The Lost Ghost Ship is owned by Tang Yuhong and An Yanpeng, a young couple who designed the room theme and all the clues themselves.

They have invested more than 100,000 yuan ($15,900) into the project.

"The steering wheel, for example, is the real thing, which we managed to detach from a ship," says 30-year-old Tang.

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She says the clues are meticulously designed and require knowledge of various fields such as foreign language, geography and mathematics.

The entire game process is monitored by a surveillance camera and controlled by a game guide.

"I give clues through a specially made drawer attached to the wall when I notice the players are stuck," says Cheng Yingying, game guide of The Lost Ghost Ship. She is also responsible for controlling the lights and audio effects.

Even with hints, the game proves challenging for most players. Among 590 teams that have played in the center, Cheng says, only three teams have successfully "escaped" from the room within one hour.

One of the centers known for its high degree of difficulties is Omega Room Escape.

All the rooms are designed with strict logical reasoning and comprehensive research, and are more suitable for larger groups of players.

"It's more interesting than just clicking the mouse," says university student Pan Mengying. She says some of the fun puzzles involve body movements that can only be realized in life-world games.

Cai Nizhe, chief operating officer of Omega Room Escape, says players are attracted to the reality games because they long for what they cannot find virtually.