Self-confessed Crystal Maze addict Ian Hansford, who works as an administrative assistant at Lincoln College on Monks Road, took inspiration from the original hit TV show, to create his ‘Keys of Centotl’ game, which will now be built and incorporated into the Crystal Maze Live Experience in either Manchester or London.
Contestants on the original TV show were asked to take on a series of these rooms in a bid to release crystals, and Ian’s design looks set to be just as challenging.
“It was a rainy January afternoon and I was looking to pass the time, so I thought I’d give it a go,” said Ian. ”I never actually expected it to amount to anything!”
Ian’s game, entitled ‘Keys of Centotl’ (the Aztec god of maize), will see people having to insert keys into slots to move columns up and down to create a pathway to the crystal.
“At one end is another key, which once everything is aligned, allows people to slide through the columns to the exit point. Once free, they can use that key to unlock a chest and retrieve the crystal.
“But here’s the twist - some of the columns need to be elevated higher than others, and because the keys have different indentations, the contestant has to get the right keys in the right order.”
And to mix things up further, Ian’s game includes keys that are red herrings, just to make things even more difficult.
Ian says the competition was a dream for him, as he has been a Crystal Maze fan from an early age.
“I was obsessed with the Crystal Maze as a kid! In fact, when I first learned that the live experience was being created, my initial reaction was that I’d been dreaming of this since I was seven.”
When not at Lincoln College, Ian and his family enjoy visiting ‘escape rooms’, which he says are similar to a Crystal Maze experience.
“Escape rooms are similar to the Crystal Maze, except all the puzzles are interconnected and condensed into a single room.
“I remember one funny instance where me, my sister and my dad were doing a Game of Thrones-style room, where there were lots of old-style cupboards, bookshelves and hessian sacks. I was there frantically looking around the room, searching in cupboards and sacks for possible clues. I started to unzip this one bag until my sister pointed out it was her handbag!”
When social distancing is relaxed, why not try Escape Lincoln, the best Escape Rooms in the city with games including Sherlock Judgement, Prison Breakout and the Magic Emporium.
