If you’ve ever been to an escape room before then you’ll know that when you step through the door, you’re signing up for an experience. They grip you by each of your senses and then engage you on an intellectual level. But at the same time, so many factors go into making them just right that it can be difficult to tell what makes a good escape room.
Still, we can go ahead and give it a good go, and some of the best escape rooms that we’ve come across have a few factors in common that we can point to. Here’s what we recommend looking out for.
1. A good theme
Many escape rooms pick themes, from sports themed escape rooms to rooms that are based on specific books or movies. If an escape room has a theme that you’re already interested in, it can heighten the experience and end up making it even more enjoyable.
2. A good vibe
This one’s hard to quantify, but different escape rooms have different “vibes”, from more relaxed rooms to horror-themed escape rooms that are designed to scare the pants off visitors. One of the best ways to get a feel for the vibe of different escape rooms is to read up on what people are saying on review sites.
3. Difficult – but not impossible – puzzles
The key to a good escape room is to create puzzles that are difficult for people to solve but not impossible. Getting the timings just right is also important because people have a limited amount of time to spend in the room. If they spend 90% of their time on the first puzzle then they’re not going to get the chance to enjoy the rest of them.
4. Value for money
Different escape rooms charge different prices, and so you’ll want to shop around a little to see what the going rate is in your area. Bear in mind, though, that it’s often the case that you get what you pay for. In other words, when you’re willing to spend a little bit more on an escape room experience, it often pays dividends by helping to ensure that you have the best time possible with a company that refuses to cut corners.
Conclusion
Ultimately, it’s hard to create any one list of what you should look for in an escape room because there’s a huge amount of diversity out there. The good news is that you’ll easily be able to find the perfect escape room for you. And remember that what’s perfect for you might not be perfect for everyone. Hunt around and find the best possible escape room for you. Good luck!