As the demand for interesting and engaging experiences is increasing with every passing day people are simultaneously coming up with new and innovative concepts to meet the demand. The most recent addition to the list of such experiences is Ctrl.Shift.Esc, which is an escape-gaming center in HauzKhas Village Delhi.
The game promises to bring out the detective in you as it involves multiple participants being locked in a room and their quest for escaping the same in limited time. Within a years’ time from its launch the experience and the concept of the game has gained massive popularity with brands like Google and Accenture using it for team building activities for their employees.
EE caught up with Sanwari Gupta and AkshatGoel, owners of Ctrl.Shift.Esc in an exclusive conversation where the latter share their experiences of coming up with the game, their inspiration and the roadmap ahead.
Q- How was the idea of coming up with an escape-gaming center like Ctrl.Shift.Esc conceived?
Sanwari- Well, me and Akshatboth had heard about online games and also had the privilege of playing escape games in New York and then when we came back to Delhi we thought about bringing the similar kind of experiences for the people here. However in order to make it fit for India we had to make a few changes here and there but overall the idea was to bring the fun and frolic of an escape game in the country.
Q- It is considered easy having a gaming center built but the hard fact is marketing it and making it popular. How did you market Ctrl.Shift.Esc?
Sanwari- Since this was my first venture and debut experience I completely relied on the Askshat’s opinions on how to market the gaming center as he has had a substantial experience in business enterprises. Interesting fact about the popularity of Ctrl.Shift.Esc is that we did not spend any amount on marketing the game as it was mainly word of mouth which was our biggest asset and brought in the crowd.
Akshat- Exactly, we did not do any PR for it as well. Since it was a new concept we basically used social media platforms like facebook and book my show featured us too. Thus we also started getting attention from a few media houses which gave us good coverage so even without spending anything on the marketing of the game we became popular in no time.
Q- What are the different corporates that come to Ctrl.Shift.Esc for unique and innovative experiences?
Akshat- There are many corporates that have come to our gaming center as they feel the game itself is a unique team building activity for their employees. So far we have served over 50 corporate houses and the most prominent names among them are Google. Accenture, Microsoft, American Express, Adobe etc.
Q- What were the initial responses that you received for the game?
Sanwari- The response has really been good as most people who try our game have been really positive and happy about it. However there are times when one or two people feel grumpy about it when they do not win. But overall the response has benefitted us as it is the word of mouth publicity that has worked in our favor.
Q-How have you priced the game and what do the winners get?
Sanwari- The price per person for now is 600 INR but we do offer discounts on group bookings for more than 20 people. The winners who are successful in unlocking their way out of the game get bragging rights only as the game is really challenging. However they do get a photo opportunity wherein they get to hold placards that state they won the game. The photos are uploaded on our official facebook page too so the winners also get their moment in the spotlight
Q- Is there a roadmap for Ctrl.Shift.Esc that you have planned for the year ahead?
Sanwari- We are consistently getting requests if we can have the game offsite as well so we are currently working on that and we are also coming up with another gaming center in Gurgaon this year itself.
Akshat- Also, we hope to make sure that the game becomes a rage all over the country and are seriously considering a few franchise association requests that we have received.
