Hour To Midnight

Room Escape Games

Escape rooms have increased in popularity over the past decade, and Portland’s Hour to Midnight has taken advantage of this trend with high-quality immersive offerings that tend to linger in participants’ minds long after their time here.

Theatrical Focus

Some of the ways that Hour to Midnight differentiates itself from other escape rooms is the theatrical background that those minds that are behind its producer, FrightFX, possess. Their intent is for escape room participants to feel like they are in a movie. They do this in a variety of ways.

For example, their set design experience plays a significant role in creating the sense of immersion that is experienced while there. Their skills with sound design and lighting design help create atmospheres and environments that are, in their words, “hyper realistic.”

History

The initial vision that they had of what would become Hour to Midnight occurred in 2006, an idea that was more so focused on creating a multi-room, puzzlefilled haunted attraction. It was not until 2014 when that idea started getting narrowed to one that would work as a series of escape rooms.

In 2015, the vision became a reality with “The Secrets of Nibiru.” Two years later, “Assassin’s Deadly Game” opened. “House of Darkness,” which is in fact done in complete darkness, was unveiled in 2019. The most recent addition has been “The Pharaoh’s Lost Relic.”

Escape Rooms

Each of Hour to Midnight’s escape rooms is scheduled for at least 45 minutes and costs at least $35 per person. “House of Darkness” is slated for a 45-minute time slot while “The Secrets of Nibiru” and “Assassin’s Deadly Game” have 60- minute time slots. Conversely, “The Pharaoh’s Lost Relic” has a 75-minute one and is the only one of these four to cost more than $35 per person; its perperson cost is $45.

Players should show up at least 15 minutes before their assigned time slot to learn about the rules that they should follow and the story behind what they are about to experience.

A quarter to four-fifths of participants ultimately succeed in solving the escape room that they are in. Generally, the fewer the participants, the more difficult it is to be successful as a group.

Interestingly, however, the success rate stays relatively the same for “House of Darkness” regardless of the size of the group with the exception of the highest number of players, eight, having the lowest success rate, 43%. With that said, “House of Darkness” has been designed for 4-6 participants.

The Four Options

Those taking part in “Secrets of Nibiru” are trying to figure out where William Elshoff went. He had been searching for powerful artifacts when he disappeared.

“Assassin’s Deadly Game” involves players attempting to find an assassin and ensure that who he had targeted to be his next victim does not become one.

In the “House of Darkness” escape room, players try to discern what happened to Arthur Holmwood and his wife. Both disappeared, the former while looking for the latter.

Participants in “The Pharaoh’s Lost Relic” attempt to find a powerful relic that can “bend the very fabric of reality” so that it can be in safe hands.

Escape Room Basics

Generally, escape rooms involve finding solutions to problems, which allow players to, well, escape from the room or, in other cases, solve the challenging situation that they had been placed in. Much of the challenge results from so many clues and challenges being spread throughout the room.

Escape rooms are perfect for people who like to be intellectually challenged and also have a sense of curiosity as they analyze what is in front of them and try to figure out how it can help them accomplish the mission that they have been assigned.

Escape Rooms as Team Building

One of the ways that Hour to Midnight attracts players is by promoting how this type of experience can be of value to businesses in the Portland area.

For example, players will often experience higher levels of engagement with coworkers than perhaps they did in the workplace. This can ultimately result in greater communication and morale. Also, it can be interesting for those overseeing them to see how they respond to the challenges that they are presented with here.

Room Escape Games

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