Escape room

Outsmart CAL: The Christmas Shutdown

CAL has decided Christmas is inefficient and cancelled it. Break back into the office systems and restore the festivities before the Christmas party is wiped from the calendar.

Duration: 45–60 minutes
Team size: Up to 10 per team
Group size: Any size
Price: £12 per person

About the game

It's the day of the Nowak Robotics Christmas party and CAL, the office AI, has run the numbers. Christmas is wasteful, noisy and full of tinsel, so CAL has cancelled it. The decorations are locked away, the playlist is deleted and the party has vanished from everyone's diary.

Your team must break into CAL's systems one by one, from the festive lights to the party playlist, winning back a digit of the override code each time.

Then comes the finale: a codebreaker against CAL itself to switch Christmas back on.

What to expect

Festive logic puzzles across CAL's systems, tackled in any order
CAL's grumpy running commentary on your Christmas spirit
A codebreaker finale to restore the party
A live leaderboard against the other teams
A host who keeps it fun and festive throughout

Sample agenda

0–5 minutesWelcome from your host and split into teams
5–10 minutesDiscover CAL's Christmas shutdown
10–45 minutesBreak back into the festive systems
45–55 minutesCrack the override code
55–60 minutesResults and winners

Questions

Have we played this already if we played Outsmart CAL?

No. The Christmas edition has new puzzles and a new storyline, so it works as a follow-up.

How does a hosted virtual game work?

Everyone joins your usual video call. We split the group into teams of up to 10, each in its own breakout room with a dedicated host who shares the game on screen and types in the answers the team agrees on. A live leaderboard keeps the competition going.

How far ahead do we need to book?

At least 48 hours ahead, Monday to Friday. Same-day sessions are sometimes possible on request: book as usual and we will confirm as quickly as we can.

Is there a minimum or maximum group size?

There is no maximum. The minimum booking is £150 + VAT, so groups under 13 people pay the minimum.