If I had to pick a way to go “crushed to a bloody pulp by an elevator” would probably not be in my top five. Top thirty, even.

Yet there I was with four of my friends, in a death trap designed by the notorious serial killer Edward Tandy. We had nothing more than our wits and communication skills — and the promise that the designer of this death trap had built a flaw into the machine much the way that Galen Erso had built a flaw in the Death Star.

But was this to be our own A New Hope, or were we resigned to the fate of the heroes of Rogue One? That is: doomed.

Film references are apt when it comes to Kayden Michael Ressel’s The Basement.

One of the oldest escape rooms in the country, The Basement complex houses three separate games which tell an interlocking story about the aforementioned Edward Tandy. It consistently ranks among the most popular escape rooms in the nation. With good reason: Ressel and company bring an insane level of set design attention to each game, setting a bar which many escape room owners don’t even try and match.

The Elevator Shaft, which replaces The Boiler Room as the second chapter in the ongoing Tandy saga, feels like a movie set without the forth wall. Running water, “sparking” electrical panels and a level of visual detail which would stand up on film. Some rooms manage to seduce players into suspending disbelief, but this? This is like being on a theme park show deck. There’s no disbelief to suspend: you’re in a freaking elevator shaft.

(Okay, so the ever threatening elevator overhead is made of foam, but you tell that to your eyes and hear them screaming back that you got yourself in over your head this time.)

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There’s a seamlessness to the challenges in this game which elevate this towards the “lock free” standard. What locks there are make perfect sense from within the story of the room, and the variety of challenges make this a brisk mental workout which culminates in… well, that would be spoiler territory.

Indeed, there’s something so theatrical to The Basement’s whole deal that sharing details feel like a sin. So many of the decisions I personally made — or failed to make — were based as much on what I suspected might be waiting for me down the end of a decision tree as it was from sticking to the available evidence at hand. That right there is the power of atmosphere, in service of story, put to use messing with the gamer mind.

So let me cop to something: our team of veterans didn’t make it out. We were probably a good minute away from making it. Chalk that up to some communication breakdowns on our part. Our core three added two — very smart! — players to come in below the room cap. However we didn’t have the dynamic down, and in the home stretch that cost us.

But I didn’t really mind!

As competitive as I get with these things I really loved just being in that space. How absolutely insane it was to be doing some of the things we were doing — which in the real world would probably lead you you getting killed but in a fully controlled environment just look hella dangerous.

Now if I remember correctly The Basement will let you book out a room if you buy all the tickets. The Elevator Shaft caps at six players, but feels ideal at around four. If you want to do the room without any randos being thrown into your group — pony up the extra cash.

However randos being tossed in work perfectly well with the Tandy storyline, so there’s something to be said for tempting the fates and trying to figure out who is in charge in the limited time you have together. A metafictional layer that completes the narrative, if you will. (Hmmm, I thought this single-origin hand roasted Fair Trade organic coffee said it was double washed for lower pretension. shrug emoji)

My only real regret is that my dream of running the table in one go at The Basement (I’ve been waiting forever to put together a team for just that purpose) is now dead.

But then again: now I’m ready for the rest of the Tandy tale.

The Elevator Shaft is now available at The Basement, 12909 Foothill Blvd.
Sylmar, Ca 91342. Tickets are $30 per person, with up to six people to the room. A buyout runs $180.