Last weekend, we were on the hunt for something fun and different to do as a family. My 10 year-old son suggested going to an escape room, something he and I had both done before but the rest of our family hadn’t yet experienced. It sounded like a great way to kick off our family-fun weekend so I began searching for a place to go.
Escape rooms are growing in popularity and several have popped up throughout Raleigh. Themes, puzzles and skill level vary from escape room to escape room, but the general idea is this: your team is placed in an enclosed room filled with clues, lock boxes, and various puzzles to solve within a certain amount of time in order to “escape” the room.
My internet search led me to Whole Brain Escapes in Apex, a locally-owned escape room designed and operated by husband and wife gaming enthusiasts, Heather and Rafael Chandler. Whole Brain Escapes offers 4 uniquely designed rooms with different themes straight from the imaginations of Heather and Rafael. We opted for Escape the Supervillan's Lair, and invited a couple of my kids’ friends along for our adventure.
I won’t give away any specifics about the room so that you can enjoy the surprises for yourself, but I will speak to how impressed we all were by the entire experience. Whole Brain Escapes is top quality, from the impeccably clean reception area and detailed game introduction to the detailed design of the escape rooms. The clues within the Supervillian’s Lair were challenging, yet made enough sense that the kids could really participate and solve several of the codes on their own. Our group of 6 consisted of an 8 year old, a 10 year old, an 11 year old, a 12 year old, and two grown-ups. We all played equal roles in getting from one part of the puzzle to the next. The room itself spares no detail. I was really blown away by all the small elements and creativity of it all.
Our whole team was extremely proud (and a bit shocked) when we escaped the room with 12 minutes left on the clock AND zero hints from the Game Master. We celebrated our victory with a group photo and commemorative pins from Whole Brain Escapes. Everyone had a really fun time! In fact, my 8 year old daughter has respectfully requested that we try new escape rooms every weekend.
I love seeing local businesses doing things right and I can tell you that Whole Brain Escape hits the mark on all levels. We will absolutely be back to attempt escaping their other rooms!
Whole Brain Escapes is located at 410 Upchurch St. in Apex. To book your own escape adventure, check out their website- https://www.wholebrainescape.com/rooms/.
