By Marcus Camacho
“Attack on Titan” fans rejoice as East Los Angeles College will host the “Escape from the Walled City” at Weingart Stadium on Saturday.
The event will have three start times, 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. With introductions and solution walkthroughs, each event is about a hour and a half.
“Everyone is welcome to come and play. People who enjoy puzzles and anime/manga fans will especially enjoy the event, but if you’re even the least bit curious, we encourage you to try to escape. It’s a rare experience to play a real-life game in this kind of setting, so don’t miss out,” Public Relations Coordinator Doc Preuss said.
The doors will open an hour before the start times.
Participants of the event who arrive after the game has started will not be allowed in because it can be a distraction to other players.
“Attack on Titan” is a Japanese manga written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.
In the anime, people are ravaged by ravenous man-eating giants called Titans.
In the story, the entire human race has retreated to the safety of a single city protected by 164 foot-high walls. With the appearance of an immense Titan, humanity realizes that its defenses may no longer be enough and is on the brink of extinction.
Despite the series’ Japanese origins, the game will be in English. The players will have to solve puzzles to complete the event. The puzzles do not require any special skills or knowledge to solve them.
Participants are not required to have any knowledge of “Attack on Titan” for gameplay, but it will make the experience more enjoyable.
There is no team size limit for the event. Participants can play by themselves or team up with as many people as they like.
The event planners recommend teams of three to six people for the best game experience.
“Originally, Kodansha, the company that holds the right to ‘Attack on Titan,’ approached us about collaborating on a project. We had held our games in a stadium before, and given the story and setting of ‘Attack on Titan’ we came up with the idea for ‘Escape from the Walled City,’” CEO of Real Escape Games Kazu Iwata said.
“We felt that a stadium would be a perfect fit for the story and also a very exciting venue for our players. From there, we created the entire game ourselves, which includes all of the story, puzzles and logistics,” Iwata said.
Cosplay is welcome and a great way to immerse into the “Attack on Titan” story, but participants are advised to dress comfortably and to not bring or wear anything that will slow them down. Speed is important for completing the event.
The event will take place rain or shine. In the case of an extreme situation, such as a natural disaster, participants can check “Escaped from the Walled City’s” website and Facebook page for event updates.
Participants are allowed to take photos of the clues during the game, but can not upload any spoilers to social media or tell other people the answers or puzzles.
The coordinator will run through all of the answers at the end so participants who fail to reach the final solution will be able to appreciate the entire game from start to finish.
Participates can get tickets at the website. Tickets for the event cost $30 in advance and $35 at the door.
If participants have any questions or want to buy tickets, visit realescapegame.com