Manchester’s new escape room for children and families unveiled at Z-arts

A Manchester culture centre has unveiled a new family-friendly escape room based around the theme of a library and books which has been specially designed to stretch the grey matter of younger puzzle-lovers.

Z-escape: The Library of Enchantment is the latest attraction at Hulme culture hub Z-arts and will welcome the first people to try and crack it through the doors on 1 April. Escape rooms have become a popular attraction over the last few years with many people who enjoy solving puzzles and cracking codes getting shut into themed rooms to try to work out fiendish and sometimes-terrifying tasks against the clock. Manchester’s newest facility, though, is aimed specifically at children and has been created with the help of local families.

What is the new escape room at Z-arts?

Z-escape: The Library of Enchantment is a new escape room at Z-arts in Manchester which opens its doors on 1 April. Local families have had an input into the design of the attraction so that it is especially suited to younger participants and parents visiting with their children.

Like many other escape rooms, participants will have 60 minutes to solve the baffling array of puzzles, clues and riddles put before them. Players will have to unlock a succession of doors to pass through a number of themed rooms, under the guidance of the befuddled but friendly librarian character who is on the participants’ side and will give as much or as little help as they seem to require. The librarian will also keep an eye on the clock as the allotted hour ticks away.

Ultimately players will be looking to find Billi the bookworm and put him safely back in his home, as the library inspector will close the library down forever if they find him feasting on the books.

The escape room’s puzzles have been specially devised to offer enough of a challenge to players of different ages, with younger puzzlers being able to make progress with the help of a few friendly hints from the librarian. Children as young as eight can enter the rooms without an adult, as they will be accompanied throughout by the librarian, while youngsters aged 6+ can enjoy the adventure as part of a family group.

The escape room is open to teams of between three and eight puzzle solvers. Z-escape: The Library of Enchantment will be open Tuesday to Saturday and prices start at £14.40 per person. To book or find out more, visit the Z-arts website.

What has been said about the new escape room?

Saskia Metcalf, head of creative development, Z-arts, said: “Children will be challenged to solve puzzles and work as a team to make their escape successfully, ensuring they have fun while developing skills.

“The Library of Enchantment is a very special day out for all ages and is perfect for families with older children who may feel they have outgrown other family activities.”

The new facility has also been given the thumbs-up from families who have been given early access to it to test it out before the opening.

Mum-of-two Sara Teiger, who got to try the escape room with her children aged 11 and 14, said: “We spent the perfect hour, dashing round the rooms against the clock, arguing, throwing ideas around, laughing and ultimately working together to solve the clues. The puzzles allowed each of us to play to our strengths and we left feeling we had all played our role in solving the mystery. We talked about it for the rest of the day.”