Can You Solve These 5 Puzzle Films before the End?

Who is Keyser Söze?

At Krakit Escape Game, we are big fans of a movie that gets our brain gears spinning. What escape room addict isn’t?

It’s true that there are some “twist-ending” films out there that the audience has no chance of solving before the twist is revealed. However, the really good twist endings are good precisely because you can solve them—if you’ve been paying enough attention.

These films are more like puzzles than narratives that drag you from plot point to plot point. They challenge you to look closer, pay attention, and put together the clues before the end credits roll.

When a good twist ending is revealed and you haven’t already figured it out, you’re left feeling silly, because you realize the answer was under your nose the whole time. (We’re looking at you, every Harry Potter book!)

If you’re clever enough, you might have figured out the endings to these five puzzle-like films before the solution was revealed. If you haven’t seen them, well, it’s time to test your mettle.

1. Memento (2000)

It’s very easy to settle in for the ride and let Christopher Nolan’s breakthrough film bend your mind. But it’s a lot more fun if you try to solve the film’s central mystery along with memory-impaired protagonist Leonard. You won’t be able to (trust us), but even going back and trying to figure it all out is satisfying.

Film reviewer Taylor Holmes explains Memento best: “Riddles wrapped in riddles—mazes set inside mazes.”

2. The Prestige (2006)

“Of course!” you will yell at the screen. “Of course! How could I not see that?”

3. The Sixth Sense (1999)

It’s hard to believe there are people out there who haven’t seen M. Night Shyamalan’s masterpiece. That is, until you realize it was released 18 years ago, which means there are thousands of high schoolers who need to get cracking on the many puzzle pieces this film offers.

And no, it’s not the fact that the kid sees dead people.

4. Source Code (2011)

Like Memento, Source Code has us trying to solve a mystery alongside the main character. A soldier is tasked with figuring out who bombed a train by going over the event again and again through a virtual reality program. With each successive trip on the train, the puzzle becomes clearer.

5. The Usual Suspects (1995)

We still aren’t entirely sure who Keyser Söze is. Ah, well, we never claimed to be geniuses.

Test out your puzzle-solving skills in one of Krakit Vancouver Escape Game's four themed rooms: http://bookeo.com/krakit

The Most Daring Escape of All? The “Faked Deaths” of Celebrities

Philippe de Champaigne, Still Life with a Skull, 1671

Whether it’s to escape the law, rabid fans, or tax problems, faking your own death—or pseudocide—is a sure way to put people off the case.

Or is it?

For the five famous people below, the finality of death hasn’t been quite so final, with people continuing to question whether these people are actually alive or actually dead.

Kenneth Lay

The name “Enron” is now synonymous with corrupt businessmen who get rich by scamming the everyman. Kenneth Lay was a major player in the Enron scandal, which has led people to think that his death just three months before his sentencing hearing was too convenient to be believable.

Because of Lay’s great position of power, conspiracy theorists say he escaped the US with the help of his equally powerful friends and is now living somewhere in Mexico.

Elvis Presley

It’s been 40 years since Elvis died, and yet the sightings of the super famous singer continue to this day. When you’re as famous as Elvis, it can all become too much, so the only way to escape it is to make your fans—and the entire world—think you’re dead. It all adds up, right?

Where does the now-anonymous Elvis live these days? Bermuda, of course.

2Pac

Another incredibly famous musician who is said to have faked his own death to escape his fame is Tupac Shakur. The reason fans are so sure he’s still alive is because of the rapper’s adopted stage name of Makaveli near the end of his career. The philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli, as it turns out, suggested that people should fake their own deaths in order to manipulate their enemies.

Paul McCartney

In the exact opposite scenario of Elvis and 2Pac, there’s a conspiracy theory that Paul McCartney—who we see walking and talking and performing with Kanye at the Grammys—is actually dead. The theory goes that Paul died in 1966 in a car accident and was replaced with a lookalike so as not to upset the wave of Beatlemania that had overtaken the world. As long as the fans are happy, right?

Ken Kesey

Here is one legitimate faked death that can be proven beyond doubt. Why? Because writer and famous psychedelic flower child Ken Kesey was actually put in jail for his shenanigans.

When he was arrested for possession of marijuana, Kesey decided faking a suicide was the best way to deal with the charges. His abandoned car was left on the side of the road along with a suicide note, while Kesey hightailed it to Mexico. When he returned home to the US a few months later, he was sentenced to six months in jail.

