10 Reasons Why the Vancouver Escape Game is a Killer First Date

The Krakit Escape Game is great for groups that want to have a wicked night out solving puzzles. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll test your wits and you'll probably sweat (just a little).

But what about for a first date. Here are ten reasons why Vancouver's top escape game is an awesome idea for a first date:  

10. Variety is the Spice of Life

Everyone goes for coffee; It's the safe option. It's cheap and you can duck out quickly if the pictures don't match reality. But who wants to be safe? Why not lock yourself in a room with a total stranger. YOLO!

9. Jingle Bells

Everyone likes to get into the holiday mood, especially after a long day of work. It's like instant happiness, a mix of warm memories and iconic symbols. Krakit has a special holiday room designed for those who love Christmas.

8. Adrenaline Rush

All the thrills of an extreme outing without the risks. No one wants to finish their first date on a hospital gurney. Krakit offers an environment that gets the adrenaline pumping but offers little opportunity for injury.

7. Be the Hero

You don't need a cape and a flashy nickname to assume the role of hero. Just use your brain, your patience and your confidence to impress. Your natural super powers will have your date seeing stars. Kal-El ain't got nothing on your natural ability.

6. Physical Contact

For the same reason that people love to go to scary movies for first dates, the Escape Game will give you loads of opportunities for physical contact. When the chill factor starts to rise, humans naturally huddle up. It's in our DNA. Not too many threats at Starbucks, but in The Asylum, fear reigns. Get scared, get close and see where the night takes you.

5. No Pregnant Pauses

You've finished dinner and are waiting for the cheque. You've exhausted your first-date banter. The silence makes you squirm in your chair. This is not how you planned to end the night.  At Krakit, you will be so focused on the game at hand, you won't have time for awkward conversation pauses. With 45 minutes to break out, you'll need every second.

4. Social Barrier Break Down

Traditional first dates are all about keeping your cards close, not revealing too much and playing a safe game, with the hope of securing a second date. But do you really know the person after a quick meet-and-greet? Not likely. But throw yourself and your new friend into an escape challenge and all the cards are on the table.

3. Zombies

Really, who doesn't love zombies.

2. Instant Bond

The best thing about the Vancouver Escape Challenge is that it's a cooperative environment.  It's not like pool or bowling where you play against each other. You will only succeed if you work together - lessons learned from the Walking Dead.

1. Monday Morning

People love to share their experiences. Why not arrive at work on Monday with a hilarious escape story? We say Monday morning, but with social media it will probably be five minutes after the date is done. Give him or her something to share. A unique tale of escape will linger far longer that that first-date coffee breath.

Let Your Fear Guide You

A fearful encounter becomes enjoyable when we can accurately gauge the risk of harm. Our bodies are genetically disposed to a fight-or-flight protection response when confronted with fear. When we increase our emotional encounters surrounding our fears, our brains ability to access actual danger improves. We still experience the emotion of being scared, but our mind lets us enjoy the experience rather than running from it.

The science behind enjoying a fearful experience begins and ends in the brain. Emotional experiences stimulate the amygdala, the part of the brain that processes emotional learning and memory. The amygdala increases the production of a protein known as Arc. This protein strengthens the synapses in the hippocampus that store long-term memories. With stronger connections, the brain is more prone to remember an emotional event rather than a neutral one. We use these memories to gauge risk.

Young children are more susceptible to unnecessary emotional responses when confronted with fear because their brain is unable to make the distinction between reality and fiction. Their brains have a limited number of experiences to pull from, so there bodies gauge the risk as high.

This is one of the major reasons why we don't recommend our escape rooms for anyone under the age of eight. We also suggest that an adult accompany guests between the ages of eight and thirteen.

Fearful encounters can also be used for treatment. When we increase our experiences with situations that we consider fearful, our bank of emotional memories increases. Our brain remembers that the experience ended without harm and our anxiety is reduced, reducing our fear. This form of treatment is termed cognitive therapy. It can be used to treat phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder for unnecessary anxiety.

Another benefit of fear is that it focuses our attention. In a flight-or-fight situation, our minds need to be on point. Fear reduces our concern with trivial thoughts and forces our brains to make quick and effective responses to threats.

With a time limit of 45 minutes, Vancouver's Escape Game uses fear to promote success. When we increase the fear factor, we create an atmosphere that demands speedy decision-making. Put the clues together, solve the puzzle and escape to freedom.

Harness your fears and you are guaranteed to enjoy the game.

Ignore Yoda's advice. Channel your fear.

