Omaha, NE: Get Out Omaha – Y2K

May 27, 2018 – I had a magical day on the way to Get Out Omaha. My route took me through a few small town south of Omaha, one of which (Plattsmouth) required a journey across a long, narrow toll bridge meant for only one car at a time. I grabbed a late breakfast at Mom’s Cafe in town, trying an omelet with gravy (very different!)

Upon arriving in Omaha, I found that I was going to be joining up with two strangers for the Y2K room. I was glad to hear that the two were happy to have company. While I’m usually very open to joining up with other groups, being the third wheel on a date night could prove a little awkward.

Stepping into the Y2K room, the references to 1999 were immediately apparent. The room had plenty of reminders of the films, music, and video games from twenty years ago. The room also did a good job appearing as a place where a party had just occurred, fitting right into the narrative.

The room had a lot to uncover at the start, which was really beneficial for a mixed group like mine. The less experienced players had a blast scouring the room while I kept the findings organized.

As the room progressed, all the threads started to weave together and the others and I began to focus on the same puzzles. The progression was well-designed and rewarding, and the others felt comfortable contributing their thoughts on the more difficult puzzles appearing late in the game.

We solved the final puzzle with a few minutes to spare and stopped Y2K. I was glad to see the others had an excellent time. Even though the others felt lost at the start, they found their footing as we progressed and made strong contributions to a victory. One of the reasons why I like joining with strangers is because it’s great to see how people adapt to unusual situations. In cases like this, I often like taking a step back and keeping things organized to give the others a chance to think through the puzzles first.

After clearing the room, I had to hit the road quickly to make my appointment in South Dakota for the same day, but before leaving I grabbed a Geocache on the river between Nebraska and Iowa. The riverside had a nice path, and though it was boiling out, I still enjoyed my slight detour and seeing another side of Omaha. With that completed, I crossed the bridge into Iowa to continue pressing on to my next state.