PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Shaky Grounds Cafe, A Mobile Escape Room Teaching Emergency Preparedness, Announces Pop-Up Events in Oregon Throughout National Preparedness Month.
PORTLAND, OR – September 1, 2023 - Side Quest Escape Games, an innovator in the escape room industry, announces pop-up locations for the world's first mobile escape room dedicated to teaching players about emergency preparedness. Throughout September, which is National Preparedness Month, the Shaky Grounds Cafe escape room will be available for booking at pop-up events throughout the Portland area. During this exciting one-hour escape game, players will solve puzzles that teach them lifesaving emergency preparedness skills.
The Shaky Grounds Cafe is an entirely new category of escape room that teaches players real-world skills as they explore, play and learn. This groundbreaking escape game presents simulated hazards as hands-on puzzles that require practical emergency response techniques to solve. Throughout this one-hour immersive experience, participants will learn how to assess risks, exercise critical thinking, and properly utilize emergency preparedness items to solve over 20 puzzles that teach real-world skills. Some of the lessons players will learn include proper fire extinguisher use, assessing and turning off a natural gas leak, preparing and using a twin-bucket emergency toilet system, proper water storage, and much more.
Set within a coffee shop one week after a major earthquake has upended the Pacific Northwest, the escape game begins with a briefing from the creator and gamemaster, Tyler Robinson:
“You have all survived the earthquake and although your home is still standing, you are now sheltering in place. Without utilities and running critically low on supplies, household tensions have reached a new level as you have run out of coffee…” explains the gamemaster, “And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to face the apocalypse without a morning cup of coffee.”
With help still a week away, players must scavenge the remains of the Shaky Grounds Cafe in search of the most coveted emergency preparedness supply of all - coffee beans! By asking players to "Imagine a morning without coffee", the Shaky Grounds Cafe avoids the doom and gloom messaging that often accompanies preparedness messaging.
“We treat the prepping experience as a lighthearted game that encourages players to focus on their comfort rather than a fear-based scenario that can leave many people feeling overwhelmed and unresponsive,” says Robinson.
“By being prepared enough to enjoy a hot cup of coffee, players may find they are well on their way to fulfilling the basic requirements of preparedness. Taking care of the small things, like coffee, provides a more welcoming entry into prepping and is something that resonates with many people in the Pacific Northwest.”
September is national preparedness month and late summer is a great time to consider taking proactive steps toward personal preparedness. As the heatwaves and wildfires begin to give way to the winter storm season, the Shaky Grounds Cafe serves as a vivid reminder of the importance of preparing for natural disasters. Geologists at Oregon State University have projected a 37% probability of an 8.0+ Cascadia Subduction Zone megaquake occurring in the next 50 years and FEMA estimates that such an event may displace as many as one million people with another 2.5 million requiring food and water assistance. Side Quest Escape Games aims to lower these numbers by encouraging people to prepare their homes with 2 weeks of food, water, and critical supplies.
Built inside of a spacious temperature-controlled trailer, our escape game can be deployed and operated just about anywhere. In alignment with National Preparedness Month, Side Quest Escape Games is partnering with local businesses to establish pop-up events in the Portland area where the public can experience this fun and exciting way to learn about preparedness. The Shaky Grounds Cafe escape room is family-friendly and can accommodate up to 8 players per game. Tickets for the one-hour game are $40 per player and can be purchased online at www.SideQuestEscapeGames.com/popup or follow @ShakyGroundsCafe on Instagram to get notified of new pop-up announcements and specials.
For media inquiries, interviews, or additional information, please contact:
Tyler Robinson
Designer / Owner / Operator
Side Quest Escape Games
503.333.3736
Tyler@SideQuestEscapeGames.com
About Side Quest Escape Games
Side Quest Escape Games is a pioneering mobile escape room company based in Portland, Oregon, with a mission to educate players about emergency preparedness through immersive experiences. Opened in 2022 by Tyler Robinson, an Army Veteran and Emmy-winning production designer, Side Quest Escape Games aims to revolutionize the escape room industry by adding educational value to the escape room experience. Our flagship escape game trailer, the Shaky Grounds Cafe, combines thrilling gameplay with practical emergency preparedness skills as it seamlessly bridges the gap between entertainment and education. At Side Quest Escape Games, our vision is to empower individuals and families as we foster a culture of preparedness in communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Play the Shaky Grounds Cafe, the only escape room that just may save your life.
Learn more about us at https://www.sidequestescapegames.com.
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