Our monthly Puzzle Crawls combine the best features of Escape Rooms, Pub Crawls, and prizewinning competitions! Once you’ve registered (either as an individual or a group), you’ll receive the location of the rendezvous point for the Crawl. Once there, you’ll check in, grab a drink, and if you need teammates, we’ll hook you up with some fellow Crawlers! After a brief orientation, you’ll solve your first puzzle. The answer will reveal the location of the next step on your journey.
You’ll travel to three more bars, solving puzzles at each one, and also head out into the neighborhood to complete side quests for extra points. Once you’re all done, we’ll meet up again, tally the scores, and find out which teams get shares of the prize package! It’s a fun way to drink, to socialize, and to solve puzzles, all in just three hours!
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost?
At just $19.99 per person, our Early Bird price is cheaper than admission to a local escape room! (And escape rooms last just an hour and don’t serve alcohol) Like to fly by the seat of your pants? That’s cool, too, but it’ll cost you $30 at the door. We STRONGLY encourage pre-registration, as we do have a cap on participants and we’d hate for you to come all the way to the rendezvous only to be turned away.
Are drinks included in the price of admission?
Believe me, we wish we could afford to offer drinks, but thanks to our friends at the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, we can’t manage it. So, alas, drinks are not included, but we do strong-arm all participating bars into offering drink specials for Crawlers, so even though you’re not drinking free, at least you’re drinking cheap.
How long does it last?
Each Crawl lasts approximately 3 hours, though you’re welcome to hang out post-Crawl at the final bar until they kick you out…or backtrack to visit one of the earlier Crawl bars that had the vibe that appealed to you!
How far will I have to walk?
The distance varies a bit from Crawl to Crawl, but we always keep it to under a mile total over the entire evening (and usually less than half a mile, particularly in cold weather). That includes walking from bar to bar, as well as traveling to all Side Quest locations. Bars are generally all within five blocks of one another. That said, if you want to take the scenic route, nobody’s going to stop you!
How many people can be on a team?
To keep things competitive, teams can have a maximum of eight people, and we encourage a minimum of four. But don’t worry! You do not have to have a team of people to register. We will match people up to build teams: it’s a great way to meet some puzzle-minded friends! Also, if you have a larger group, splitting up into two teams is a great way to add some additional competitive fun to the evening. Losing group buys winning group the next round? Sounds good to us!
What I really want are some secret tips so I can blow away the competition! Hook me up?
Ask and ye shall receive! Here are our best tips for a successful Crawl:
- ARRIVE EARLY. Start time is when instructions will be given and the first puzzle will start. Arrive ahead of time to grab a drink, gather your team, find a seat, and ESPECIALLY if you need to register at the door. Registration generally begins 30-45 minutes prior to start time.
- CHARGE YOUR PHONE. Your phone will see heavy use during the crawl — GPS, taking pics, looking up clues — so it’s a good idea to arrive with a full charge.
- BRING AN ID. Many bars card, regardless of how decrepit and world-weary you look.
- DIVIDE AND CONQUER. Rather than having the entire team stare at one piece of a puzzle, share the wealth! Let some of your team members look at one puzzle while others try a different one. After a while, switch!
How about a sample puzzle, so I know what I’m getting myself into?
Puzzles vary a lot by format, design, genre, etc. But at the bottom of the page, you can find a sample puzzle. This probably wouldn’t be an entire Bar Puzzle all by itself; it would likely be paired with another puzzle to get to a solve time of 10 minutes. But this is roughly the difficulty level to expect.
I don’t see my question listed! What, oh, what is to become of me?
We’d love to answer your question personally! Operators are standing by. Email us at info@puzzlecrawl.com.
