Up to 4,000 participants will attempt to battle their way out of Yio Chu Kang Stadium next weekend, in what is being billed as Singapore's largest-scale and most ambitious escape game to date.
The hour-long game, titled Escape From The Walled City, is based on a popular Japanese anime series called Attack On Titan. It will be held at Yio Chu Kang Stadium, for four sessions over Dec 13 and 14, says events company Vivid Creation, which is partnering game creators from the Real Escape Game to import the game. Each session is expected to draw between 800 to 1,000 people.
It is set in a world where most of humanity has been devastated by a mysterious group of human-eating giants known as the Titans. The last survivors live in a fortress, which is eventually breached by the Titans, and they must flee for their lives.
This is the first time that the game has left its native country of Japan, says Mr Danny Widodo, 27. business development lead for Vivid Creations. The local events company has held such games here before, but with at most 200 players.
"I remember how it felt so different when I watched it live, and saw so many people going in, out and moving around, trying to solve the puzzle and get out," he tells Life! during a media preview of the event on Monday.
The game was first played at a stadium in the city of Yokohama, Japan, with only 120 out of 1,600 participants making it through. It features a series of intricately designed and interconnected puzzles, which individuals have to solve in a race against a ticking clock. They can choose to play alone but are advised to team up.
"It's really not easy," says civil servant Andrew Lee, 30, a escape game enthusiast who has tried 10 escape room games here. "I would give this a 11 out of 10 for difficulty. This is a challenge that will put your thinking to the test."
Real-life escape games, where about eight to 10 participants are usually trapped in rooms and must solve puzzles and clues to break free, are drawing more people here. There are now at least ten such places offering such games, up from three in 2012.
Coincidentally, the Asian Civilisations Museum is also organising a similar escape event on its premises next Friday and Saturday, albeit on a smaller scale.
Response for Escape From The Walled City has been decent, with about 60 per cent of slots already taken up, says Mr Widodo. Some 40 volunteers, including Mr Lee, will be deployed to be station masters and facilitators.
"We decided to bring this to Singapore because the response for our previous escape games was heartening," he adds.
Vivid is organising one more mass-scale escape game, to be held next February at the Gardens by the Bay, while another islandwide one is on the cards, possibly to be held in the later half of the year.
Book It
Attack On Titan x Real Escape Game: Escape From The Walled City
When: 13 Dec and 14 Dec, 1300h or 1700h on both days
Where: Yio Chu Kang Stadium
Ticketing info: $27 for standard ticket, $33 at the door. For more info, log on to http://reg-attackontitan.peatix.com
Night At The Museum: The Great Escape from Asian Civilisations Museum
When: 12 Dec, 8 - 9.30pm, 9.30 - 11pm, 11pm - 12.30am
13 Dec: 5 - 6.30pm, 8 - 9.30pm, 9.30 - 11pm, 11pm - 12.30am
Where: Asian Civilisations Museum, 1 Empress Place
Ticketing info: Log on to http://greatescapeacm.peatix.com/
