It ’ s a family affair at Surelocked In Escape Games in Downtown Frederick ! When FiND iT Frederick showed up at their doorstep , the Sparks family was charismatic and all too eager to lock us in their holiday-themed escape room called Naughty or Nice . ( You can read more about our sleuthing escapades on our blog .) Since our encounter with Santa ’ s Naughty List , we ’ ve done a little more digging into this budding family business and we have nothing but great things to say .
Escape Room rules are simple : you ’ re shut in a room for an hour and to get out , you must solve a series of interlocking puzzles , using objects and clues in the room . The Sparks at Surelocked In are generous and give you three hints to use at your discretion , to help as you race against the timer in the corner of the room . The concept is about 10 years old , with the earliest room opening in Japan in 2007 . Escape rooms ’ popularity continues to skyrocket , especially in Frederick , where the “ positive response from the community has been overwhelming .”
The “ spark ” for this family ’ s business came from their own escape room experience in the summer of 2015 . The “ family of five had a blast scrambling to solve the puzzles and beat the clock ,” and it stuck with them . They ’ ve traveled around , as they say , “ far and wide , escaping from rooms , always having a great time ” and began to see trends , common to the most entertaining escape rooms . The Sparks have done a great job incorporating those elements into their own business ; they ’ ve “ created a new , wholesome , familyfriendly entertainment experience ” in the heart of Downtown Frederick .
As far as working together as a family , it ’ s clear that they collaborate well . Chris Sparks said “ when it came time to start the family
Photography by Todd Ploski , Jr .