You enter an old-fashioned detective’s office. The door locks with a click as a radio buzzes: “Rookie detectives, a priceless diamond is missing! Solve the case in one hour.” The room is filled with clues — photographs, coded messages and secret compartments. As the grandfather clock ticks, you and your friends must work to unlock the secrets. This is what escape rooms are all about — immersive adventure games where you solve puzzles and escape the themed setting within a time limit.
The concept of “escape rooms” dates back to early first-person video games. In 1988, John Wilson introduced Behind Closed Doors, a text-based game that required players to type commands to escape a bathroom. This game is often seen as the first instance of a player being trapped within a room. By the early 2000s, point-and-click adventure games like Crimson Room gained popularity. These games involved interacting with the environment to solve puzzles and escape virtual spaces. The real-world transition occurred in 2007 when Takao Kato, a Japanese creator, launched the first live escape game in Kyoto. This innovation quickly spread globally and evolved into the escape rooms we recognize today.
Escape rooms have been a popular entertainment trend for over a decade. Participants typically form teams of two to 10 players. These games are set in realistically designed environments and go beyond simple escapes; they include live-action role playing. Each room creates its own fictional narrative, with themes ranging from haunted castles to high-tech laboratories. Players dive into the unfolding plot as they explore their surroundings and solve puzzles. They use the clues they uncover to find treasures and escape within the typical 60-minute time limit.
Photo: Freepik / 照片：Freepik提供
Escape rooms offer players a comprehensive challenge. They engage your knowledge, observation, teamwork, and critical thinking in thrilling scenarios. If you’re ready to leave ordinary life behind, your next adventure is just a puzzle away.
你進入一間老式的偵探辦公室。門?噠一聲鎖上了，此時收音機傳來嗡嗡聲：「菜鳥偵探們，一顆無價的鑽石不見了！在一小時內破解這起案件。」房間裡佈滿了線索——照片、密碼訊息和隱藏的隔層。隨著老爺鐘滴答作響，你和你的朋友們必須努力解開這些謎團。這就是密室逃脫的精髓——一種沉浸式的冒險遊戲，你需要在限定時間內解決謎題並逃出特定主題的場景。
密室逃脫的概念可以追溯到早期的第一人稱視角電玩遊戲。西元 1988 年，約翰．威爾森推出了《緊閉的門後》，這是一款基於文字的遊戲，玩家必須輸入指令才能逃離浴室。這款遊戲通常被視為玩家被困在房間內的首例。到了西元 2000 年代初，像《赤色密室》這類的點擊式冒險遊戲開始流行。這些遊戲涉及與環境互動來解決謎題並逃離虛擬空間。現實世界的轉變發生在西元 2007 年，當時日本創作者加藤隆生在京都推出了第一個真人密室逃脫遊戲。這項創新迅速風靡全球，並演變成我們今天所熟知的密室逃脫。
十多年來，密室逃脫一直是流行的娛樂趨勢。參加者通常會組成兩到十名玩家的團隊。這些遊戲被設置在有著逼真設計的環境中，不僅僅是單純的逃脫；它們還包含了真人角色扮演。每個房間都有自己的虛構故事，主題從鬧鬼的城堡到高科技實驗室都有。玩家在探索周圍環境並解決謎題時，會沉浸在不斷展開的情節中。他們利用發現的線索尋找寶藏，並在典型的 60 分鐘時限內逃脫。
密室逃脫為玩家提供全面的挑戰。它們在刺激的情境中調動你的知識、觀察力、團隊合作和批判性思維。如果你準備好拋開平凡的生活，下一場冒險就在一個謎題之遙！
MORE INFORMATION
rookie n. 新手；菜鳥
compartment n.（傢俱或設備的）隔間
point-and-click adventure game 點擊式冒險遊戲（point-and-click 為電腦詞彙，表使用滑鼠點擊目標並按下選定，這類遊戲通常需要玩家點擊場景來完成任務並推進劇情）
crimson adj. 深紅色的
transition n. 轉變；變遷
haunted adj. 鬧鬼的
comprehensive adj. 全面的；詳盡的 live-action role playing真人角色扮演遊戲(簡稱 LARP，玩家需在設定的場景中扮演劇本中的角色來進行遊戲，並完成任務)
KEY VOCABULARY
1. wits n. 智慧；機智（恆用複數形）
This tricky puzzle will test your wits; only clever people can solve it.
這個棘手的難題將會考驗你的智慧；只有聰明的人才能解決它。
2. detective n. 偵探；警探
Simon hired a private detective to find out if his wife was cheating on him.
賽門僱用了一位私家偵探來找出他的妻子是否對他不忠。
3. tick v.（鐘錶）發出滴答聲
The clock on the kitchen wall ticked steadily as Sean prepared his breakfast.
當尚恩準備早餐時，廚房牆上的時鐘滴答作響。
4. unlock vt. 解開；揭開
Jenny used a special code to unlock the door and enter the building.
珍妮使用特殊密碼解開門鎖並進入了大樓。
5. involve vt. 涉及；包含
Polo is a sport that involves people on horses trying to hit a ball with long hammers.
馬球是一種涉及騎馬的人試圖用長槌擊球的運動。
6. entertainment n. 娛樂；娛樂活動
For entertainment, May and her friends like to go out to KTV and sing songs for hours on end.
在娛樂方面，梅和她的朋友們喜歡去 KTV 連續唱幾個小時的歌。
7. fictional adj. 虛構的；想像的
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is one of the world’s most famous fictional characters.
丹麥王子哈姆雷特是世界上最知名的虛構角色之一。
8. laboratory n. 實驗室；研究室
We’ll need to send your blood to the laboratory to be tested and analyzed.
我們需要將你的血液送到實驗室進行檢驗和分析。
9. scenario n. 場景；情境；局面
Picture this scenario: you’re home alone and hear footsteps upstairs. What would you do?
想像一下這個情境：你獨自一人在家，聽到樓上有腳步聲。你會怎麼做？
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