Launched last fall, the venue has been averaging about 200 players a week at its South Main Street headquarters.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — To the world at large, he was simply a wealthy recluse — a bit eccentric, perhaps, but hardly a criminal mastermind. But us? We knew better. We knew Dr. Lucius Roberts was up to no good, and it was our job to find out what it was.

But could we do it? Could we succeed where so many of our fellow agents had failed?

Fortunately, after following a series of clues that included, among other things, a mystery novel, a chess set and a pair of handcuffs, the nefarious Dr. Roberts was exposed and apprehended.

And for that, the world can thank a group of eager twenty-somethings who assembled recently at Escape Rhode Island, a company that specializes in Houdini-like escape games that emphasize teamwork and problem-solving.

Launched last fall, Escape Rhode Island is the brainchild of Yale University graduates Ethan Carlson and Max Sutter. Carlson, who has a background in technology and engineering, says the two were looking for something that was both intellectually challenging and fun to do. It also helped that so-called locked-room games like those offered by Escape Rhode Island were exploding across the country.

"I'd say it's definitely a trend," says Carlson, who previously worked at VCharge, a Providence technology start-up. "Many people are familiar with Myst and other clue-based computer games. What we do is try to translate that into a real-world experience."

So far, their investment seems to be paying off. Since opening in October, Escape Rhode Island is averaging about 200 players a week at its South Main Street headquarters — not bad for a business that, for now, is only open weekends and Thursday and Friday nights.

"We've done incredibly well, especially considering the number of hours we're open," Carlson says.

At the moment, the company offers two different game scenarios: "The Study," in which teams of two to six people try to foil the villainous schemes of Dr. Roberts and his evil minions, and "The Gallery," in which teams of up to 10 people must solve the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of a famous artist.

A third game, dubbed "Ex Machina," will be added later this month.

"This time we're going with an archaeology theme," Carlson says. "The story is that you're a team of archaeologists who've found a room filled with a mysterious assortment of machines. There's also a large mechanical door that needs to be opened."

Although details vary from game to game, many of the basic elements remain the same. To be successful, players must follow clues and solve a variety of puzzles, including word games, numerical puzzles and simple ciphers. According to Carlson, the best teams tend to be ones in which players share ideas and information. Games typically last about 60 minutes, although not everyone needs that much time.

"It's great team-building exercise," Carlson says. "You really can't solve all the puzzles by yourself."

To prove his point, Carlson recently invited a Journal reporter to observe one of the company's games in action (it turned out to be "The Study"). The participants, all in their early to mid-twenties, included Asaad Miller, a California native who works for a local nonprofit; Aaron Rosenberg, a Providence-based software developer; and Rachel Apostoles, a marketing manager for a South County furniture company.

Amanda Tien, a teacher-training specialist from Newport, and Seung Chan Lim, a corporate management consultant, rounded out the group.

After reviewing the rules of the game — among other things, participants are free to share information, but using cellphones and online search programs to solve the puzzles is forbidden — we were sent off to find out all we could about the evil Dr. Roberts.

It didn't take long. A chest of drawers, for example, yielded several clues, including a mysterious note and a flashlight equipped with ultraviolet bulbs. Other clues turned up in bookcases, under tables and tucked into lamps and other furnishings.

(Note: in order not to give away too many of the game's surprises, we agreed not to reveal specific clues or puzzle answers.)

Often, solving one puzzle only led to others. "Woo-hoo, we got one," Apostoles, the marketing manager, shouted at one point, before realizing that her clue was just one part of a larger puzzle — one that would take another 10 minutes to solve.

Sometimes the players worked together to find clues or solve puzzles, while at other times they broke into smaller groups.

"That's actually very smart," Carlson noted. "Because of the way the games are set up, you can often get a lot more accomplished in smaller groups."

In the end, it took our group nearly the full 60 minutes to find all the clues hidden in Dr. Roberts' lair. That's about average, according to Carlson. Still, nobody was complaining.

"That was so awesome," said Tien, the education specialist. "Can we go again?"

Escape Rhode Island is at 385 South Main Street in Providence. Tickets are $26 for adults, $22 for children and students. Children ages 10 to 14 are welcome to play with an adult; children 15 to 17 can play by themselves but an adult must sign the waiver. For more, call (401) 572-3889 or visit escaperhodeisland.com.