We love it when new escape rooms open in the area, so when we heard about Nerdy By Nature in Mission Viejo, we just had to send them a message to find out more! They are brand new, having opened just last Tuesday, and are looking to make a splash in the world of escape games. We spoke to owner Scott Norton who told us a bit more about how they came to be and what to expect!
“After a couple careers as a professional bowler and then an attorney, I wanted to do something more enjoyable with my life that would bring great experiences to those who came,” said Norton on why he decided to go the route of escape rooms.
At the moment, there is only one room open at Nerdy By Nature, called The Initiation.
“(It) was months of work in the making,” said Norton. “You begin in the Baroness’ study (Head Mistress of the Illuminati) where you must pass her tests to gain access to the Inner Sanctum. Once there you must find all three artifacts of the Illuminati and place them on the sacred alter to pass through into enlightenment and be initiated in the order. It’s a more traditional style escape room that is both linear and non-linear.”
Rumor has it that the room is pretty challenged, even for season professionals. But, not just content with one room, Norton is already hard at work on a second room, The Lost Treasure of Captain Blackbeard. And man, does it sound ambitious!
“You will start in a Caribbean prison because a rival pirate found out you knew the location of Blackbeard’s treasure and tipped off the local authorities to your hideout,” said Norton. “Once you break free, you’ll have to get to your ship (we’ll be building out the hull of a ship in the room) and pilot it to a mysterious island cave where the buried treasure lies. This one will be much more story driven and will hopefully draw people in as though they are characters in the story.”
Norton choose the name Nerdy By Nature because he wanted to embrace nerd culture in all its forms.
“(I wanted it to be)…a place that is a safe space for all, and embodies the values of community while embracing gaming and gamer culture.”
We can’t wait to check it out! You can visit them online, and buy tickets to their rooms, at: https://nbnescaperooms.com/
