By Mario Boucher
Confined to the small, dingy room with its filthy-looking walls, Kyle turned to me and asked, “How are we going to get out of here?”
I looked at my son and smiled. “We just follow the clues to break into the maintenance room and, from there, get in the guard’s office, grab the codes and escape this prison.”
And we did, just within the time limit. During another visit we managed to hunt down Dracula. Not bad for just the two of us, considering that many attempt this with four to six people.
Not to worry though—we weren’t actually in prison, but rather working our way out of the “Prison Break” room at Nerd Escape Room in downtown Raleigh. “Dracula” is another room with an appropriate, spooky (but not scary) environment. The settings look so real, you feel like you are in the game. But that’s the idea. It is immersive and fun to play together.
Stepping back and looking around a room lets you see how things are connected in order to solve the clues. Some may be obvious. Others, you have to look a little harder. Anybody who loves puzzles can play. But fair warning: You only have an hour to escape your dilemma. If you find yourself stuck, one of the crew members can give you a hint. All you have to do is wave at the camera.
“On our end, we watch as people go through the rooms,” says manager Joseph Vuke. “We have a top-end view, so we can tell where a group is in a room and at what point they are in the story. It’s really cool to see people find the thread and be part of solving a puzzle to advance to the next room.”
Founders Andrew Butenko, who holds a master’s degree in international law, and Yury Kishkevich, an accountant with a penchant for engineering, moved with their families to Raleigh in 2018. The duo was looking for an enterprising opportunity that would draw their kids away from their flat screens.
“We thought the market for escape rooms was huge in the Triangle, with a lot of potential,” says Butenko. When a building in downtown Raleigh became available, they jumped at the opportunity. “We were blessed with good timing and a great location.” Eventually, they added more rooms in two adjoining buildings.
Butenko and Kishkevich played over 100 adventures worldwide to discover how to create a room and fill it with the appropriate tools and furniture for a particular story. “It started with us coming up with a story that we thought was going to be cool, always keeping in mind that we are family-oriented,” says Butenko. The staff and other people help them in testing each room. “We cannot play in our rooms, because we built them,” he adds. “It’s really hard to see whether it is going to be too easy or too hard. That is our biggest obstacle.”
There’s no right or wrong answer, because logic is subjective. “We try to have all of our puzzles in accordance with the story,” says Butenko. “We start with the story and try to come up with a puzzle that will be logical visually and create an atmosphere. The logic in each room does not contradict the story and its period.”
For example, “City With No Sun” forced Butenko and Kishkevich to focus on touch, smell and taste, because participants cannot see in the dark room. “It was a challenge to create a room where you have to communicate without being able to look at things,” Butenko says. “It is not a scary room, and definitely, a unique experience.”
The escape rooms allow even the shyest person to shine and figure out clues. “It is a great bonding experience when you have to work together as a team,” he adds. “People should treat it as a game. It’s got nothing to do with your IQ. The more you play, the easier it is going to be.”
Butenko and Kishkevich are now creating three new rooms to be available later this year. But it takes a long time to produce a story and all the details necessary for each room. “That’s why we don’t change them often,” he laughs. “It takes time to figure out all the technical solutions.”
They may eventually expand in other areas of the Triangle with brand-new ideas—confirming that no adventure will be duplicated, but rather completely unique.
Nerd Escape Room is located at 117 Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh. You can reserve your spot in advance by visiting ncnerd.com/book-now. Isn’t it time to bring out your inner Sherlock Holmes?
OTHER GAMES
At Nerd Escape Room, you can select one of seven rooms—each with its own challenges. Which one will you choose?
• Prison Break: You are in jail. You must navigate from your cell through a maintenance room and into the guard’s office to earn your freedom.
• Dracula: Welcome to the Dracula Museum with its haunting artifacts. Can you make your way through the third room and face Dracula?
• The Showdown: You and your team are a bunch of mobsters about to rob the biggest crime family in the city. Are you up to the challenge?
• City With No Sun: You cannot use your smartphone or any light source to solve the puzzles. Your vision will be no help in these dark rooms.
• Chernobyl: Uh-oh, the KGB/FSB has arrested you and slammed you in a holding cell. Can you escape before its backup shows up?
• The Return: You arrive home. Your family has vanished. There is a letter on the table. What’s going on?
• The Gallery: You are an art thief looking for the most expensive pieces. Can you pull off your biggest heist yet?
