A NEW race-against-the-clock venture has been launched in York by the couple who helped create the city's crowd-pulling escape room craze.

Kev and Geri Trower, whose GR8ecape York has just marked its fifth anniversary, hope their new business will be as successful by offering something fresh for challenge-seeking tourists, friends, party and corporate event organisers.

Logic Puzzle Boxes promises all the excitement of an escape room experience - but, this time, it is mobile.

Rather than being locked in a room with a challenge to get out, teams are locked out of a box and have to follow the clues and solve puzzles to find the way inside.

There are 12 unique puzzle boxes to solve in a set amount of time by up to 50 players at a time, in teams.

Kev said that while the escape room experience limited the number of participants, the puzzle boxes enabled larger groups to be involved.

"We can take up to 50 people, all playing at the same time. With it being mobile, we can take the boxes to various locations such as schools, businesses, universities, bars and restaurants. We take them to the customer so if they are having a party or event we can go to them."

Kev, who gave up his career in teaching when GR8escape York took off, said: "We don't know how long this escape room craze will last so this is something different. We are the only people doing this in York."

Before launching GR8escape, Kev taught ICT in Hull and Geri worked at Tesco. They now both work for the business full-time.

"We were getting so many bookings," said Kev. "It was a big decision because as a teacher you know you are going to get a wage every month. Going into business on your own is a big step; if it doesn't work out you still have a mortgage and bills to pay.

"It took off very quickly, a lot faster than we thought. We have got more competition in York now. More have opened. We were the first ones here and we are the only independent. The others are big companies."

The couple who live in Bridlington and set up GR8escape with two friends as partners held their first puzzle box event at Revolution Bar in York, with more dates planned.

They say they want to expand and be able to give more hours to their team, which includes part-time staff and students.

For more details visit logicpuzzleboxes.co.uk