Questomania: are quests useful, and is it worth playing such games at all? Games of a different reality. How to choose a safe quest? Is it possible to choose a quest that will be interesting for both adults and children

Now a company of friends-buddies should not have a question “where to go?”, If suddenly all the movie premieres have already been watched, hunger does not torment, and in karaoke all the songs are hackneyed. Escape rooms appeared in Japan and China in 2007. At the same time, similar quests began to appear in Europe, so that soon enough - after six years - to be in Russia and throughout the post-Soviet space.

This game either brings back memories of everyone's favorite show "Fort Boyard", then it resembles a kind of computer quest. The intellectual nature of the entertainment is attracting more and more people. What else attracts numerous visitors to escape rooms and quests?

It takes an hour to get out of a closed room, stylized in a certain theme. Mobile phone, tablet - everything will have to be left outside the room in order to spend time alone with riddles, puzzles and hiding places. You can use only ingenuity, dexterity and logic. In today's reality, being alone with yourself, and not in a mobile gadget, is an unaffordable luxury. And if at the same time you become the hero of some incredible adventure, hold on - getting pleasure from the quest is guaranteed.

If you decide to get out of the room, get ready for the varied menu that various companies in your city are offering today. Quest in reality is a real religion. Riddle, entourage, plot dominate here. Perhaps you will not have to get out of the room, but find some object, fill a suitcase with money, live the storyline in an hour, feeling like the hero of your favorite movie. Here the interior should be not just bright, but thought out and connected into a single storyline.

Today, in many cities of the post-Soviet space, there are so many quests that sometimes you just get lost in their choice. But do you have to choose, maybe you need to test yourself in all locations? Quests can take a firm foothold by displacing numismatics and philately among your hobbies. Trust me, if you try to leave the room once, you will do it over and over again.

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Popular escape rooms in the reality of Moscow

Far, distant future. Artificial intelligence Skynet has taken control of all modern technologies and is trying to enslave people. Your resistance squad is humanity's last hope!

2–6 60 minutes

New Year's holidays is a great chance to get together with friends and not spend time corny at dining gatherings, but go to test yourself on quests. True, despite the fact that their market has been actively developing in Russia for the fourth year already, not everyone considers the new type of entertainment to be safe.

And these fears are not unfounded. This year alone, there were three accidents on the quests. In January, a metropolitan student fell victim to an actor who got used to his role too much and hit the guy on the head with an ax. Two girls were burned during a "fire" quest in Saratov, and a month ago 8 people fell to the floor below during a horror quest.

In order to understand whether a quest can really be safe, how to choose it and what you need to know in order to avoid accidents, the AiF.ru correspondent went through several quests in reality.

Immersion in the atmosphere of the quest begins at the entrance. Photo: Grigory Nadtok

Look up

The first thing to do before going to the game is to open a special aggregator: "World of Quests". The site collects all the quests that are in Russia today, and arranges them in descending order: from best to worst. Here you can also get feedback from visitors to a particular quest, ask a question to the operators and choose a game according to the preferences of your company.

General Director of "World of Quests" Igor Bobb. Photo: Grigory Nadtok

“We focus on the feedback of visitors and make a national rating. All clients leave the assessment, because we contact everyone by mail and call. Top rated games come out ahead, says General Director of "World of Quests" Igor Bobb.“If an emergency has occurred or the player, for objective reasons, speaks negatively about the quest, we turn to its creators for an explanation.”

Bobb assures: if they find out about violent methods on the quest, then he is immediately removed from the site.

Today in Russia there are more than 5 thousand rooms with games, while in the USA there are 1500, and in Europe the figure does not even reach 1000.

“The Russian market of escape rooms is distinguished by the desire to immerse visitors in the atmosphere of action. For example, if a quest is connected with solving riddles about a mummy or a pyramid, then you will get the complete feeling that you are in Egypt, ”assures Igor Bobb.

Russian quests are distinguished by the presence of entourage and a plausible picture of what is happening. Photo: Grigory Nadtok

Safe points

Every week the World of Quests team goes to the sites to personally make sure of their safety and reliability.

The first thing the experts pay attention to is whether it is easy to find a quest by its description. The next item is the work of the administrator. “We look not only at hospitable service, but also at its ability to describe the action within the game,” explains Bobb. - And, of course, we evaluate the entourage: how much it corresponds to the story told before. It is clear that boring quests will not attract a single visitor. If there is no entourage, then there should be the most interesting and understandable tasks. "

If the quest is a performance in which actors participate, experts evaluate their play as well. They should be as believable as possible and not harm the participants by their actions. “But, in addition, we are studying how the mechanisms work, whether there is a possibility that a person can be injured inadvertently,” adds Bobb. "In addition, every performance quest must have a fire extinguisher, but, unfortunately, not everyone fulfills this requirement."

