u/squeefruit

Just came across this sub and decided to share an experience that happened to me a few years back. As part of a group-bonding activity, around eight or nine of us went to an escape room in NC (don't remember the specific location or any details of the company).

As we explored our room, we completed some average puzzles and unlocked a few boxes that each contained 2-3 large puzzle pieces. The pieces were very tattered and bent. One notable container was a clear tube with a complicated lock, and it contained (iirc) a slip of paper with a clue, as well as five or six puzzle pieces. We spent a good portion of time solving this clue and opening the tube, then took turns trying to assemble the handful of puzzle pieces together. I would estimate that half of our time as a group was spent on the puzzle pieces - examining the back for writing, turning off the lights to check for glowing messages, assembling them out of order by color, etc. Only after we finished, failing to escape, did we ask what the puzzle piece clue ultimately revealed. The game master casually and disinterestedly told us, "oh, that's just a red herring, you were supposed to ignore it once you saw there was nothing there". Is this normal? I've only been to 6-8 other rooms, but to me that seems like a significant flaw.

Some other highlights of this experience included:
- There was a TV clue - finding the remote and the batteries was part of the game. However, the sound barely worked, and we later learned that we were supposed to have turned on subtitles to get the message more clearly.
- Additionally, the TV settings were set incorrectly to a "tiled" video view, showing 12-15 small images of the same video, security camera style. Part of the video involved reading a clue revealed on screen, which was difficult because the game master couldn't find a way to fix the TV.
- I found out later the room was designed for 2-4 people. We had at least 9, and I wish they'd capped the number. The room was very small - two rooms roughly the size of a medium walk-in closet stuck together (no door in between). There were no secret additional rooms or doors. It felt like being trapped in a closet for an hour.

Ultimately, we did not escape, and to this day the entire experience still bewilders me. Was this just a bad-quality escape room? Or was our group the ones at fault for not figuring out the expectations?

A magical octopus appears next to you and offers you a one-time deal. For every color you give up the ability to see, you will receive $750,000 in the method of your choice with no strings attached. Every color that you choose will be permanently removed from your visual capabilities and will appear to be a dull gray.

This is a one-time offer. You may choose as many or as few colors from the list, or opt-out altogether. Reversing your decision(s) is allowed once per color at any point in your life, but you must pay back the $750,000 in one lump sum to do so.

COLORS OFFERED: Blue, green, yellow, orange, red, pink, purple, brown, gray, black, white.

All colors comprise the spectrum of colors closest to that shade, defined as what is commonly agreed on to be that color in most modern first-world countries (specified because some cultures do not have words for specific colors or shades of colors).
E.g. "blue" comprises dark indigo, sky blue, teal, and so forth. "Red" would include shades such as maroon, pale red, stop signs, etc. By eliminating a specific color, dark and light shades of that color will appear as dark and light shades of gray. Translucent colors will appear as translucent gray.

- If you choose to eliminate gray, all shades of gray will now appear as either black or white, no in betweens. If you eliminate gray, black, AND white, randomly generate a number based on the remaining colors you can see to determine what single color all 3 of the above will appear as. If you eliminate every single color, you gain an additional $1 million and will see the world in monochromatic shades of gray (no pure blacks, whites, etc).

Note: Colorblind people receive the same offer, with the colors being limited to the specific colors you can see currently. However, you will receive $1,500,000 for every color you choose to eliminate (replace with gray) from your vision.