Tucked into a shopping plaza on Main Street in Urbana is C-U Adventures in Time and Space. We wrote about it when it was first opening back in 2015. A few of us here at Smile Politely finally ventured over with our significant others a couple of weeks ago and accepted their challenge: You Have One Hour To Save the World. C-U Adventures is currently running five different adventures: The Lost Temple, The Cabin, Calling All Heroes, Sword Of The Dragon, and Artificial Intelligence. We took on The Cabin, and without revealing too much, a step into this room truly transports you into some sort of grisly horror movie scene. And there are clowns.
They recommend teams of 2-10 for completing the challenge, and our group of six seemed just right. We were able to divide and conquer without feeling like there were too many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak.
After the adrenaline of trying to complete the challenge in an hour (our pride would not accept any other outcome) wore off, we were able to appreciate the truly unique aspects of the puzzle. Clues ranged from obvious to obscure (we had to ask for hints), and the design team came up with clue trails that truly challenged all parts of the brain. Owners Chris and Anne Lukeman are video professionals with a passion for gaming and storytelling, and they travel the country trying out other escape rooms and seeking inspiration for new adventures back here in C-U.
It’s not often our adult brains get to “escape” reality for an hour and truly immerse ourselves in this type of stimulating activity, and that makes it well worth the $25/person fee. So grab your friends, family, co-workers, or strangers off the street (maybe not that last one) and see if you can save the world.
Photo by Justine Bursoni