The Real-Life Inspiration Behind The Escape Game
Have you ever heard of the Winchester Mystery House?
Tucked away in San Jose, California, it’s a place that feels
more like a nightmare than a home. Doors that open to nowhere. Staircases that
twist and turn in impossible ways. Hallways that seem to stretch on forever.
Rooms built… and then abandoned.
It’s strange. Unsettling. And completely real.
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| Photo provided by the Winchester Mystery House and used with permission. |
The house belonged to Sarah Winchester, widow of William
Winchester—the man behind the Winchester rifle. After losing her husband and
child, she was left with unimaginable grief. Desperate for answers, she turned
to a spiritual medium.
What she was told would change everything.
According to legend, she was warned that she was being
haunted by the spirits of those killed by Winchester rifles. The only way to
survive? Build. Never stop building. Because if construction ever ceased… her
life would end too.
So she built.
For decades, construction continued—day and night—until her
death in 1922. The result? A sprawling, labyrinthine mansion designed not for
comfort, but for confusion. Crooked staircases. Hidden doors. Rooms within
rooms. It’s said she even moved bedrooms frequently, hoping to stay one step
ahead of whatever might be following her.
Whether you believe the legend or not… it’s hard not to feel
something when you look at that house.
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| Photo provided by the Winchester Mystery House and used with permission. |
And that’s where The Escape Game began.
I was fascinated by the idea of a place that doesn’t quite
make sense. A house that looks normal from the outside—but inside? It’s
something else entirely.
I’ve always been fascinated by things that don’t quite make
sense—places or objects that feel like they’re hiding something just out of
reach. One of those is the Voynich manuscript, a real historical text written
in a language no one has ever been able to decipher. Page after page of
beautiful, intricate symbols… and yet, no clear meaning.
It’s mysterious. Intriguing. And just a little unsettling.
Because confusion has a way of pulling us in while also
keeping us lost.
So I asked myself: what if I took that feeling—the
disorientation of something you can’t quite understand—and built a story around
it?
What if the danger wasn’t supernatural—but human?
That question led to the creation of the Ives Mansion—a
gothic monstrosity perched on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior in northern
Minnesota. Like the Winchester house, it’s filled with secrets. Twists. Hidden
intentions. And the unsettling sense that you’re never quite where you think
you are.
While the Winchester Mystery House sparked the idea, the
design of Ives Mansion was heavily inspired by the J.J. Hill House in St. Paul,
Minnesota. If you’ve ever seen it—or taken a virtual tour—you know how rich it
is in detail. Ornate woodwork. Intricate fireplaces. Unexpected architectural
choices.
You can explore it here: https://www.mnhs.org/hillhouse/activities/virtual-tour
Those details made their way into the story—elements like
the snake-backed fireplace, the dragon sconces, and other features that give
the mansion its personality… and its secrets.
But at its core, The Escape Game isn’t just about a
house.
It’s about fear.
The villain of the story, Lizette Ives, is trapped by fear
just as surely as Sarah Winchester must have been all those years ago. Fear can
twist reality. It can trap us. It can make us build walls that were never meant
to exist.
But Scripture reminds us of something powerful:
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace…” — 1
Corinthians 14:33 (KJV)
And also:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power
and of love and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7
Fear may be real. The things we face in this world can be
overwhelming, confusing, even terrifying.
But we are not meant to live trapped inside it.
The Bible never promises that life won’t feel confusing or
frightening at times. But it does remind us that confusion and fear are not
where we’re meant to live.
We’re called to something steadier. Something clearer.
Something grounded in truth.
And maybe… just maybe… the scariest places aren’t the ones
filled with ghosts.
They’re the ones where fear and confusion take hold—and
refuse to let go.
Twenty years ago, the world’s leading enigmatologist disappeared, leaving behind a cipher no one could solve… not without his journal.
Puzzle shop owner Demi Kayne has spent twenty years hoping her father would return home. When she discovers his hidden journal, she finally uncovers the clue she’s been waiting for—but it leads somewhere far more dangerous than she imagined.
Liam Shepherd, a missionary and escape-room enthusiast, is searching for answers of his own. His sister has vanished without a trace, and the trail of clues leads him straight to Demi—and the secrets hidden in her father’s journal.
Their search brings them to the eerie Ives Mansion, where its brilliant and reclusive owner has designed a deadly challenge. Once inside, Demi and Liam realize they’re no longer guests.
They’re players.
With the clock ticking and lives hanging in the balance, Demi and Liam must confront their fears, their pasts, and the faith that may be their only hope of escape.
Can Demi and Liam solve the final puzzle before the game ends…or will the escape room become their tomb?
Giveaway: Comment below to win a paperback copy of The Escape Game by Gina Holder
Click here to learn more: https://www.amazon.com/Escape-Game-Deadly-Survival-Masters-ebook/dp/B0GTX8621Q/
Gina Holder is a Christian award-winning author of romantic suspense and cozy mysteries filled with faith, intrigue, danger, romance, and epic twists you'll never see coming.
She’s had an infatuation with books for as long as she can remember. She loves
sharing uplifting messages from God’s Word and introducing readers to new and
new-to-them authors on her blog. When she’s not writing, Gina enjoys playing
the piano, cooking, reading, watching Hallmark mysteries, and solving “escape
room” puzzles. She loves growing in her craft as an author. She published her
debut novel in 2017. Gina lives in Wyoming with her husband and daughter.
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