Exposé: The Ottawa Escape Room Bubble

By: Keegan On

Escape Rooms, an attraction where participants solve clues in order to leave a confined space, have exploded in popularity within the Ottawa region recently. Keys to their early success have been innovation and novelty. Like any fad, however, there is always the question of when the market will become flooded. As new rooms continue to open, it would appear that owners haven’t clued in to the growing problem.

“It’s puzzling,” says Dr. Edward Scape, an expert in Escape Room Saturation, “the data clearly shows a pattern in other cities. There is only so much room for these kinds of venues in any given space. The fact that Escape Rooms are still popping up all over Ottawa points to an impending burst. Time is running out.”

Ottawa is currently home to a dozen Escape Rooms, with more in development. Many fear that the the wrong combination of factors will lead to the collapse of the entire industry, especially if regulations aren’t put in place. Others feel that capitalism should be allowed to run its course with these companies. Let’s hope that Ottawa finds a way out of this tricky situation.