How EMOTION! was born
Hello!
We're Carla and Fede. Together, we created EMOTION! and its games. We want to tell you how the idea of building an Escape Room for kids and teens — EMOTION! — was born.
We're Carla and Fede. Together, we created EMOTION! and its games. We want to tell you how the idea of building an Escape Room for kids and teens — EMOTION! — was born.
Some friends invited us to do an activity, but they wouldn't tell us what it was! The day finally came and we met at the agreed spot. The sign on the place read ESCAPE ROOM.
- What? What's this?
- Well... you'll see.
And in we went! Let's play!
The game ended and we were absolutely thrilled. We couldn't believe how much fun we'd had. One hour of experience, but an UNFORGETTABLE hour! The conversation about what we'd lived through went on for ages and we all agreed: we'd felt like kids.
Back home we kept talking and talking and suddenly... Bam! The idea was born: What if we build an Escape Room for kids? Do these games only exist for adults or are there some for kids too? We wondered.
We searched on Google and not only couldn't we find Escape Rooms for kids in Barcelona, we couldn't find any in Madrid either... Not anywhere in Spain! We only found Escape Rooms for adults or family Escape Rooms.
We couldn't believe it. How was it possible that there wasn't an Escape Room for them — a place to have such a fun time with friends? Or somewhere to celebrate a different kind of birthday? We immediately realised we needed to create one exclusively for kids and teens.
Apart from the need to create an activity for little ones that was missing in Barcelona, there was another need... At that time, Carla was unemployed. EMOTION! was also born as a career opportunity, although today we no longer see it as a job — it's a part of our lives.
At the time, Fede was teaching. He's a maths teacher, and with his natural teaching vocation, he couldn't help imagining using an Escape Room game as a learning method where kids and teens could have fun and spend quality time.
We had the idea and believed that together, we could make it happen.
We knew there would be a lot of work ahead and a lot to learn. We put our brains together and started working on what each of us did best.
Little by little we shaped the brand, built the website, designed the puzzles, painted and decorated the venue, and built all the game materials. But of course we didn't do it all alone! We had the help of friends, family and excellent professionals who took care of everything that was impossible for us.
After a few months we had everything ready to open our first game: The Cloud.
Just before opening, we were terrified and incredibly nervous. What if everything we'd built didn't work? We had to test it... With kids!
The day arrived and we welcomed the team. We saw expressions of joy and intrigue, but above all, excitement to play! Our hearts were racing... We explained the game as best we could (since we were learning too!), told them their mission and went in. We saw them amazed, thrilled... They were playing the Escape Room for the very first time!
Mission accomplished! The game ended; they came out euphoric: laughter, screaming, jumping and high-fives. The kids had completed their mission and we had completed ours: they'd had an absolute blast!
"Lo más guai del mondo. Grácias 😋"
We were ready to bring THE EMOTION! EXPERIENCE to many more kids.
After a year, families who had already played were calling us to celebrate their children's birthdays with us again. But the game was the same one they'd already done!
We hesitated about building a new one, until some enquiries turned into orders. We had to do it! Hands to work once more and in a few months we had the new adventure: The Cat.
It was very moving to see familiar faces again. Two years in a row joining the kids on their special day... We couldn't believe it...
Over time, wonderful people have come to us and together we've formed a fantastic team. People who have put on the EMOTION! shirt and lovingly passed on our philosophy, working with complete dedication.
When the party is over, the fact that kids, mums and dads remember their names is no small thing. They're not just game masters. They are the ones who make that important day become an EMOTION-AL EXPERIENCE.
In early 2020 we launched our franchise proposal, which was disrupted by the pandemic, but today we have franchised venues in Barcelona, Madrid and Mataró in Spain and in Braga in Portugal.
There's not much of a story here, to be honest... There were so many emotions we experienced before opening that we said... EMOTION! And we don't know why, but sometimes saying words in English just sounds cooler. So... that's how it stayed, EMOTION!