Macgyver vs. The A-Team

When choosing your team for the Krakit Escape Room challenge, it's always best to pick friends or colleagues with practical knowledge. You don't necessarily want your friend who scored 98% on his Math final; he may be a whizz with numbers, but give him a riddle and he could be instantly stumped. But, on the other side of the coin, you don't want a teammate who relies solely on street knowledge. A little book smarts can go a long way, especially when it comes to references. Take your time, maybe make a chart weighing their pros and cons and pick the best team for the job.

This week, we thought it would be fun to compare the skills of two fictional protagonist groups from pop culture. The idea behind this little exercise is to identify which escape specialist would be the best fantasy pick for Vancouver's Escape Game.

For our comparison, we're travelling back to the eighties, when television was all about car chases, tight fitting sweaters and explosions aplenty. Our two combatants this week are secret agent Angus Macgyver and the vigilante demo squad, The A-Team. 

Vietnam Training

Both Macgyver and the A-Team learned most of their practical skills while stationed in Vietnam. Macgyver was a bomb team technician. He disabled some of Charlie's most intricate explosives. What does this mean for an escape room challenge: good under pressure.

The A-Team was sent to the jungle as a commando unit. They were imprisoned by a military court 'for a crime they didn't commit', but escaped a maximum-security prison using only their wits. Sounds like a perfect fit.

Round 1: Draw

Customizable Keys

Practical engineering was on fine display in both of these primetime action series. The A-Team were always helping the underdog rise-up against the town bully. Their plans often relied on found materials, farming equipment and of course, fertilizer. (Note to reader: Please don't use explosives to breakout of our escape rooms)

Daddy Mac relied more on simple physics to get out of a tight spot. He was also fond of found materials, often using them in conjunction with his Swiss Army knife and his ever present role of duct tape. Macgyver was so skilled with the bare essentials that his name became a verb: "Wow Sean, you 'Macgyvered' that Christmas tree stand."

Round 2: Advantage Macgyver

Power in Numbers

The A-Team relied on the skills of all four of its members: Hannibal supplied the plan, Face was the actor/eye candy, Murdoch brought the crazy and B.A. was the muscle. As a unit they were virtually unstoppable, unless the plan involved flying and then B.A. was definitely out.

Macgyver usually acted alone. He occasionally sought the help of a guest star, but the mulleted-one worked best when he was left to his own devices.

Round 3: Advantage A-Team

Opening Credits

Just as True Detective, The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones are all known for their opening title sequences, so were the 80s action dramas. When you compare Macgyver and the A-Team you immediately think of big hair, synthesizers and explosions. But it's the A-Teams opening narrator that sets the two apart:  "If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire: The A-Team." That simple line gave hope to every kid in the schoolyard who was picked on. 

Round 4: Knockout A-Team

Verdict

While lacking in scientific aptitude, the A-Team's skill at working together and their overall badass nature makes them this week's victor for fantasy escape room partners. We love it when a plan comes together.

SAMTSIRHC EROFEB ERAMTGHIN

The holidays are almost here and everywhere you look things are gearing up for the arrival of St. Nick. The Stanley Park Christmas Train is chugging into the station, the lights at St. Paul’s are twinkling, the forest of trees are decorated at the Four Seasons and the German Christmas Market is pouring warm cups of Glühwein. It's starting to feel a lot like Christmas…

But out in Burnaby, something has gone awry. The bells have stopped ringing, the stockings are missing, the snowmen are melting and there are whispers that Christmas may not be coming. Could the holiday vacuum spread to the rest of the world? Who knows.

A handful of clues have been left near the fire, in hopes that a few brave souls can save Christmas. The puzzle begins with a simple phrase, etched into the mantle: "SAMTSIRHC EROFEB ERAMTGHIN." What does it mean? And who wrote it? Can you help save Christmas?

Krakit believes you can. All December we are offering a holiday theme room that will stump even the finest detectives. The room has been graded 'Hard' by our tech team, but no one said saving Christmas would be easy. So come solve the mystery of the missing holiday cheer and secure yourself a spot on Santa's good list.

Book your session in advance to guarantee yourself a shot at keeping Christmas alive. You will have 45 minutes to complete the room. Good luck!

*The fright level has been turned down for the holidays, so that the young ones can join (you'd be surprised at the problem solving abilities of some children). But for our adult crowd, don't worry; we still have our Asylum, Zombie Apocalypse and Butcher themes to scare the tinsel off you. Our live actors will make sure you leave thoroughly spooked.