Suzanne Greene and her son Ethan did their first escape room in January.
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Now, 10 months later the duo are opening their own escape room to challenge puzzle fans.
The popular adventure games see people team up to solve puzzles that help them escape a locked room.
Breakout Bendigo officially opens its doors on Wednesday with its first escape room – Madam Jarvier’s Fortunes. A second room, eerily titled The Murder Hotel, is expected to open next week.
Ms Greene’s decision to bring an escape room to Bendigo began on a family holiday to Hervey Bay.
“We had never done an escape room before January,” she said. “In Hervey Bay it rained for three days and we were looking for something to do and we found an escape room.
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“We failed miserably but absolutely loved it. So we decided to try another room and then thought we could do this in Bendigo.
“(Bendigo) needs some different entertainment. We came back with the idea and began planning. It's been a wild ride but we’re finally here.”
Ms Greene said Breakout Bendigo planned to start slowly with one escape room.
“When we got into these premises, which was a little higher in rent, we knew we would have to get a couple of rooms going,” she said. “We will also have a third game as soon as we finish putting it together. The plan is to change the rooms about every 18 months or two years.”
The popularity of escape rooms has soared across Australia and the world with puzzle fans eager to test their skills inside a locked room.
“I think today’s society is so stuck in computers and screens that escape rooms get you out of the house and thinking outside the box,” Ms Greene said.
"Escape rooms get you out of the house and thinking outside the box. It's really different and challenging. It's good fun and people enjoy the challenge
- Suzanne Greene
“It's really different and challenging. It's good fun and people enjoy the challenge.
“We had test groups coming in from Bendigo Netschool. There was some good feedback and we made some slight changes.”
Designed for between two and six people, Madam Jarvier’s Fortunes takes between 40 minutes and an hour to complete.
Prices start at $35 per person for two people to $180 for a group of six.
Breakout Bendigo can been found at 155A Lyttleton Terrace. For more details find them on Facebook or visit www.breakoutbendigo.com.
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