Teenagers are the hardest age to plan for. They’re too old for the kids’ activities, not always keen on what the adults have in mind, and their phone wins most arguments. An escape room is one of the few outings where a teenager is genuinely needed — somebody has to spot the clue — and where everyone, parents included, ends up working as a team.
Why escape rooms work for teenagers
Phones go in the lockers. We want you to enjoy the experience without distraction, so everyone leaves their mobile phone in a locker. For the length of the game, nobody is checking anything else.
It isn’t scary. All our rooms have family-friendly themes, with no live actors and no jump scares, so there’s no need to worry about a teen who isn’t into horror.
The puzzles aren’t pitched at little kids. Our youngest player has been 7 and our oldest 84, but the puzzles can be too demanding for under-10s. Teenagers are well placed to take on the harder parts.
There’s something to collect. Escape-room fans can collect a stamp in an Elude Passport for each room they complete, which gives keen teens a reason to come back.
What to know before you book
New to escape rooms? See what an escape room is. Children under 17 must be accompanied by a participating adult, so this is an outing for the whole family, not a drop-off. Teams are 2–6 players, which makes a teenager, a couple of friends and one adult a natural team.
Indoor rooms run 60 or 75 minutes, and your whole visit is the room time plus about 30 minutes. Prices are from $55–$80 per player on a sliding scale, so the more people in your team, the cheaper it is per person. There’s also a 10% student discount with a valid student card shown before booking.
Three ways to spend the day
1. An indoor escape room. We have five indoor rooms — Perpetual Motion, Torquay, Magician’s Lair, Yin Yang and Framed — and we designed every one of them ourselves, which makes each one unique. If you’re not sure which suits your group, call us and we’ll point you to the right one.
2. Stumped, our outdoor challenge. Stumped is a bigger outdoor puzzle trail for adults and families, from $38–$50 per player. Plan on 90 minutes to 2 hours on site. There’s no minimum age when children play alongside an adult.
3. A birthday. Our kids’ party packages are for ages 10–16. Our Magician’s Lair party is for ages 12–14 and takes up to 10 children. Our Gamesmaster goes into the room with the group to help with the puzzles, a responsible adult stays on site for the whole party, and a marquee is available to hire outside.
Afterwards, local cafés such as Sugar Salt and Wild Pear are ones we’re happy to recommend.
Easy to reach from across the Hills
Elude is in Galston, about 7 minutes from Glenorie, 9 from Dural, 14 from Kenthurst and Glenhaven, 15 from Cherrybrook, 18 from Castle Hill, and 23 from Kellyville and Pennant Hills. We have dedicated pages with routes and parking for Castle Hill, Cherrybrook and Glenorie, and our Hills District page covers the rest. Bus route 637 runs from Castle Hill Station to Galston.
Booking
Bookings are available 7 days a week, including most public holidays, by prior appointment. Book online or call (02) 8005 0077 if you’d like to talk through which activity suits your group.