Cine Escapes: a fun experience in Downtown Gresham

   In early March, the newspaper team went to Cine Escapes, an establishment stationed in downtown Gresham that features four immersive escape rooms: Central Intelligence, The Mob’s Speakeasy, 60 Fathoms Below, and the newest room, Locked Up. 

   The room that we participated in was titled 60 Fathoms Below, which took place in the drawing room of a steam-powered submarine called The Meridian. Sinking fast at one fathom a minute, our job was to solve the puzzles given to us in the room in order to fix The Meridian’s engine and get to safety. 

   At the beginning of our experience, we were greeted by two characters, the attentive co-captain and the clumsy mechanic, Gunther. Both actors were enthusiastic, and they painted a picture of the scene well. They were also very warm and friendly, helping us to understand the backstory and welcoming us into the room. 

   Once we got into the room, panic ensued as we scrambled to assess our surroundings and find something to do. Or, at least it did on my end. I was very immersed in the room and stressed over the clock. This was mainly because the scene was extremely well put-together. The decorations and furniture that were set up in the room provided more immersion and belief of being in a steampunk-like submarine, with vintage tables and wooden decor, a real deep sea diving helmet, and a massive control panel across the room. We made comments about how cool the little decorations were, such as tea sets and antiques displayed around the room. And some of us thought the couch was a little too comfortable.

   The puzzles set before us were challenging and very complex, taking us back and forth across the room several times to complete. Luckily, several people in our group possessed certain skills that helped us with the tasks, whether it was coding, coming up with creative ideas and solutions, or pointing out obvious things that we were overthinking too much to see. (Thanks, Max.) Although some of the puzzles were still a little too over our heads, so we had to use several hints and ask for help, kindly offered to us on a screen in the room. I have to show my appreciation for the people running the room, and how they were so patient with us and our ‘sheer madness.’ With their help, we were able to complete the room with just over a minute to spare. 

   When it was over, the staff and the owner were kind enough to give us a tour of the establishment, showing us the other three rooms that were decorated and set with immersing decor. The one that looked most interesting to me was the newest room, Locked Up, in which we were able to get a sneak peak before it opened. Everyone there was so friendly, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to participate in the room. 

   It was an extremely fun experience regardless of the room’s difficulty, requiring all of us to cooperate under pressure. I’ve thought in the past, participating in other escape rooms, that it could be a great team-building activity for any group. Here it was put to the test, and I believe I was right. It could be a very fun and challenging icebreaker for coworkers, peers, friends, and more. Cine Escapes can be found in Historic Downtown Gresham on 2nd Street, between Roberts Avenue and Hood Avenue.