from real-world escape games, with contestants trying to solve clues and bust out of the various themed rooms. Though perhaps not as exciting as actually playing a game yourself, it’s definitely some useful viewing for anyone preparing to take on the Asylum room at our Vancouver escape game—the hardest room we have.

4. Hellevator (2015–)

Another new addition to the genre is Game Show Network’s Hellevator—but this one comes with a twist. Like our own Krakit team, the people behind Hellevator know a good scare when they see one—or make one, rather. This is unsurprising, as the show’s hosts are Vancouver’s own Soska sisters, the directors behind American Mary.

Contestants of Hellevator are challenged to escape an abandoned warehouse, which just happens to have a haunted elevator. Unsurprisingly, screams abound.

5. Code (2016–)

This show has literally just hit the airwaves, broadcast by Korean network JTBC beginning this month. To spice up the format, Code has celebrities as contestants (it was only a matter of time!). The group starts eight floors underground, with the winners advancing one floor per week by solving puzzles and unlocking doors.

Try out the real thing at our Coquitlam escape room by booking here.

Jan Baalsrud and His Wintertime Arctic Escape

Photo By dokaspar

It almost feels like it’s threatening to snow here in Vancouver, and while other Canadians might say we never get any “real” cold here on the West Coast, it’s sure plenty chilly enough for us at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game. And hey—it’s a wet cold here, all right?

It’s gotten us thinking about people who have been forced to make escape attempts in the dead of winter, into icy banks of snow and freezing cold waters. There is one particular wintertime escape—a story of ingenuity and perseverance—that stands out above all the rest: that of Jan Baalsrud, a Norwegian resistance fighter in World War II. 

After the Germans invaded his home country in 1940, Baalsrud fled Norway, eventually landing in Britain, where he was trained in combat. He and eleven other Company Linge men undertook an operation in early 1943, with the goal of destroying a Nazi control tower in the extremely northerly town of Bardufoss.

To say the least, things did not go as planned.

Baalsrud and company approached the tower by fishing boat (laden with explosives), but they were detected—and forced to bail out into the Arctic waters. Baalsrud was the only soldier to escape the clutches of the Germans. However, he now found himself in enemy-occupied territory, in the depths of winter, in wet clothes, and with no provisions.

He spent two months (two months!) evading capture in the Arctic environment, taking shelter with sympathizers when he could. In his weeks-long escape, Baalsrud suffered frostbite, snow blindness, and more than one self-operation (to alleviate what he thought was blood poisoning and to get rid of several frostbitten toes).

Finally, on April 8, 1943, Baalsrud made it to a resistance-operated house, near the Finland border. But his ordeal was not over: because of German patrols and weather conditions, to avoid detection a sickly Baalsrud was placed outside, in the snow, on a stretcher, for weeks. Then, finally, on May 30, two Sámi reindeer herders smuggled Baalsrud across Finland and into Sweden—neutral territory. 

Following his two-month escape ordeal, Baalsrud spent seven months in a Swedish hospital. Then, he went straight back to the UK to help train other members of the Norwegian resistance.

Though our Nightmare Before Christmas room has a frosty theme, we can assure you it’s nice and toasty inside. Book your freeze-free winter escape at our Vancouver escape rooms here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Zombies and Puzzles and Swift! Oh my!

Pop singers routinely do intensive vocal exercises before preforming on tour. Actors repeatedly rehearse their lines before going on stage. Professional athletes practise and practise and practise some more. But how does one prepare for the thrilling challenge of the escape room? 

For success in our Vancouver escape room, Krakit has compiled a list of our top ten escape preparation tips. 

10. Sudoko 

There's a reason seniors snatch up Sudoko puzzles like they were free viagra. Sudoko keeps your mind active and alert.  The simple but challenging mind puzzles offer a break from the tech world. They also demand that your brain rely more on your memory than on your bandwidth. Think of them as yoga exercises for your mind.

9. Sit-ups

Killer abs are essential for escape room success. Tone them with simple sit-ups.

8. Source Material

Jack Skellington's adventure to Christmas Town is the source for this year's holiday escape room. Study up on the Oogie Boogie and all things Burtonesque. 

7. Pre-escape meal

Tis the season for turkey indulging, but make sure to stay away from the tasty bird before entering the escape room. Turkey is full of tryptophan, an amino acid that is renowned for inducing sleep. Load up on protein rich foods like eggs, nuts and yogurt instead. Raw vegetables are also good choices. Avoid fatty foods and sugary drinks.  

6. Sharing Circle

All of the escape rooms at Krakit in Burnaby are group orientated. Knowing your fellow players can be important for delegating tasks. A pre-escape sharing circle might shed some light on Brandon's coding talents or on Suzy's inability to handle pressure situations. 

5. Taylor Swift 

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 22. Keep your youthful spirit jacked.  YOLO.

4. Hydration

Dehydration can seriously limit your body's ability to preform. Stay hydrated and keep your energy enzymes active. 

