Escape room phenomenon hits the Tri-Cities

The escape room phenomenon has arrived in the Tri-Cities, courtesy a dental hygienist from Richland.

Sarah Swoboda opened PerplEXIT in a former medical office suite in Richland in January. The business debuted with a single room, but plans to add up to three more as the market for live-action game playing grows.

The escape room phenomenon originated in Japan in 2007 and has spread quickly, with thousands of venues scattered around the globe. But until now, Tri-City game enthusiasts had to travel to Seattle, Spokane, Portland or Bend to get their fix.

Swoboda calls herself a “complete nerd” whose love of puzzles and gaming inspired her to bring the idea to Richland. The Hermiston native encountered escape rooms with friends. She also prefers the term “puzzle” to “escape,” figuring those unfamiliar with the game might be put off by the idea.

She launched PerplEXIT LLC last August and spent months finding the right location and creating a science-oriented series of puzzles for guests to solve.

“Had I known at the time how much was involved, I probably would have run in the other direction,” she said.

After a month, PerplEXIT is covering its costs, and Swoboda is confident that it will continue to grow as the market for entertainment and corporate team-building activities grows. She signed a three-year lease for an 1,800-square-foot suite in the Corrado building, 750 Swift Blvd.

It was the third location she considered. The first two landlords were reluctant to take on an untried concept, but Swoboda said the early reception gives her confidence that her puzzle room will not only thrive, but gain ground.

She said she would welcome competition, figuring a cluster of puzzle rooms will help build the market.

“I’d have a room to play in and people would have more options,” she said.

In a report on the explosion of escape rooms, MarketWatch called it an “unbelievably lucrative” business with “low startup costs and first-returns as high as 800 percent.

Puzzle, or escape, rooms have grown enough to warrant academic research. Scott Nicholson, professor of game design and development at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, assessed the state of the industry in a widely cited white paper last May, “Peeking behind the locked door: A survey of escape room facilities.”

Nicholson traces escape room history to an escape room that opened in Kyoto, Japan, in July 2007. It quickly spread across Asia and then to Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S. A survey of operators found that 65 percent were inspired after playing in other escape rooms.

Themes of puzzle rooms range from horror to rescue to history to science.

Swoboda agreed that startup costs were low but said her goals are modest. She likes developing puzzle rooms and engaging with guests. She doesn’t yet draw a paycheck from the venture and doesn’t expect to give up her career.

“I think I’ll always keep my day job,” she said. She works for a Richland dental clinic.

PerplEXIT’s sole puzzle room is a relatively small, office-sized room outfitted to resemble the office or study of 19th century scientist. It’s packed with seemingly random items. Each steers players to a chain of clues and the ultimate goal: The key to unlock the door.

Actually, the escape room door at PerplEXIT not only doesn’t lock, it doesn’t latch.

She designed it herself, avoiding off-the-shelf designs that are commercially available. That helps ensure the room offers visitors a unique challenge and satisfies her creative outlet.

She’s designed a second pirate-themed room and plans to build it in the future. Her father, a veteran woodworker, built most of the room.

While guests puzzle their way through the challenge, Swoboda monitors their progress via a discrete camera.

Up to six adults, paying $25 each, have one hour to find their way through challenges to find an exit.

This story was originally published March 6, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Escape room phenomenon hits the Tri-Cities."