Georgia Magazine - January 2025 - 30

Around GEORGIA
In Time to Escape's The Golden Phoenix mobile game, teams
of players compete for a priceless inheritance.
Tips from an aficionado
Araina Reeves, who works for Tucker-based Georgia Electric
Membership Corp. in community and leadership development, fell in
love with escape rooms several years ago on a trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C.,
when rainy weather forced her and her friends to find some indoor fun.
" We found an escape room, and it created an instant addiction, " she
says. " It's all about friendship, camaraderie and working together toward
an end goal. There's nothing quite like beating the room. "
Reeves and her group went to three escape rooms on that trip and now
seek out new adventures wherever they travel. Since then, Reeves has
escaped from about 60 rooms in several states.
Among her favorite experiences was a prison escape game in which
they started the game as handcuffed inmates who had to find a key to
unlock their restraints to free their hands for solving puzzles. She also had
to escape from a cabin in the woods-that was really in the woods-before
its resident serial killer returned.
Based on her experience, she offers a few key pieces of advice for
first-timers.
" First, you have to openly communicate, " she says. " Don't 'clue-hoard.'
Remember it's a competition between the group and the room, not
between the players. "
Second, players should expect the unexpected. Reeves recalls a game
in which a key was hidden in a bedpost and players had to find a magnet to
retrieve it.
" If a place seems too weird to have a clue, then there just may be one
there, " she says. " Every room creator has their own way of doing things.
Look for patterns in colors, artwork [and] numbers, and you can start to
unlock clues. "
Don't be too proud to use the free hints included in games, she adds,
and don't let your guard down.
" You may look around and think you're about done, so you relax and
slow down the pace-but the next thing you realize is you haven't unlocked
the final door! " Reeves says. " You've just unlocked a second (or even third)
room that you have to get out of to win the game. Hosts may or may not tell
30 Georgia Magazine January 2025
you at the start of the game how many rooms you
have to get through to win the game. "
Rosalyn Dunn is a freelance writer based in
Atlanta.
Plan your escape
Araina Reeves' favorite escape rooms include
Escape the Mystery Room at Sugarloaf Mills in
Lawrenceville-allinadventures.com, (678) 8475002-which
she says are well-planned and logical
with fun themes. She also recommends Statesboro
Unlocked-statesborounlocked.com, (912) 6816881-where
she says the staff is friendly and helpful
and the rooms are challenging.
Here are some other escape games in Georgia:
* Mastermind Escape Games, Augusta, (706) 5049706;
Peachtree City, (404) 793-1541; Sandy Springs,
(404) 480-3852; mastermindescapegames.com
* The Escape Co., Savannah, (912) 298-0477,
theescapecompanysavannah.com
* Odyssey Escape Game, Suwanee, (470) 266-1377;
Alpharetta, (770) 559-7548; odysseyescapegame.com
* The Escape Game Atlanta, The Battery Atlanta,
(678) 831-6347; Midtown Atlanta, (404) 369-5461;
theescapegame.com/atlanta
* Escapology, Columbus, (706) 397-7979,
escapology.com/en/columbus-ga
* Epic Escape Rooms, Valdosta, (229) 561-4969,
epicescapega.com
* Escape Blue Ridge, Blue Ridge, ( 706) 258-3803,
escaperoomblueridge.com
* Lock City Adventures, Carrollton, (770) 954-5106,
lockcityescapes.com
COURTESY TIME TO ESCAPE

http://allinadventures.com http://www.statesborounlocked.com http://www.mastermindescapegames.com http://www.theescapecompanysavannah.com http://www.odysseyescapegame.com http://www.theescapegame.com/atlanta http://www.escapology.com/en/columbus-ga http://www.epicescapega.com http://www.escaperoomblueridge.com http://www.lockcityescapes.com

Georgia Magazine - January 2025

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