Rebecca Rodney Photography recently spent some time with us at Lakes Escapes. We have a whole new building, a brand new website thanks to Rocket Sites and we needed some new photos that showed off what we have managed to build from nothing. We knew we could rely on Rebecca to show our games in a way that they deserved and one which will hopefully take away some of the unknown for our new customers. Take a look at Rebeccas blog below and see what she made of her time with us.

Over the past month I have been given the amazing project of capturing Lakes Escapes in their new premise.

Lakes Escapes- Cumbria’s premier live escape room is based in Workington and first opened in 2017. The company is owned by Carol and John Watson who along with their fabulous team of game masters, run the escape games every day of the week. The escape games first home was Peart Road and run successfully there for just under 2 years. In February 2019, after many months of hard work from this dedicated duo, they opened their new premise on Stanley Street.

The concept of the games are that you have 60 minutes to solve a series of puzzles and codes in order to escape. Of course the game master is at hand to provide clues when requested (and please don’t freak out, they don’t actually lock you in the room, we all know how many health and safety rules this would break!). Of course the puzzles aren’t just any boring, old, mundane puzzles, they are themed to match the objective of the room (and might I add very cleverly created by John and Carol). The current rooms available are Baker street, Quest for the throne and Dr Frankenscraft’s Monster – see photos for a sneak peak – no spoilers though. The rooms have been hand built by the couple and all the details are brilliantly crafted, the time and effort put in to make the rooms feel realistic will not go unnoticed. The reason I believe the business has progressed so will is down to the dedication and commitment of Carol and John, but also the enjoyment they get from watching their customers play (they also travel up and down the country trying out other Escape rooms in a constant bid to develop and improve what they offer here in Cumbria).

 

John is currently in the process of building yet another room which they hope to open soon, and I know they have many brilliant ideas for the future at their new premise. Other than the amount of space and possibility for several more games, the major perk of the new home for Lakes Escapes is the disabled access. Carol and John both hated having to turn down customers at the old premise due to the lack of access and are overjoyed that they can now welcome all customers to take part in the fun.

The people of Cumbria are always saying they need more to do, and these games are just that. Fantastic for families, parties, time with friends, teambuilding and of course tourists enjoying the Lake District. For more information and to get yourself booked in check out their website https://www.lakesescapes.co.uk or facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lakesescaperooms/.

What are you waiting for? The clock is ticking.

Have you got what it takes to ESCAPE?

Since opening Lakes Escapes – West Cumbria’s first live escape rooms, back in late April 2017 it’s been a busy few months. We originally opened with just one room which was Baker Street. This has proven to be our most difficult challenge but it’s certainly a popular game.  Shortly after, but with lots of hard work and help from family we managed to open Quest For The Throne which gave those desperate for another game to play the opportunity to try something different to Baker Street. Another successful room with an element of surprise that has seen us witnessing lots of teams squealing in both delight and surprise. We won’t give anything away for those yet to play this game but at least now we do remember to turn the volume down on our headphones when we reach that point in the game.

Living in Workington ourselves we know that sometimes it’s difficult to find something to do as a family or group of friends. We do have some other options available to us but it can become tiresome doing the same thing time after time so having an adventure game on the doorstep is something out customers tell us over and over that they really enjoy. Some seem to enjoy seeing the look of confusion, the boredom or even the sheer panic on the faces of their friends that they have dragged along to this strange place. Not telling them much about what they are about to experience and leaving them to wonder what on earth made them agree to such a crazy thing. We take pleasure in seeing those same people completely change from that worried person to someone who is having so much fun they are racing around the room and full of adrenaline, raring to beat the room. The exhilarating feeling they experience from playing the game leaves them desperate for their next game and it comes as no surprise to us when a team plays one game then decide to immediately play another one. Moments like these makes all the hard work we put into creating Lakes Escapes and our themed escape rooms worthwhile.

Moving on a few months we then brought Dr Frankenscraft’s Monster to life. What started out as a small idea in the head of one of the business owners transpired into what has become a favourite of our game players. He’s a friendly Monster, the one in the game I mean, not the owner. If you can succeed in bringing him to life he will protect you.

In this time we have taken on staff and we now have a lovely team of Game Masters just waiting to make your experience with us the best you will come across. We all want you to succeed and complete the game objective and we will help as much or as little as you want us to.

More recently we have built our Christmas themed escape room, Santa’s Naughty or Nice List. Now, as a family we know that this can be a really expensive time of year so with this in mind we took the decision to cap this room at £60. It can be difficult for a family to scrape money together for a day out so with this room a team of 6 players can come along for only £60. As a small family business we are trying to bring something different to West Cumbria that is accessible to everyone and we hope we have achieved that with this offer. Please note though that this escape room will close early January 2018 and with bookings already filling up you don’t want to leave it too late and miss out.

