Saratoga's Getting its Own Escape Room
Do you have what it takes to solve the puzzle?
In Saratoga, we like to eat and drink. A lot. But if you’re looking for something to do on a Friday night that doesn’t involve a Saturday morning hangover, you don’t have all that many options: indoor golf, bowling, the movies…that’s pretty much it. Tess and Brian Goodge are aiming to change that.
The Wilton residents are in the process of opening Saratoga Escape Rooms, an interactive experience that will challenge groups of up to six to work together to solve intricate, themed puzzles.
“We love puzzles,” Tess says. “We love doing escape rooms. This is the perfect business for both of us to go into together.”
In fact, the Goodges’ professional careers have also set them up for success. She’s a realtor, who found a small space on Gardner Lane (the alley that leads from Broadway to Putnam Street next to Putnam Place) that would be perfect for what she and Brian had in mind. He’s an automation engineer, who’s also putting his skills to good use.
“There are what are called Gen 1, 2, and 3 escape rooms,” Tess says. “Gen 1 would be literally going into a blank room with combo locks and puzzles that you’re trying to solve but no theming—no stories. Gen 2 they starting incorporating theming and storytelling, but Gen 3 is where you incorporate automation into it. So instead of having a lock where you’re doing the combo by hand and physically taking the lock off, you’ll do something and it’ll automatically trigger something else. It’s all electronic and automated. Ours are definitely Gen 3.”
To start, Saratoga Escape Rooms will have two rooms—a jungle-themed one and a magic-themed one—but the business owners have plans for a Gilded Age Saratoga–themed room in the future. While the couple is aiming to be open in time for Halloween, there won’t be anything scary or horror-themed in either of the rooms. And if the thought of being locked in a small room with several people is scary in and of itself, Tess says not to worry.
“The biggest misconception that I want to make sure people know is that you’re not going to be locked in the room,” she says. “We wouldn’t really even call it an escape room, except that’s what the whole business sector of this type of thing is called. Essentially it’s an escape game, and its solving puzzles as a group and trying to beat the game. The room is always going to be unlocked. You can leave whenever you want.”
—Natalie