The Latest Escape Room Tips and Tricks That Will Help You Get Ahead

Americans are escaping to escape rooms. There were at least 2,300 escape rooms in operation in 2019. Though some have closed due to the pandemic, thousands remain open.

If you are looking for wholesome fun, you can’t go wrong with an escape room. But many people struggle with escape room strategies.

What are some escape room tips you should follow when formulating a group? What should you do once you step into a room? How can you get through tasks quickly?

Answer these questions and you can solve the best escape room with plenty of time to spare. Here is your quick guide.

Find Good Teammates

Most escape rooms set a maximum number of players for each room. Some locations will allow you to bring as many as a dozen people into the room.

But it is rarely a good idea to bring a lot of people. The room can become crowded, and there may not be enough puzzles to solve or objects to find for everyone.

Try to select a few people who will perform well in the room. If possible, contact people with previous experience in escape rooms. You can also select people who like to do puzzles, board games, or word games.

Some puzzles in rooms rely on common codes like Morse code. It is a good idea to find at least one person familiar with these codes.

Listen to Your Guide

Before you do any escape room challenge, a guide will talk to you. Listen to them very closely.

At a minimum, they will tell you the rules for the room. You do not need to use force or break objects in order to solve the puzzles.

Most guides will explain to you the theme of the room. Even if the theme seems apparent, listen to what they have to say. They may give you details that will help you solve puzzles.

Your guide may offer you clues or talk to you over the loudspeaker. Keep an ear out for them.

If you are ever stuck, ask for a clue. Organizations like The Great Escape Room use live performers to give clues. Even if you don’t need one, it adds to the experience to ask for one.

Look Around the Room

Start looking around the room as soon as you step into it. Notice any recurring elements or unusual objects like paintings.

Once the timer starts, move through the room and examine everything in detail. In particular, search through drawers and shelves. There is almost always something to find in them.

You should also look at locations that are hard to reach. This means looking behind pieces of furniture and flipping through books.

Break Down Tasks

After you have assessed the room, you can start to accomplish tasks. Each escape room is different. But many require you to unlock locks, solve word puzzles, and match objects together.

You may want to assign each player a particular task. But your group can spread out and get started on different things.

Some tasks are harder to achieve than others. If you become stuck on something, ask for help. You should then go to another task.

An escape room may involve more than one room. When a door opens up, head into that room right away. A couple of people can stay behind to solve any lingering puzzles.

Communicate Well

If you find an object that seems important, tell the rest of the group what you have found. Yell when you need to. Keeping quiet will make the puzzles harder to solve.

If you need to give a command to someone, be explicit. Point to them and tell them directly what you want them to do. They may assume someone else is following the command unless you call out their name.

Many rooms have things you can write on. Use them. Write down details that seem important and jot down the solutions to puzzles and locks.

Organize Items

Many escape rooms require you to find keys, pieces of paper, and books. Put these objects in locations where your whole group has access to them.

You can put them on top of a shelf or at a table. Nearly all rooms have tables for this particular purpose.

When you are done with an object, put it down in a location where the employees can find it. Do not waste time putting the object back where you found it. When you are done with the room, an employee will come in and rearrange things.

Skip a Few Steps

There is no particular order of tasks to follow. Do what seems apparent and try to get to everything. In some rooms, you may not need to solve all of the puzzles in order to win.

If you figure out three digits in a four-digit combo lock, you don’t need to find the fourth one. Cycle through the different options until the lock opens.

The same goes for word locks. Most word locks use common words, and the solution to the lock relates to the theme of the room. You may be able to guess the solution right away, especially if you have solved a couple of letters.

The Best Escape Room Tips

Following escape room tips adds to the family fun. Find some knowledgeable teammates with experience in escape rooms.

Listen to what your guide says, then head into the room. Look through everywhere and start on the tasks in front of you. If you get stuck, ask someone to help you.

Communicate with your team whenever you find or solve something. Keep your items organized, even after you have used them. Make guesses on locks so you can save time.

Escape rooms are just one diversion you can have today. Find out more by following our coverage.