The quality of the riddles, the correspondence of price and quality, dynamism are other items in the list of the employees of the "World of Quests". If the quest is intended for children, experts even investigate the level of cleanliness in the room.

No one holds

But, perhaps, the main thing is the presence of an emergency button, by pressing which the player can leave the room.

“At any time we can stop the game, even if the players themselves are embarrassed to ask. A "correct" quest must have cameras in each of the playrooms and an employee who monitors what is happening on them, - says Marketing Director of "Quest Streets" Elena Tarasova... - There are performances based on horror films, and sometimes people ask them to come out on their own. Of course, we cannot prevent this ”.

The operator is watching what is happening on the quest, and if something happens, you can stop the game. Photo: Grigory Nadtok

It is not uncommon for both players and actors to get hurt in horror performances. The only way to avoid this is to not engage in feedback with the actor. “The actor behaves according to the script and will not intentionally harm the participant. In this case, the players, frightened by the actor, can strongly push him away or hit him. Such contact is prohibited, and in order to be safe, quests are usually asked to sign the appropriate paper, ”explains Igor Bobb.

But, according to him, sometimes it is the organizers' fault in accidents. “If they decide to add some zest to the performance, for example, a chainsaw, although we categorically do not welcome this in our rating,” says Bobb, “then they usually put plugs on it that do not allow the chain to touch anything or hurt the player. ... But recently, such a plug flew off the actor, and he did not notice this in the heat of the game and injured the participant. In this case, the fault lies entirely with the organizer. "

At the same time, Bobb assures that there is no need to be afraid of quests, because such accidents happen very rarely and only on sites that have not proven themselves. “Large companies will not sacrifice their reputation and will do everything to make the quest bring only positive emotions,” assures Igor Bobb.

You have never been to the quest rooms and have questions? We will try to answer the most common ones.

1. What is a quest in reality?

2. Which quest to choose for the first time?

We have selected a small list of quests that are suitable for beginners. If the choice caused difficulties or you prefer to communicate with our consultant, then just call us at + 7-900-300-5744 - we will be happy to select a quest just for you.

Be prepared to answer basic questions about the number of players, gender, age, and preferences (Hidden Object Quest, Tech Quest, Scary, Family or Kid's Quest).

3. How is the game booked?

You need to choose a date and time convenient for you. Our consultant will check the availability of a free game and book it for you. After that, the quest administrator will contact you to confirm your reservation.

As a rule, on weekdays, many of the quests have free time, so you can complete the quest today. The greatest demand for quests is on weekends and holidays, so it is better to book games for a weekend in advance (2-4 days in advance).

4. How is the payment for the game carried out?

Payment for the game takes place directly in the quest itself before the start of the game. The price is indicated for the whole team as a whole (up to 4 people), on average it is 2,000 rubles. on weekdays and 2500 rubles. on the weekend. For the 5th and 6th players (if the room allows you to increase the number of players), as a rule, there is an additional payment of 300-500 rubles / person.

5. Is it possible to present the game to a friend or loved one for a birthday or other holiday?

Oh sure. You can come to our office (or order delivery) and purchase a gift certificate for completing the quest. The certificate is universal and is valid in any of the more than 40 quests in the city. The cost of the certificate is 2500 rubles.

6. How long does the quest take?

The game itself usually lasts about 60 minutes (there are quests up to 90 minutes). We recommend that you arrive 5-10 minutes earlier than the booked time so that you can find the quest without haste (as a rule, most quests are located in the basement floors), take off your outerwear and listen to a short briefing and background story.

7. How many people can play the quest?

Usually a team of 2-4 people is allowed into the room. The optimal composition is 3-4 people. This limitation is due to the small area of ​​the rooms themselves (a large number of players will be cramped) and the number of puzzles designed for just 3-4 people.

Some quests (with a large area and several locations) allow teams of 5-6 people to play, but in most cases you will have to pay 300-500 rubles for each additional player. You can find a list of such quests on this page.

8. And if there are more than 6 of us?

Unfortunately, Voronezh's quest rooms are currently not ready to accept a team of more than 6 people. But you have 2 options:

• Choose a quest where 2 or more rooms are available, split into 2 teams (4 players or 3 and 4 players) and go through different quests at the same time. You can find a list of such quests on the corporate events page;
• Divide into 2 teams (4 players or 3 and 4 players) and go through the same quest in turn, having arranged a small competition with each other.

