Newtown’s escape rooms attraction, Beyond Breakout, has launched a live, online Avatar game that is attracting teams from around the globe.
The attraction, located on the fourth floor of Newtown’s Royal Welsh Warehouse, Pryce Jones Building, reopened in July following a four-month lockdown due to COVID-19 restrictions.
To ensure that the company’s escape room games reach as many people as possible, players can now either solve the Adventures in Puzzle Land game in person or take on the challenge remotely.
“So far we have hosted teams from around the UK, Germany and America,” said Lorna Morris, who launched Beyond Breakout with co-owner Jo Woodall in January this year.
“Our live game gives you the thrills and fun of an escape room from the comfort of your own home. You play remotely from as many locations as your team needs – we recommend a maximum of six players.
“Players direct their Avatar to enter their solutions and retrieve the crown from the Red Queen before she can screech menacingly ‘Off with your head’.”
For those players who choose to tackle the physical Adventures in Puzzle Land game in person, Jo explained that Beyond Breakout is well prepared for the COVID-19 rules.
“Fortunately, the ‘rule of six’ has not affected us as our games are designed for between two and six players,” she said. “We have altered our game schedules to ensure that no groups are in the communal areas at the same time and we have plenty of time for thorough cleaning between groups.
“We truly feel there are not many activities you can do that are as safe as our Breakout rooms. Lorna and I are always more than two metres away from visitors and all the windows, including in the Breakout room, are open to increase ventilation.
“We have taken every measure possible to ensure the safety of both customers and staff.”
Beyond Breakout’s second game, The Mask, which was delayed due to the lockdown, is scheduled to be launched early next month.
The business partners confessed that the COVID-19 pandemic had been very challenging for them, but they have used the lockdown to develop new games and ideas to ensure that their investment is not wasted.
“All the business planning in the world could not have predicted a four-month lockdown,” said Lorna. “We feel that we are a pretty positive pair and nothing if not resourceful, so we have set about looking at ways to stay open throughout future lockdowns.
“There are only so many Zoom Quizzes you can manage. That’s why we have taken on the task of turning our Adventures in Puzzle Land game into a live Avatar game that can be played by groups over the Internet.”
Beyond Breakout is a member of MWT Cymru, an independent organisation that represents more than 600 tourism and hospitality businesses across Powys, Ceredigion and the Meirionnydd region of Gwynedd.
