Planning Your First Escape Room? Everything You Need to Know
Trying escape rooms for the first time can be a fun experience. Escape rooms make for a great choice if you're planning an outing with friends, a family gathering, or a gathering with co-workers . Escape rooms bring the fun of adventure and teamwork through puzzles that you get to participate in. Unlike passive activities like watching a movie or playing a video game, you get to be a part of the action. Every clue you collect and puzzle you complete has an impact on the progression of the adventure.
Like with anything new, you probably have an idea of what to expect. Are there skills you need to know beforehand? Is there a penalty for not being able to solve a puzzle? Is there a way to prep for an escape room?
The best part about escape rooms is that they thrive on variety in experience. All it takes is the right attitude, and you are bound to have a great time your first time.
Here are the essentials you should know for your first escape room.
Escape Room Basics
An escape room is a live-action game that a bunch of players get to enter a themed room that is filled with a bunch of great puzzles to solve. Your mission in an escape room is to solve the mystery before time runs out. You usually get 60 minutes to complete the room.
Escape rooms thrive on your ability to discover new clues, solve puzzles, and fill in the gaps with the things you find along your journey.
Every escape room has its own unique narrative that immerses you in the experience as if you are the main character in the story.
Choose the Right Theme
There are many escape room options as far as themes when you decide to book one.
Some escape rooms incorporate mystery and puzzles, while others include themed rooms based on adventure, history, fantasy, and suspense. Select a themed room based on group interest.
Some options include:
Detective Investigation
Temple Adventure
Prison Escape
Lab Escape
Treasure Hunt
Espionage
Reading the description of the themed room personally interests your group.
Choose the Right Team
Escape rooms require a lot of teamwork to complete the room.
Although escape rooms can be played by a smaller group, typically the more team players you bring along, the easier it is to escape and the more enjoyable it is.
A good team to have generally has people who are good at different aspects of the room. Some are good at finding clues and details, some are good at solving riddles, and some enjoy thinking outside the box.
The goal is to work together to complete the room, not to compete to solve the puzzles first.
Don't Worry About Experience
A popular common misconception is that you need to be an expert puzzle solver in order to enjoy an escape room.
This is not true.
Most escape rooms are beginner-friendly and can gradually increase the difficulty of puzzles. The hosts of the games can provide clues to your team if you are stuck.
You do not have to be intelligent or a good puzzle solver to enjoy the experience. The most important aspects of solving an escape room are teamwork, participation, and most importantly, having fun.
Arrive Early
Plan to arrive at your escape room 15–20 minutes early. This will allow you to check in and be ready to meet your game host. Most escape rooms include a game starter who gives the players a briefing on the rules and the story. If you arrive late, you will likely miss critical instructions that will help you and your team solve the game.
Dress Comfortably
Escape rooms don’t require any special equipment, but you will want to wear casual, comfortable clothing. You will likely spend a good amount of your time in the room walking around, searching for clues, and interacting with the objects that the room contains. Loose or flexible clothing is the best choice, especially if the room has you crawling or bending to find clues.
Keep the Communication Flowing
Hiding an important find is a mistake that many first-time players make. Keys, clues, and unusual items should always be reported to the group. Communication helps the group stay on track and helps prevent the group from working on the same puzzle more than once. Saying something as simple as “I’ve found a key” is important for the overall progress of your group.
Rushed Searching is a Bad Idea
Observing your surroundings is the best tip for succeeding in an escape room. Take your time as you search the objects of the room. You should not have to tear the room apart in order to find the clues the game has for you. Items of all sizes, including the seemingly unimportant, can help you on your journey to escape the room.
Think as a Team
The goal of an escape room game is to solve the puzzles as a team. One person trying to solve the puzzle by themselves is a waste of time. Share the puzzle challenges with the rest of the team. Working on puzzles as a group can be much easier and can be a good way to move on to the next puzzle as a group. Escape room challenges are meant to be solved as a team in the game, so solve them as a team.
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for Hints
A lot of people in escape rooms think asking for hints is “cheating." The truth is, it's not. Escape rooms are meant to be enjoyable, and hints are there to add to the fun and keep the challenges from getting too frustrating. Hints can be given to keep players on the right track without solving the challenge.
Manage Your Time
The time limit in escape rooms is usually about an hour. One puzzle can be very time-consuming and cause the players to go past the limit, so if you are stuck after a good amount of time, try a different clue or ask for a hint. It is better to keep progressing on the challenges rather than be stuck on one.
Listen to Everyone's Ideas
Escape rooms are all about using different thought processes to solve puzzles, and the person that you think is the quietest can be the person that solves a challenge that the rest of the group is stuck on. Make sure to state all suggestions and observations in case a great idea is hidden in the unexpected.
Why You Should Try Escape Rooms
Escape rooms are unique from the typical forms of entertainment. You aren’t a spectator; you get to participate.
You get to practice patience and teamwork, and you get to use your imagination while having fun.
Escape Rooms are great for any occasion – birthdays, family fun days, work retreats, and anything else you can think of.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be a pro puzzle solver or have any special skills for your first escape room. All you need to bring is a fun, open, and adventurous mind.
Choosing a good theme, teamwork, careful searching and enjoying the experience will help you make the most of your first-ever escape room experience.
Every game at The Hidden Hour incorporates interesting themes and clever puzzles for your enjoyment. If you go with friends, family or workmates, this will definitely be the first escape room of many!