3. Mad Libs

You gotta stay loose before the big event. Don't let the room get in your head. Relax with some fill-in-the-blank fun. Houdini was a huge fan. Just saying...

2. Zombie Do's and Don'ts

Rule 1: Do your homework. There are plenty of movies out there to help you prep. Your list should definitely include "Dawn of the Dead," "World War Z" and "28 Days Later."

Rule 2: Don't turn your back on your friends. Especially Eddie.  

Rule 3: Do keep it together. Your first urge might be to scream in absolute terror, but where will that get you? Killed. That's where.

1. Get some sleep

Escaping the City: Haida Gwaii Fishing Charters

At Krakit we talk a lot about escaping. That’s no surprise: it’s sort of what we we’re all about.

But we’re fans of all kinds of escaping—not just the kind that involves clues and puzzles and locks and keys. Playing a round at our Vancouver escape rooms not only gives you a chance to literally escape a locked room, but a chance to escape into your mind and forget about the real world for a while. A bit of classic escapism, one might say.

But sometimes you need an even bigger escape. The holidays are hectic enough on their own, then work starts to pile up while you’re away (beware the inbox avalanche!), and the rains of Vancouver just never seem to cease as January and February roll by. Luckily, we know of a spot that’s sure to wipe the brain-slate clean.

Just a two-hour flight north of Vancouver lies the island of Graham in the Haida Gwaii, and on it, Escott Fishing Lodge.

As much as we at Krakit Escape Game love delving into the worlds of zombies and Jigsaw and Halloweentown, sometimes you just can’t beat the total escape offered by spending an entire day out on the fishing boat, casting the old rod, and pulling in a salmon or halibut or two. Then, passing the evening back in the lodge by playing pool, eating and drinking with friends, and hunkering down in a big comfy bed.

Ah, we’re making ourselves relaxed just thinking about it.

Maybe you need a chance to unwind far away from the city, surrounded by some of the best Mother Nature has to offer. Maybe you just need an escape from all the zombies and monsters in your life (OK—that may just be us, maybe the cast of iZombie, too).

Either way, a voyage out to the calm and beauty of Haida Gwaii and Escott Lodge, where there’s nothing to do but fish, will do you just right.

We’d be remiss if you didn’t let you in on this little secret of ours. But we still expect to see you back in our Vancouver escape room, when you get back!

Christmas Miracles: Five Daring Holiday Escapes

Now that we’re fully in holiday mode here at Krakit—with our newly opened Nightmare Before Christmas room and a general feeling of good (if spooky) cheer—we’ve been thinking of other daring Christmastime escapes.

Though we usually associate this time of year with lazily sitting around in darkened living rooms, with a cup of cider in hand, there’s more escape action at the holidays than you might think—not only in pop culture, but also in real life.

Ancienne prison Winter à Sherbrooke, Québec (Photo: Michel Gagnon CC)

1. Marv and Harry’s escape from the house in Home Alone

Let’s start the list off with a bang (and a fall and a blowtorch to the head). Young Kevin McCallister was clearly ahead of his time, making a topnotch escape room from things he just happened to have lying around the house.

Marv and Harry do manage to escape Kevin’s house of horrors, but ultimately are nabbed by the popo and placed in the clink.

2. Four Orlando prisoners bust out Christmas Day 1955

Prison escapes seem to be a much more common thing back in the day, with lots of planning on the part of successful inmates. This particular Florida crew—all imprisoned for cheque forgery—knew that their best chance of escape was Christmas day.

Why? Because the carol singing would drown out the sound of their hacksaws and drills. The glory didn’t last long, as they were nabbed a few days later.

3. The Von Trapps escape Nazi-occupied Austria

We all know the film Sound of Music as a holiday staple, but the real Von Trapp family actually did escape to America during the holiday season.

The family didn’t tramp through the Alps as the film shows, but Maria, Georg and their ten kids did use their musical act to fool the authorities. The Von Trapps told people they were going to America to perform, heading for Italy by train one day before the Austrian border closed, eventually landing in the US on December 30, 1942.

4. Red Hugh O’Donnell bests Queen Elizabeth I on Christmas Eve 1591

A much older Christmas escape comes courtesy of Red Hugh O’Donnell, or more correctly, Aodh Ruadh Ó Domhnaill. The future Irish rebellion leader found himself imprisoned in Dublin Castle, after falling into an English trap at age 15. Three years later, O’Donnell and other inmates used the distraction of Christmas Eve to escape their captors, climbing down the castle by rope and swimming the freezing cold moat.

Although he lost his friends (and a toe) to frostbite, Red Hugh lived and went on to lead the Nine Years War (1594–1603) against England and Queen Elizabeth I.

5. John McClane wins freedom for all in Die Hard

When terrorists overrun a Christmas Eve party at his estranged wife’s work, NYC cop John McClane has none of it. Hans Gruber takes all the festive cheer right out of the event by taking everyone hostage—except for John, who manages to get away and save the day in what many people call their favourite Christmas film.


Give the gift of a thrilling Krakit escape this year with our Vancouver Escape Room gift certificates, which you can pick up in person or have emailed in digital form.

