Best Locally Owned Shop & Best Store Clerk: District 8 Escape

“Locking up people never gets old,” joked Renae Smith, owner and General Manger of District 8 Escape. “We even had a couple take their wedding photos in one of our escape rooms. So yes, there have been a lot of laughs and some very memorable moments over the past two years.”

An escape room is a live action game where groups of players have 60-minutes to locate clues, solve puzzles and answer riddles. District 8 Escape currently has 4 different themed rooms that cover a wide range of storylines and difficulty levels.

This year District 8 Escape picked up two Prince Albert BOB Awards. They are repeat winners of the prestigious ‘Best Locally Owned Shop’ and Smith added ‘Best Store Clerk,’ to their collection.

“When we started this journey we really just wanted to bring some fun to Prince Albert. Having grown up here, it’s pretty special to operate a business that provides entertainment and excitement for our area,” said Smith.

Renae runs the day-to-day operations while her brother Chris Fuss and his wife Carolyn are the creative team. “Everything you see in our rooms is custom built,” states Smith. “We don’t purchase escape room packages or premade games. It takes a lot of work, but Chris and Carolyn are very detail oriented and they have done an amazing job bringing their ideas to life.”

Big plans are on the way for Prince Albert’s best locally owned shop as they have two new rooms planned for the summer of 2020.

“Oh Chris and Carolyn have been busy,” laughed Smith. “They have so many cool ideas and sometimes I am just left in awe of what they come up with. I often get random text messages with concepts about new puzzles and room themes. It is really neat to see how the rooms come together from theory to reality.”

None of it would be possible without their expert room and game installer, Nick Smith. Renae raves about her husband’s craftsmanship and attention to detail.

“His installations are flawless,” stated Renae. “Chris and Carolyn have come up with some wild ideas and Nick never misses a beat. He likes the challenge of creating the ultimate experience for the players. He takes pride in his work and it definitely shows.”

District 8 Escape’s newest room, ‘Your Game of Clue,’ has been a hit with locals. Players are sent searching for the suspect, weapon, and room in this unique game play experience. After you solve the crime, the ending will leave you speechless.

“When players get to the end of the game they are literally scratching their head asking, ‘how is that even possible? Every game has a unique ending and the reaction the players have is priceless,” says smith.

With a new room that just opened and two more on the way, there is no slowing down the five time Prince Albert BOB Award winners. Check out their Facebook page here.