Virtual reality escape room opens in former Norwich accountants

Louisa Baldwin tries out the new Norwich VR Escape Room with director Stefan Markovic. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)

Norwich VR Escape Room has opened above Trailfinders at 24-25 Castle Meadow and sees teams of two to four solving puzzles in an imaginary world with headsets and controllers.

There are two games available to try called Huxley and Huxley 2, which were created by developers in Germany, and in the first you are transported into a machine dominated future and are the last human survivors and must reverse the apocalypse.

In the sequel, you are taken back in time to the 19th century to search for the ultimate source of energy and secrets behind the legend of Huxley with the help from inventions by the professor.

The escape room, which is the first of its kind in Norfolk, has been brought to the city by friends Glenn Humphrey and Stefan Markovic who met whilst working at the Aviva call centres 10 years ago.

The new Norwich VR Escape Room directors, Glenn Humphrey, left, and Stefan Markovic, with Louisa Baldwin getting ready to play. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)

Mr Humphrey now works in e-commerce and has his own online business buying and selling technology and Mr Markovic works for Norwich Accountancy Services and the pair took over their former offices to launch the new business.

Mr Humphrey said: "The Norwich VR Escape Room is a twist on the conventional escape room and rather than physically touching things you are in a virtual reality room with a headset and you have to solve puzzles to try and escape and save the world.

READ MORE: Set times and stages announced for Sundown Festival 2019"We have brought it to Norwich as the standard escape rooms here are already successful and we thought we would give everyone a new experience."

When you put the headsets on you are transported to a different world with levels set in locations such as outer space, the seaside and a maze and your controllers become hands where you can pick things up such as parts for machines and a bow and arrow.

Glenn Humphrey, director, monitoring the game at the new Norwich VR Escape Room. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)

Mr Markovic said: "This was our company's old office and our boss had this spare space and the luxury of having a VR escape room is once you've got all the tech you just need to make sure the room is empty so people don't fall over or bump into anything.

"I first played a VR escape room in London and the next day I called Glenn and said we needed to bring it to Norwich.

"It is a really unique experience and the first time I tried it I was blown away."

Norwich VR Escape Room is open from 11am to 11pm daily and start at £60 for two people and you can book at norwichvr.com

Shooting balloons with a bow and arrow on one of the levels in the game called Huxley at the new Norwich VR Escape Room. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)

Louisa Baldwin tries out the new Norwich VR Escape Room. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)

The players' avatars on screen on one of the levels in the game called Huxley at the new Norwich VR Escape Room. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2019)