Escape Rooms As A Way of Life: The Legend of Zelda Method

© Nintendo

We’re living a little in the way that Link from The Legend of Zelda.

We spend our solo time traversing ‘fields’ of personality, looking for ‘rupees’ for physical sustenance, plucking ‘hearts’ for emotional fulfilment, and fighting minor demons abounding sporadically. From the fields, we head into bustling towns (like Burnaby) where we find collective persons in meeting places. We relate to these strangers who inspire within ourselves greater goals, furthering our paths beyond the fields we roam. This is the nature of the business we conduct in our life path and career directives. 

When we have found the proper motivations from the townspeople, i.e. what we can offer vs. what we are lacking, we then head steadfast to seek the inside of a dungeon (Krakit Escape Room) where we are isolated to face down our greater demons: those hidden from the populated fields and towns. We become like the hermit, seeking inner truths in the dark caverns within. Our quest is to escape and the only escape is confronting evil head-on.

First we seek anchor in finding a navigation tool, a compass, to enlighten us as as to our core principles (that way to shed light on our demon’s location), where to find the tools to defeat the demon, and the key required to get some face time with our inner foe. This dungeon is not only our situational escape room, but the liberation of our optimal identity from self-defeating ideologies.

The maxim ‘when the student is ready, the teacher appears’ reveals the locking mechanisms unlatched by the riddles of existence in Link’s field-town-dungeon whence the keys to success appear neither amidst nor before completion. This is the definition of the escape room: if I perform Task A then I will be able to unlock Item X in order to move on to Task B. Then, voila, the door is open and you’re free to move forward.

Whether the room is metaphorical or physical, the pursuit of higher goals requires we traverse our internal escape room (or, in Link’s case, dungeon).

Helpful Hints to Prepare for The Apocalypse: 2 of 7

This is a seven part series outlining survival techniques based on Maslow's hierarchy (beginning with physiological needs). In the final segments (self-actualization and self-fullfilment) I'll work my way into team building culture, role diversification/intelligent responsibility-delegation, and, above all, leadership techniques.

You’ve barricaded yourself into a recently-abandoned, private school: a Victorian-style building six stories tall on about 2 acres of land. 

Leaning your back against a wall in a classroom on the highest floor, you look around and start piling soft objects you’ve found, like hooded sweatshirts and gym mats, upon one another in order to get some rest. You wake up an hour later from a black sleep, your cracking lips and a purring stomach reminding you of what’s happening; you’ve only temporarily escaped from the perils surrounding you. You’re thirsty, famished. Luckily, the school’s cafeteria stock loads your solitary base of operations with a temporary cache of vending machine beverages, cans of food, and various dried goods. 

You’re alive. You’ll remain alive as long as you can stay safe. But, evil is around every corner and you’re unarmed.

• SAFETY: You must use your ingenuity to ensure your immediate vicinity is not susceptible to imminent attack. You break the head off of a mop from a supply closet to immediately arm yourself with this sharp, pointed object while you look for the groundskeepers quarters. Upon finding the tool shed, you load a canvas bag found within with stock of wire, tools, and sharp objects. You return several times. Using a combination of lessons from survival television shows and boy scout training to arm the halls with home-made traps; you arm any possible entrance leading to your base location with trip wires. To further secure yourself from the ambitions of rock demons and diseased walking deceased lurking about the region, you’ve dug a series of narrow, deep holes and furtively covered them with sticks and brush. It’s now impossible to hear your oafish foes fumbling as they occasionally attempt to ransack your base. The first of many wire traps leading to where you sleep proves only partially effective, so you’ve improved and upgraded each part of them until you’re 100% sure you can get a full eight hours of sleep before waking up to put the morning intruders out of their misery. 

Helpful Hints to Prepare for The Apocalypse: 1 of 7

This is a seven part series outlining survival techniques based on Maslow's hierarchy (beginning with physiological needs). In the final segments (self-actualization and self-fullfilment) I'll work my way into team building culture, role diversification/intelligent responsibility-delegation, and, above all, leadership techniques.

The disease has been let loose and it’s raining fire. Flesh-eating elephants have escaped from the zoo and herds of cattle are running rampant through the city streets. Michael, the archangel, appears from behind a cloud and sounds his trumpet—all of a sudden the ground opens up to reveal a furnace of torture instruments as an icy breeze swiftly blows from the flames of hell, biting your face and numbing your hands. Stop what you’re doing: this is invariably the end of all that is. The following is a worst case preparation scenario for the impending apocalypse.

