With the trend for escape room games sweeping the nation, the Argus sent its own team in to try out Cardiff's new ‘Xscape Reality’. CHRIS BINDING reports.

AS a drooling fan of the themed puzzles and feats of cult show The Crystal Maze, I was more than a little excited when I was invited to experience an offering in the capital on ‘work business’.

As a mixture of live-action role play and team-based dynamics, escape room designers throw people into a scenario, lock them in and give them one hour to escape.

The ensuing chaos tests observation, problem solving and puzzle solving under pressure. It is a sort of crisis simulation which separates heroes from followers, and me - the clueless bystander.

When Xscape Reality - set across two floors in St John Street - called Team Argus out, we accepted the gauntlet, and were duly thrown into the world of Jungala, a room loosely based on the classic Robin Williams fantasy, Jumanji.

Teams get left in a room surrounded by locked cupboards and chests and told to make their way out.

You are given a helping hand in the form of a tablet, which shows the time left on the clock and can be used to scan symbols and clues scattered around the room if you become stuck.

But there is a catch. For each clue you take, you get a time penalty which reduces the overall time and ramps up the pressure.

A staff member described Jungala as “one of the tamest rooms” of the games at Xscape Reality, but that did little to hamper our fears, confusion and, at times, frustration, as we journeyed into the unknown.

Our normally cohesive working relationship fell apart once inside, and at many points I wandered the room shining a torch around just to look busy.

Without revealing too many secrets, it’s safe to say you may come across more than a few jungle critters along the way.

As the Xscape Reality website states, the gameplay creates several different players ranging from the problem solvers and leaders, to the observers.

For the staff, who watch the escapes from CCTV cameras, it must be fascinating to observe how groups work together - or crumble - under the pressure of the challenge.

It’s also difficult to present a cohesive picture of the ‘escape room’ culture when you have only tried one room but perhaps that’s the appeal, with rooms rotated and redesigned based on public demand. There are so many different scenarios to try.

It’s also apparent that the more escape room games you try out, the more you become accustomed to the types of puzzles and problem solving skills you need.

Xscape Reality prides itself on its highly themed games with props ranging from dead bodies and lasers, to treasure chests and jungle safari hats.

Rooms are themed on escaping Alcatraz, a maximum high-security prison situated in the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay, or a Da Vinci Code-type scenario of solving gruesome murder in an art gallery in Paris.

If you fancy the thrill of an adventure, you can attempt to steal the world’s most expensive art collection in The Heist, or, alternatively, horror-movie fans can try out the Saw-inspired Enigmista. Stephen King-style horror room ‘Misery’, meanwhile, will test your ability to escape from the clutches of deranged individuals.

Cardiff’s Xscape Reality marks the start of an international roll-out plan for the brand which, over the next year, is set to open in Glasgow, Leicester, and Leeds, as well as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Dubai.

Manager Curtis Wade said: “Xscape Reality is an exciting experience which will challenge and thrill players no matter which of the six games they take on.

“What sets Xscape Reality apart from other escape rooms is our commitment to a fully immersive experience.

“We’ve significantly invested in each game and have gone overboard on quality theming to a level which will exceed expectations. We believe this will propel Xscape Reality to success and is why our international roll out is already underway.

“Cardiff stood out as the perfect destination for one of Xscape’s very first stores. It’s a vibrant, fun and cosmopolitan city and we look forward to welcoming visitors this summer.”

Although Team Argus may have failed to escape the room, we did, briefly, escape reality.

Imagination, fear and unbearable mathematical dilemmas characterise Xscape Reality. Sound like your idea of a good time? Then enter at your own peril.

Xscape Reality is open from 12pm to 10.30pm Monday to Thursday and from 10.30am-10.30pm Friday to Sunday with prices starting from £15 per person.

For more information visit www.xscapereality.com/cardiffcity or find them on twitter @xscapecardiff or on facebook by searching xscapecardiff.