I never know where to bring a date for a fun time. The zoo could be fun! But then you go on a tangent about how zoos are really just a holdover from European imperialism that really have no place in a modern society with internet access and by the time you look up from your fifty page treatise your date is gone.

Or maybe a museum? That would be great. Plus, you’d be able to show off that otherwise useless Art History degree, right? Wrong. They’ve turned the SAM into a pop-up Twitter hangout that only serves artisanal espresso “inspired” tea-lattes, and by the time the stroke you’ve suffered as a result of all this has worn off your date has moved on.

Now, add to all that the pressures of a first date! We can all agree that there are few things more difficult in life than your first time out with a potential romantic partner. Compared to that, even the most complex, mind-bending escape room puzzle can feel like child’s play. The problem is there aren’t a lot activities that let you both get to know your date and have fun at the same time.

What I’ve found to make for a surprisingly great date night is an escape room. Many might not realize that an escape room offers just about everything you want in a romantic outing. If you want to get to know your date better, you’re in the right place, because you’re going to have to hone your communication pretty quickly if you’re going to make it out in time. And just wait for the moment you cockily claim to have the answer to a puzzle, only to be way off the mark. I know from experience that nothing will get your date laughing faster than a little hubris blowing up in your face. And as I’m sure you already know, making your partner laugh is a big part to getting a second date!

What I love most about taking a date to an escape room is that it gives both of you a chance to shine, to laugh, and to show off a little bit of your fun sides in a single exciting, yet safe, experience. Afterwards, you’ll both be buzzing, whether you win or lose. You’ll want to head directly to a café or pub to chat about what you did right and what you did wrong, and to laugh and groan over all the silly mistakes you both made together.

People used to say that most great partners have a great story about how they met. But in the age of the Internet, where how you meet a romantic partner is becoming more standardized, the importance of the “meet-cute” has shifted to the first date. And if you want to have an absolutely epic first date, one that both you and your partner will want to retell and reminisce over time and time again, take my advice and check out an escape room for your next date night.