• REFUGE: The first action you must take is to find a place of refuge where you can recharge, catch your breath, store your gear, and organize your thoughts. Any secluded area will do, such as a penthouse in an abandoned high rise condo building, an empty bank vault (as long as you have means to not become locked in), or a small school. Be sure to limit the amount of entrances and exits in order to face your diseased, mutated foe head-on. If you have the option to barricade yourself in at night, then do so as the lack of visibility is your enemy, hoards of starving brain-suckers, will be sniffing you out with canine-like intensity. Be assured: they can smell your fear. Furthermore, you are not only protecting yourself from the perils of death sweeping through the streets, but also from those survivors who mean to undermine your efforts to redeem the human race. You will face deception from foe posing as friend. Remember: trust no one. Anyone who has not otherwise proven themselves as an ally to defend your mortality is an enemy to which you must always be ready to swiftly remove from their plight. Find water. Find Food.

Rope Burn: Alan Alan's Legacy as an Escape Artist

A crane suspends a man tied to a rope ten stories above a makeshift stage. The man, hanging upside down, is shackled in a straitjacket. He is madly struggling to get his arms free. 10 feet above him, a section of fuel soaked rope burns, increasing the drama. The man has three minutes to make his escape before the fire burns through the rope, 

dropping him 100 feet to his death.

This treacherous stunt design was the creation of one of the world's leaders in escapology, Alan Alan. A popular escape artist and magician in the 1950s, Alan died earlier this year at the surprisingly old age of eighty-seven. Surprising, because of the amount of times he risked his life in front of a captive audience.

The idol of David Copperfield, Alan was best known for the burning rope trick described above. Alan's stunt of  'suspended shackles' was actually a nod to another famous escape artist, Harry Houdini. Houdini originally did the trick with handcuffs (sans fire).

For Alan's version, the artist freed himself from the jacket and then was lowered by the crane operator, seconds before the rope burned through. But it didn't always go to plan. In one of his his early attempts, the fire burned too quickly and Alan plummeted 30 foot to the stage of the Pavilion Theatre in Liverpool. Once he had failed, Alan upped the ante for future attempts, adding a cage of lions beneath him. His final performance of the stunt, at 52 years of age, was done from a crane that suspended him over the river Thames in London.

Looking to match his own idol, Alan also attempted Houdini's buried alive stunt. Alan barely survived this escape when his assistants were forced to dig him free. Apparently they had packed the ground above him too tightly.

Before his death, Alan was awarded the Maskelyne award from "The Magic Circle" for his services to British magic. Think of it as the Cecil B. DeMille award for magicians.

Krakit, Vancouver's premier escape game, would also like to honour Alan Alan for his pioneering spirit in the art of escape. We don't offer anything quite as death defying in our theme rooms, but we do like to acknowledge the greats that created an early interest in escapology.

Afterword:

When researching this blog entry, our crack team of investigators came across a forum of artists discussing this escape stunt. As you may have guessed, the trick lies in the strength of the rope. Some performers actually use a rope that contains a central core of high-test wire. The variable that offers the most challenge is wind. Wind fuels the fire and creates a swinging motion that makes it harder for the performer to escape their restraints. Another danger is the fuel dripping down the rope on to the performer. Modern stuntmen usually wear a flame retardant suit beneath the straitjacket.

New Year's Eve Events in Vancouver

Christmas has concluded and we are on to the next big event of the holiday season: New Year's Eve. Vancouver is prepping for the big night with events planned across the city. If you are one of those last minute people who still hasn't decided where you will be when the clock strikes 12, here is a quick list of the top Vancouver events with space still available:

The Great Gatsby Affair

-Get out your flapper dress of dust off your Zoot Suit; It's time to return to the twenties. This event is held at the Harbour Event Centre and features styles and music inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, "The Great Gatsby.". The #YOLO spirit will on display as partygoers are treated to acrobats, dancers, musicians and a variety of exotic entertainers. Tickets are $85 and include a champagne toast at midnight.

