URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — CU Adventures in Time and Space was recently awarded a TERPECA for their escape room "The Forest of Fables," placing second in the country and 37th in the world.
TERPECA, or the Top Escape Rooms Project Enthusiasts Choice Award, is determined by an international group of escape room enthusiasts who nominate and vote on the best escape rooms in the world.
Anne Lukeman opened CU Adventures in Time and Space in 2015 with her husband, Chris. She explained that TERPECA is awarded to escape rooms from countries all over the world.
"Most of those games aren't actually in the US. Most of them are in Europe," which she said makes their win that much sweeter. "So of the top 100, only about a dozen were in the US. So to even be in the top 100 games was amazing."
Forest of Fables was created in partnership with the University of Illinois's Theater Department and was used as an immersive theatre experience in 2024. Now, it's been slightly re-worked to be a 75-minute escape room, with an engaging story.
Lukeman described "The Forest of Fables" as a fractured fairytale.
"You are called to help a person called 'The Narrator,' who is the narrator of stories. They have lost their sibling, 'The Collector.' And they think that this Collector has gone into the forest of fables. So you are trying to open the portal to follow them in and find out what happened to them," she said.
But the magic doesn't stop at CU Adventures' seven escape rooms. Co-owners Anne and Chris have another trick up their sleeve.
They are in the midst of constructing Parcadia, a magical mini golf tavern. "Mini golf is really overdue for rethinking, a reshaping of what the experience can look like," Lukeman said.
Golfers become adventurers on Dungeons-and-Dragons-style courses, cycling through a campaign and facing foes upon the green. After their quest is complete, they can head to the Tavern to indulge in libations and debrief on the details of their mission.
They plan to have a soft opening for Parcadia in February, with a grand opening for the summer. Adventurers will be able to try one of the courses and taste some of the drinks they'll have to offer.
For updates, check the Parcadia Facebook page.
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