Chongqing - "Deep within the castle lies an unknown secret..." On the afternoon of May 3, inside a themed escape room venue at Daping Yingli Grand Mall, the opening scene of Storm Island Escape Room's "And Then There Were None" theme unfolded. In the dimly lit space, stone castle walls, vintage chandeliers, and hidden passages, enhanced by sound, light, and special effects, exuded a sense of mystery and suspense.
At Storm Island Escape Room, players are engaged in the game. (Photo/He Qingyu)
During the May Day holiday, the venue was fully booked, with all themed sessions sold out in advance. Over the five-day holiday, revenue exceeded 50,000 yuan (about US$7,300).
"Since opening in 2023, the venue has been extremely popular. Weekend and holiday sessions always sell out, and booking is essential," said Yang Nan, the founder of Storm Island Escape Room. A post-1995 entrepreneur, Yang majored in stage drama at university.
From Stage to Escape Room: Finding a Business Direction Through Improvisation
Yang’s connection with escape rooms began with a career choice. In 2018, after graduating from the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy with a degree in stage drama, he came across a recruitment ad for NPCs (non-player characters) in immersive theater. The requirements included acting skills and the ability to improvise. He successfully got the job, put on a costume, and began playing themed characters, officially stepping into this emerging industry.
Yang Nan cleans the venue, preparing for the next escape room session. (Photo/He Qingyu)
His stage drama background became his core advantage. He was adept at using body language to create atmosphere, controlling pacing to evoke emotions, and guiding players through the storyline. But escape rooms are vastly different from traditional theater: there is no fixed "fourth wall," and players are not passive spectators but active participants who can influence the plot. Carefully designed scenarios can be disrupted by an offhand joke, and intricately arranged puzzles can be solved prematurely.
"Stage drama pursues precise repetition, while escape rooms test improvisational intelligence," Yang explained. In one instance, a key prop malfunctioned mid-game. Rather than stopping the session, he improvised changes to the plot, guiding players to explore while quietly activating a backup plan. The game ran smoothly, and no one noticed anything unusual.
At that time, China's escape room industry was in a period of rapid growth. Between 2016 and 2019, cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Chongqing began to see the emergence of immersive themed venues with complete storylines, professional actors, and mechanical mechanisms. Many young people were willing to spend an average of 150 to 300 yuan (about US$22 to 44) per person for a two-hour immersive escape from reality.
At Storm Island Escape Room, players wait for the game to begin. (Photo/He Qingyu)
Yang observed that after each session, some players were reluctant to leave, preferring to discuss the plot and share their feelings. "What they're buying isn't just a game, but a shared experience - a unique memory," he said. He gradually sensed the appeal and potential of this industry.
Rooted in the Mountain City: Turning Entertainment Space into a Vessel for Emotion
"The domestic escape room industry continues to expand steadily, and more consumers are willing to pay for immersive experiences," Yang said. The industry's rapid growth solidified his decision to start his own business.
After some research, he chose Chongqing over Beijing, choosing a city widely recognized as the "capital of escape rooms in Southwest China." From local brands that have built their reputation to venues scattered across the city, Chongqing not only has mature infrastructure and diverse themes but also benefits from a strong youth-consumer culture and a supportive environment for immersive entertainment.
In 2023, Yang opened Storm Island's first Chongqing store at Daping Yingli Grand Mall. He secured a space of nearly 1,200 square meters and created three distinctly themed immersive experiences, investing over 1 million yuan (about US$147,000) in physical sets, mechanical mechanisms, and audio-visual special effects.
Inside the control room of Storm Island Escape Room, staff direct NPCs (non-player characters) to interact with players. （Photo/He Qingyu）
The store quickly became a hit. The average price per person per theme was more than 200 yuan (about US$29). Weekend and holiday sessions routinely sold out in advance, with monthly foot traffic peaking at nearly 1,000 customers and monthly revenue reaching about 170,000 yuan (about US$25,000).
But beyond the business figures, what moved him most was the state of the players: eyes shining as they exited, high-fiving, hugging, and discussing the experience enthusiastically.
"Modern life moves fast, and many people become lonely in their busy routines. Escape rooms place everyone in a setting that demands collaboration, communication, and mutual support - a depth of face-to-face interaction that's hard to come by in daily life," he said. In his view, escape rooms are no longer just entertainment; they have become vessels for emotional release, stress relief, and social connection.
A Wave of Youth Energy: Immersive Entertainment Sparks New Social Scenarios
Yang’s entrepreneurial story is just one example of the booming immersive entertainment industry in Chongqing. New formats such as escape rooms, scripted murder mystery games, and immersive theaters have rapidly emerged as popular choices for young people's leisure and social activities.
According to iiMedia Research, China's escape room industry is projected to reach a market size of 17.59 billion yuan (about US$2.58 billion) in 2026. Meanwhile, Meituan data shows that Chongqing's central urban area alone has more than 200 escape room stores, ranking fourth nationwide.
Inside the control room of Storm Island Escape Room, staff direct NPCs (non-player characters) to interact with players. （Photo/He Qingyu）
What draws young people to this experience?
"In an unfamiliar, slightly dim environment, people's adrenaline surges easily when they are highly tense, making it hard not to get hooked," said Ye Fei, a final-year university student, explaining the appeal of escape rooms for him.
Six months ago, Ye Fei tried an escape room for the first time with friends. Standing in a dark room, navigating dim corridors and rusted iron doors to find unlocking mechanisms, constantly testing his analytical skills, he immediately fell in love with this mentally challenging game. Since then, he has enjoyed everything from mechanical-themed to horror-themed rooms, switching between rational puzzle-solving and panicked reactions.
Why Immersive Entertainment Resonates with Young People
So why does immersive entertainment continue to win over young people? Liao Chenglin, an economics professor at Chongqing University, said the core reason lies in how it meets the needs of today's youth.
First, the sense of challenge and achievement that comes from solving suspenseful puzzles effectively relieves the pressures of daily life and work. Second, related variety shows have gained widespread popularity, raising public awareness and interest. Third, immersive experiences break down traditional social barriers, allowing strangers to form natural connections through shared experiences.
"Today's young people communicate easily online, but they lack in-depth offline interactions," Liao noted. "Immersive entertainment provides exactly the kind of low-pressure, highly interactive and engaging offline scenarios that allow socializing to happen naturally during experiences, creating new opportunities for youth social interaction."
To meet the evolving needs of young consumers, Yang has new plans: continuously improving the scenes and storylines, introducing new technologies to enhance immersion and the overall experience, and retaining customers with high-quality content.
As dusk settled, a new session was about to begin. After checking the last mechanism, Yang returned to the monitoring room. "Everyone needs moments to step out of the ordinary," he said.
Outside the door, twilight shrouded the mountain city. Inside, a new story was about to unfold. The rules of reality were temporarily set aside as young people released stress, found companionship, and discovered themselves in an intense yet enjoyable space. This small "secret door" reflects the simple but profound aspirations of today's youth: emotional release, genuine social connection, and meaningful shared experiences.
(Zhang Xuege, as an intern, also contributed to this article.)