Solid NYE 2015

-This is Vancouver's premier electronic music party. Tiesto, Steve Aoki and Andrew Rayel are all in town to bring the best bass drops to the Pacific Coliseum. Be prepared to dance until sometime around 10:30 a.m. on New Year's Day.

Early-To-Bed Countdown

-This family-friendly event begins at 4 p.m. at Robson Square. There will be a ton of 'G' rated revelry, including ice skating, live music, craft stations and DJ's. This 'turned down' event will wrap up around 10:30 p.m. so families can put their wee ones to bed.

Family First on the Peak

-Seymour Mountain is hosting this event that includes tobogganing, clowns, magic (who doesn't love magic), fire spinners and fun in the woods (Meryl not included). Tickets are $15 with the festivities starting at 6 p.m. This event concludes with a fireworks show and countdown at 9 pm.

Escape from 2014

-Krakit, Vancouver's Escape Game, is producing a New Year's Eve Special with two games and light refreshments for all participants. Challenge yourself by attempting to escape from two of Krakit's four theme rooms. Find the clues and complete your escape to start the New Year on a high. The price is $50 per player. Pre-booking is a must. To book your escape space, call 604-484-6552.

Harry Houdini's Most Notable Escapes

When one stops to ponder the art of escape, the mind often drifts towards one individual: Harry Houdini. A popular vaudeville performer in the early 1900s, Houdini stumped the world with his miraculous breakouts. He was a showman first and foremost, but his ability to escape complex restraints is unmatched in modern times.

His career started with open challenges to police departments across Europe. After being chained and handcuffed, he would escape the shackles of local law enforcement officials, earning the nickname: "The Handcuff King." His act would later move to America, where his stunts became more elaborate and the crowds of onlookers grew. He became 'the' escape artist, freeing himself from straightjackets, ropes, jails and of course, handcuffs. He even encouraged the public to devise escape scenarios. If only he had been alive for Twitter…

Houdini has become so renowned with art of escape that his last name has now become a verb: "How did you Houdini yourself out of that Krakit escape room?"

Here is a short list of some of Houdini's most popular escape stunts:

Siberian Transport

After being strip-searched and shackled in a military van headed for Siberia, Houdini escaped a trip to Russia's most severe interment camp. Putin won't let this one go and still credits the evil Western Alliance as aiding Houdini.

Reflecting on his life, years later, Houdini was quick to cite this stunt as a standout in his career:

I think my escape from the Siberian Transport was my most difficult performance. I was placed in the great vault usually assigned to political prisoners, and when the great door was shut, I had the hardest time of my life, perhaps, in releasing myself. But nevertheless, it took me 18 minutes to walk out, and face the dazed officials.

The Mirror Handcuffs

In 1904, Harry Houdini accepted a challenge from the Daily Mirror to escape from a pair of specialty handcuffs. Legend has it the cuffs took five years to make. The cuffs required a six inch key to unlock. Houdini did the impossible, and broke them after a hour and ten minutes. 

He was also able to cutoff his suit coat during the escape.

The Milk Can

This escape challenge was a crowd favourite because of the visual confinement element. Houdini was a shorter gentleman, but even with his small frame, the sight of his body being squeezed inside a milk can must have been quite the spectacle. Houdini upped the danger factor by filling the rest of the can with water. The top of the can was latched shut and then secured with a padlock. Oh, and of course Houdini entered the can handcuffed.

Houdini focused the performance on the water element, asking the audience to hold their breath while he was submerged. Of course no one could remain breathless in the time it took him to escape.

The Chinese Water Torture

Jesse 'The Body' Ventura would have firmly disapproved of this trick. For the Chinese Water Torture, Houdini was suspended upside down in a glass case, with an inner cage that prevented him from twisting his body. He was of course handcuffed as well. Another crowd favourite, Houdini preformed this trick until his death in 1926.

The Straightjacket Dangle

Unlike the escapes mentioned above, this one was done without cover. Houdini was suspended from a crane upside down in a straightjacket. Done as publicity stunt in New York City, Houdini escaped his restraints in two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

All of these stunts are incredibly dangerous and should not be attempted. Houdini's mastery came in his ability to stay focused and calm. These are the same elements that will lead to success at the Vancouver Escape Room. We've dialed back the danger factor considerably, but it never hurts to channel the accomplishments of one of the greats.