What’s This, What’s This? Nightmare Before Christmas at Krakit

We’re officially in December, and the holiday season is fully upon Vancouver and the rest of the Lower Mainland. The Lights of Hope at St. Paul’s hospital went on with a bang, the Stanley Park Christmas Train is running every weekend, and the Christmas caterpillar has moved into Coquitlam Town Centre Park.

Though Halloween may be our favourite holiday at Krakit Escape Game, we’re equally given to holiday cheer. And, so, we’re really excited for the return of our popular Nightmare Before Christmas room.

There’s broken toys and missing stockings—and Oogie Boogie tricks are everywhere. It looks like Halloween is here to stay. But not if you have anything to say about it! You and your team get 45 minutes to stop Halloween from taking over and save the true spirit of Christmas.

Though it didn’t take us quite as long to build our Nightmare Before Christmas escape room as it took Tim Burton to film his stop-motion masterpiece (two years!), we’ve put tons of effort into making it equal parts Halloween scare and Christmas sparkle, just like Halloweentown. Plus, we threw in some brian-scratching riddles for good measure.

Also, families should take note that we’ve made a few changes for the 2015 version, with one of the biggest being that we’ve dialed the rating down from “hard” last year to “average” this year.

However, you’ll be relieved to know that, unlike Jack Skellington, we at Krakit aren’t at all bored of frightening people. Our Zombie Apocalypse, Saw, and Asylum rooms are also open through the holiday season.

Book a session at Krakit Escape Game, located on the border of Burnaby and Coquitlam and near to Lougheed Town Centre Station, here: http://www.bookeo.com/krakit.

Coquitlam Escape Games

As winter closes, we all start looking for ways to escape: escape the dreary city, escape our daily routines, and escape boredom. Never fear! We’ve rounded up five foolproof ways to get out of the fall funk in our Coquitlam ’hood—and put your escape skills to the test.

Coquitlam Skyline Photo: Greg Salter (CC BY 2.5)

Defeat the IKEA maze

We’ve all had to go to IKEA to do something boring like buy cutlery or a lamp shade, but let’s be honest: at its best, IKEA is basically Disneyland for grown-ups. Instead of heading to IKEA Coquitlam to squabble you with your partner about a lime green rug, turn it into an adventure by creating a scavenger hunt and seeing who can make it through the IKEA maze to win the day.

Take a crash course at Crash Crawly’s

Let’s not forget the younger escape fans out there: get your tyke prepped for a future as an escape game master by taking them to Crash Crawly’s. It’s basically an obstacle course for pint-sized people, with plenty of challenges to help develop their problem-solving brains.

Escape the city at Minnekhada Regional Park

Though the rain may follow you here, the dreary greys of the cityscape will be replaced by the bright greens of pine trees and deep blues of the water. You don’t even have to go very far to make your great escape, as Minnekhada is just on the outskirts of Coquitlam.

Shake-up routine at Krakit Escape Room

Gathering a group of friends for an outing to Krakit’s Coquitlam escape room offers a chance not only to literally escape the room, but to escape into your imaginations for 45 minutes. Just like the books you read as a kid, you can choose your own adventure: Will you escape from the Zombie Apocalypse, the Asylum, or the Saw Room?

Sail away at Cloud 9 Float Spa

Speaking of escaping into your mind—you can take it one step further and forget you even have a mind at Cloud 9 Float Spa. Climb into a big vat of mineral water, with no light and no sound, and float away into nothingness.

The Great Vancouver Escape (Game)

You may have heard about some heinous happenings taking place near the border of Burnaby and Coquitlam. A few unlicensed surgeries and some mystery meat being served here and there.

Luckily these diabolical events in Metro Vancouver are happening in the safety of Krakit Escape Game’s loving arms. We’ve captured some of the suspenseful—and bloody—moments on film for your viewing pleasure. It’s just a little taste of what awaits adventure-seekers in Krakit’s four escape rooms:

If you dare take on our Butcher room, you’ll find yourself locked in a meat cooler with an insane knife-wielding butcher itching to get you on his chopping block. For those who find the idea of a lobotomy less than appealing, our Asylum room will give you the right motivation to solve the clues and make your escape.

Maybe you’ve been planning for the Zombie Apocalypse since you were a child (who hasn’t, right?). If so, then our Zombie room provides just the chills and thrills you’ve been hoping for.

For those who like to have the bejeesus scared out of them minus the gore, we’ve created the perfect stomach-dropping moment in our One Night Stand room: figure out what happened last night before the game is up.

No matter which challenge you choose, you get 45 minutes to crack Krakit’s escape rooms. Escape games require a mix of ingenuity, smarts, and determination to solve. Put together the perfect team, and you just might have a chance of escaping the clutches of a bloodthirsty maniac or your own drunken decision. Only time will tell.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our next room theme, which will be ripe for cracking closer to September. After all, we just want to keep you on your toes at Krakit Escape Game—and maybe get a scream or two.