Sego Escape: A refreshing proposal
Last November 2017, Madrilenian couple David and Alma opened the first escape room in Segovia with the name of Sego Escape. Located two minutes away from the aqueduct (Calle del Carmen 8) and featuring an art-related detective investigation, the fresh idea presents an appealing alternative to the classical Segovian routine.
Much like its popular online counterparts, real-life escape rooms introduce the players to different types of intellectual challenges that range from mathematics to riddles, testing both mental ability and observational skills. The goal, however, is always the same: finding a way to break free before the time runs out.
According to David, they started the project more than one year ago, around October 2016, after they visited an escape room in Madrid and were delighted by the thrill of the experience. Teasing at first with a friend about opening one in Segovia, they both began to really consider the idea, and after a market research and a profitability analysis, they decided that it was worth trying it out.
For their original undertaking, they chose a retro detective theme and it took them around four months to craft the whole environment around it. This particular challenge is called “The theft of the secret manuscript,” and as the game begins you are introduced to a detective that informs you that you must break in a hidden gallery where a Segovian band of art thieves has established its headquarters. The mission is to locate and retrieve a hidden manuscript and find a way to escape before the band returns in exactly 60 minutes.
The activity must be played in teams of two to six players, with the ideal number being four, based on David’s recommendation. The owner claims that the key to success in the game is communication, teamwork and cooperation. It is designed to be played in teams because there are several tasks that can be split among the participants in order to save time.
Although Segoescape has not done much promotion so far, and has yet to officially launch a website, it has already received locals, tourists and even IE students. According to David, the challenge has pleased both experienced and novel players, with the former group having rated the difficulty as medium-high.
Having enjoyed initial praise and success, David and Alma are exploring the possibility of releasing an English version of the game in order to make it available to the majority of the IE community.
Additionally, thinking on the long run, they plan to open another room or offer a new game in the same premises, but David confirms that “The theft of the stolen manuscript” will be available at least until the end of this year. Currently, the sessions must be reserved in advance at segoescape@gmail.com or +34 626694834.
Comments