Escape In Time

Are you ready to put your puzzle-solving skills to the test? Join the FabMags team as we step into the thrilling world of Mindgame Escape at Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock – where three immersive escape rooms, ticking clocks, and cryptic clues await.

Words by Kai Coates

If anyone is like me and enjoys brain-thinking movies, especially Sherlock Holmes, where you sit on the couch and act like a detective, then there is an activity you will love! Enter a world where reality pauses, time ticks loudly in your ears, and only collaboration, quick thinking, and a touch of courage will set you free. 

Tucked away in the bustling Tiffany’s Shopping Centre in Salt Rock is Mindgame Escape – the ultimate live-action adventure where you and your friends, family or team are not just participants, but protagonists in a thrilling race against the clock.

Whether you’re a group of curious first-timers, puzzle fanatics, gamers looking to level up in real life, or colleagues wanting to trade office talk for secret codes and hidden compartments, Mindgame Escape has a room (and a challenge) for everyone. Designed to test your communication, problem-solving and teamwork under pressure, it’s the kind of experience that leaves your heart racing and your brain buzzing – long after the door has swung open.

With their Breakout Package option, for team building and parties, you can get your full office to enjoy a thrilling few hours trying to escape the different rooms. Their packages host big groups of 10-42 people, and you can order delicious snack platters at a separate cost to feed the masses and the brains to keep on solving puzzles.

The Salt Rock branch boasts three immersive, story-rich escape rooms:

1. Medieval Magic: a high-stakes fantasy mission to save a knight and a kingdom from a sorceress’s dark spell.
2. Escape to Treasure Island: a high-energy heist on a billionaire’s secret island – ideal for budding pirates and daring teens.
3. The Great Time Escape: a sci-fi inspired journey through time to rescue a lost scientist and rewrite history.

No matter the scenario, one thing remains constant – you’ll have 60 minutes, a locked door, and only your team’s wits to get you out. As I soon discovered, when the pressure is on and the clues start coming thick and fast, Mindgame Escape isn’t just a game – it’s a brilliant test of character, creativity, and connection. 

As you enter their location at Tiffany’s Shopping Centre, you will see three doors, each painted a different colour: red, blue, and green, which lead to each escape room. The escape master on duty that day was Courtney, who welcomed us to the next few hours of brain-tinkering fun. Before we started, there were a few fun riddles on the one wall to warm up our brains. It was fun to see the whole FabMags team take a crack at them together. 

We all had to watch the introductory and rules video, which explained how the escape room works and that we all get one phone, should we need to call for a clue. Then, we split into three groups (organised by me and Google randomiser) to tackle the three rooms. Each room is meticulously decorated per theme, which surely makes your mind escape to another world. With the rooms having different difficulty levels, and only 60 minutes to escape, I can assure you that the Medieval Magic room with the 5/5 difficulty rating is a hard one to crack. It only has a 30% success rate – so if you like a challenge, this room is for you! 

After the first round of 60 minutes, the team was buzzing in the waiting area – but you couldn’t tell anyone anything about the room you just did, because we could all do a different room for our second round. Luckily, this time my team chose a less difficult room where we needed to unlock our science brains, and we escaped! Every team had a blast deciphering codes, riddles, and puzzles to get keys and clues. This activity is fun for families, friends, and work colleagues alike – it challenges your teamwork skills and your out-of-the-box thinking. But remember, sometimes the simplest answers are the correct ones.

After our amazing morning, we all set back to the office and shared our stories and experiences, especially all the laughs. Thank you, Mindgame Escape, for the most engaging, thrilling, and exciting team-building experience. This won’t be the last time seeing us, I know many of us will be back to conquer the rooms again and hopefully make new records.

So, grab your magnifying glass and switch your detective brain on, gather your group, and try to escape a room in 60 minutes. Oh, did I forget to mention that there are times to beat from previous groups? You better hurry!

031 396 5460

 www.mindgame.co.za 

Shop 35, Tiffany’s Shopping Centre, Salt Rock