Watch Us Try to Escape the Mental Trap Escape Rooms

At the Mental Trap Escape Rooms in Beaverton, the thrill of claustrophobia costs 100 clams. 

Last May, the scary entertainment company Haunted Productions opened two old-timey, spooky rooms alongside its glow-in-the-dark, pirate, mini-golf course. A group of four visitors is locked in the rooms and must solve mental puzzles in one hour to get out. 

The first escape rooms opened in Japan and Silicon Valley in 2006 and the game has since spread around the world. The concept developed from first-person computer games in which users relied on their wits to escape virtual traps. 

A few weeks ago, our web editor and a brave team of interns journeyed out to the suburbs to check it out. When one intern (okay, me) quaked in fear at the thought of being locked in a small, haunted place, we opted for the family-friendly challenge “The House.” 

That may have been the wrong choice. The clues were a little tedious, involving way too much mental math. And slogging through them didn't feel too urgent—the atmosphere was not so eerie that we longed to break free. 

The room called “The Experiment” looked a little more exciting. There, two people are shackled to the wall when the clock starts ticking. 

The hourlong lock-ups are supposed to be really good for birthday parties and co-worker bonding. It is true we left Beaverton feeling a little more bonded, but if the company hadn't been covering our game, I would have wondered why we didn't just go out for drinks instead. 

But then again, if you get a real adrenaline rush out of counting Scrabble tiles and your co-workers are afraid of bars, the Beaverton Mental Traps might be just perfect. 

Want to experience the mild thrill of our adventure? Here's the video:

WWeek 2015