Escape rooms are an innovative type of puzzle game with a simple premise: you and your teammates are locked in a room and must escape within a given time limit.

Considering the idea came from video games in the first place, it makes sense that physical escape rooms are starting to circle back around and re-enter the digital realm.

Oblivion, an up-and-coming escape room from the acclaimed Insomnia Escape of Washington DC, is the first such room to use virtual reality. Players are locked in a laboratory and must interface with an artificial intelligence to find a missing scientist.

This technological innovation may help lure more players from the world of video games. Many avid escape room artists started out playing video games, so it makes sense to bridge the two worlds directly.

We have seen this sort of move play out effectively in the online gambling scene, where more and more people are using virtual reality to get the experience of the casino from the comfort of home.

With escape rooms, virtual reality is immersive in its own right and can also augment physical objects in the room. For example, in Oblivion, the DC escape room mentioned above, players can pick up unremarkable physical objects which are then brought to life by the virtual headset.

If you like the sound of that and you’re in the DC area, head over to Insomnia Escape and book your ticket now. The Oblivion room is still in the works, but you can always try your hand at their award-winning room The Alchemist.

Rated in 2016 as one of the 13 best escape rooms in the world, The Alchemist is a race to discover the legendary Philosopher’s Stone. Featuring a lavish environment, elegant puzzles, and a dramatic storyline, it’s a great introduction to the world of escape rooms.