Escape rooms offers escape crates for those at home

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Time is ticking to solve a riddle inside one of the escape rooms at Next-Gen Escape in northeast Fresno.

The business opened in August of 2019 and was gaining a following in 2020.

"For two weeks we were exceeding expectations and then we had to shut down, so it's been a rough few months for us," said Calvin Kammer, Next-Gen Escape Owner.

The business has three different themed rooms, where groups of people choose a theme and try to figure out how to solve a riddle or problem.

While business halted, he and his partner thought outside of the box to bring an escape room to your house and created these escape crates.

"It's basically just an escape room, it's all the same puzzles all the same locks and boxes and riddles, but it's in a box for you. So it's a different experience," said Kiara Hill.

It costs $60 a box and it can be delivered in the Fresno or Clovis area for three hours. Hill says people were excited to do something different at home.

"It was honestly amazing seeing that we have people who really love what we're doing," Hill said.

As for Next-Gen, it plans to open its door when restrictions are lifted.

"We're going to be changing our procedures and protocols to make sure everything is clean and safe. We don't want customers to cross paths with other guests, so we want to make sure your experience is self-contained and as safe as possible. We're making sure to sanitize everything after every game," Kammer said.

They will also be following guidelines by health officials to keep people safe.

The Fresno State grads hope to find success again, even in this challenging time.

Next-Gen Escape hopes to open Tuesday for business. They plan to continue delivering the escape crates for the foreseeable future.