BROOKVILLE — Think you can you solve the puzzles and open the locks in time to break out? There will be two opportunities to play an escape room/breakout room on Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Brookville Branch Library, 120 Blue Pride Drive, Brookville. The first session is from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. and the second is from 3 p.m.-4 p.m. The program is for adults and limited to 10 participants per session.
Amanda Kerstiens, Children’s Librarian, has hosted children’s programs featuring the “escape room” concept and thought adults might enjoy this safe and free program, too. According to Kerstiens, escape rooms/breakout rooms are immersive puzzle games where participants are presented with a premise/theme of some sort. Usually, some clues are scattered about in plain sight, or hidden around the room. Often, other clues (or the ultimate “we won the game” certificate) are locked inside boxes that participants must open in order to win.
“They must use the clues scattered around the room to figure out the combination to the locks. Players participate in small groups (in the case of our program, no larger than 10 people). The goal is to solve the puzzles within a set time frame and “break out.” Participants are never physically trapped in the room, although they are often asked to pretend they are,” Kerstiens explained.
Kerstiens said that many factors played in her decision to offer an escape room for adults, “I know adults enjoy escape rooms. When I ran them for kids, I had some parents ask if we ever did them for adults because they looked like fun. I’ve also done mini escape boxes in the children’s section, and the adults would be just as involved in solving the puzzles as the kids were.”
“I thought it would be a nice thing, to offer a free escape room program for our adult patrons, since paid professional escape rooms can be expensive,” she continued. “This could be a nice way for someone who has never done an escape room before to see if it’s an activity they like, before paying to participate in a professionally run game. I also thought it could be a fun way for adults who like games to meet others who like the same kinds of activities.”
Register online at daytonmetrolibrary.org on the Brookville Branch Events tab, call 937-463-2665 or at the library.
For more information on this event or other library programs, visit the Brookville Branch Library or daytonmetrolibrary.org.
