Feb 7, 2018
BATAVIA — A Batavia business built on escaping every day life with a challenge of teamwork and puzzle-solving is continuing to immerse itself at Batavia City Centre.
Six Senses Escape Room was renamed after its Black Friday opening, but Pamela Elliott said she and her husband Mondell are otherwise following their businesses’ growth plan ahead of schedule.
The business is set this weekend to welcome teams to give “Cabin Fever” a test run. The escape room is built around a story that starts far beyond the titular cabin.
“You’re breaking into this cabin because you have been contacted by a lawyer — an unknown, distant relative who loved to play games is having people compete for their inheritance, and you have to try to solve the cabin to get (it),” Elliott said.
To complete the hour-long challenge, teams will need to make it through a successive number of puzzles, find hidden clues and open locks with specific codes. By the end, teams will be inside a wood-lined bedroom that feels so far from the mall concourse and stores that are 20 feet away.
As a business seeing growth potential in the City Centre, the Elliotts are a rarity. Pamela said they hope to stage up to five “escapes” inside the winding parcel formerly used by the EverPresent Church.
“Pharoah’s Crossing” was the first, and a castle-themed children’s room is under development. The Egyptian challenge was meant to be an introduction to the concept of an escape room.
“This next room is more complicated ... it will not be impossible, but it will be challenging,” Elliott said. “For people that have experience with escape rooms, they want a challenge.”
So far, only team has been able to complete the Pharoah’s Crossing without at least one hint. The Elliotts don’t yet know how hard “Cabin Fever” will be, but hope to have it open to the public before the end of the month.
While the plan is to open the second room — and run them both concurrently — Elliott said that much of the challenge they face as business operators is being overcome. Cameras will allow them to look in and offer hints to both rooms. The businesses’ biggest room is actually the one dedicated to future props and ideas.
