FAQ

The Ladder is not a traditional escape room. It was specifically designed to reward multiple playthroughs and to be equally fun for experienced puzzle solvers and more casual gamers.

Each decade (room) features three scored games that represent your job at Nutricorp. Most of these games are infinite, so your job isn’t to finish them, but to use them to make as much money as you can in the time allotted. Money will allow you to make certain gameplay-related decisions, like raising a family or hiring a secretary, and it will affect which ending you see.

Each decade also features a set of traditional escape room puzzles that represent your investigation into the seedy underbelly of Nutricorp (and a certain shady fellow named Stab Backner). These optional puzzles are very tough, but solving them will allow you to make decisions that change the narrative of the game. Complete all the puzzles in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, and you’ll gain access to a whole new room (projected to open this summer)!

You shouldn’t expect to solve most of these optional puzzles your first time through the game. Don’t worry—even if you ignore them completely, The Ladder still features a full narrative with decision points, multiple endings, and more than enough content to keep you busy for its roughly 90 minute runtime. And we promise we’ll have some treats to smooth your way the second time around!

NOTE: We recommend folks leave at least four weeks between playthroughs. Also, we think you should wait until we’ve got our bonus room fully operational before returning for a second shot. We’ll let you know when it’s open if you're on our mailing list!

The Ladder requires at least 4 players. If you arrive with fewer than 4 participants, you will not be able to enter the experience.

If you’re hoping to make lots of money on the scored games and try and tackle the tough secret puzzles, we recommend 6 to 8 players. Smaller groups will still have a great time, they just won’t necessarily get to see everything the game has to offer!

Not yet! We haven't finished the bonus room, which we think is the best reason to come a second time. If you're on our mailing list (and you are if you've played once), we'll definitely let you know when it's ready.

Also, we strongly advise against playing the game twice in a row. Even if you’re the type of group that loves to play multiple escape rooms in a day, The Ladder is not a typical escape room, and we promise you'll be happier giving your brain a break and coming at it fresh another day!

The Ladder lasts a little over 90 minutes. Your arrival time is 15 minutes before the start of your experience.

The minimum age to play The Ladder is 13 years old. We will turn away groups with younger players. All minors (players under the age of 18) must be accompanied by at least 1 adult.

If a group of minors comes to play, there must be 1 adult present per every 3 minors. For example, if there are up to 3 minors attending, 1 adult must attend the experience. If there are 4 or more minors, 2 adults must attend the experience.

(Babies may join their parents so long as they remain in a hands-free carrier for the whole experience.)

The Ladder requires participants to stand for extended periods of time. There is seating available in two of the five decades.

All games and puzzles are optional (players are moved into the next room roughly every 15 minutes, regardless of what they've achieved). Certain activities require physical mobility, but each area in The Ladder has multiple activities to choose from.

All of The Ladder except the bonus room is accessible for most chair users. The narrowest passage is 29” wide, which may be too narrow for Full-Size Power chairs. Please note that chair users will need a teammate’s help to reach elements of games and puzzles.

The Ladder includes flashing lights and loud noises.