The Escape Room is the newest craze in entertainment and thanks to the confidence of its owners, Hollie Schoppman and Richard Wilson, mind-bending fun is finally an option in Page. The Escape Room forewarns the public the rooms are addictive but will always give you another shot at solving the game. For any intelligent gamer it’s a challenge too good to pass up.
“We got the idea when we were in Hawaii and it was raining,” said Schoppman. “We couldn’t go outside on the trail so we wanted an alternative and I heard about the escape rooms. We did it and I said, ‘I’m sold’. I thought our town could use this because there isn’t a lot to do here.”
They finished one game and decided to keep finding these secret rooms in other places to play.
What comes to mind is how almost every family has that one brother, sister or uncle who just couldn’t be beat at any game or bet. No matter how many times they won, somebody stayed at the kitchen table all night till they beat them or at least came close.
Nowdays, that thirst to win is called gaming and the person who wouldn’t give up trying to win, is called a gamer. The Escape Room is definitely meant for gamers from both the new and old school genre of competitive players.  
The Escape Room has a Game Master who is with you every step of the way and provides your group with three clues upon request. The Game Master, who was Hillery Tappen when we played, will also point you in the right direction in case a player is hung up on a clue.
“You’ll be solving number-type puzzles and or word-type puzzles,” said Tappan.  “Sometimes it’s just a key you’re trying to find or locks your trying to open to help you find the next clue. I am the main person you will be in contact with most of the game. I will instruct you how to play and the rules of the game. You will be on video and I am watching. I direct players if they get confused.”
Game Master Tappen says the game can feel intimidating because of the name but the rooms are only locked mentally.
“We want you to know the rooms aren’t really locked and you can walk out anytime.”
They also assure that no one will jump out from a dark corner to startle players. The object of the game is to escape the room by solving clues that will lead you to the key to the door. The rooms are made up in a familiar theme and what happens once inside the room is up to the group of players.

The Escape Room offers two types of games for the masses. The first is The Vegas Room, a spin-off from the movie, The Hangover. This room places the players in a situation similar to the characters in the film who’ve had a blackout and now have to piece together the clues of a wild night in Las Vegas in order to find a friend. This game is meant for adult crowds.
A minimum of four people are recommended but it can accommodate up to eight players.
The second game option is called The Da Vinci Office, which is set in the 14th century and requires the gamer to think like the artist Leonardo da Vinci in a room themed after his office. This room is a definite must for codex novices due to variety of code breaking elements. This room welcomes families with kids ages 12 and up. Art, puzzles, locks and clues fascinate the mind and will require a gamer to drop almost everything they thought they knew.
The Lake Powell Chronicle was privileged to preview a test run of The Da Vinci room and the experience left the group fascinated and curious for more. A small group of four women went in with a tabula rasa idea of fun. What seemed like an intimidating idea turned out to be fun for Kim Clark, Norma Tsinnijinnie, Joni Dixon and Kyla Rivas.
First a confidentiality agreement was established about keeping all that was seen or learned a secret; no cell phones, no photos or recording devices and no clues to be released to anybody at all. The agreement to remain silent afterwards was a challenge in itself for the group but acceptable as curiosity became almost unbearable and the group was eager to begin.
The initial start was a definite challenge because the clues were not as easy to solve, but once the first clue was solved more was revealed. Everybody had to think outside the box using the art and tools that were given.
The bonus in the group was the diverse types of thinkers and the ability of the four players to seek out different interpretations of a clue. If one was hung up on a specific clue it was passed on to another to decipher.
Having four players was a practical number and allowed for a higher success rate of 70% as opposed to a 25-40% success rate in other cities, which was a reward in itself.
The games have an hour deadline and the timer becomes the enemy. As the game wound down to the last few minutes, the four players began to find a method and more clues began to surface. There was no escape from the Da Vinci room for the Chronicle team but under pressure the group combined their team skills successfully. The group discovered new personality traits of each other and how clever each player was capable of being. With the time limit they also found they could handle pressure in a situation where people normally would panic.
Fun and laughter along with the promises to come back to try again were proof of the addiction to escape rooms.
Escape rooms also have an added benefit for corporate team building. Some large businesses send a team with a psychologist for an unconventional job assessment to find candidates for leadership roles.
“[The psychologist] watch and learn about different personality types to see who is the creative one, the organized one and the leader. It’s not only fun its good for businesses,” said Schoppman. “We are trying to interest younger kids because its fun [and] interesting to see how they wrap their minds around a clue and they seem to love it.”
The games are open for ages 12 and up with age 15 being a part of the target demographic.
Escape rooms are an up and coming industry for creative thinkers and self-described detectives who are looking for a challenge, whether it’s solving a puzzle or designing them.
“I was going to build my own games since this is a brand business,” said Schoppman. “I’d never done it before so I ended up buying from a game developer. I decided to buy one that has been tested and is going to work. But I am in the process of building my own.”
The games last a year and a half, which has Shoppman looking for other themes such as Jumangi or a western saloon type puzzle.
There are some strategies to consider before you play. Too many thinkers can cloud the room with too many suggestions and too few players can cause gaps which may leave clues unnoticed. This is why a team of four to eight players is suggested.
The Escape Room will schedule the Da Vinci Office on reservation during the soft opening. All reservations to play can be made by calling 928-640-1720. The Escape Room is located at 124 6th Avenue. For more information or to book a game visit the website: lakepowellescaperooms.com.
“It was addicting to me,” Schoppman said. “Once I played I was like ‘Let’s find another one.’ Some people just love it.”