How Escape Rooms Work

Escape Rooms have become very popular over the past number of years. However, there are still many individuals that have no idea what they are and how much fun they can be.

If you are not familiar with Escape Rooms, this article will help you understand this relatively new form of entertainment experience. It will also help you get the most out of your first Escape Room experience.

What Are Escape Rooms

All Escape Rooms have one thing in common. You and your group of friends etc. are placed in a room and are given a set of tasks in the form of puzzles or riddles.

Your end goal is to either escape out of the room or to accomplish a given task within a set amount of time. This is basically how Escape Rooms work.

Don’t worry though, you are not normally locked in the room. You can leave at any time if you wish.

Beyond this one common element, Escape Rooms are all different. Each Escape Room is developed around a given storyline and depending upon the story your tasks will differ immensely. Each room is normally designed from scratch so you will likely find very unique things to do in each room you try.

There are exceptions where some operators buy packaged rooms (franchises) and build and operate the same rooms at different locations.

Different Escape Room Formats

Escape Rooms come in all shapes and sizes. Some Escape Rooms are designed within a single room and generally, the goal will be to accomplish a task instead of escaping out of the room. Others are designed to include multiple rooms and your task is to advance throughout the rooms and finally escape out of the final room.

All formats of Escape Rooms can be very challenging and a lot of fun. The format that is used will generally fit well with the accompanying storyline. I have seen many good quality Escape Rooms that utilize all types of formats for their rooms. No one format is better than another.

You will generally not be told the format before entering the room. The developers always want to include surprises within the rooms. It can spoil the fun if you are told too much before doing an Escape Room. This is how Escape Rooms work

What Is A Game Master

All Escape Rooms will have a live person that will introduce you to the facility. They may also explain all of the general rules of the Escape Rooms before you start. Some companies have videos that explain these rules.

A Game Master will generally be an employee of the company that will be assigned to your group to guide you through your experience. Their job is to ensure that you have the best experience possible.

They will generally bring you into the room and describe the story or start an intro video to the room. They will then leave you to play on your own.

They will be watching and listening to you from their control room in order to assist you with any help you may need.

You will be asked to give the Game Master a hint word before you start the game. This way if you get stuck in the game you can yell out your hint word and the Game Master will forward you a hint.

Hints may be given in many ways. Through the use of a tv screen where the video is played, by slipping notes under the door, or sometimes through a walkie talkie that is given to you before the game. Every facility will deliver hints in their own way. This is how Escape Rooms work.

At the end of your game, the Game Master will debrief your experience and explain any of the puzzles that you didn’t fully understand. You will then be offered a team photo to remember your Escape Room experience.

How To Choose Which Escape Room To Do First

If you have never done an Escape Room before, it is generally advised that you first research which company in your area looks good to you.

You should then give them a phone call and explain that you are new to Escape Rooms and ask them which room they recommend you start with.

Most Escape Room companies will have different difficulty levels in their rooms. They will likely recommend that you start with their easiest room in order for you to get a chance to learn how Escape Rooms work.

This will ensure that you have the most fun with the least amount of frustration. At Time Lapse we recommend our “Trapped In Time” room to first-timers.

After your first room, you can then better choose which Escape Room will be the best for future experiences. If you had fun but struggled a bit, you may want to choose a few more with the same difficulty level before tackling a more difficult room.

What Do I Do In The Room

Once your Game Master has left you in the room and the intro video has finished, your game will begin. Most of the time you will see a count down timer somewhere in the room. This will show you how much time you have left to complete the room. Some rooms show your time left in a different way.

Once the timer begins, look around at everything in the room to get your bearings. Most of the time it takes a few minutes to get a feel for the room and look for where you may start.

Depending on the size of your group, it is best to split up and work on more than one puzzle or activity at a time. Most of the time Escape Rooms are designed to keep everyone in your group busy. Also, the more things your group can work on at once, the faster you will get through the room.

What Happens After The Game

At the end of the game, you will either succeed at solving the final task or run out of time trying to. Either way, the Game Master will enter the room or meet you at the exit and offer assistance with any questions you may have.

It is best for you to ask a lot of questions in order to learn the most about how Escape Rooms work. This will help you get even more enjoyment out of your next Escape Room experience.

Remember, Escape Rooms should always be a fun and rewarding experience. Be sure to raise any issues that you may not be pleased with.

Escape Room operators are always looking for feedback on how they may improve the overall experience for other players and also for your future Escape Room experiences.

Now You Know How Escape Rooms Work

If you are new to Escape Rooms, you should now have a better idea of how Escape Rooms work. Even if you have some experience, perhaps there has been something mentioned here that may help you enjoy your future Escape Room experiences even more.

Whatever the case may be, it is always better for everyone to understand a little bit more about how Escape Rooms work. It is good for operators and players alike. Now go out and have some fun.