How would you like to experience the thrill of being the main character of a video game or novel? You get that thrill in escape game events where you get hands-on in puzzle solving. These escape games have many fans around the world, including Europe and the United States. Their booming popularity was sparked by a Japanese computer game developer.

Evolving from 2D Games to 3D Puzzle Escape Game Events

The model for escape game events with hands-on puzzle solving is a computer game named "Crimson Room," which was released by a Japanese game developer in 2004. In this free game, the main character (player) is locked in a room. To get out of the room, the player solves different puzzles by using clues hidden between pieces of furniture and deciphering coded messages placed on a wall or the floor. The game was much talked about because solving the puzzles was not only exciting but also so difficult; for example, players would get stuck in the game if their click on the screen missed the mark by as little as 0.5 cm. In two years, the game exploded in popularity, recording 800 million visits from all over the world.

In July 2007, the live escape game Nazotoki no Utage (Puzzle-Solving Party) debuted in Kyoto, Japan. It brought the fun of the two-dimensional escape game into the three-dimensional world while keeping the theme of "escape from a locked room." The game gained popularity from the real-life setting and realistic gameplay that is only possible in a three-dimensional environment. For example, players threw their whole bodies into a physical search of the room, poking around with their hands. The players had to work together as a team to solve puzzles. The game quickly garnered many fans. But some of them voiced opinions like "I wanted to attend the event in Kyoto but it was too far to travel" and "I hope you hold the event again in different places." The organizer responded by putting the show on the road. The live escape game event, first held in Kyoko, would be held in other cities across the country, including Osaka and Tokyo, and eventually even outside Japan.

Fun Puzzle Escape Game Events Indoors: Worlds from Popular Games and Novels Come Alive

What type of experiences do players have at a puzzle escape game event in the real world? First, let's present a few events where they solve puzzles in a locked room or other indoor setting that is familiar to computer gamers.

"Real Escape" game events are held in many locations across Japan, and their settings are similar to those in Crimson Room. Players are locked in a room in an apartment, and they need to solve puzzles to find the key to the room. The game has a set time limit, so the players frantically look for hidden hints. They rummage around the room, opening drawers in a wardrobe and pulling up a carpet. Not all of the players will necessarily succeed in getting out of the room in time. However, regardless of whether they successfully escape or not, part of the fun of the event for the players is talking with one another about the game when it is over, like a discussion about how tough a puzzle was. Some players at the event even hold a victory party or a postmortem session directly after leaving the venue.

The world of the Monster Hunter video game, which is very popular among many people of all ages, comes alive in another event that has appeared in Japan. In this action game, players live the life of a hunter and hunt enormous monsters. The event takes place inside a hall or large building, which is supposed to be unexplored hunting grounds. As hunters, the players in the event decipher coded messages hidden in the field and fight monsters. Just like in the video game, they can gain experience by taking actions such as picking mushrooms and gathering different ores. With all that happens in the game, the event is much talked about.

Another event, one that may very much interest mystery fans, adopted the theme of Masquerade Eve, a novel by world-famous Japanese mystery writer Keigo Higashino. His novels have been attracting an increasing number of fans, even in Europe and the United States, with story developments in the novels drawing readers inexorably into the stories and his style of writing meticulously describing the psychology of characters. This event presented a mystery like in Keigo Higashino's work. In the setting of a first-class hotel, the participants themselves launched an investigation into an affair and strived to find answers to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Fun Puzzle Escape Game Events in Wide Open Spaces: Solving Puzzles around Town

The hands-on puzzle-solving experience of escape game events is not limited to indoor settings. Lately, more and more events are also being held outdoors, like in amusement parks, theme parks and the wide open spaces of big venues.

An event based on the theme of the manga and anime works of Meitantei Konan, which is the character known as Detective Conan in works published under the name "Case Closed" overseas, is set in an amusement park. People of different generations, from teens to adults in their fifties, have participated in the event. The players' mission in this game is to diffuse a bomb planted by criminals. They have to cooperate with one another to solve the case with Conan. As soon as they get the start signal to the event, the players start bustling around looking for clues to the mystery by searching every nook and cranny of the site. Familiar characters and a group of criminals appear as the event unfolds, performing in very powerful action scenes. The performances are so breathtaking that players have burst into applause and cheers many times.

In another theme park, one that maintains a group of historic buildings more than 100 years old, a mystery-based event is held. There, the participants feel like detectives as they walk around beautiful cultural assets to search for clues.

An event that was held in Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture, used the town itself as the setting. Nobeoka City is famous because of its association with the Buddhist monk Kobo-Daishi (a monk who lived about 1,200 years ago and is also famous as a master calligrapher). The participants walked, with a treasure map in hand, around the perimeter of a shopping arcade to search for treasure. All the hidden treasures were related to Kobo-Daishi. The event gave the participants a chance to familiarize themselves with the history of the town while searching for treasure. A visitor from far away said, "Thanks to the event, I could discover attractions that I didn't know before about the town."

Escape game events featuring hands-on puzzle solving continue to fascinate people. The games provide a sense of urgency in the face of a difficult mystery and a sense of accomplishment after a mystery is successfully solved. Playing the games is not only enjoyable but also another way to discover more about Japan.