Tips for Escaping an Escape Room

We’ve participated in our share of escapes and watched many groups give it a try, and from this experience we’ve comprised a list of the top 7 things to remember when you’re trying to escape a room. Here is our list of tips for escaping:

1. Use your eyes first (not your hands).

In some escape rooms, the way an item is placed or setup is part of the clue or puzzle, so take a mental or written note of this setup before moving things

2.Everything could be a clue, but not everything is a clue.

In line with #1, be observant. Take note of what is placed in the room with you, and assume that most items could mean something. However, in our general experience, clues and puzzles are not randomly placed (e.g. an imprinted year on the bottom of furniture) but instead relate to the story and/or clue progression in some way. If you are feeling stuck, looking around at items you haven’t tried (like the chair) is a great idea—it’ll keep you moving, and keep your brain wheels turning. 

3. If at first you don’t succeed…let someone else a try.

People work in different ways. Whether it is a puzzle you are stuck on, or a lock you’re sure you have the combination to but just can’t get to open, rely on your group members and let them take a try. They might go about solving something different, or they might be able to wiggle a sensitive lock open.

4. COMMUNICATE.

Talk to your team members! If you find something, let everyone know. Groups can divide and conquer, but if one person finds a ciphered message and another finds the cipher but they don’t talk, you might waste valuable time you could have been working through the puzzle.

5. Talk to us, too.

Most games have some way to communicate with the game masters. At our location we have walkie talkies, and we like to keep the communication open throughout the game. If you are sure you have the right code but it just won’t work, ask us. We’ll either tell you to take a closer look at something, or we’ll help fix the issue if something is broken. It may be hard to tell, which is why it doesn’t hurt to ask. We also allow you to ask for clues whenever you’d like. We’ll be honest if we think your are close and can figure it out yourselves, or we’ll nudge you in the right direction. We want to ensure you are having fun!

6. Stay organized.

In general, rooms to tend to only use an item or puzzle once. For example, if the radio had a code that opened a box, you are probably done with the radio for the game. There can be exceptions, but most games will make it obvious if something needs to be reused.

7. Have fun!!

It can be stressful working against the clock and being challenged by puzzles, but don’t forget to enjoy yourself 🙂