While there aren’t any opportunities to fake your own death at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game, you can try more realistic measures of escape in any of our four themed escape rooms. Book here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Mystery, Puzzles, Trivia, Oh My! 4 Podcasts for Escape Game Fans

Photo: Casey Fiesler (CC BY 2.0)

It’s no secret that if you’re a fan of escape games, you have wide and varied tastes. How else are you going to learn all that trivia?!

However, there are a few topics we’re pretty sure every escape game fan is into. Mystery? Check. Puzzles? Check. Creepy going-ons? Check.

In the magical era of the podcast, you can be sure someone out there is making a show about a subject you want to plug into. Here we list four of podcasts that really satisfy our escape room brains.

Serial

OK, so this is one of the biggest podcasts since, well … ever. But if you haven’t listened to NPR’s Serial yet, we’re telling you, now is the time. Each season is one single intriguing story of true crime told masterfully by host Sarah Koening over several episodes. Spine tingling.

Check out Serial here: https://serialpodcast.org/

Pints and Puzzles

You like conspiracy theories? Then this is the podcast for you! TJ Counihan discusses strange unsolved events, from little green men to unexplained explosions, and throws in some tasting notes on various beers for good measure. Both a strange and fun time!

Catch Pints and Puzzles here: http://pintsandpuzzles.libsyn.com/

Good Job, Brain!

If you like to stuff your brain full of random useless facts—and who among us escape room fans doesn't—then do let the four hosts of Good Job, Brain! fill your grey matter up to the brim. As they put it, this podcast is “part quiz show, part offbeat news, and all awesome.”

You can get factual here: http://www.goodjobbrain.com/

Welcome to Night Vale

Something else all escape gamers share is a vivid imagination and a love of immersing themselves in story. Have you ever heard of the town of Night Vale? No? Well, that’s because it doesn’t exist, but in Welcome to the Night Vale it does, and this twice monthly podcast enlightens us about all that happens there. Sure, there are a few weather updates, but Night Vale is “a town in the desert where all conspiracy theories are real,” so you can expect things are going to get strange on a regular basis.

Visit Night Vale here: http://www.welcometonightvale.com/

Immerse yourself in your own trivia, mystery, and puzzle filled fun by booking a go in one of our escape games here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Fun Activities That’ll Turn Your Kid into a Sleuthing Genius

Photo: Melissa Hillier (CC-BY 2.0)

You’re a complete escape game fanatic, and you've only got so much time to make sure your kids follow in your footsteps.

Luckily, it’s not too hard to get your kid hooked on all things sleuthing, code breaking, and problem solving. Why? Because these things are super fun.

Observe:

Clue

A complete classic, the board game Clue—or Cluedo, if you’re outside North America—has made detectives out of many generations of kids. It’s nearly 70 years old, but it’s still one of the best ways to introduce young kids to the wonderful world that is sleuthing.

Spy kit

Remember writing secret messages to your friend in invisible ink and—just to make it extra secure—using a decoder ring? Of course you do! Spy kits have come a long way since you were a kid though: now they include things like audio enhancers and UV flashlights. Jealous? Us too.

Harriet the Spy and Encyclopedia Brown

What better role model for budding escape game enthusiasts than successful detectives who are around their own age? Harriet the Spy and Encyclopedia Brown both have some solid tips to pass along to sleuths in training, whether in book or TV form.

Scavenger or treasure hunt

Summer holidays mean camping, and camping means no internet (if you’re doing it right, that is). Curious kids plus the great outdoors makes for a great opportunity to devise one of the greatest scavenger hunts your children have ever seen. Turn up the difficult by making a clue list and requiring a compass and map, and your kids’ problem-solving muscles will get a hefty workout.

Kid-friendly escape game

It can be surprising how quickly kids, even young ones, can figure out clues in escape games that even adults have trouble with. Make sure the theme is age appropriate (maybe try our Alice in Wonderland room rather than the Saw one!) and watch your kid kick your butt at your next escape room experience.

Book an escape room at Krakit for you and your family here: http://bookeo.com/krakit

5 Cryptography-centric TV Shows to Bend Your Escape-Game-Loving Mind

The four codebreakers of The Bletchley Circle

If there’s one thing all escape game fans can agree on, it’s their love of ciphers, codes, and the amazing feeling that comes with cracking one. A few television producers out there share that feeling, too.

