A BRAIN-BUSTING craze which has swept the UK how now opened its doors in Barrow.
Escape Room gives people an experience they won't forget fast, as they are locked inside and given just one hour to escape.
Located in Rawlinson Street, the branch is the latest addition to the chain that operates across the north including Manchester and Preston.
The idea behind Escape Room lies in the name. Teams of up to six people are locked inside a themed room, and given one hour to escape using nothing more than their wits.
Of the four rooms on offer in Barrow include a prison break style scenario, or trying to get out of a terrifying old hotel room.
The escape will seek to combine great fun, with fiendishly clever puzzles, with a few scares thrown in for those who think they're brave enough for the challenge.
Speaking about the success of Escape Room, Callum Boulton, the company's area manager said: "It's not surprising to me to be honest.
"Everyone has gone bowling, or paint balling. Escape Room is something that is completely different for adults."
Escape Room is a franchise organisation, the first location in Manchester being set up in January 2015.
Since then it has expanded to Preston, Newcastle-under-Lyme and now Barrow.
"We're looking to expand further north, and targeting some of the big university towns like Leeds and Newcastle," Mr Boulton said.
Escape Room is hoping to have a long life, and to keep drawing back in repeat business.
They want to attract not only the young crowd, but people of all age ranges.
Mr Boulton said: "It's not just for young people that are trying it out, we see people that are 40 to 50 years old."
Michael McGoldrick, 31, from Barrow spoke to us just after leaving one of the challenge rooms.
He said: "I just discovered it when I was driving past one day.
"I thought it was really really good, me and my friends really enjoyed it. It's like a real-life video game, except you get to properly interact with people."
Unfortunately Mr McGoldrick didn't manage to escape the room, but that hasn't put him off.
"I'd definitely be giving it another go," he said.
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