Neil Coker

Democrat staff writer

You're handcuffed and blindfolded. There are other captives around you. You're in a room, surrounded by clues and codes to crack in order to make your escape. But you must make haste. You have only an hour until the kidnapper returns.

Entertainment?

It is now. Interactive entertainment.

At Breakout Escape Games, which began in Lexington, Kentucky in 2015 and is opening a Tallahassee location sometime in September, participants enter staged scenarios in different rooms where they must work together to solve mysteries and complete tasks in order to escape.

Besides the kidnapping scenario, there's a museum heist set-up where team members must break into an art thief's home to return stolen artwork, an island escape where the team must escape the impending threat of an active volcano, a hostage situation aboard an airplane, and "Operation: Casino," where those inside take on the role of spies and uncover the whereabouts of a missing agent.

"Obviously, some of these are not exactly for 11- or 12-year-olds, but some rooms are definitely more family-friendly," said Breakout Tallahassee's marketing manager Colin Perrier.

Rooms are watched and moderated by a "Game Master," who guides visitors via intercom. If a group is unable to achieve their goal within the hour time limit, the Game Master explains to them how close they were and how many steps they were from escaping.

"Our goal is to challenge the minds of all ages and strengthen relationships through teamwork. Most importantly, we want it to be fun for everyone," said Perrier.

Breakout Tallahassee will be located at 1891 Capital Circle NE, near the intersection of Miccosukee Road. Admission will be $24 per person, with group rates available. Visit breakoutgames.com/tallahassee.