Founded by locals, Elusion: Orcas Island Escape Room celebrates its grand opening in early July on Prune Alley in Eastsound.

An escape room is an immersive game experience drawing a lot of attention in major metropolitan areas. You enter a live interactive game where you, your friends, family or co-workers are locked in a themed room and you have 60 minutes to find clues, solve puzzles and use props to escape.

Local magician Matthew Laslo first learned of escape rooms a few years ago while visiting Las Vegas.

“It was such a thrill,” Laslo said of his first experience. “I absolutely loved the excitement I felt by the challenge of solving puzzles and uncovering clues while the clock was ticking. It was then I realized I just had to introduce my friends and neighbors to such an incredible experience!”

Laslo invited family friends Marlace Hughes and her son Ricky to join him to try an escape room near Seattle. They were so inspired by the experience that they decided that Orcas Island would be a perfect place to open a room of their own.

Four weeks later they were business partners, had a concept, rented a space, and invited designer Chris Brems into the mix to help with creating the theatrical look and feel of the rooms.

“This will be so great for this island,” said Hughes. “I think people will be blown away by the quality of this room. It was one of our goals to create an experience that is at least on par with the better rooms we have experienced out there in the big cities.”

The theme of the room is “Defeat the Dark Lord” and is described as: “His henchmen are at the gates of the School of Magic aiming to claim that power and reestablish his reign and only you, the young and courageous wizards, can solve the secret of the Alchemist’s Stone. Dare you find a way to defeat the Dark Lord?”

The Orcas Island Escape room experience is a perfect group activity suited for team building for businesses, a night of fun with family and friends or a date with your special someone.

To learn more or to book an experience, visit www.orcasescaperoom.com or call 360-726-2030.