The Unlikely Meet-Up

It all started in 2019 when Curt and Tina showed up for a local escape room Meetup outing. Squeezed into a pirate-themed room designed for far fewer players than the 12 eager attendees, their adventure began with an unexpected twist – everyone starts off handcuffed to the various props around the room. As luck (or fate?) would have it, Curt and Tina ended up handcuffed next to each other. It was a bit of an awkward first encounter.

Escaping the Crowd

Post-escape, they quickly realized the chaos of solving puzzles in an overcrowded room wasn’t their idea of fun. Curt and Tina branched off, forming a dynamic escape room duo, where their combined wits made for a much more effective (and less congested) problem-solving force.  

A Plot Twist and a Purchase

Fast forward a couple of years, and Tina – a city planner with a knack for unexpected career pivots – saw an opportunity and bought an escape room business with a partner. Curt, the plaid shirt-wearing,  former summer camp director turned escape room enthusiast, came on board to manage the venture. Not long after, the professional partnership took a romantic turn.

The North American Escape Room Expedition

In 2023, following the sale of the escape room business, Tina and Curt embarked on an ambitious journey. With a 40 ft. 5th wheel RV they named MagLock (or Maggie) and an all-black Ram 3500 diesel truck they named Shadow (the Ninja truck), they traveled across North America for eight months. Their mission? To conquer escape rooms far and wide and research what makes a great, and not so great, escape room experience (and to leave mini-ducks at each location).

Eight months, 35k miles, 282 rooms, 46 U.S. states, and 2 Canadian provinces later, they emerged, seasoned escape artists with a wealth of insights into the dos and don’ts of escape room design and operation.

You can read all about their trip on their Facebook page.

The Next Chapter

Now back in Florida, Curt and Tina are in the planning phase of launching their new escape room business. They’re on the hunt for the perfect location and using their collective knowledge to design games that they hope will captivate and challenge both new players and enthusiasts.

If their adventures have taught them anything, it’s that the key to a great escape room lies in the thrill of the puzzle, the narrative weave, and perhaps a touch of the unexpected – much like their own story.

This journey from a chance meeting in a crowded room to enthusiasts of nearly 500 escape rooms and soon-to-be owners is a testament to their shared passion and entrepreneurial spirit. Stay tuned for what promises to be an exciting next chapter in their adventure.