THE ADVENTURE COLLECTIVE® · Independent discovery and booking for outdoor travel
Race against time in Portlaoise’s streets with The Big Escape, a 90-minute urban puzzle adventure by Team Activities. Crack codes and pull off the Heist of the Century without getting caught.
Race against time in Portlaoise’s streets with The Big Escape, a 90-minute urban puzzle adventure by Team Activities. Crack codes and pull off the Heist of the Century without getting caught.
Book with Team Activities
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Team Activities · Portlaoise, County Laois
Located on Main St in Maryborough, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Ireland, The Big Escape offers a unique twist on outdoor adventure that combines urban navigation with puzzle-solving thrills. Run by Team Activities, this 90-minute interactive experience transforms the heart of Portlaoise into the stage for a high-stakes casino heist. Under the guide Dan Rooney’s expert leadership, teams of 2 to 4 players dive into an adrenaline-charged race against the clock, cracking codes and deciphering clues to break into the casino’s vault and escape with the loot before time runs out.
Portlaoise itself is a vibrant county town set against the rolling Irish midlands landscape, where the charm of its historic streets meets modern recreational energy. The adventure unfolds across key junctions and landmarks along Main St and Maryborough, blending local culture with immersive storytelling. This makes The Big Escape stand out in Ireland’s outdoor recreation scene, as it goes beyond nature trails and climbs, offering a mentally stimulating urban quest.
What makes this an exceptional local offering is how it taps into the town’s fabric, encouraging participants to navigate real-world sites while engaging with cinematic, gamified challenges. The team-based set-up is perfect for friends, families, and corporate groups seeking a collaborative, fast-paced escape room experience off the beaten path. No special technical skills or athletic prowess are needed—just sharp wit, communication, and problem-solving under pressure.
Bringing this kind of interactive adventure into Portlaoise adds a fresh layer to the area's outdoor activity options, complementing nearby natural pursuits like walking the Slieve Bloom Mountains and cycling along local trails. Whether you’re a visitor or local, The Big Escape delivers a breakthrough experience in urban adventure that energizes your mind and lets you experience Portlaoise in unexpected ways.
easy.
1.5 hours.
Basic fitness; able to walk briskly on city streets for 90 minutes.
Teams can have between 2 and 4 participants, ideal for keeping the game fast-paced and collaborative.
No special fitness is required beyond basic walking stamina for about 90 minutes on paved streets.
The game is best suited for teens and adults due to puzzle complexity, but younger players may participate with adult supervision.
Bring a fully charged smartphone with GPS enabled, comfortable shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing.
Bookings are non-refundable but valid for two years, giving flexibility to play anytime within that period.
The adventure starts and ends at Main St, Maryborough, Portlaoise, where you will receive all necessary instructions.
Portlaoise, historically a market and garrison town dating back to the 16th century, offers a blend of traditional Irish culture and modern vibrancy.
Local initiatives focus on maintaining urban green spaces and promoting sustainable tourism to balance activity growth with community well-being.
Team Activities runs interactive, smartphone-driven city games and team-building experiences across multiple cities. The company offers a variety of timed adventures including The Big Escape heist series, CSI Save the Groom detective hunts, trivia-based games and themed challenges. Many Big Escape events are led by Dan Rooney and his crew, who guide teams through code-cracking puzzles to access a casino safe and race against the clock. Save the Groom experiences send teams on city-wide missions to uncover clues, solve riddles, and rescue a groom before the wedding. Activities vary in length from 30 minutes to 90 minutes and include indoor and outdoor formats, pub crawls, treasure hunts and quiz challenges. Popular options listed include The Big Escape in Dublin North, Galway, Lisbon, Wexford, Prague, Barcelona, and multiple Irish towns, plus Save the Groom variants across dozens of locations. Specialty events include The Festive Games Challenge, Save Pop Culture, The Big Quiz, Where in the World, Tactical Trivia and themed treasure hunts. Team Activities uses smartphones for navigation and interaction, blending live hosts with digital clues to create scalable group experiences suitable for stag parties, corporate team-building and social groups. The business posts clear trip summaries and duration details for each event and operates multi-city offerings. Team Activities presents itself as a specialist in fast-paced, puzzle-driven outdoor entertainment with a catalogue of almost sixty named experiences and multiple formats designed to engage groups of different sizes and interests. Booking information and group pricing are available through the official booking channels online.
Book with Team Activities