We’re locked in. It’s pitch black. I have no idea how we’ll get out. And I’m scared.

Scared I won’t be able to find the clues or solve the riddles that will help us unlock the door, and along the way, solve the mystery of who committed the murder in this Asian home.

The friendly staff at Escape Hunt Bangkok

We’re at Escape Hunt Bangkok, currently ranked the number one attraction on TripAdvisor in Bangkok.

I’m locked in the darkened room with three colleagues and we are racing against time – and four colleagues locked in an identical room next door.

We are playing the role of detectives (Sherlock Holmes-style) to solve a murder set in a Bangkok home about 100 years ago. We need to work together if we are going to beat our mates next door. But we don’t know where to start.

Thankfully, things look a lot brighter, literally, when I solve our first problem, which also boosts my confidence – at least I won’t be a completely useless member of our team.

Escape Hunt is an indoor adventure based on popular ‘escape the room’ online games. (And in Bangkok it’s an opportunity to escape the heat for a while.) With enthusiastic multilingual staff the game is explained to us in English.

Basically, we have to work together to find clues and solve puzzles that will help us find keys and work out padlock combinations, which, of course, unlock more clues. It involves observation, critical thinking and problem solving skills. It’s a race against the clock if you are playing by yourselves, or a race to beat another team if you are playing with a second group.

As the website says, “It’s exciting, challenging, addictive, educational and above all, fun!”

And the good news is, Escape Hunt is opening in Sydney on 15^th August 2014.

In Sydney the mysteries are based in the historic Rocks area, “where crime was rife and mysteries lurked around every corner.”

So take your family, friends or colleagues and be some of the first in Sydney to ‘escape’.

Our two teams playing dress-ups after our game.

If you get really stuck, you can ask the staff for hints. But every clue they give will cost you one minute of time.

We burst out of our room in Bangkok just before the hour is up, only to find our gloating mates waiting for us outside. However, they were penalised two minutes for clues, so on adjusted time we won – without assistance. Look who’s grinning now.

Hint: beware of the odd red herring.

Anyone done the Escape Hunt Experience in any other city?

The Escape Hunt Experience Sydney.

Check out the Escape Hunt Facebook Page for opening specials.