While only one of these shows is still on the air, luckily we live in the age of streaming! And, who knows, if we all put in the effort and get the numbers just right, they might just bring them back for encore seasons. We have the power, cryptography-loving escape room fans!

1. The Bletchley Circle (2012–14)

Yep, that Bletchley, the same one where Alan Turing and his team cracked the “unbreakable” Enigma Code in WWII. This series is set after the end of the war in the early ’50s, centering on a group of women—former Bletchley codebreakers, of course—who take the solving of complex crimes into their own hands after the police fail to get the job done.

2. Numbers (2005–10)

FBI Special Agent Don Eppes skips the wiretapping and intimidation and goes straight for the numbers to solve a variety of crimes. His secret weapon? His super math genius brother, Charles, who uses equations (yes, equations!) to help find and apprehend the criminals. Yay, math!

3. Gravity Falls (2012–16)

In this animated series, Mabel Pines (Kristin Schaal) and her brother Dipper (Jason Ritter) spend their summer at their uncle’s house running “The Mystery Shack.” (The town of Gravity Falls happens to be full of paranormal creatures, so it’s sort of necessary.) At the end of every episode, there’s a different cipher to crack, introducing kids—and kids at heart!—to the Caesar, Atbash, and Vigenère ciphers, among others.

4. Touch (2012–13)

Former reporter Martin Bohm (played by Kiefer Sutherland) realizes his young son, Jake, who has been diagnosed as autistic, is an ace when it comes to numbers and patterns. So good, in fact, that he can predict the future based on what he sees within them. Jake uses his skills to decipher a number of codes that lead to the pair saving the day, naturally.

5. The Numbers Game (2013–)

Unlike the other shows in this list, The Numbers Game isn’t a drama or cartoon, but shows how numbers work in our everyday lives. Host Jake Porway (who looks like he could be Bill Nye’s long lost son, incidentally) delves into the history of codes and other brain-melting puzzles. Get ready for some codebreaking and silly skits to keep you entertained along the way.

Get your hands on all the ciphers and codes Krakit has to offer by booking a game in one of our four themed escape rooms, steps away from Lougheed SkyTrain in Burnaby. Book here.

10 Great Christmas Gifts for Mystery Fans, Escape Game Lovers, and Sleuth Wannabes

Still haven’t gotten around to gift buying this holiday season? Well, neither have we at Krakit Vancouver Escape Room. All we can say is, thank goodness two-day shipping exists!

Below we list ten gifts that we’re sure any of our escape game players—along with any mystery film fan, detective novel buff, or sleuth in training—would love.

1. Lock picking kit

You need to be careful who you give this one to (maybe not your 11-year-old niece), but not only is a lock picking kit very cool looking, but it can legitimately come in handy.

2. Mysterium board game

This unusual mystery board game takes some serious creative thinking and collaborative teamwork to win. Not to mention it’s rather beautifully designed.

3. Escape game passes

Give the gift of experience with an escape game voucher, and get those puzzle-solving brain cogs turning at full speed.

4. Veronica Mars Investigations mug

If there’s one thing all sleuths can agree on, it’s the necessity of coffee. Especially when it comes in a Veronica Mars mug.

5. Hollow book safe

Any private investigator in training needs a good place to hide things from prying eyes, whether that be a candy stash or a secret diary. You can even make this gift yourself!

6. Benedict Cumberbatch’s face

Give the gift of Sherlock this Christmas—quite literally.

7. Orson Welles’ Great Mysteries television series

For the mystery-loving hipster on your list: an obscure 1970s serial mystery show hosted by Orson Welles and created by Roald Dahl. Warning: this hard-to-find gift will require some sleuthing of your own (bootlegs or torrents only!).

8. Spy the Lie book

For the more serious and cerebral mystery fan, we’d choose Spy the Lie: Former CIA Officers Teach You How to Detect Deception, a training guide to becoming a human lie detector.

9. Columbo “Just One More Thing” T-shirt

There just won’t be a time when Columbo isn’t super cool, so a T-shirt with his catchphrase is a pretty safe bet.

