By Margaret Brecknell
John Cutler was hooked from the moment he visited his first escape room and since then has played escape games all over the world, before eventually deciding to open his own escape room business in Blackpool some seven years ago.
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ohn’s main business, Premier Cabs, is an award-winning electric taxi company, but he was keen to become involved in running his own escape rooms because, he says, “it is unlike any other business”. “People come out and they’re elated and buzzing”, he explains, adding that, “they talk about the experience for weeks afterwards”. An escape game is usually played by a team of between two and six players, who must work together to uncover clues, solve puzzles and accomplish tasks, usually with the aim of escaping
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a room before time is up. Games are set in a variety of fictional locations including everything from dungeons and attics to Egyptian pyramids. The concept of escape rooms first became popular in the Far East and North America in the early years of the 21st century, before taking off in Europe at the start of the 2010s. The Hungarian city of Budapest is Europe’s undisputed capital of escape games, with over 80 escape room sites. John explains that he spoke to “the very best of the best” in Budapest and invited them to come over from Hungary to build the Escape Room Centre’s first four games. “That gave us a grounding on what makes a fantastic game”, John says, and since then he has created further games, always looking to “exceed the basic in the business”. John stresses that you don’t need to escape to have a great time, nor do you have to be academically bright to succeed. “It’s about thinking outside
LANCASHIRE & NORTH WEST MAGAZINE
the box”, John explains. The best players work well together through communication and teamwork. He tells me that when families do an escape room together, it’s often the children who are the first to spot a clue and success hinges on whether their parents are prepared to listen. The centre’s main gamemasters, Jacob and Conor, are always on hand to offer some friendly guidance during the game, should it be required. Escape rooms are also popular with businesses as a team building exercise. Not only does it offer colleagues a chance to collaborate and bond away from their usual working environment, but it also allows business managers to see how their employees interact with each other and who works best in a team. The Escape Room Centre is situated at 44-46 Church Street, not far from Blackpool’s North Pier. There are currently seven different rooms, with another under construction, offering www.lancmag.com
