An escape from reality: Go inside the new ‘Tomb Raider Experience’ in Seattle to relive video game
Film and video game fans looking for another escape from reality have a new option in downtown Seattle with the opening this week of the new “Tomb Raider Experience Seattle: Escape from the Temple of Fire.”
The immersive escape room, previewed by GeekWire on Monday, puts players in the world of protagonist Lara Croft, the British archaeologist and treasure hunter, as they have to avoid danger and solve an assortment of puzzles to move from room to room.
The action takes place in an ancient volcanic temple in Chile — accessed via fake helicopter ride, one’s imagination, and an elaborately built-out 4,000 square-foot space at 1122 Post Ave., a block off Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
The experience officially opens on Saturday, and is from Seattle-based Hourglass Escapes, under its banner Hourglass Attractions, in partnership with “Tomb Raider” creator Crystal Dynamics.
Seth Wolfson, owner and creative director of Hourglass Escapes and co-owner of Hourglass Attractions, is a film and theme park veteran who has been designing and operating escape room experiences and video games since 2016.
“I think we surpassed what we wanted to do,” Wolfson said of the build-out, limited in some part by building dimensions. “We’re still kind of a mom-and-pop company. We didn’t have $20 million like you would for a ride at Disney.”
Wolfson thinks the 28-year-old “Tomb Raider” franchise is still a big enough draw to attract tourists and others drawn to downtown Seattle by the nearby Pike Place Market, aquarium, redeveloped waterfront and more.
“We want to be something that can be family friendly,” he said. “It’s educational because you’re doing puzzles. It’s away from screen time for kids. It’s great for team building.”
The first “Tomb Raider” video game was released in 1996, and since then, the franchise has sold more than 95 million copies. There have also been three feature films.
The last time I played the “Tomb Raider” video game was in the late ’90s when the debut title was available for my PlayStation 1. I would spend hours and hours trying to get Lara Croft through various adventures unscathed. In the experience on Monday, it took 90 minutes to move through six rooms.
The puzzles were definitely challenging for our team of five people, and our guide Alex, armed with a touchscreen tablet, definitely broke the fourth wall on occasion to help us along.
The experience is augmented by a good deal of technology along the way, including various video displays, sound and lighting touches, the piped-in voices of Croft and evil scientists, and some realistic haptics including a good amount of shaking on the final escape pod out of Chile.
There is no physical encounter with Croft or any other actors, with the exception of the guide. The experience can accommodate up to 10 people at a time on a team, spaced out every 20 minutes. There are no jump scares of note — the thrill is designed to come from racing the clock to escape each room — but the age requirement is 10 and up. The rooms are mostly filled with blinking lights and props that make the spaces feel like an ancient tomb accented with modern scientific and tech touches.
The attraction, which will employ about 25 people, comes at a time when Amazon is developing a film reboot of “Tomb Raider” as well as a streaming TV series. And it could serve as another way that the City of Seattle hopes to lure more visitors to the downtown core as part of Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan.
Wolfson said the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Seattle Association, and Visit Seattle have all been “really, really great” to work with and Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson has been an advocate for the business.
“Tomb Raider Experience Seattle: Escape from the Temple of Fire” will be open seven days a week from 9:20 a.m. to 10 p.m. Prices start at $49.
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