To be successful in an escape room, you need to be a logical thinker, ensure strong teamwork and have a steady pair of hands. Before entering the room you and your team will do some forward-thinking, planning and strategizing on the best way to tackle the task at hand. Like any puzzle activity, there are things you should and shouldn’t do to ensure the maximum chance of succeeding, and although you’ll have no concrete insight into what the puzzle includes there are some tips we can share to give you every chance at being successful. Check out our top tips for planning the perfect escape.
Ask, ask, and ask again
If you happen to join a room that allows for putting questions forward, you should definitely make use of them. No question is too stupid, so go for it! You’ll sometimes have access to a device such as a tablet, a screen shown in the room, or a walkie talkie. If you have these at your disposal, use them to communicate with your guide as they may be your only way to progress. Your guide may not give you the full answer but will instead give you a clue as to a nudge. Make sure to question your group, move objects and scour the room, and try to work out what all those wall clocks are doing showing different times. If you’re still unsure what your group are up to, ask them! Smaller teams will have an easier route to freedom than a larger group, and the latter will often suffer from the ‘what have you just done’ scenario when a lock has just clicked.
Think before you blink
One aspect of a successful escape is putting the puzzle into the correct context, by this, we mean every object you find will serve a certain purpose. What you find is there for a reason. If you’ve mislaid a key object, that could be the difference to you succeeding or running out of time. In other words, scan the room and think before you move anything.
Communication is key
You can never have enough information when planning the perfect escape, so speaking clearly and loudly to your group can p[prove to be a goldmine for success. Okay describing a key as being ‘gold’ might sound odd out loud but that minor detail could prove to be hugely significant to your team.
Call for assistance
Admittedly we love to try and solve things on our own, but no one can be perfect all of the time. It might be that you’ve missed something that your teammate may not have or vice versa, but there’s every chance that someone else can pick up on your mistakes. By this we mean it could be hugely beneficial while you’re working on something to get a second opinion from your group, as this could well be the minor factor between success and failure. Much like writers experience writer’s block, if you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall it may be worth working on another aspect of the puzzle and then revisiting what you were originally working on.