IQ Escape invites
Ross Township and
surrounding area
residents to take part
in unique adventures.
By Nicole Tafe
E
scape rooms—a physical adventure
game in which players solve a series of
puzzles using clues, hints and strategy
to complete the objectives at hand—are a
fast-emerging trend rapidly gaining popularity
throughout the country. Reality-based
versions of popular “Escape the Room” video
games, these rooms vary from simple single-
room sets with analog puzzles and riddles,
to intricate sets with interactive technology.
Since 2012, more than 5,000 have opened
globally, including 1,800 in the United States.
On the cutting edge of this trend is Ross
Township’s IQ Escape, which is the first in
Pittsburgh to feature Generation 2 games.
IQ Escape came to Ross Township through
Eric Lloyd, a North Hills native and Penn
State University graduate, who left work in
the financial sector to open the business’
first location on McKnight Road in the Ross
Shops.
“In a world of social media, we often end
up interacting more with our phones than
with each other,” says Lloyd. “Escape room
games allow families, friends and co-workers
to interact and bond while working toward
a shared goal. IQ Escape games are just as
stimulating to the senses as an action movie
or video game, but with the added bonus of
spending quality time with people you care
about.”
IQ Escape offers the most advanced high-
tech escape room technology in the region,
and the games are completely automated,
so players are in complete control of their
success. The location is convenient to all of
the neighborhoods in the North Hills and
downtown. There is ample free parking, large
party and conference rooms, and catering
available for parties and corporate e vents.
IQ Escape has welcomed groups of kids
as young as age 9 and adults of all ages. Each
group has a “game master” to guide and
offer clues as they play, so the games are
customizable in real time, making it possible
for players of all ages, skill levels and group
sizes to have an enjoyable experience.
The facility currently features three games,
including Stealing Mona, Contagion and
Time Shift. In Stealing Mona, an elite team of
super thieves makes a play for the Mona Lisa.
The risk is high; the reward higher. If you can
escape in time, Mona is yours! In Contagion,
you are humanity’s last chance for survival,
and the clock is ticking. Can you work
together to stop a devastating pathogen before
it’s too late? In Time Shift— IQ Escape’s most
difficult game, recommended for experienced
players— the greatest threat to mankind is no
longer war or disease, but the new technology
of time travel. Your mission will plunge you
into the days of the Wild West, where you
must eliminate a dire threat to the fabric of
time.
IQ Escape has received rave reviews,
with many customers coming back to play
all three games. The company is also very
philanthropic, giving back to the community
it serves by donating experiences to
nonprofit organizations and welcoming
them to use the facilities and games for
fundraising events, with 100 percent of the
ticket sales going directly to the charity.
IQ works closely with Avonworth
Middle School to design a STEAM-
based curriculum on escape rooms, and
collaborates with Change the Game,
a nonprofit that provides mentorship
opportunities for underprivileged high
school students. It has also been planning a
summer camp for middle schoolers where
they have a chance to create their own
escape lockboxes and learn about game
design, technology and entrepreneurship.
For more information, visit IQ's website and
social channels. n
IQ Escape is located at 4780 McKnight
Road and is open Monday through
Thursday from 5 to 11 p.m., Friday from 4
to 11 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from
10:30 a.m. to midnight. To learn more
and make reservations, visit pittsburgh.
iqescape.com or connect with IQ Escape
on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Ross Township | Fall 2017 | icmags.com 15