If you’ve heard about escape rooms and want a chance to try one, you’re in luck! As part of our America250 series of programs, DKPL will be hosting our own American-themed Teen Escape Room on Thursday July 2nd at 3:00 PM.
What exactly is an escape room? It’s a multi-player puzzle game that takes place in a locked room (or multiple rooms) where players uncover clues, solve puzzles, and use props to find keys to escape the room in a certain amount of time (usually 60 minutes).
Did you know escape rooms have been in the US for less than 15 years? Takao Kato created and launched Real Escape Game in Japan in 2007. The first escape room arrived in the US In 2012, when Kato’s friend, Kazuya Iwata, opened one in San Francisco. Now there are over 2,000 escape rooms in the US.
If you’re a teen, besides being able to try our escape room, you will also have the chance to help plan it! You can come to the final Teen Escape Room Planning meeting on Thursday June 24th at 3:00 PM to put finishing touches on the script, props and clues. No previous experience is necessary!
What can you expect in our Escape Room? You won’t be locked in, but you will still have 60 minutes to find clues and solve multiple puzzles around the room that lead to winning the game by stopping the clock within 60 minutes. It will be based on American books and writers. Don’t worry, all the information you need will be in the room with you. Once you enter the room, you will be given the backstory for the room and the clock will start. Some members of your team may have different skills than others, so communication is very important (some may be better at solving word puzzles than math ones, for example). You can ask for and be provided with a few hints.
“If you are curious, you will find the puzzles around you. If you are determined, you will solve them.” – Erno Rubik, Hungarian inventor of the Rubik’s Cube
Are you interested in checking out a different kind of escape room in DeKalb? One of our Summer Reading Program sponsors, Wreckroom, offers a 60 minute virtual reality (VR) escape room for 2-4 players.
As for our escape room, those going into 6th -12th grade can take part. No registration is required, just show up at the Nancy D. Castle Collaboration Studio a few minutes before 3:00 PM as the escape room starts promptly. Be ready to work with others and solve the puzzles to escape!
Do you have questions about this or other library programs? The Teen Services staff is happy to help! We can also help you find books to build up your Summer Reading hours. You can use your free DKPL library card to check out physical copies of books or other materials (including video games and DVDs) at our library. Many books can also be downloaded to your phone, tablet, or computer as e-books or audiobooks. Stop by the Teen Room with any questions or contact the Teen Services Staff at (815) 756-9568 ext. 2450 or by email at [email protected].