For instance, a submarine-themed escape room scheduled for an early 2019 release resembles a real submarine’s interior.įollowing a successful partnership with Ubisoft, a new virtual reality room in the Lexington location allows viewers to navigate challenges using immersive, lifelike VR technology. Rooms have evolved to include special sound and lighting effects to heighten realism. “A lot of people think that, because they think they’ll be claustrophobic or it’s scary, but really it’s about having fun with your friends or family.”Įscape room themes are developed in-house and have included “Escape the Lost Pyramid” and “Mystery Mansion.” They’re changed regularly to keep content fresh, Cryder said. Participants aren’t really “locked” into their rooms, and players can take a break if needed. The goal during the hour-long escape game, Anderson said, is to create fun, meaningful experiences for families and friends. If a team is obviously stuck and needs a helpful hint or two, the game master obliges. After booking online, arriving onsite and receiving instructions, the games begin under the watchful electronic “eye” of a game master assigned to monitor each room.

There’s even a new location in Sun City, South Africa.Īlthough children 14 and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, Anderson, who serves as the company’s marketing guru, said people of all ages can enjoy escape room experiences. Now there are 25 to 40 people on the corporate team in Lexington and between 800 and 900 employees across the country, in places like Louisville, Indianapolis, Atlanta and Boston. That number has remained purposely constant for the past year and a half, Cryder said. By the end of year two, 25 more locations opened, then another 10 for a total 45. Other experienced partners include Lexington-based commercial real estate development and hospitality firm Greer Companies and Cryder’s relative, Aaron Martinez, who performs construction management functions.īreakout Games grew to include 10 locations within its first year. “They brought the experience we needed to the team,” Cryder said. Four years later, they also launched Vinaigrette Salad Kitchen. At startup, Cryder partnered with Jeremiah Sizemore and Bryce Anderson, who in 2010, along with Evan Morris, opened Orange Leaf, Lexington’s first self-serve frozen yogurt shop. Now the company has 45 locations, all owned and operated by Breakout Games, along with a few minority partnerships, Cryder said. Once home, he said the journey to opening was a super-fast three to four months, with a soft opening of the Lexington location in early December 2014.

“I just thought they were really unique.”Īnother appeal, he said, was that escape room concepts don’t require abundant startup capital. “It was actually kind of easier to find them overseas than here at the time,” he said.

He experienced his first escape game almost five years ago, while visiting Istanbul and Singapore. He said his ex-wife first conceptualized bringing the games back to Kentucky after experiencing them on her travels in Asia. With past business experience in nonprofit, education and entrepreneurship sectors, Nathan Cryder is partner, owner and cofounder of Breakout Games.

Bryce anderson and associates