10. Rebus 20 Highland Park Whisky

The holy grail of mystery-fan gifts—a mystery unto itself, really. Rebus 20: a limited edition single malt created by Highland Park in honour of Ian Rankin’s whisky-loving detective Inspector Rebus. Maybe start looking for it this Christmas, and give it next Christmas. (That way you’ll also have time to save up …)

Make someone’s Christmas merry, mysterious, and bright by giving the gift of an escape game. You can learn more about Krakit’s four themed escape rooms here: http://www.krakit.ca/room-themes.php.

6 Holiday Mysteries for Escape Room Fans

In December, the ratio of work days to days off is right where we like it at Krakit Escape Game: about half and half. Even after trying out one, two, maybe three escape games with your friends and family this holiday season, you’ll probably still have some time to fill with some further brain-tickling mystery goodness.

To help you out, we’ve put together some of our favourite Christmas and wintry-themed mysteries: three TV specials and three films to get you through to the New Year.

Mysterious TV Christmas Specials

1. Sherlock, “The Abominable Bride”

What’s better than Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman playing Sherlock and Watson? Cumberbatch and Freeman playing the dynamic duo in Victorian England, of course. This hour-and-a-half Christmas special was released last January, so it’s about time for a rewatch.

2. Murdoch Mysteries, “A Very Murdoch Christmas”

The Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries, set in the Toronto of the 1890s, got into the Christmas special spirit with this two-hour episode from 2015. Along with a Christmas pageant (classic), “A Very Murdoch Christmas” also involves the Christmas demon Krampus (amazing!).

You can watch the whole thing online here.

3. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, “Murder Under the Mistletoe”

And finally, to turn your Christmas upside-down (literally) comes the Melbourne-set Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries. This Christmas spesh is also a period piece—set in the 1920s—with Miss Fisher and company trapped in a house after a heavy snowfall where a murder most foul has just taken place. Since Winter in Australia is during our summer, this special is set during July.

Mysterious Christmas Films

1.  Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, and a murder mystery set in Los Angeles during Christmastime. Win, win, win, win, win.

2.  Die Hard

Oh, Die Hard is already your favourite Christmas movie? Well, we should’ve seen that coming—but we couldn’t not include it on our list. John McClane has to escape an office tower that’s been taken over by terrorists. And oh boy, will he.

3. The Thin Man

A 1934 comedy-mystery to help make your holiday merry and bright, in which Nick and Nora Charles’s New York Christmas holiday is about to have a lot more murder than they ever expected. Plus, it’s a chance for us to see what 1930s Christmas cocktail parties looked like (hint: pretty classy).



Book your own Christmas escape in one of Krakit’s four Vancouver escape games here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.

Can’t Escape the Mystery: The Shugborough Inscription

The Shugborough Inscription -- Krakit Vancouver Escape Game

We’re willing to bet that most escape game fans are also big mystery fans—we know all of us here at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game sure are. And what’s better than a mystery? A real-life mystery. Especially one that involves ciphers, shepherds, a famous artist, and an even more famous scientist.

In the relatively unassuming county of Staffordshire in the English Midlands, there stands a Shepherd’s Monument from the eighteenth century. The sculpture at its centre is an adaptation of the painting The Shepherds of Arcadia by the famous Baroque artist Nicolas Poussin. But that’s not what’s most interesting about the monument.

Beneath the sculptural relief, there is a sequence of eight letters—O U O S V A V V—positioned between two more: D and M.

Photo: Edward Wood (CC BY-SA 3.0)

For more than 250 years, the meaning of these letters—this cipher—has been a mystery.

While some people are convinced these letters are nothing more than old-school graffiti (chiseled very finely, we might add!), other, greater minds have taken the code more seriously. Among the would-be codebreakers who have visited the Shugborough Monument are Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens—neither of whom was able to figure out what exactly the Anson brothers, who commissioned its creation, were trying to say.

Along with the mysterious cipher, there are a few other clues to deepen the mystery. A handful of details from Poussin’s original painting have been changed for the sculpture, including the addition of two faces, one of which appears to be the horned god Pan, and—get this—an extra sarcophagus. Weird, to say the least.

However, even with these extra clues, it appears there is no escape from the mystery of the Shugborough Inscription. It remains unsolved, making it one of the world’s greatest enigmas.

Although some of the mysteries at Krakit Vancouver Escape Game are hard, rest assured they are at least designed to be solved! Test out your codebreaking skills by booking a spot for you and your friends here: http://bookeo.com/krakit