- by Rikky Murphy
- Filed under At home dates, Cheap dates, Easy to prep, Love language: Hugs, Love language: Time, Top 10.
Fun date ideas aged in manliness | Date Night Wingman
My Escape Room Date Night HOWTO
Is that love in the air, or a swarm of government-issued autonomous killer robots?
$29 + paper
60 mins Prep
Problem-solving
Date night in
It had been a long week…
…and you could tell.
Shoes lay strewn around the door. The dishes were beginning to develop a personality. Our dirty laundry was only moments away from declaring independence.
My wife and I collapsed into bed and sighed. It was date night. The thought of ending yet another day with ‘netflix and chill’ was almost defeating. We needed something fun and engaging to spice up a dull week, but we could barely muster the courage to step off the bed!
Download. Print. Party!
(NOTE: If you’re looking to make your own epic escape room experience, you’re better off reading this article)
As a print-and-play escape room kit, Rebel Revolt is advertised as ‘super easy’ to set up. Just download, print and party. Well, I decided to put this to the test.
Just how easy is this game to set up? And is it still enjoyable if you don’t transform it into a full escape room experience?
For the ADHD among us, the ‘too long didn’t read’ answer is ‘very’, and ‘yes!’
Setup
The teamwork started early that night. My wife volunteered to whip up a quick dinner, while I went to go prepare the game.
Rebel Revolt comes in a straightforward PDF. So it’s easy to print – no troubles there. The lengthiest part of the whole process was reading through the instructions and cutting out the cards. It took me somewhere around 40 minutes to cut out all 12 pages of cards one by one, but by the time dinner was over, we had the game ready to go.
When it came time to play the game, it really is very simple to set up. I turned on the A/C (important first step!), laid the cards out on the bed, and set up the laptop on the Rebel Revolt missions page. Then I just needed to run the music and let the games begin!
- Download? Check.
- Print? Check.
- Party? Check.
Rebel Revolt has passed the first test – it is super easy to set up! But is it fun?
Tip #1
Forget the mood lighting. For an escape room game like this, you need to see the puzzles – dim lighting is frustrating, not romantic! Save the candles for the after-party.
Viva la revolución!
With the cards laid out and the music calling us to glory, the revolution began!
We started by absolutely crushing the warmup puzzle. Turning, my wife beamed up at me with a sparkle of confidence that was irresistibly contagious. It was at this moment that I knew tonight was going to be a good night!
The game is divided into four challenges, each represented by a little stack of puzzle cards. Riding high on our victory, we boldly picked up the first stack of cards!
Tip #2
Moments like these make for great photo opportunities. Make sure to grab a couple of photos (and selfies!) so you can sit back and reminisce on your 50th anniversary.
The First Challenge
However, this confidence was quickly tempered by humility as we hit a string of incorrect answers in the very first challenge! Turns out, these puzzles are designed to be tricky! A tense, companionable silence floated between us, marked only by the busy mutterings of brains kicked into overdrive.
Tip #3
Share your thoughts! They say communication is important in a relationship (here’s another tip for you – it is!), and it’s no different in an escape room setting. Sharing information makes for easier puzzle-solving, and asking for advice shows how much you value her opinion.
The Second Challenge
That “aha!” moment as we solved the first challenge was perhaps the highlight of the whole game for me. My wife’s quiet satisfaction with her problem-solving skills (she solved two out of the three puzzles!) translated into enthusiasm which drove us headlong into the next set of challenge cards….
…. which was the disguise kit challenge…. and unfortunately, neither of us are remotely good at origami! The folding instructions were confusing for us, so we conceded a portion of our pride and used the hints to help figure it out. It still took us ages… which may not be a bad thing…..
Tip #4
The disguise kit challenge is the perfect opportunity to initiate a sweet moment of physical touch.
Help her with the origami (even if you don’t know what you’re doing – but bonus points if you do!) by gently placing your fingers over hers. Then it’s an easy transition to cradling her hand, leaning softly against her, and before you know it, she’s wrapped up in your arms!
The Third Challenge
Bam! Solved! Her leg was bouncing nervously as she hurried me to get to the next challenge. Time was running out, fast!
We were now racing against the clock. No more little kisses. No more flirtatious comments. We loved each other, but we had a mission to complete!
Maybe it was the pressure of the clock, or the night beginning to wear on us, but we needed to use hints fairly extensively to get through this next challenge. (I did like piecing together the shredded message though, and the circuit-board puzzle looked cool!)
Tip #5
Remember to smile – this is a date. Any little gesture that says “I’m having fun, but I love being with you most of all” goes down well.
The Final Countdown!
We could feel the countdown in our pulse as we entered the final challenge – just under 7 minutes to go! I could see the despair on her face as she asked, “Are we gonna make it?!”
I laid out the mine-cards in the hallway and blindfolded my bride. In a matter of moments she was left standing in the dark, waiting for me to guide her through a literal minefield. This right here was relationship-building! The clock was ticking – we needed to be fast… but how much did she trust me? …
… As I watched her trip, fall, and slam blindly against the doorway the answer was painfully evident. Too much! Remarkably, she had managed to dodge every single landmine on the way down (I’m now getting her midichlorian count tested for force-sensitivity). So with two minutes on the clock, we tried it again…….. and she blitzed it! My girl!
Tip #6
Stand at the other end of the minefield waiting for her. Lead her right into your arms for a victory kiss!
Obvious Tip #7:
And for goodness sakes, catch her if she falls!!!
Victory!!!
Victory was sweet! Standing there with my beloved wife in my arms, looking into her sparkling blue eyes we almost forgot to read the wrap-up text.
So in summary then, does Rebel Revolt work as an easy date-night?
- Ridiculously easy to set up…… after you’ve cut out all the cards.
- Not too difficult for two. I feel like it may work better with another couple of minds to brainstorm solutions, but when you’re stuck there are plenty of hints to help out.
- Team-building – you really get to see the way you work together under pressure.
- Bonding – plenty of little opportunities for sweet/playful touch and loving exchanges.
- Easy cleanup. Scoop up the papers and put them in the bin. Done!
- Fun!
All-in-all, Rebel Revolt made for a successful date-night with very little effort required. And the real indicator of success? When she sidled up to me the next week and casually asked, “Hey, do you remember that escape game we did? … do you have any more?…”
Looks like we’re set for another in the very near future!
Try the Adventure!
Why not try it for yourself? Rebel Revolt makes for a great date night adventure right in the comfort of your home.
(Or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, go all-out and make your own!)
Lock Paper Scissors also produces other escape room party kits which are all completely customizable, so you can keep date night fresh and exciting time and time again!
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