The details
Owners Alex and Margaryta Schwery, who previously operated an escape room business in Austin, decided to bring the concept to their current hometown after noticing a lack of escape rooms in the area.
"Our goal is to add another enjoyable experience to New Braunfels," said Alex Schwery. "We want people to have fun, whether they're celebrating a birthday or just spending time with friends."
An escape room is an interactive, themed adventure game where participants are "locked" in a room and must work together to solve a series of puzzles, find clues, and complete tasks within a set time limit—usually an hour—to "escape" the room.
The experience is designed to challenge participants' problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills, Schwery said.
The rooms are designed to accompany up to 12 people, Schwery said.
A closer look
The Haus Live Escape Games will offer a narrative-driven type of escape room, creating immersive stories where players become part of the plot.
The first room, "Weird Heritage," involves participants partaking in the role of inheritors of a mysterious estate, Schwery said. Players will navigate through a series of themed chambers, uncovering secrets about a relative they never knew existed.
The second room, "The Experiment," is scheduled to open before Christmas, which will be a scientific-themed escape room.
Diving in deeper
Schwery plans to introduce more rooms in the future, with the goal to expand the range of experiences offered, with new themes and narratives that will continue to challenge and engage participants.
Schwery says he aims to keep the experience fresh and attract both returning and new customers.
"We always try to keep our games fresh," Schwery said. "Each room itself will be on a yearly schedule, but it'll be staggered with the other room by six months."
What the experts say
According to Schwery, the key tips for tackling an escape room are:
- Don't overthink it: Schwery said that he often sees people make things harder than they need to be, when sometimes the solution is more straightforward. He advised keeping an open mind and thinking differently.
- Communicate effectively within your group: Communication is important, Schwery said, as he’s seen groups waste time because someone didn't share important information with the rest of the group.
- Don't panic under the time pressure: Time pressure is designed to create a sense of urgency in escape rooms, Schwery said, but if participants don't panic and trust their instincts, they should still be able to escape on time.
- Look at every angle: Schwery said to thoroughly examine all aspects of the room and puzzles, as the solution may not be obvious at first glance.
- Opening Sept. 6
- 133 Hampe St., New Braunfels
- www.escapenb.com
