JEDDAH: The brochure for Jeddah-based business Novus Escape Room reads like the synopsis of a good feature film or a video or board game, but what you experience there is more real than any roleplaying game.
“You wake up to find yourself being interrogated by the authorities regarding a weapon of mass destruction, but you have no recollection of who or where you are,” reads the brochure.
“Now you have to break out from captivity and find out your identity, what this weapon is and what happened.”
You are locked in a room, and the only way out is to figure out the clues and solve the mystery.
VIDEO: Can you escape from the locked rooms of Novus?
Located in an upscale building not far from Souq Al-Shatee, it looks like any other business on Abdullah Al-Jasir Street.
But inside are six escape rooms, each with its own storyline, mindboggling puzzles, tasks and stratagems that have to be completed within 55 minutes in order to be able to escape.
“You have to use your wits, skills and teamwork to solve the puzzles and break out from the rooms using the clues given,” said Ali Hafez, Novus’ Jeddah manager.
“It is a new form of entertainment that’s gaining popularity around the world, and we are pleased to be able to bring it to Saudi Arabia for all to experience.”
For this reporter of 15 years’ experience in investigations and as a former war correspondent, the second-easiest escape room, Hocus Pocus, should have been a piece of cake to solve. But it proved too challenging.
At Novus on Friday evening, Arab News met Dana, Alia, Sultan, Fahd, Naif and Anoud, all siblings and cousins aged 13-19 years. This was their second time there.
They had all tried to escape from one room two days prior, but it was the most difficult room. They were unable to escape, so they came back to try an easier room to build up their skills.
“Our first time was hard because we chose one of the hardest rooms,” Dana said. “We were supposed to find an art piece but we failed, so we are back to try an easier escape room.”
She added: “This is a huge step for entertainment in Saudi, and it’s not only a game. It moves your brain. You have to think and solve clues.”
As Arab News left Novus, Dana and her cousins paid the fee of SR180 ($48) per person and made their way in to be locked in the Hocus Pocus room.
“We are going to do this one today, and come back and finish the other escape rooms in about 10 days,” Dana said.
Novus is working to build more escape rooms throughout the Kingdom.
