Escape Games of Yesteryear at Lucardo Rawtenstall

Join us for a look back over the previous games we've had at Lucardo Rawtenstall!

Gem Runner

Ah, the OG game here at Lucardo Rawtenstall! Despite being both the first of our rooms to open and the first to close, we still happily hear teams reminisce over this unique game, cementing it in our history books as an everlasting Lucardo favourite.

An exact replica of Lucardo Manchester’s Gem Runner, this game saw players undertake a risky bank heist, with the goal of stealing the most valuable diamond in the world. It wasn’t an easy task, with plenty of bank security measures, vault locks, and a ticking timer to overcome, however, we were thrilled to see countless players successfully accomplish their mission and escape uncaught.

Back in the day, Gem Runner included clever puzzles including everything from currency to remote-control cars, and we will always look back fondly on the room that started Lucardo Rawtenstall. After closing, the Gem Runner room was fully remodelled into what we now know as Treason, knocking off a good few centuries off the narrative yet keeping a criminal-style mission for teams to complete.

Safe House

High-stakes crime. Chilling quarters. A terrifying twist. In Safe House, players put their detective skills to the test, investigating a string of heinous crimes committed by the diabolical Tommy Neil. While there were two different versions of the game in its lifespan (it was shortened to a 45-minute experience in 2022), the mission was always the same… and the crimes were always treacherous!

Originally opening in the summer of August 2019, the Safe House game story began with Neil’s former right-hand man, Turkish Tony, held in police custody. From there, it was up to teams to rummage through his Safe House and gather all-important evidence before heading into the interrogation room to finish the job. At least, that’s how the plan was meant to go.

We won’t give too many spoilers here, as the full, original Safe House game is still available to play in an online format, available on our website here. It’s a great option if you're looking for ideas for remote gatherings and virtual game nights – especially if you never had the chance to experience the original room in person.

Safe House closed fully in 2023, and its space was transformed into not one, but two Christmas escape rooms. A far call from the murky crime and police office it started out as, that's for sure!

Claus for Concern

Claus for Concern marked our first foray into festivity here at Lucardo Rawtenstall, bringing sleigh bells, candy canes, and oh-so-many mischievous elves into our venue.

Opening in 2022 at – you guessed it – Christmas time, this room was especially unique in that, rather than following the traditional “escape” format, guests were instead required to solve as many puzzles as possible in the allotted time. In this case, our teams of “Honorary Elves” had to retrieve as many letters to Santa as they could, after a naughty elf named Gristle had wreaked havoc in the North Pole.

Claus for Concern is actually the most recent game to close at Lucardo Rawtenstall, with the last team escaping in February 2024. What will it become next, you ask? Well, you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out...

Seriously Elfish

Our second Christmas room, Seriously Elfish, opened just this past November, and stayed throughout the 2023 festive period. For this game, Elf Gristle had made his cheeky return, breaking into Chief Elf Frederick’s house and muddling up a series of gifts for some very special children. In the 45-minute room, guests of all ages worked to reunite the presents with their recipients, all before Frederick returned to have to find find his Christmas plans ruined!

Thankfully, as with Claus for Concern, we were thrilled that our teams were very up for the challenge, meaning Christmas was saved from right here in Rossendale over and over again. Phew!

Seriously Elfish closed at the end of January 2024. Now, we’re very excited to be working on an all-new experience in this space, and suggest you keep a close eye on our social media channels and the blog for an announcement we’re hoping to make very soon!

We hope you enjoyed this nostalgic look-back through four of our former games at Lucardo Rawtenstall. These popular rooms may all be stored in our hearts (and our archives) for now, however, we’re so very excited to take players on many more new adventures and experiences for years to come!

Written by Madeleine Lily

To book your next escape room adventure in Manchester or Rawtenstall, visit lucardo.com. For any queries, you can call us on 01706 551600. Be sure to also stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram, as well as the blog, for many more fun insights, news, giveaways, and more!