Sherlocked

More mystery in the Sherlock show

TEXT: MALIN NORMAN | PHOTO: SHERLOCKED

Escape rooms are booming globally, allowing groups of friends and colleagues out on team-building days to enjoy a very special blend of drama, problem-solving and fun. To enhance the experience further, Sherlocked is adding actors to its games.

The escape room trend, which began in Asia about a decade ago, is based on the idea of locking a group of people who know each other in a room together and giving them a limited amount of time to find a way out by using clues, finding hidden items and solving riddles. The concept came to Europe a few years later, but the Nordic region was relatively late to catch on. “We were the second company in Sweden doing it, and that was at the very end of 2014,” says Niklas Åkermyr, owner and founder of Sherlocked.

What is unique about Åkermyr’s Sherlocked – other than having pioneered the escape room concept in Sweden – is its environment. As the name suggests, the experience is Sherlock Holmes themed, from the wallpaper to the props and the staff. “That’s part of why it feels like you’re in an alternate reality and you forget all about work and your everyday life,” Åkermyr explains. “You’re not allowed to bring your mobile phone along, and you’re in this environment that feels like it’s lifted from 150 years ago.”

The main Sherlocked building is a house from 1873, bursting with charming original décor and just a stone’s throw from Malmö Central Station. And this year, Sherlocked is expanding with more games and professional actors across two floors. “We’re complementing the traditional escape room concept with theatre, to further enhance the experience. And the games now end in a Victorian-themed bar,” says Åkermyr. Sounds like the perfect finish to the mystery!

Web: www.sherlocked.se
Facebook: sherlockedescaperooms