By Tiffany Sauceda, October 13, 2026
Get taken back in time to the ‘80s through the Themed Entertainment Association’s Retro Rewind Escape Room running from Oct. 12 to Oct. 23.
According to Timothy Waters, mechanical engineering student, club treasurer and escape room project manager, this will be the TEA’s best and biggest escape room out of the two they’ve done in the past. Students can expect to solve various puzzles and themed rooms with surprise animatronics from well-known stories and an original animal character created by the TEA club.
According to Waters, the idea of creating an escape room was originally a joke, although it quickly became one of their biggest successes as the escape room has gained the attention of Associated Students Inc. and sold out each year, according to Waters.
After two years, TEA began the creation of its first escape room in 2024, which led to working with ASI during Fright Fest.
Fright Fest is a Halloween experience held by ASI where students can participate in Halloween style activities and enjoy Halloween food, according to the ASI website. Those who have a reservation for the escape room can go during Fright Fest, according to Waters.
“The first escape room was kind of small, had one animatronic and some low lighting,” Waters said. “I think it was 15 minutes long, but it was proof of concept that we were able to pull something off that was in a themed environment.”
The escape room theme was inspired by ASI Fright Fest’s Stranger Things theme, according to Waters. This idea allowed them to try out different styles compared to previous years, which were themed The Tyrants’ Curse and Escape Captain’s Quarters.
According to Arriana Flores, electrical and computer engineering and theater student, club vice president and escape room engineering chief, the escape room consists of five different eras in the ‘80s.
“Why not have the Stranger Things room with the final product at the very end, and then everything else will be around the ‘80s,” Flores said.
The creation of the escape room was no easy job, according to Flores. Planning and recruitment for this year’s escape room began in January, followed by brainstorming in February, with construction of the escape room going through the summer.
According to Flores, much of the construction took place on campus or in someone’s house.
Flores described the escape room as a clock, taking students back in time to the ‘80s. According to Waters, students can expect an incredibly immersive themed environment with cool audio animatronics and fun interactive puzzles students can complete with friends.
“If you’re interested in seeing the escape room in a different way, become a TEA gold member through our club,” Waters said.
According to Waters, the TEA club’s project managers come from different majors.
Gavin Samano-Tovar, theater student and club member, is an example of the club’s variety of members. According to Tovar, the club reached out to him to be a voice actor for the escape room characters.
“Last semester Adrian Akala, who was also an actor last year, approached me. He came in here, and he was talking to some of the people about me,” Tovar said. “He basically said, ‘We were thinking of having you as a curator, would you be interested?’”
Akala later offered Tovar the position of voice actor for multiple characters alongside being a curator, according to Tovar.
Tovar explained how the inspiration behind his acting voice was from the Five Nights at Freddy’s creator Scott Cawthon. Tovar made sure to practice his cadence, different tones and voice pitch for his various roles.
According to Tovar, he will be voice acting for one of the club’s biggest animatronics yet. This animatronic is a 6-foot character that guests can expect to get jump scared by in the room, according to Flores.
The animatronics were built from metal and pencil steel, while other parts were 3D printed, according to Flores. The team spent March through May brainstorming how the animatronics would be built, and spent the entire summer constructing them, according to Flores.
Flores also said students can expect appearances and surprise jump scares from familiar ‘80s characters in this 40-minute interactive experience.
The escape will run independently with time slots available during Fright Fest.
“There isn’t much going on as people would prefer in terms of things they can do with friends,” Waters said. “So, we’re giving them that opportunity.”
Students can make reservations for the escape room through the club’s Retro Rewind website. According to Waters, tickets may be sold out but students can sign up for the waitlist.
