Escape Rooms – How Do They Work?

Escape rooms are the hot new craze in immersive entertainment for family and friends. Escape rooms combine teamwork, problem-solving, and immersion in an imaginary world all in the space of 60 minutes.

You may be asking – how do escape rooms work? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to beat escape rooms and how you and your crew can get the most out of your escape room experience. Read on, and learn about escape room strategies that can make your escape room experience one to remember!

• What to do before you head to your escape room
• When you arrive
• In the room
• About your clues and hints
• After the escape room
• Teamwork makes the dream work

What to do before you head to your escape room

Once you make your reservations for an escape room, make sure that:

1. All your team arrives 15 minutes before the start time. Escape rooms run on strict timers, and everyone should be ready to go when you all arrive.
2. Wear close-toed, comfortable shoes, a breathable T-shirt or sweater, and loose pants and shorts. You want comfortable, non-restricting clothing that enables you to move easily.
3. Use the restroom before you start, preferably before you arrive. You will be locked in a room for an hour and you should be comfortable and at your best!

When you arrive

When you all arrive, pay close attention to everything your game master says. Not only are the safety rules important, but the game master may reveal clues and other vital information in the introduction that will help you solve the room faster. Everything the game master says is important, so don’t miss anything! This is the first of several escape room strategies that will help you win.The theme of the room can also tell you some of the most important ways of how to escape the room. The experience is meant to be immersive and knowing what a PI might keep in his journal, for example, can be a great help in putting the clues all together.

In the room

Once you’re inside the room, you’ll want to start examining items and working on your clues right away. It’s smartest to divide your team up to examine different sections of the room. Make sure you get started right away! One of the most important things to know in how to escape and escape room is how to manage time.The typical kinds of puzzles found inside an escape room are often hidden objects of various kinds – money hidden in hollowed-out books, messages, or objects hidden behind paintings; objects hidden in plain sight. These can vary from the simple (key hidden in a flowerpot) to the devilish (a message that only appears under black/UV light), and so on. They can also be mechanical puzzles, code puzzles that rely on substitution ciphers, counting puzzles, and so on.

Don’t just expect conventional puzzles. Puzzles can involve things like connecting devices to make them work, messages that require two people to decipher, things that show up only when viewed from a certain angle, or any other number of devilish brain twisters. Many escape rooms also include classics like secret doors! Expecting the unexpected is key to how to get out of an escape room.

Another winner in escape room strategies is to create a ‘discard pile’ of solved clues. Elements in escape rooms don’t tend to get repeated, like keys. So, knowing what elements of the room that you have solved is a great way to keep track of your progress and eliminate avenues that have been explored. Tracking your puzzles solved is one of the best strategies in how to beat an escape room.

About your clues and hints

Your game master will allow you a certain number of clues and hints for your room, depending on the room and the difficulty level that you’ve chosen. Note that the game master won’t solve the entire puzzle for you but will help you with a nudge in the right direction so that your team can continue to progress. Make sure to carefully listen to everything your game master says – even old information can help you string together the right combination of facts that can help you solve your puzzles and escape the room. Team communication is key when devising escape room solutions.Also, make sure that you and your team communicate. Teammates that share information has a better chance of helping each other solve their various puzzles. However, make sure that you don’t clump around puzzles, either – you only have limited time. Call out when you solve a puzzle but keep working. If you follow this escape room strategy, you’ll provide your own clues and hints, making your use of the game master for hints and clues more productive.

After the escape room

You’ll certainly want to talk about your escape room experience. First, if you play with new friends, it’s a great opportunity to network and exchange contact info, to have partners to play further escape rooms! You can also discuss the mistakes that were made, clever solutions, and overcoming challenges with teamwork that you employed in your escape room experience. Finally, you and your team can decide what escape room you want to tackle next! Escape rooms are great team-building experiences and can lead to lasting friendships and stronger relationships at work. Debriefing with fellow escape room players is almost as rewarding as playing the room, and you can recognize everyone who played for their cleverness and hard work.

Teamwork makes the dream work

Nothing beats an escape room for a fun, immersive problem solving and team-building experience. Here at Great Room Escape, we provide the best escape room experience that you’ll ever have. So don’t wait – book your Great Room Escape at the location nearest you!