Escapism is something that Lancashire does very well. The seaside resort of Blackpool is one of the most popular summer holiday destinations in the country, with beaches, attractions, and its famous tower. But it’s not just sunny days at the sea that give this county an edge, there’s also a darker side. Was the site of the Pendle Witch Trials, the most notorious episode of the witch craze in early modern England. If these are the sort of thing that grabs your attention, you’re in luck. There’s a new activity on offer that combines leisure with mystery, and you’ll find opportunities to do it right here - escape rooms.

Is an immersive experience that transports you from normal life into a fully realised, fantastic, and sometimes frightening world. Taking their inspiration from history, mystery and, most of all, Hollywood, these experiences allow you to become the main character in a thrilling race against the clock. You’ll enter a three dimensional interactive space, decorated with meticulous attention to detail, and be faced with a series of puzzles that you have to solve in order to untangle the mystery of the room and escape in one piece. You’ll find fantastic escape room centres in town centres around Lancashire that offer excitement, intrigue and excellent value for money.

Where are the best escape rooms in Lancashire?

• Lancaster: This centre channels the mysterious energy of the historic Pendle Witch Trials in order to create an experience that makes your hair stand on end and take you on a journey through time and space. That might take place in an enclosed room, or on the streets of the town centre. That’s right, this venue hosts quest walks as well as traditional puzzle rooms. With the help of augmented reality technology, you’ll take to the streets, following clues and advancing the plot as you go.

• Preston: The city of Preston is the largest settlement in the county, so it’s no surprise that it has a varied and offering of action games. You can choose from an adventure with pirates, a story with a religious sect, a close encounter with extraterrestrials, or try to escape from the world’s most notorious prison, Alcatraz.

• Blackpool: This holiday destination is famous for leisure and entertainment, from the roller coasters and Punch and Judy shows on the seafront to the music halls on the promenade. If that’s not exactly your scene, or if you just need a break from sunbathing, you should seek out one of the town’s excellent centres. There are games of different lengths on offer, to suit everyone’s schedules, and enough themes to make sure that everyone is catered for. A school of sorcery, a nuclear bunder, an Egyptian tomb, a mad doctor’s laboratory and an artificial intelligence mainframe are just some of the environments that you can enter - but will you be able to escape?

• Ormskirk: Indoor and outdoor challenges are available in this town, so you can have all the fun of escape rooms with none of the claustrophobia if you prefer. Those who are brave enough to enter the rooms have the opportunity to explore the ministry of magic, a cabin in the woods or an institution for the dangerously insane. Players who prefer an open air game will have an equally immersive experience, playing out a Cold War mind control scenario.

• Burnley: There are a couple of venues in the vicinity of Burnley. One of them, in Rawtenstall, has been named the best escape room in the country - and number 6 in the world! If you’re a fan of murder mysteries, crime dramas or magic, or if you want to treat the kids to a Christmas time adventure, this is the place for you. The other venue hosts a game which casts you as the guinea pig in a sinister government research programme. Can you uncover the dark story and save yourself?

Who can enjoy a game?

Escape rooms take their inspiration from action films, mystery stories and horror, and anyone who knows anything about these genres will tell you shouldn’t try to take on the world alone. It’s the same here - you need at least a partner in order to have a go. And the more people in your team, the more different perspectives you’ll have on the puzzles, helping you to solve them. It also makes the activity cheaper! Most rooms have a maximum capacity of 6 people.

Just like the movies, some escape rooms are more suitable for certain age groups than others. Many of the venues in Lancashire have a minimum age in place of either 8 or 10 years old, but this can vary in special cases. There’s a black magic themed game in Blackpool which is so scary that only those over 14 years old are allowed in, while Rawtenstall hosts a Santa Claus game aimed especially at kids, anyone from the age of 7 years old can take part.

How long does an experience last?

One of the most exciting things about completing an escape room is that you have to work against the clock. These experiences reward fast reactions, creative thinking and, of course, teamwork - and here’s a trade secret: operators design their games to have a success rate of less than half. This isn’t an “everyone’s a winner” kind of activity, you have to prove yourself in order to triumph. The classic duration around the country is 60 minutes. Add another 20 to 30 minutes to that time to allow for a welcome and introductory briefing.

If you don’t have a full hour to dedicate, keep your eyes peeled for 30 minute options which give you all the fun of the puzzle with twice the intensity! On the other hand, there are also 90 minute experiences, both in venues and on the streets of towns and cities around Lancashire.

Making a booking is the easy part. The challenge begins when you enter!