An escape room is a thematic game room filled with intricate puzzles. The concept is that players have to escape the room by solving the riddles and puzzles within a given time (usually 60 minutes).
One has to have a good cognitive ability to solve escape room puzzles. These puzzles are filled with complex patterns, and so players need to have proper strategies to escape on time.
If you are looking for some tips for your next escape room visit, here are our top 10 hacks to create a foolproof escape strategy:
10 Hacks for Wining Escape Room Games
Choose the Right People
Escape room games are essentially group activities. So, having the right kind of people is very important to ensure victory. Usually, an escape room has a capacity for 6-8 players. So, make sure you have cooperative teammates ready to play as a team and enjoy the time together.
Time Management
Time management is essential to win an escape game. Make sure you don’t dwell on a single clue for too long and don’t hesitate to ask for clues when you get stuck with any puzzle. There is no use in hoarding your free hints just to end up losing. At the end of the day, your objective is to escape.
Communication
Good communication among teammates is half the game won. Different people will notice different things and come up with different ideas, and you need to pool them together to move forward in the game. Since there is no textbook rule of escape room puzzles, you need as many brains on deck as possible. And the only way to ensure that you have tried out every single possibility is to establish good communication within your team.
Eye for Detail
Escape rooms tend to hide clues in even the smallest elements of their set design. Having a keen eye to look closely in every nook and cranny, examining every object in the room is essential to make sure you don’t miss out on a vital hint.
Utilize the Clues
Keeping track of all the hints and clues you have come across is essential to piece the puzzles together to escape the room. Sometimes, an object you see in the room might not make sense right away. Keep a mental note of it and move on. Chances are, you will soon come across a riddle that might be connected to that object. So, be mindful of every piece of clue you come across.
Keep a Cool Mind
The objective of escape rooms is primarily to have fun. Don’t let the competitive format of the game unsettle your mind. If you go into an escape room overly anxious about winning, not only will it take away the fun of the experience, but you also might end up losing the game. Yes, there are time-sensitive tasks to be done, but it is just a game at the end of the day. Walk in with the mindset to enjoy some quality time. We can assure you that it will make it much easier to be present and help you play the game more competently.
Organize the Items
This tip can be very handy if you are stuck in a puzzle with a wall full of items. The items can be a wall full of keys or small drawers. Organizing the unmatched or discarded items separately will save you a lot of time. This trick allows the group to focus more on the potential hint and play effectively.
Proper Division of Tasks
The divide and conquer strategy is the most useful approach in an escape room. It allows each and every individual of the team to participate equally and contribute to the game’s outcome. Since escape rooms are full of different types of hurdles and cryptic brain-teasers, you will need people with different abilities to get you through the various stages of the game. If you divide the tasks properly, your chances of winning go up quite a few notches.
Listen to the Game Master
Every escape room has its own game master, who briefs you about the game before entering the room and stays connected with your team through an intercom throughout the game. When the game master gives you the details before the game, pay close attention. The story that they narrate often contains important clues for the game. Also, if the gamemaster alerts you that you are on the wrong track at any point of the game, do not doubt them. They are there to ensure you finish the game without getting stuck at any point. So, take the hint, or else you will be wasting your time.
Think from Other Perspectives
Most escape rooms come with a storyline where your team is placed as important characters. Thinking from the perspective of your assigned characters will help you a lot in order to decode clues and puzzles.
And that brings us to the end of the 10 tips and tricks you can use to win an escape room. All the best for your next game!