Top News

Punekars are celebrating Friendship Day with a twist this year. The day is usually celebrated with cafe catch-ups, movie outings or long drives, and will be celebrated with an ultimate test. This year, many youngsters are choosing to go to Escape Rooms and test their friendships on a different plane while also making one-of-a-kind memories.

What is an Escape Room?

Escape rooms, also known as mystery rooms , are immersive live games where participants have 60 minutes to solve interconnected puzzles and complete a mission. The activity tests the specialized knowledge, observation, logic and collaboration of players to uncover hidden clues and to escape before time runs out. Every room has a unique storyline, making each experience feel like stepping into an adventure film.

Pune loves mystery rooms

Nishant Kalvankar from Escape & Neons believes the city’s growing appetite reflects a larger shift towards experiential entertainment. “People today want experiences where they become part of the story instead of simply watching one. It’s exciting to see college groups, families and even complete strangers enjoying the thrill together,” he says.

Organisers have also noticed that the strongest teams are not always the smartest. More often, success comes to groups that communicate well, trust one another and listen carefully. Quiet participants frequently crack the toughest clues.

Punekars are making Friendship Day special this year

For many participants, the biggest mystery isn't hidden inside the room but within their own friendships. Data analyst Aniket Asgekar, who has experienced mystery rooms before, says every visit feels different. “The puzzles challenge my logical thinking and test my patience. But beyond that it is the place where we actually learned more about each other than in real life.” He further adds, “The panic, the courage and the fear all sets in together during the trail unraveling the real persona of each of us. And hence, we’ve decided to go again this Friendship Day and challenge our inner instincts with another adventure.”

Video producer Divya Bhandare will be entering an escape room for the very first time alongside her close friends. “It feels like stepping into a story where we become the main characters together,” she says excitedly, adding, “From what my friends have told me, I’ll be truly living in the main character's energy, though in the middle of a crisis!”

She says she's looking forward to solving clues, laughing over mistakes and creating memories away from busy schedules and screens.

Make new friends while solving mysteries

The escape rooms are trying to be innovative for the occasion. Paheli Escape Rooms is introducing a special Stranger Meet concept this Friendship Day. Explaining the unique concept Sana Ansari says, “Participants can book individual tickets, choose their preferred time slot and mystery room, and will then be grouped with other solo participants who have selected the same slot.” She further adds, “Now imagine being stuck with a stranger in a mystery room and solving puzzles with them. The idea is simple: Make them enter as strangers, solve puzzles together, and hopefully leave with new friendships.”


In addition, some mystery room operators are also introducing special offers, and group discounts while providing the best opportunity for friends to understand each other and make memories.