ESCAPE rooms have seen a boom in popularity in recent years.

They have become commonplace spots for family days out, romantic dates and corporate team building, and more are opening across the UK every month.

Escape Hunts, a new escape room in Cathedral Square, opened its doors on Friday (September 6) and I went to find out why escape rooms are so loved.

I was signed up for Dracula!, an escape room set in a graveyard where you have to complete puzzles to get access to the vampire's tomb. The escape room is normally designed for at least two people, but I would be taken it on solo.

This was my first time trying an escape room and I was doing it alone so it was safe to say I did not have high hopes for finding my way out before my 60 minutes was up.

I felt immersed in the action just moments after stepping into the room. I was given a brief monologue on the room and how to escape, as well as a first clue to get myself going, which I immediately discarded and began to rummage around the graveyard.

Things started out slow. Unaware of what to expect, I spent most of the first five minutes collecting items scattered around the room and storing them in a corner to keep them safe. It probably wasn't the best use of time, but it did help with figuring out the puzzles later on.

Eventually, I found what I should have been looking for from the start and found my footing. The next 30 minutes were spent flying through challenges and trials and my confidence was high, until I hit a brick wall.

Fortunately, a voice from above was there to keep me on the right track throughout and give me a helping hand in case I was ever stuck. The staff at Escape Hunts were really helpful and are able to give you as many hints as you need.

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One thing I found to be fantastically designed was the scaling difficulty of the room: the challenges got harder as you went on. By the end of the game, the trials were quite difficult and really put the pressure on you with the clock running out.

The music was really building to a climax as I reached the final stage of the escape room and the puzzles really began to put me to the test.

There was a desperation in me to complete the challenge. My competitive nature took over and refused to walk out of that door unless I was the one that had unlocked it.

Just 20 seconds were left on the clock when I heard a celebratory chime and the door unlock. Not bad for a first attempt.

My verdict? It was a brilliantly designed escape room that wasn't so difficult that it was impossible to solve, but it isn't go to be a breeze for six of the most experienced escapers. The atmosphere in the room is excellent and really pulls you in to experience.