The clock was ticking. The handcuffs that bound my left arm to the metal bar were starting to hurt my wrist. “Where’s the key?” I kept asking, exasperated at my friends on the other side of the cell.

I looked up at the security camera and started waving my  free hand in a desperate signal for help. A deep voice echoed through the cell: “Would you like a hint?”

Earlier this year, my friends and I participated in Real Escape Room in San Francisco. We were first taken to the room and briefed on the storyline and rules by the “gamemaster.” We were prisoners taken to Alcatraz and our mission was to make it through a series of rooms, the last of which would lead to our successful escape.

The door was locked, we were handcuffed to the cell, and the countdown began.

We escaped the cell by using a chain and a magnet to attract the hidden key. When we moved on to the next room, we were greeted by a dummy dressed as a guard. There were playing cards in his hands and a calendar on his desk, along with an assortment of other  objects.

After a frustrating 20 minutes, we eventually figured out that the cards correlated to a date on the calendar, which was the code to the second locked door. Two rooms later, we reached our final destination.

As the clock ticked on, we began to lose hope, until one of my friends found a hidden remote. Then, I remembered a set of televisions I had seen earlier. We sprinted back to the start and clicked the remote.

The screen displayed four prisoners in their cells, each moving their arms. With less than 5 minutes left, we deduced  that their bodies were forming letters. We immediately punched  the code into the final lock and opened the door to freedom.

In an average escape room game, a group ranging from 2-12 people solves puzzles to escape a locked room within a time limit, which is usually about an hour. The admission is $25 to $30 per person or $130 per room, depending on the level of difficulty. Considering the materials involved in creating the room and the stimulating experience, it’s definitely worth the money.

The experience is great for team bonding events and groups of friends, as the adrenaline of the game causes people to work closely together.

The mix of emotions that occurs during the game creates a unique option of entertainment: It’s as if you’re the star of your own thrilling movie. Going to Real Escape Room is one of the most popular activities among my friends, and we can’t wait to go back.