Whether it's for work, sport or culture, visitors have always flocked to the port city of Liverpool. Railway workers, shipbuilders and sailors found work here in the industrial revolution, while the Premier League football teams of Liverpool and Everton have been leading names in English football for over 100 years. The Grand National, horse racing’s most important race, also takes place in Liverpool and is even older, dating back to 1838. When it comes to culture, it’s impossible not to mention the Beatles, possibly the most influential band of all time; their legacy was an important factor in the selection of this city as European Capital of Culture in 2008. But in the years since, the city has become a popular destination for visitors who want to immerse themselves in culture and adventure in an innovative way: escape rooms.

An escape room is a location based game in which you and your team are trapped in a themed environment, usually inspired by movies, video games, legends and other familiar reference points. Your task is, as the name suggests, to escape from the room by finding clues in the confined space, interacting with the environment and working with your companions. While the goal is to escape, the fun lies in the adventure, which will transport you far and allow you to live out a fantasy experience like no other.

What kind of escape room games can you find in Liverpool?

• Culture: have you ever dreamt of stepping into the world of your favourite movies and TV series? You have the chance to do just that in Liverpool, by experiencing a swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean adventure, winning big in a Money Heist challenge or playing a series of games in a Squid Game simulation. There are other rooms that you might think twice about entering, like the terrifying world of the Saw movies, or a zombie apocalypse come to life! The far future is also at your fingertips in the sci-fi Starship room, and fantasy beckons with an Alice in Wonderland adventure.

• History: the escape room can also act as a time machine that transports you to the bygone eras of the American Wild West, the pyramids of ancient Egypt or the fog-choked streets of Victorian London. You can also choose a war-time mission, playing the part of a spy with the objective of saving the world from nuclear disaster, or be a Samurai Warrior for a day in mediaeval Japan.

• Outdoor: if you prefer, you can take the fun out onto the streets of Liverpool. Equipped with an activity pack and a tablet that provides an augmented reality experience like that of Pokemon go, you’ll be led around the city to find clues, solve problems, and advance the narrative to its finale!

• Virtual reality: for the most immersive of all experiences, we recommend a VR escape room. You’ll wear a headset which places a completely new environment in front of your field of vision and plays the accompanying sounds in your ears. This is an environment that you can interact with with the movements of your body: turning your head to look around, and using your hands to pick up objects, press buttons and any other action that you can do in the real world. The VR escape room experience transports you to a new realm, and gives you a hands-on experience that’s like a dream come true.

How long do these immersive experiences last?

When you enter an escape room, a clock starts counting down from 60 minutes and if you haven’t solved the room by the time it reaches zero then it’s game over! The 1 hour limit is an industry standard which applies to the rooms all around the country, and it’s enough time to enjoy the experience without it starting to feel a bit claustrophobic! If this isn’t your first escape room, or if you’re a natural, you might finish in less than an hour and your team name can go down in history on the wall of fame. Although the game time is just one hour, your experience will start with an introduction and briefing which can last from 5 to 30 minutes. During this briefing you’ll be told how to leave the room in case of an emergency - don’t worry, you’re never actually locked in! Some centres offer photos and videos of your adventure which you can take a look at afterwards.

Outdoor games take longer to complete than indoor and VR escape rooms. You’ll be grateful for an extra hour of game time because the clues and puzzles of the game are located around the city, covering an area of 2 kilometres. Out in the open air you won’t have the intense feeling of being trapped that an escape room can give you, but you can’t relax either as you’ll have to avoid the pedestrians and traffic of the city centre! This is a collision between the real world and fantasy, so keep your wits about you.

Who can enter?

Perhaps a better question is who can get out? You need to be confident, curious and a team player if you’re going to solve the room and get out in under an hour. But to make sure that everyone has a good time there are some age limits in place. Some rooms are suitable for children as young as eight years old, but as with movies and video games, other environments contain elements that aren’t suitable for young players and might have limits of 10, 12 or 14 years.

They are played in teams to maximise the fun, and give you a better chance of solving the puzzle. Everyone’s ideas are welcome when you’re suddenly transported to an unknown place and have to understand its secrets against the clock. 5 players is the standard size, but if you’re with a group of 6 or 7, don’t panic - you can split into two groups. If you want to do a VR game, you need to have a team as well, because these are designed for groups of 2 to 4 people.

People with reduced mobility can also take part, although some tasks might require picking up objects or manipulating buttons, switches or levers, so it’s recommended that there’s at least one able bodied person on each team. And, even though indoor escape rooms are usually quite cramped, wheelchair users can also get involved in outdoor games.

Get away from the day to day responsibilities or your life by entering!