Escape from it all. Well, try...
NEW ESCAPE CHALLENGE VENUE BOASTS SOME OF THE MOST REALISTIC SCENARIOS IN THE COUNTRY FROM MURDER MYSTERIES TO SMUGGLING PLOTS
THINK you could pull off a real-life prison break?
A new escape room opening in Manchester will challenge you to do just that, with what owners promise will be some of the most realistic escape scenarios in the UK.
Escapees could even find themselves speeding away in the back of a getaway van at Lucardo’s £250,000 new complex near the intu Trafford Centre.
The 9,000sq ft site will be big enough to house 12 different challenges, from murder mysteries to a drug smuggling plot, with some games sprawling across five rooms.
Owners say it is being designed to take escape room immersion to a new level, moving away from riddles and codes to simulate real life experiences as closely as possible.
Director Adam Conroy said: “We want to make sure people forget they are even playing a game.
“Compared to what’s on offer at the minute, this will take escape rooms beyond anything anyone will have experienced before.
“One game alone will comprise five different rooms to work your way through – and depending on what route you take out, you could end up speeding away in the back of a real van.
“It will see us move away from the more traditional tasks like cracking a code to find a key which unlocks a chest with another clue inside.
“Our new rooms will be as close to real-life experiences as you can imagine.
“Ever wondered if you’d have the nous to escape from a real-life prison like Alcatraz?
“This will be as close as you can get to finding out.”
Each game is expected to cost an average of £25,000 to £30,000 to build inside the attraction, which is expected to open in June.
“As it’s a big warehouse, we can build mezzanine floors so games will be held on multiple levels,” said Adam.
“Each room will feel like it’s not an escape room and as close to life as possible – there won’t be any speakers, TVs, or wires visible, to make it feel uber-realistic.
“We’re trying to do away with padlocks, too. Instead gamers will get tools like screwdrivers, and spanners to unlock clues.”
Lucardo already operates escape rooms on Great Ancoats Street in Manchester, where games include the sorcery-themed University of Magic; World War II thriller Espionage; a bank heist challenge Gem Runner; and murder mystery whodunnit Virginia House.
The business has also just launched its first franchise, which will open in Rawtenstall, at the at the centre of Lancashire’s Rossendale Valley, eight weeks from now.
Its current team of 16 is expected to grow to 60 full and part-time staff when the new Trafford centre opens. Recruitment will begin in the coming weeks.
Visit lucardo.com for more information.