“The Crafted Key” turns creativity into adventure

(BUFFALO, N.Y.) “To know that I made them feel like the world revolved around them for the day, gave them a day of fun and enjoyment, and made them feel so special is worth everything to me.”

Buffalo native Nicole Brown is using creativity to craft immersive experiences for people all over the East Coast. What started as a hobby for Brown and her husband has now become a unique business: The Crafted Key. 

Immersive experiences are like escape rooms, in which people are locked in a room and required to solve a series of puzzles before they are able to “escape”, only there’s no walls to keep you in. 

Since 2007, escape rooms have become an international phenomenon for friends, family, and team building events, found in over 60 countries around the world. 

“Think like an escape room, but you interact with people and places you know in a new way,” Brown said. “I use my crafting skills to make puzzles, props, special effects and more, as well as hire actors and experiences that all fit into the narrative that I created for them, run the adventure behind-the-scenes to ensure total immersion for my players.”

Brown said they have done Dungeons and Dragons, a secret agent adventure in New York City, and a talent scouting adventure in Cleveland, to name a few experiences.  

A degree in hotel and restaurant management and a certificate in event management help make her a true expert in hospitality. 

Like many other entrepreneurs, Brown started her business amid the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“During the pandemic, I made my husband a ‘special’ escape room for Valentine’s Day because I knew he missed them,” Brown said. 

Through research and Reddit, she was encouraged to embrace her creativity full-time.

“I love creating unique narratives using what I know about the players to immerse them into a whole new world and making custom puzzles and challenges to fit my client to a tee,” Brown said.  

Brown said recently competing on Season Four of The Blox has been a great way to meet likeminded individuals, necessary on the often-lonely road of entrepreneurship. 

“I have met so many amazing people, and the community they have built is amazing!” Brown said. “My new entrepreneur friends have been a huge help by commiserating with the challenges and struggles that entrepreneurs tend to face and giving me new perspectives to help me see what I couldn't before. We are all working together to make each other's businesses the best they can be.” 

You can start your adventure by visiting thecraftedkey.com or calling 716-427-0023.