Dead Zone Rising — Local services in Rye Township

Our group of four friends skipped their middle school’s fall dance. Instead, my son found this venue by doing a computer search during study hall. I was hesitant at first due to the scare factor and it turned out great.

If looking for something unique… (I wouldn’t say it was scary, scary.)

It was an escape room with zombie laser tag built in. You can pay for a live Zoomie actor to join the experience. My son requested I didn’t do that for the first time. So glad we didn’t have that distraction too, there was a lot going on in the rooms to escape (puzzles, codes, shooting of robotic zombies, black lights, time bombs, etc). Plus, excited pre-teens.

The owners were great with us. They allowed me (their suggestion) to go in with the boys and gave me a walkie talkie that directly went to the man’s ear piece. They gave hints as needed to help the boys get to all of the rooms in the allotted time slot.

We would go back, especially near Halloween. At the end they even let them play laser tag outside for a few minutes and the owners put on the Zoobie headbands. The guns died and ended the fun.

They all agreed this was so much better than their middle school fall dance.

The owners were so kind and very professional with us.

Location: Dead Zone Rising...

If you love zombies and escape rooms, this little gem in Marysville is such a fun find! It’s a small, locally run setup that feels really personal. I think one of the owners (maybe Jeff?) even does the voice work for the story clips, which made it extra charming and immersive.

Before going, I was a little unsure about what “live zombie” meant, since it mentioned an extra fee. Turns out, even without that add-on, you still get plenty of zombie action. I won’t spoil the surprises, but they’ve done a creative job bringing the undead to life.

The puzzles strike a nice balance: simple enough to follow, but still challenging under pressure. The building itself adds to the creepy atmosphere in the best way, and the owners were genuinely kind and clearly passionate about what they do. Plus, you get to take home a little “antidote” souvenir, which I thought was such a cute touch!

Also… the zombies did kill my husband, so if you’re looking for a faster method than Aqua Tofana, I highly...

Unlike any escape room you’ve been to! Keep your eyes peeled for those pesky zombies - they’ll try to keep you from making your way to the antidote!!

My friends and I such a great time! I’m not a big jump scare fan, so I was nervous, but luckily it wasn’t purely based on them & was primarily based on puzzle solving. (Certain special event DZR experiences are more based for adrenaline than strategy though.) Also, the owners are some of the kindest people - I had such a great time staying and chatting with them after.

Definitely recommend for anyone in town that is looking for a fun...