How to score an instant date night WIN with 'Envy' and some cool company

Cpl. Horatio Swatchton

Renowned for his wit and sharp hair. Ladies beware!

Lady Priscilla Belleville

A true noble, her character is as refined as her moustache.

Mr Alexander Lockridge

Loves bow-ties and writing fun articles about date nights!

Setting up the 'Envy' escape room game was ridiculously short and simple:

1. Print
2. Sort the papers
3. Drop them on the desk
4. Set up the laptop as a music/hints station.

Tip:

• Make sure you follow the printing directions and print the game on 200 GSM paper, or you'll end up with sad, flimsy sheets like I did.


• For extra classiness you can stick skewers to your glasses and make them easier to hold.

Cpl. Swatchton's amiable demeanour easily doubled the number of laughs at the table. His quiet antics and understated humour fit in like a piece of fine decor.

While this certainly created a different atmosphere to that of a candlelit dinner, it was no less romantic. As Lady Priscilla and I locked eyes after another of my brother's sly remarks, we knew, we were happy.

Remember, your aim is to host a night that your date will remember. There is something truly special about simply having fun with a group of friends.

Tip:

• Dress up all slick and polished (bonus points for staying in character all night)


• Start the music early to help people transition into the theme


• Read the intro in an elegantly refined accent.


• Alternatively, pass around the flavour text and see who can pull off the best posh accent (the suspect list is good for this).


• NOTE: Read the intro and flavour text before starting your clock. If you have the time, you may as well have fun with it!

I'll be the first to admit that, as a couple, I tend to live in my own little world where the sun only ever shines on the face of my wife.

Every now and then you need to burst that bubble, so why not do it with your brother, a tragic murder, and an unclaimed inheritance?

Plus, building strong relationships with others actually makes you a far more interesting and attractive person!

Tip:

What's more fun than flirting? Stealth-flirting!

Having my brother around meant that we needed to tone it down... or get creative...

My wife and I made it into a game to see how badly we could flirt without being caught. Bonus points if you can distract your date from their puzzle!

My advice - while shenanigans under the table are fun… just make sure you know who you're playing footsies with!

Tip:

• Find excuses to touch each other's arms and neck.


• Exchange little kisses.


• Give secret, smouldering looks.


• Take fun, wacky selfies.


• Play footsies under the table. Etc.

Escape rooms are a great date-night tool to begin with, as you get to see how your date performs under this weird fun/pressure combo. But add another person to the mix, and you start to see your date's character leak out into their interactions.

My wife's fun-loving side was in full swing as she happily crushed the game. However, when the clock counted down and she hit her hardest puzzle, Lady Priscilla didn't snap with the frustration. Instead, she elegantly frowned at her paper, kept calm, and carried on!

They say that pressure exposes the cracks in people's character, but this night, the cracks in my wife looked more like veins of gold!

Tip:

Stuck! If only we'd read through these winning tips beforehand...

"There's only ten minutes left guys! We need to win this!"

You could feel the tension in the way we collectively frowned over the last puzzle sheet. It was do or die time, and it looked like we were going to die.

Until that is, Cpl. Swatchton flashed a full smile and attacked the answer sheet with fresh gusto.

As our clock hit only 16 seconds remaining, we pounded the table. Solved!

There's few feelings quite as exhilarating as squeaking in a win so close to defeat. And we couldn't have beaten this game without my brother's help.

There is truly strength in numbers.

Tip:

At the end of the day, the goal is to share a fun experience with your date, and adding another close friend to the mix achieves that with flying colours!

Private, romantic dates are always fun. But you'll get plenty of those. Having a blast with the people you love gives you a treasured memory to reminisce about later.

Without my brother, there would have been less laughs, a more subdued atmosphere, and a murder that would have remained unsolved.