Hidden in the heart of downtown Columbus, you’ll find secret clues, puzzles, a tragic love story, and some mystery—if you only know where to look! Escapely is an escape room experience designed to help you find them all as it brings the mystery into the real world. By transforming ordinary city blocks into an immersive outdoor adventure, Escapely encourages players to slow down, look closer, and rediscover their city.
Founder of Escapely Rachel Shiffrin says she was inspired to create this unique experience by combining her love of puzzles and mystery, exploration, and interactive physical clues into one immersive adventure.
“This just kind of combines all of the things that I thought should exist, because there's no game like this,” Shiffrin said. “There are scavenger hunts. There are play-from-home escape room games. There are outdoor types of games, but there’s nothing like this that combines all of them.”
Escapely currently operates in 54 major metropolitan areas nationwide, including the nearby cities of Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. For the Columbus game, players order a physical game box that they carry with them through downtown, using its contents, their smartphones, and their surroundings to solve mysteries that can’t be completed from the couch.
“You can't solve the game from home. It's not a board game that you set at your kitchen table and play,” Shiffrin said. “You actually take it on a walking distance adventure around town.”
But this isn’t a traditional scavenger hunt. Players don’t simply check landmarks off a list, but must instead study architectural details, plaques, murals, and tile work to crack codes and advance the storyline.
Part of Escapely’s goal in designing gameplay is inspiring players to see their city differently by requiring them to see things they might often overlook. Shiffrin says one of the company’s biggest successes has been helping people reconnect with places they thought they already knew.
“I love hearing from locals that they've lived there for so long and that they still saw things that they didn't know before,” she said.
Designing each game requires careful planning. Escapely maps routes based on walkability, safety, accessibility, and the permanence of clues. Because storefronts and signs can change frequently, the company relies heavily on long-lasting architectural features and landmarks. The company also works with locals while developing each city’s footprint, helping identify neighborhoods and hidden details that best support gameplay. Something as small as engravings or tilework can become intricate parts of the game experience.
The Columbus game takes players on a roughly 1.5 mile walking route through downtown. Participants uncover historical facts and local trivia while following a ghost-themed storyline involving tarot cards, a fortune teller, mysterious sightings, and the reunion of two long-lost spirits. The experience also adds playful elements, including the use of a provided Magic 8 Ball. The rest, you’ll have to discover for yourself!
Escapely’s games are truly customizable and accessible for a wide range of players. While most games take between two and three hours to complete, playtime varies depending on your group’s pace and number of stops along the way. Groups of two to six players are recommended, but larger groups can split into teams to add a competitive element. Penalty-free hints also make the experience approachable for beginners while still challenging experienced puzzle solvers.
At its core, Escapely’s mission is simple: to encourage people to get out, solve puzzles, explore, and see their cities through a completely different lens. You can order your gameplay box or learn more about the Columbus game by visiting https://escapely.com/escape-the-city/columbus-escape-room/.