Quests have comfortable receptions where one team can have tea or play board games while the other team goes through the quest.

9. If I am one or there are only two of us?

If the proposed options do not suit you, then you can call us, and our consultant will be happy to select a quest according to your preferences.

10. What will happen if we do not understand anything and do not know what to do and how to get out of the room?

This is very rare. The quest itself is difficult to explain, but very easy to understand on the spot :)

In any case, the quest administrator will look after you through the cameras, and if you find it difficult to complete, you can ask him for hints. If 60 minutes have expired, but it was not possible to get out, the administrator will release you. You can ask him questions about the quest and find out the answer, or return to the quest so that from the 2nd attempt you can still defeat him yourself.

11. Can children play quests?

They can and are very fond of. For children, special quest rooms have been developed with simplified tasks and appropriate entourage. Most of the children's rooms are designed for children between the ages of 7-12. Some quests can be taken by children from 6 years old accompanied by an adult - a parent or an animator of the quest room. ...

When it comes to age, there is practically no upper limit. Although the majority of players are between the ages of 14 and 35, quests are very popular with the older generation. So up to 60 years old, you can definitely safely go for this entertainment, especially since among the quests there are also historical quests that cause nostalgia, for example, The Time Machine - Back to the USSR.

12. Can I have tea or celebrate the birthday of a child or an adult player in the quest?

If you came to the game on the birthday of one of the players and want to drink champagne (strong drinks are prohibited) or eat cake (very much in demand for children), then in some quests you can rent a room for 1 hour at a price around 1000-1500 rubles.

13. How to dress for the quest? Do you need replacement shoes?

We recommend that you dress in comfortable casual clothes - jeans, sneakers or boots. It is better not to wear white or light colors. In many quests you will have to look somewhere, climb up somewhere, unscrew something, so it is better to leave high-heeled shoes or evening dresses at home, replacing them with something more universal.

14. We are late for 5-10 minutes. Should we call and worry?

Punctuality is the courtesy of kings. However, there are situations when, due to circumstances, you are a little late. 5-10 minutes will not play a role (especially if there is no other game after you), but if you are late for 15 or more minutes, we recommend calling and notifying the administrator about it.

Quest restrictions.

In addition to age restrictions (there are quests with a limit of 18+) and a limit on the number of players, there is also a "classic" prohibition - quests cannot be played while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The administrator will not let you play in this state. In addition to the fact that in such a state you will not get pleasure from the game, the game can be dangerous to your health.

Have a nice game!

Still have questions? Call + 7-900-300-5744. We will be happy to answer you!

Today you don't need to puzzle over what to do in your free time. Various companies offer quite a variety of quests, the popularity of which is increasing every day. After all, these are incredible adventures, during the passage of which you can experience a lot of positive emotions and get real pleasure. So what does a quest mean in simple terms?

Content:

What is a Quest?

Quest (from the English "quest" - challenge, search, adventure) Is an intellectual type of game entertainment, during which participants need to overcome a number of obstacles, solve certain problems, solve logical riddles, cope with the difficulties that arise on their way in order to achieve a common goal. The analogue of the quest is the well-known TV show "Fort Boyard".

The very first variants of such entertainment were computer games, consisting of many levels, where, living a virtual life, the player overcame a series of obstacles to obtain a conditional "treasure" or to defeat a virtual enemy. The first real escape rooms appeared in Japan and China in 2007. At the same time, they began to appear in Europe, and after a few years they began to gain popularity in Russia and filled the entire post-Soviet space.

The meaning of the term in games

Quest in a computer game- this is an online task in which the player, performing a certain role, according to a given plot, interacts with the virtual world using different objects to achieve the game goal. The hero performs the following actions in the game:

• communicates with other characters in the game;
• solves logical problems;
• defeats enemies;
• gets to a certain place;
• reaches the next level;
• searches for certain objects and with their help solves puzzles and opens doors to move from one room to another.

The result of passing a certain level in the game and the whole game is getting experience, virtual money, some things, weapons, etc.

P.S. Remember only this "favorite quest" (picture above) from the game The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. And anger and laughter, oh, this one.

What are quests in reality?

This is a chain of riddles and puzzles that are located in a certain area. This can be a small location, an apartment of several rooms, parks, large abandoned buildings, or an area on the scale of an entire city. In the latter case, the participants go through the tasks using bicycles or cars, because it is very difficult to walk around the whole city in a day.

The purpose of passing quests in reality is: using various clues, solving puzzles, overcoming obstacles, find a way out of the room (escape room).

