Letter From The Editor

This is something I never thought I would say, but earlier this week, I paid some people to lock me in a room. And I wouldn’t be allowed out until I solved a code.

Luckily, I wasn’t living out the plot of some sadistic horror film — I was in a live-action game called an escape room at the brand-new Breakout Waikiki. The goal is simple: Get out of the room in one hour by using clues and solving puzzles.

But the game itself is not so easy. Some of the puzzles are pretty challenging (someone whose actual job title is data scientist was in my group, and we still had a tough time), and best of all, there are some plot twists that I guarantee you will not see coming.

Afterward, I learned that Breakout Waikiki is part of a larger — and growing — trend; there are escape rooms all over the world, and as of recently, they’re making their way to Hawaii.

Read more about escape rooms, Breakout Waikiki and why the owners think this concept has become such a phenomenon.

And then as soon as you’re done, go get locked up. You will not regret it.

I guess I was too busy getting locked in rooms to turn my attention to other, arguably more pressing things, like Christmas shopping. About 90 percent of my shopping is not done, and I am officially in Christmas panic mode. If you’re with me, see Holiday Procrastinators Unite, where columnist Anton Glamb has some suggestions that could save us all.