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'CarnEvil' Escape Room A Perk Of The Aurora Public Library

By Dominic Garcia

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4)- The City of Aurora is testing people's mettle with a Halloween and carnival themed escape room called "CarnEvil."

An escape room is a physical adventure game in which a team of players solve a series of puzzles and riddles using clues, hints, and strategy to "escape" the room within a set time limit.

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The best part, it's free!

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"It was just a brain storming session of different ideas and we set on CarnEvil. By combining our strengths, we came up with this," said Aurora Librarian Brandon Forman.

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Brandon Forman (credit: CBS)

Teams are given one hour to escape the library's "evil, haunted carnival." People can puzzle out the phrase that will release them by solving the clues.

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Escape rooms can cost around $50 per person, but the library wanted to give people a cost sensitive option for fun.

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"You have single mothers and fathers out here working 8-12 hour shifts all day trying to put food on the table, trying to keep the lights on. The least they can look forward to is someone looking out for them and providing that free service and a memory," Forman told CBS4's Dominic Garcia.

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The escape room is just another example of how libraries are becoming more and more of a community resource. The library has also put on ComicCon-like conventions, hosts a number of clubs, and offers numerous classes.

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"We offer programs on how to buy your first car, how to manage your credit correctly, all for free," said Forman.

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The escape room runs through Nov. 6. Participation is free and open to everyone 13 and older but registration is required to secure a slot for a team, typically 3 to 7 people. To register, contact the library at 303.739.6630 or visit AuroraLibrary.org.

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Dominic Garcia anchors CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and reports for CBS4 News at 10 p.m. Connect with the Denver native on Twitter @cbs4dom & on Facebook.

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