Quest formats in real life:

• the plot of a film or book;
• an invented legend;
• historical or popular plot of an event;
• performances are quests in which live actors come to the aid of the participants, where the players become part of the performance, production.

Age range of quest participants:

Time for completing quests: as a rule, you need to complete it in 60 minutes, with the exception of city-wide quests, where you need to complete tasks throughout the day.

Quest completion results:

They did not invest in the given time - they lost (they died, could not prevent the seizure of the world by the forces of evil, fell into a trap, into the hands of law enforcement agencies, did not save the princess, etc.);

If you succeed - you won (you will be able to take a picture for memory with a sign in your hands indicating the cherished time for completing the quest, receive memorable gifts - souvenirs, magnets, calendars, stickers, etc.).

Number of participants: from one to 4-5 people, it is necessary to check with the operator in advance.

Why do people participate in quests:

• as an interesting pastime;
• to escape from real everyday life and plunge into a fabulous atmosphere;
• for the development of intellectual abilities;
• in order to test your strength in the face of clear tasks and a tough deadline;
• in order to look at your friends in an unfamiliar environment and get to know them from the other side;
• to feel like a superhero saving the world;
• to tickle your nerves;
• to reveal hidden abilities and talents;
• for team building;
• to get a lot of impressions for a month in advance;
• to have fun.

The main requirement is that all gadgets (phones, smartphones, tablets) will have to be left outside the escape room in order to participate in interesting adventures with guessing riddles, puzzles, solving mysteries and finding hiding places. The only thing you can take with you is ingenuity, dexterity, courage, courage, analytical skills and logic. In the modern world, spending a whole hour alone with yourself without using digital technologies is an unaffordable luxury and is worth a lot.

To date, there are a lot of quest scenarios.

How to choose a really worthwhile offer:

Important! A quest is entertainment, so you don't need to take everything that happens in it to heart, get upset if you lose, quarrel with friends if something doesn't work out for them, be afraid, get nervous and complicate everything. You just need to enjoy the process and the atmosphere. And then the final main goal of participating in the quest - getting a lot of positive emotions - will be achieved!

In the beginning there were text quests in the console on the computer. Later they were replaced by quests with 2D graphics. Then there was a wave of browser quests "Get out of the room", which migrated to smartphones.

Quests in reality are the next round of the spiral. This is an attempt to take avid questers offline and a new entertainment that has millions of fans around the world.

They appeared in Japan in 2007. The first Russian quests were "Ward No. 6" and "Beginning" from the "Snail" company in Yekaterinburg, and two years later, "Claustrophobia" opened quest rooms in Moscow.

Why do people go on quests and how to win this game? We reveal the secrets of victory :)

What is a quest in reality

Quest is a chain of riddles located in a certain location. Actually, there are escape rooms - when riddles are located in a small area, conventionally - in an apartment of several rooms. And the current room usually has a key to the next one. How many rooms, you are not told in advance.

And there are quests that are carried out on a large territory - in parks, large abandoned buildings or on the scale of an entire city. Usually these are bike or auto quests, because you can't wind tens of kilometers on foot in a few hours.

The essence is always about the same: complete tasks and solve riddles that bring you closer to victory. To make it more interesting, the creators of the quest come up with a legend, take a historical or popular plot.

The escape room usually takes 60 minutes to complete. Other quests - several hours.

Do not have time - you will lose (die, let the forces of evil take over the world, fall into the hands of the police, do not save the princess, etc.). If you succeed, you will win and you will be able to take a picture with a sign with the cherished time. And if you're lucky, they'll also give you a magnet, stickers, etc. :)

Quests are often done based on films or books. Indeed, some of them seem to be sharpened for a quest. Remember "Exam" or "Saw": here you have a limited space, and brain-breaking puzzles, and a fixed time.

A separate story is performances. These are quests with live actors. Spoiler alert: performances are always held, actors help in the right places. It's just that they are not so much about riddles as about immersion in the atmosphere and the opportunity to become part of the performance.

Why go to escape rooms

To distract yourself and immerse yourself in a certain atmosphere. Get a bunch of tasks and a tough deadline. Test your strength and look at your friends in an unfamiliar environment. Feel like a superhero. To tickle your nerves, finally - when a maniac chained you to the wall and clicks a shocker at your face, the sensations are still there!

In fact, everyone has their own reasons. Quests are quite suitable even for dating (just keep in mind that the operator will see you in all rooms). They are often used for team building.

