Picture it — you are a kitten mistaken for a stray who’s about to get adopted out. Your goal? Find clues and solve puzzles that help the pet shop owner contact your real pet parents before the adoption event starts.
For escape room enthusiasts, this may sound like a unique challenge. That’s partly why Anaheim-based Exit Game OC co-owners Jeremiah Lutes and Christine Barger-Lutes launched Meow! I’m a Cat! in July. But there is another big reason why the husband-wife team designed a feline-focused escape room.
“I’m 100% crazy cat lady,” said Barger-Lutes. “Cats are a large part of my life, and I wish I could educate everyone on the importance of having their cats chipped and wearing collars.”
The group of kittens at the center of the escape room’s storyline are playing outside without collars on when they’re accidentally rescued by a couple who knows firsthand about the dangers of un-chipped and collar-less cats outside.
“Christine spends a lot of time trying to track down owners of stray cats she finds in the neighborhood,” Lutes said of his partner. “If those cats were wearing collars, it would be much easier to reunite them with their families. That real-world experience helped shape the heart of the game and its message.”
The couple designed the escape room as a family-friendly adventure, appropriate for ages 5 and up, that can accommodate three to eight players.
Some challenges require at least three players, so for groups with small kids, a minimum of two adults and one child, or one adult and three children is recommended. There is a 60-minute time limit for the game.
“This game was designed with kids in mind,” Lutes said. “We’ve seen children as young as 3 participate in about 80% of the puzzles. Every puzzle is solvable by kids — the only limitations are height restrictions on two of them. We constantly received calls asking if we had a kid-friendly game, and we’re thrilled to finally be able to fill that need.”
Meow! I’m a Cat! is designed with children in mind.
(Courtesy of Exit Game OC)
Adult-only groups are also welcome to play, with Lutes estimating about 50% of participants so far have been adults. He said the game does have an easier challenge level, so they recommend adult-only groups keep their team sizes smaller to get the most out of the experience.
“At its core, it’s still an escape room; you’re solving a series of puzzles to complete a clear objective. In this case, that objective is getting home before the adoption event starts,” he said.
“There’s nothing quite like this game in Orange County, and very few escape rooms anywhere where you actually play as cats. Because you’re cats, everything in the room is oversized. There’s a large cat cubby you’ll need to crawl into, a giant litter box you can open and climb inside, and many of the puzzles are larger-than-life versions of real cat toys. The puzzles are very tactile and were designed with one simple question in mind: Could a cat do this with their paws?”
The couple took over the Exit Game OC space in March 2021 and opened the doors for business in September 2021 with 13th Basement, a horror/comedy escape room. Prior to the escape room business, Lutes worked as a casting director for Full Moon Features.
Meow! I’m a Cat! is inspired by co-owners Christine Barger-Lutes and Jeremiah Lutes’ love of felines.
(Courtesy of Exit Game OC)
Barger-Lutes has a diverse entertainment background, including acting and ventriloquism.
“I started doing ventriloquism when I was a child to cope with the loss of my baby brother, and as I got older I was able to help others by bringing laughter during hard times,” she said. “Ventriloquism opened some exciting doors and has allowed me to join the Academy of Magical Arts at the Magic Castle, perform on [the TV show] “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” compete in several game shows and build a community on social media.”
Her love of cats runs deep.
“I love them all like family,” she said. “About 12 years ago, I was in a car accident that affected my health pretty severely and we decided to adopt a rescue kitty. I fell in love with Bagheera, and that tiny kitten became my guardian angel. She helped motivate me to get out of bed and work on my recovery daily because she needed me. Later, we rescued Stitch after she was abandoned near our home. It took six months of getting her to trust me before she moved in, but they became fast friends. Our girls are indoor-only cats, but I do care for several outdoor community cats.”
As far as what guests can expect when playing Meow! I’m a Cat! — think feline. There is even some climbing and crawling involved. For those who regularly frequent escape rooms, don’t expect a lot of locks — cats really can’t open locks, can they?
Adults may find some puzzles in the family-friendly Meow! I’m a Cat! escape room surprisingly challenging.
(Jessica Peralta)
“At one point, you might be guiding a ball along a track or controlling a laser. The next, you might be working together to identify a pattern to unlock something,” Lutes said. “While it’s very kid-friendly, adults are often surprised by how challenging some puzzles can feel. We’ve noticed that kids will sometimes solve something immediately that adults overthink, which makes it especially fun for mixed-age groups.”
Exit Game OC is located at 2975 E. White Star Ave., Anaheim. Phone (714) 603-7705.