Family game night just leveled up with this virtual reality escape room experience in Vancouver.
When I discovered Cipher Solver Escape Games in Vancouver, I knew we had to go because this escape room experience offered something for everyone in my family. I’m a puzzle-game enthusiast (think old school Big Fish Games and point-and-click adventures). My fourth-grader is a Gorilla Tag super fan. My husband plays (i.e. supervises and assists) Fortnite with the kiddo and Far Cry on his own. Our whole family loves to do active games and activities together.
Cipher Solver opened in 2020 by escape room expert Jubilee Hills, and while you might find other traditional escapes and VR arenas around, this was the only experience we found offering the hybrid option. This was our first time doing a virtual reality (VR) escape room. In the room, there are squares on the floor with your VR helmet and hand controls waiting. At this point you can choose the exact game to play if you haven’t already. We heard the Dragon Tower was the most popular, but our avid train lover chose the Runaway Train experience set in the Wild West.
The experience begins by booking your time slot online at Cipher Solver. Something we enjoyed about this place over other escape rooms is that you can book a private room with just your family and/or friends. We booked as a group of three on a weekday, and the cost was $96. Pro tip: You’ll need between two to four people for a successful quest. (Suggested ages for the VR rooms are 8 and up.) There are a variety of escape room options like pirates, space, underwater and more. Different experiences will be more puzzle-like or more active — we chose a more active one.
When we arrived at the venue, a friendly employee in the lobby promptly took us to the VR room after signing our waivers. Pro tip: Make sure to bring your phone so you can scan the QR code quickly. You’ll also be asked for a team name, so brainstorm ahead of time. (We ended up just using our last name.)
Gear up by choosing your square and donning the gloves equipped with hand and wrist straps to prevent flying controllers. The VR setup is akin to Meta Quest’s controls you may have at home with color-coded accessories. The goggles go on last, and you can adjust the headband for fit with a gear dial at the back. Once prepped, you’ll be given a short walkthrough on the safety controls, but just know you basically only need to press one button/trigger. And just like traditional escape rooms, there’s a 60-minute clock, and you’ll be watching time count down during your adventure.
The VR is clear and the visuals were easy to understand, but there’s a short loading lag between scenes where your screen goes dark that might disorient new users. It passes shortly. Next thing we knew, we were in a train car where we had to both battle bots and solve puzzles. I won’t give away the story, but we needed two people to aim and one to fire effectively. My son maneuvered the best in VR thanks to his practice, while I struggled to figure out up and down on my controls.
Fortunately, I redeemed myself in the puzzle-heavy section. I think my skills at puzzle games really helped here, along with remembering some basics of the periodic table I learned in high school. Pro tip: While knowledge of chemistry helps, hints — glowing images helping you figure out the next action — are available if needed.
We burned some extra time on the puzzle level, and my kid noted, “Maybe we needed some of the hints.” Personally, I think I had it.
As with any game experience, the last level is a boss, and you have to beat the boss. Our game was a train in a Western setting, so we battled using our brains plus some six-shooters and steampunk-style “bombs.” It’s a good thing we brought my husband, who won the “Most Accurate” award. Accuracy aside, my kiddo was thrilled and still spinning when the game ended. He sums up the adventure as follows:
“We didn’t know we had a hard one and we didn’t know we had a bomb that would blow us up. We were down to two minutes and I did not expect us to be at the boss. We kept yelling and solved it by the power of friendship.”
If you are looking for a unique, kid-approved experience — my son enthusiastically rated it 10 out of 10 — and a chance to create fun memories, we recommend Cipher Solver. We moved around a lot, shouted a lot, and left the room sweaty and thirsty, but happy.
If You Go
Cipher Solver Escape Games
📍11011 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Suite. 120, Vancouver
🕠 Open Monday to Thursday: 2-9 pm; Friday and Saturday: 10 am-10 pm; Sunday: 10 am-9 pm.
The escape room is located in a strip mall not too far past the Vancouver Mall of 4th Plain. We went during the day, and there was ample free parking. There are seats and souvenirs available in the small lobby. Pro tip: Wear comfortable and breathable clothes and supportive, comfortable shoes.