In the short time we have been open we have welcomed hundreds of teams to Lakes Escapes. We have brought tourists to West Cumbria and we show them there’s more to the Lake District than lakes and fells and they hopefully spend more time visiting Workington, Whitehaven, Maryport and other places out West. We have also hosted many corporate events for local businesses who bring employees who are both from this area and from all over the world. It has been an honour to host everyone who have come through our doors and we are truly humbled by the many fantastic comments and reviews we receive from our amazing customers. Not only do you have fin when you visit us but we have fun watching you all enjoying yourselves. When we see people returning to us to play again and teams sticking around for a chat we love it. We took a big risk in trying to bring something different to Workington and with your help I think we have succeeded and we will strive to improve on what we offer.

For those yet to visit us why not give us a call or message us on our Facebook page. Don’t let the fear of the unknown hold you back. We don’t ever lock anyone in our escape rooms and you are free to leave the room at any point.  All of our games are suitable for players from aged 5 upwards. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult in the room.

We host parties too so why not contact us to arrange a birthday party, hen party, stag party or Christmas party or if you’re looking for that something different for a gift then why not buy a gift voucher. We can make them for any amount you require.

In order to get the most out of corporate team building and deal with ongoing workplace challenges, and for a company to be successful, you have to build up your workforce’s engagement in several areas. You want them to be fully committed to their work, immersed in your corporate culture, and skilled at communicating.

Another solution that combines all of these things is collaboration. Corporate team building activities (such as escape room games) are one of the best ways to get your employees working together, improve important skills which will help your team work well together, help them to become more productive and have a positive can-do attitude.

Here are some ways collaborative workplaces can result in positive changes in the workplace, along with how escape rooms can help:

• They promote the importance of individuals to the overall team goal. Corporate team building activities like escape room games require each participant to contribute to the group’s problem-solving mission.
• They require good, old-fashioned thinking. Everyone’s so “plugged in” at both home and work that they’re living life through a device. Exit games make you rely on your brain and your teammates to be successful.
• They foster a positive environment where there is healthy competition and a real buzz in the office where everyone is on the same page, and everyone wants to win. Escape room games break down those walls and allow creativity and collaboration to happen naturally.

If this is the type of corporate team building activity in West Cumbria you have been looking for, contact us for more information about corporate bookings today.

Thinking of something different to do with on your family game night? Why not try escape games, they are an addictive craze offering an unique experience, ways of thinking and a great and fun way to spend some time with your family.

We here at Lakes Escapes Ltd will certainly have the excellent and realistic room atmosphere and environment to really put you in the shoes of someone trying to solve puzzles on the clock in order to achieve the great escape from your room! The exhilaration that you will feel as you attempt to solve every puzzle that you come across and beat the clock to managing the great escape for your group is certainly real!

Regardless of whether you make it out or not, participating in an Escape Room will have you thinking about the experience for weeks to come. You may even start to notice yourself seeing the world in a different way, finding clues in things you never thought to notice before. Your family also has the chance to interact and work towards a common goal in a way that helps define our strengths, weaknesses and familial roles as a group. The end effect is bringing everyone together, adding trust and enhancing non-verbal communication.

So, give that board game a rest this week and book your adventure now!

What makes a good escape room? something that offers a sense of mystery, adventure and irresistible challenge. Getting that perfect mix of theme and enjoyable puzzle mechanics requires no small amount of attention to detail. Any out of place element or overly perplexing clue can ruin the fun.

Storytelling draws people in. That’s why movies, books, shows and video games are multibillion dollar businesses. With escape rooms, we use the narrative hook of storytelling to motivate curiosity. Finding that next clue becomes more important if you learn why the clue was left in the first place. Also, creating characters and backstories for the challenges offers extra subtext to guide your next decision.

Fun can come to a screeching halt when you get stuck on a puzzle. Of course the puzzle should not be too easy, but running people into a dead end only leads to frustration.

To find the right balance of challenge and guidance, most escape rooms have multiple clue threads laying around. Participants who get stuck on something can work on another loose end until it leads them somewhere else. Sometimes, a clue found in the beginning will not even make sense to a group until towards the very end.

Lakes Escapes Ltd have mulled these balance issues carefully and try to give participants enough to chew on so they do not get stuck but enough obscurity that they cannot solve puzzles just by trying the first thing that comes to mind. After all, solving a problem is so much more rewarding when it requires effort.

Themes admittedly pull people into puzzles better than any other design element. We have active imaginations, so getting the chance to pretend we are super sleuths in training ups the immersion and the stakes.

Creating a cohesive theme involves countless hours of planning. It also required us to go out and find props, furniture and decorations that fit 100% in theme.

At the same time, we want to guide participants in a consistent way, which means not making something that is supposed to be a predictable prop look like a clue. Naturally, there are times for exceptions when a hint is telegraphed in an unexpected way, but participants should never feel cheated by an unexpected jump in logic.

All of these elements make a fun, colourful and memorable theme one of the hallmarks of well-designed escape rooms. You can enjoy all of these qualities as well as friendly service any time you visit Lakes Escapes Ltd in West Cumbria.

Throw yourself into an exciting, fun, and engaging new experience today, and challenge your mind and your skills and BOOK your escape room today!