Situation Room offers escape from normal weekend plans

If you’re looking for a new addition to your weekend plans that doesn’t include the usual slew of downtown stops, you’re in luck. This September, Macon’s first escape room will be open for business.

Situation Room is an escape simulation that places guests into locked rooms and challenges them to find a way out through interactive games and tasks, all while racing against the clock.

“Think of it as a slice of real life interactive gaming where we will present a scenario and players will use whatever assets and skills they have as a group and collaborate to beat that situation,” said Thomas Choi, one of the owners and operators of Situation Room, in an email.

Situation Room will offer two escape scenarios — the first is an intergalactic adventure where patrons must make it out of a failing spacecraft before time runs out.

The second takes place amidst a war zone and challenges visitors to complete a task before being attacked by the enemy.

Players will be asked to find hidden doors and clues, solve puzzles, operate switches, decipher messages and much more.

The idea for the Situation Room came when five friends decided to take a trip to Atlanta and try out one of the popular new simulation escape rooms.

“We decided to take a trip to Atlanta a few months ago and decided to try one of these escape rooms,” he said. “We left that night wanting more. It was an awesome experience, but we felt that we could do it better.

The five friends then decided to come back to Macon and create their own escape room — one with tougher puzzles and a greater variety of escape scenarios.

“I’m truly excited for this business and think that it will be a start of many good things to come for Macon as the downtown area continues to grow,” Choi said.

The owners of Situation Room said they were excited to welcome Mercer students to its establishment and hopes to offer another alternative to a boring weekend.

The business even offers escape room team bonding exercises for the many clubs and organizations on Mercer’s diverse campus.

Students can expect Situation Room to grow in size with the addition of several other escape scenarios after the business’s grand opening this September.

The current hours of operation will be Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm, with extended hours on Sunday ranging from 10 am to 8 pm.

“We are really looking to make [Situation Room] a big deal and have it as a well-known, nearby source of entertainment for your college community,” Choi said.