Escape rooms, also known as puzzle rooms or escape games, have become a popular form of entertainment in recent years. But where did they come from? Who was the first to come up with the idea of locking people in a room and making them solve puzzles to escape?

The roots of escape rooms can be traced back to Japan in the late 2000s. Takao Kato, the founder of the Japanese company SCRAP Co., Ltd., is credited with creating the first escape room game in 2007. The game, called "Real Escape Game," was held in a small, unassuming room in Kyoto and required players to solve a series of puzzles to escape.

The concept quickly caught on in Japan and spread to other countries in Asia. In 2010, SCRAP opened a permanent escape room in Tokyo, and soon after, other companies began to follow suit. By 2012, escape rooms had become a popular form of entertainment throughout Asia.

Escape rooms made their way to Europe and North America in the early 2010s. The first escape room in Europe opened in Hungary in 2011, and the first in North America opened in Canada in 2013. Since then, escape rooms have exploded in popularity, with thousands of rooms now available in cities around the world.

Today, escape rooms come in many different themes and styles, from horror and mystery to science fiction and adventure. They are enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds and have become a popular team-building activity for businesses and organizations.

Escape rooms may have originated in Japan, but they have quickly become a global phenomenon. As the popularity of escape rooms continues to grow, we can only imagine what new and exciting adventures await us in the future.