Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be one of the unfortunate souls aboard an Imperial vessel when a routine warp jump goes awry? Perhaps you’ve seen the sensational mid-season climax of Angels of Death and are curious what the Sword of Baal’s time lost in the Great Rift was like. Now you can find out, thanks to Immaterium – the first officially licensed Warhammer 40,000 escape room* – which can be found in Nottingham, UK.
We fired a few questions at Frazer Varney from Escapologic, creators of Immaterium, to find out how the team went about fully realising an adventure in the 41st Millennium.
Warhammer Community: What is the Immaterium escape room?
Frazer: Immaterium is a real-life Warhammer 40,000 experience with Escapologic's escape room twist. We've created a world based on one of our favourite facets of Warhammer 40,000 – warp travel – so players can take part in their very own 41st Millennium adventure.
The key to this escape room is immersion. We want you to really feel like you're on an Imperial ship, and that means making sure everything looks, sounds, and feels as authentic as possible. From the moment you step into the room, or tackle the experience online if you can’t make it to Nottingham, you feel like you're heading through the warp – and when everything inevitably goes wrong, the panic starts to set in for real.
WarCom: How did you go about designing a Warhammer 40,000 escape room?
Frazer: We approached Games Workshop with the concept of designing an escape room based on the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and the team were on board from the start.
After a bunch of back-and-forth on concepts, themes, and locations, we settled on the warp as a fitting starting point and went from there. Our in-house team got to work writing puzzles, researching the lore, and putting together rough ideas for how the game would flow, with the team at Games Workshop helping and guiding us along the way.
WarCom: How did you make the room feel authentic to Warhammer 40,000? What were the core elements that you had to include?
Frazer: In order to keep the feel authentic, we took loads of trips to Warhammer World and Warhammer stores to see models and paints in person. All the paints in Immaterium are actually colour matched with Citadel Colour paints, too.
Most importantly, we needed skulls, and lots of them, all over the place. If our research into Warhammer 40,000 told us anything, it’s that skulls are everywhere, so they needed to be a key part of the visuals.
We also incorporated plenty of iconic visuals from the Warhammer 40,000 universe, like recognisable logos, sigils, and pieces of machinery. Thankfully, the Games Workshop team was on hand to suggest some nice elements that'll make fans happy.
WarCom: What were the biggest challenges of designing and building the room?
Frazer: One of the most difficult things was finding a balance between appealing to general escape room fans, first-time players, and dedicated Warhammer hobbyists. We had to make sure that no outside knowledge of Warhammer 40,000 was needed while still using recognisable elements from the world that would excite fans.
WarCom: Finally, do you have some hints for anyone who might be planning on trying Immaterium for themselves?
Frazer: Communication is key! Talking to your teammates is important, but so is listening. Don't be afraid to split up, as doing things in different areas might help.** Also, don't be a heretic – that's usually bad for your health.
Tackle the fiendish puzzles online or book your session now and take on Immaterium in person at Games Workshop’s home city of Nottingham. The escape room is just a short drive from Warhammer World, and with a series of exciting events coming to the heart of the Warhammer hobby soon, it’s the perfect opportunity to see if you can survive the perils of the warp too.
* Games Workshop does, however, have plenty of experience with escape rooms, having been involved in the creation of the original Crystal Maze in the 1990s.
** Or it might not…