Edinburgh-based Escape room firm opens in Hull

An Edinburgh-based escape room company has opened a site in Hull, saying such attractions are currently “one of the few experiences families can safely enjoy outside their homes”.

Operation Odyssey starts with the International Space Station having been hit by a devastating meteor impact. Picture: contributed.

Escape said it was the first company in Scotland to offer escape rooms, where players work together to find their way out by solving a series of clues and puzzles in 60 minutes. The first game on offer in Hull is Operation Odyssey, which starts with a scenario where the International Space Station has been hit by a devastating meteor impact, knocking out the vital systems on board.

Teams of up to six players must solve puzzles to repair the Odyssey escape pod in time to save the crew and themselves. Strict social distancing measures, cleaning protocols and other precautions have been put in place at all venues, Escape said.

The firm bought two Can You Escape? venues in the Scottish capital and York in 2017, and has now opened the firm’s third location in the UK. The venues are on top of Escape’s 28 branches under its main brand, including six in Scotland.

Daniel Hill is Can You Escape’s owner and the founder of Escape. Picture: Lenny Warren/Warren Media.

Escape said it led negotiations with UKHospitality to ensure venues could reopen safely following the coronavirus lockdown in England, with rooms classed as visitor attractions. It later successfully lobbied the Scottish Government to classify escape rooms as visitor attractions to ensure they could open to the public.

Escape has more than 200 rooms across the world and has been visited by more than 300,000 customers, as well as operating the challenge for last year’s escape room world championship.Daniel Hill, Can You Escape’s owner and the founder of Escape, said: “After a very difficult few months for the industry, we’re thrilled to be opening a new venue in Hull. With coronavirus restrictions still in place in many parts of the UK, escape rooms are one of the few experiences which families can safely enjoy outside their homes.

“At all times, the health of our customers and employees is paramount, and we’ve taken all necessary measures to ensure that players can safely enjoy their Can Your Escape? experience. We hope we can deliver a tourism and economic boost for Hull and look forward to an exciting future here in Scotland for the company.”

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