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!

Deep Freeze!! Top 3 Wintry Escape Scenes From The Cinema

Vancouver has been thrown into the deep freeze!

A cold front has swooped down from the Arctic, crippling the city. Traditional zen lotus-eaters are losing their minds in traffic, lineups for winter tires are two-blocks long and yoga classes across the lower mainland have been suspended; it is pure chaos in the rainy city!

With more snow on its way, the Krakit team are preparing for a full-out winter assault. And what better way to prepare for snowmageddon then a light-hearted review of our favourite snow-bound escape movie scenes?

Here are our top three wintery escape scenes from the cinema:

3. The Spy Who Loved Me

Roger Moore, as James Bond, is up to no-good in an Austrian chalet when Queen and Country calls. Leaving a fair maiden (double-agent) wanting Moore, Bond dons a Ronald McDonald ski suit and heads out the door. The fair maiden shows her true hair-colour and calls in a ski attack.

With four armed agents in pursuit, Bond does some epic glacier skiing. His path takes him through a narrow ice shoot, he fires a ski pole rocket at one of his enemies and he pulls off a backflip half twist before skiing off a mountainside.

Of course Roger Moore was never on skis in Austria, but neither were the stuntmen. The entire sequence was filmed in Nunavut, Canada on Asgard Peak on Baffin Island.

The final cherry on the escape is the parachute design - a giant Union Jack flag. Well-done James.

2. The Empire Strikes Back

By far the best film of the Star Wars series (fingers-crossed for Rogue One), Empire starts on the icy planet of Hoth. After investigating a meteor (probe droid), Luc is sucker-punched by a snow beast. The young Jedi is taken back to the Wampa's layer where he is imprisoned in ice foot shackles.

Upon waking, Luc tries desperately to free himself before remembering that he has this wonderful gift called the force. Using Yoda's lessons, Luc is able to summon his light sabre from across the ice cave, cut off his shackles and slice the arm off his captor.

I guess with the force any Vancouver Escape Room might seem like a kids ballroom. But then again, maybe not...

1. The Thing

John Carpenter's The Thing is a sci-fi classic. The film includes aliens, a wintery locale on Antarctica and the always-entertaining action star, Kurt Russel. More of a mystery (who-done-it) tale then the other two films, The Thing has a group of scientists and remote technicians wondering who is the assimilated alien in the group. The snow flies, the crew accepts their fate and one-by-one the infected are killed off.

The final scene has MacCready and Childs share a drink, while the research station burns in the snowy background. Both men suspect the other of being infected, but with nothing left to fight for, a thin possibility of survival and the doomed fate of mankind looming off-screen, the two choose to let the time run out, leaving the audience guessing as to who was human.

And If you brave enough to stand the cold, come out to our Vancouver Escape Room! You might be shivering, but it won't be from the cold!

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