9 Escape Room Tips From an Escape Room Owner

If you have never played an escape room before or consider yourself a novice, here are 9 sure fire tips in ensuring your success!

 

  1. In the first 3-5 minutes, explore the room

It is easy to jump straight into solving puzzles as soon as you start a new area, however, often the clues you need to solve a puzzle are not right in front of you. Thoroughly exploring the room when you begin will set you up for success and keep you from wasting precious time.

 

  1. Listen to your teammates’ ideas – no matter how crazy they may seem

Every person thinks differently and having different thought processes is beneficial to a team! A different point of view from one of your teammates may lead to solving a puzzle faster. Plus, discounting a teammates idea can lead to defensive feelings which may negatively impact your game and your experience. You are playing the game to have fun with friends, make sure everyone is heard.

 

  1. Work as a team by capitalizing on each player’s unique skillsets

Remember how each person thinks differently? Their unique skillsets is part of that! My wife and I have played over 100 games and we know that any logical puzzles we find will go straight to her while I focus on mechanical puzzles and searching the environment. Dividing roles before stating an escape game is difficult but, knowing the types of puzzles your teammates excel at will tremendously help delegate.

 

  1. Explore everything from bottom to top

Read that sentence again. BOTTOM to TOP. As I said before, my family has played over 100 escape rooms and I couldn’t begin to tell you how much time we have wasted searching for clues that are written on the bottom of a bookshelf or under a table!

 

  1. Before starting your game, answer these questions: 1. Are items and keys “one and done” or do you use the same objects to solve multiple puzzles 2. What are your rules for hints?

These are questions to ask your game master before you start the game. The game master should go over the basics with you and your team before you enter the room. Having answers to these two questions will help you develop a strategy and move through the game at a better pace.

 

  1. If no one gets it, ask for a hint

Winning a game without hints should not be the goal. The goal is to have a complete immersion in your environment that takes you out of the city you are in and into a fantasy with a clear mission to achieve. In an escape room you should be challenged but never frustrated. When frustration occurs, it is time to ask for a hint. After you receive the hint and solve the puzzle, then you can mentally decide if it was an clever puzzle that your team could have totally figured out or if the puzzle was completely illogical and you cannot believe anyone had ever solved it.

 

  1. Bring your family and listen to your kids

Kids look at the world differently than adults. Game Masters often see seven-year-old kids with the answer pleading for their parents to listen to them. We try to radio the parents and tell them their kid has the answer. It took me about 20 escape games with my kids until I actually started listen to them. The best part of the escape room experience is the bonding component and when you bring your kids you also get to see how smart they are. My family of four has played around 40 rooms together and look forward to our weekly games.

 

  1. Establish a leader

Designating a leader is not usually something that is established before playing. We see groups try, but as soon as the stress turns on or a puzzle grabs his/her attention, they lose track of things. The leader solves very few puzzles because he/she is constantly seeing what everyone else is working on and relaying information to other players.

 

  1. Have meetings every 10 minutes

The first 10 minutes of the game go by so much slower than the next 50 minutes. Have meetings so your team can discuss what they have solved and what they have tried that did not work. This will prevent people trying the same things and wasting time.

Escape Rooms are a great for bonding, date nights, family outings, and more but make sure you take note of these simple tips to get the most out of your experience!

At Steal and Escape, we have three rooms for you to play and these tips help in all of them. Grab your team and book your room now!