On a crisp autumn morning I sat down with Eva Versteeg, a religious studies, philosophy, and anthropology major, who was ready to spill the beans on a recent sensation that has also reached Middelburg: an escape room called Kamer 51 (Room 51). Even though it’s been active since 2015, it has yet to reach Honeypie levels of recognition amongst our community, so Eva and Mirte van Os thought it was high time this changed.
An escape room, for those of you wondering, is a room that you’re locked in and you get a limited amount of time to get yourself out of that room. You do that through finding clues in the room, which differs per escape room. It is basically an interactive game of Cluedo in a confined space without a murderer. Kamer 51, located near the Oostkerk, was an accidental find, but one that has left a lasting impression upon Eva.
When asked what you have to do in an escape room Eva kept it a secret. She told me that it’s better not knowing because this is key part to the whole experience of an escape room. The basic concept of Kamer 51, is that you get 51 minutes to find your way out of the room. It can be quite tense, because there’s a limited amount of time and a lot to do in that time. However, it’s still quite fun since it’s all based on teamwork. If you are struggling, the owner of the company will help you by sliding cryptic notes into the room. An escape room is a great thing to do together with friends or your board, as Eva convincingly told me. It’s perfect because you get to work together, and really spend quality time together.” And the celebration when you free yourself is pretty much the icing on the cake, because it’s something you worked so hard to achieve together. The room Eva visited is Dutch and currently under construction, but luckily there’s also an opportunity to get locked in an English room located in the same house.
Price ranges from €24,- to €11,50, but it’s dependent on the size of your group. Generally they take 3 to 8 people per group. Reservations are made online, but there’s a handy link on their Facebook page. If you escape within the first 25 minutes you get half off, but don’t get too optimistic, it took Eva’s group a good 48 minutes.
So are you up for the challenge? You think you got what it takes to crack the code? Are you the next Houdini? Why not find out: Kamer 51 is located at the Nederstraat 31, Middelburg.
Eva Versteeg, Class of 2017, is a Religious Studies, Philosophy, and Anthropology Major from Nijkerkerveen, The Netherlands
Yonna Kuipers, Class of 2017, is a History and Linguistics Major from Schiedam, The Netherlands.