An hour in a confined space full of secrets and mysteries awakens hidden abilities and talents. This perfectly boosts your brain and teaches you to think outside the box. And it provides impressions for a month in advance!

How to choose a quest

It is better to start with large franchises that are not the first day on the market. Such companies have already developed certain standards, so the quality of performance will be at the level.

And this is important - it happens that a lot of time is lost due to glitches and breakdowns of mechanisms. Of course, the operator can add minutes or restart the quest. But the impressions will not be the same.

Review sites are very helpful. Just look critically and distinguish real opinions from paid ones.

In general, if there are a lot of reviews for the quest, and they are mostly positive, you can safely go. Spoilers in reviews are extremely rare, so they won't help you complete the quest. But they will give you an idea of ​​what is inside and how complicated everything is.

Another indicator is the average time to complete the quest. It can be listed on review sites or on the quest booking page. Easy quests usually take 40-45 minutes. The most difficult - in 58-60 minutes out of 60. The results of those who did not pass are not taken into account.

Pay attention to the busyness of the quest. If on Friday you go to the site and see that there are no free slots in the quest on Saturday and Sunday (all sessions are busy from morning to evening), then this is a worthwhile option, even if not for this weekend. If only a couple of sessions are clogged, then the quest is either old and everyone who wanted to have passed it. Or he is so-so.

There are quests that cannot be completed together - for example, if you need to simultaneously press buttons in three different ends of the room. This is indicated in the description. But, as a rule, you can go with a company of 2-4 people.

Do not hesitate to clarify by phone with the operator how difficult the quest is and how many people are desirable to complete it. Operators, more often than not, actively go to quests themselves, so they will not advertise a deliberately inappropriate option.

Children and quests

Quests may have age restrictions. But in fact, there are stories that are really strictly 18+ (for example, if the plot has to shoot people or the horror is too creepy). And there are quests in which children will simply not be interested - for example, according to an adult book or a movie, with a large number of logical riddles, etc.

Children under the age of 14 are definitely not worth taking on horror movies. Neither them nor you will enjoy it. No, there are, of course, exceptions, but ... There are also more interesting options for them.

Children under 6 have nothing to do in quests either. There is little help from them. In addition, they will distract from solving riddles, and there is a great chance of not meeting the right time. Drinking, going to the toilet, and so on from the quest is not accepted - they will let you out, of course, but this will not add buzz.

Although now there are many quests designed specifically for children. If you want to give your child and his friends a birthday quest, check with the operator if they can complete it themselves or if the presence of an adult is required.

Life hacks for passing quests

As soon as the front door is closed behind you, take a close look. You can do everything that does not break the situation. Feel and tap the walls, open all available drawers, look under furniture, behind pictures. Pay attention to the pictures on the walls - they often provide a clue.

Keep in your head locked boxes, mechanisms that are missing something, pieces from puzzles. This makes it clear what you need to find.

Don't dwell on one puzzle for too long. If you stomp in one place for more than five minutes, then you are doing something wrong. Try looking for more clues or items.

Keys and other quest items are most often used only once. This is an unspoken rule. If the item will be reused, the operator will give you a hint before starting the quest. Leave the keys in the locks and you will be happy.

There are a minimum of random items in quests. If something looks out of the ordinary, it almost certainly serves a purpose.

Check any strange stickers, protrusions and other elements for magnetic properties. For example, mechanisms are often triggered by magnets of a certain size built into key objects or by precise weight.

Listen. All the words that you hear in the quest have a meaning and help you complete it.

Designate someone to be in charge of time. It's easy to get carried away in a quest and lose track of the minutes. The person in charge should bring you back to reality and adjust if necessary. You cannot take a watch or smartphone with you. But most often there is a timer inside or you can ask the operator about the time.

If you have to enter a dark room or crawl through a narrow passage, close one eye for a minute. When you open your eyes, you will quickly adapt to the dark. By the way, pirates wore an eye patch for the same reason - so that, going down into the hold, they could see immediately.

Finally, if you realize that you are exactly stuck, ask the operator for a hint. Perhaps you are doing everything right, the mechanism just did not work. Or maybe you are trying to open the door instead of sliding it to the side. Everyone is dull, especially in a new stressful environment)))

They do not make too difficult and impossible riddles in them, because the creators are important to please you and ensure your arrival on the next quest. If you think a little and look from a different angle, the solution will be insanely simple.

Most importantly, remember: quests are fun. The goal of any of them is to have fun.

Do not take them personally, do not be afraid or quarrel with your friends because they are doing something wrong. Don't complicate things, just enjoy the process and the atmosphere.

How to save on quests