If you’ve never played an escape room before, you may be feeling apprehensive and even worried that you might find it too challenging. Sure, escape rooms are designed to test us, that’s part of what makes them enjoyable, but if you’re struggling to solve a puzzle it has to potential to turn from fun to frustrating. At The Escape Effect we never want our guests to feel that way, that’s why all of our games are family friendly and specifically designed so that everyone in the team can participate, and ultimately end the experience with a smile on their face.
No matter whether it’s your first time, or you consider yourself an escape room aficionado, there are a few core qualities that will set you up for success during your game.
Get Your Team On The Same Page
Before you embark on your very own epic adventure, you’ll want to make sure that everyone on your team is on the same page. If half your team want to play competitively, and the other half want to play casually, you’re bound to clash mid-game, and as a result, no one is going to have a good time. Whether you win or lose won’t make or break the experience, because no one will feel like a winner when they leave the game frustrated at their friends.
Got someone stubborn on your team who refuses to ask for a hint? This one can split opinions, but we think everyone should be open to asking for a clue so that the game flows and keeps you moving, rather than feeling stuck. Time management is critical in an escape room, and if you’re spending too long on one puzzle, it can set you back. If one of your teammates is really insistent being anti-hint, we have another solution. Here at The Escape Effect, our helpful hosts will ask if you ‘need a nudge’. We still want you to get the satisfaction of making the connection yourself, so rather than giving you the answer, we can just nudge you in the right direction without ruining the game for you.
And if you are happy to have hints, it definitely doesn’t make you less of a winner. We offer unlimited hints with no penalty for a reason, because success isn’t about struggling through just so you can say you did it all by yourself. It’s about enjoying your experience from the moment that countdown clock starts, right through the those last few panicked seconds at the end! When you come out of the room high-fiving and cheering, that’s what it looks like to be a winner!
Teamwork And Communication Is Key
Escape rooms are a popular team building activity, because working together is key to conquering the game. As soon as you enter the immersive environment, you might find yourself overwhelmed, and with so much to discover it’s easy to miss something. That’s why as soon as your team begins, you’ll want to immediately call out what you see. From the type of locks, to props, writing on walls, and anything that looks like it might be a clue. A player searching another area of the game might see something that fits with what you just found, and you can make that instant connection. If neither of you had said anything, you’d be unaware and unable to make that link as fast.
The most effective way to search the room is to have your team divide and conquer! While you are split up into different locations, you’ll notice how the game designers specifically create sneaky ways of hiding objects and puzzle elements within the game. As a result, you’ll need to stay vigilant, because not everything may be as it seems, with illusions or camouflage often being used to obscure clues. The lighting may also be used to manipulate the environment to make the exploratory stage more challenging. When you do find something, this is not the time to keep it to yourself!
Speaking aloud as you go ensures everyone has a chance to contribute their own interpretations of each clue. When one person is stuck on a puzzle, they can start to overthink the solution, and that costs valuable time. Another teammate might instantly see that the answer is simpler than first thought, allowing the team to move swiftly on to the next challenge, all the way to the finish line.
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Escape rooms offer an amazing opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone, and they’re a great way to hone your skills and build your confidence. Go into your experience with an open mind, and be prepared for anything it might throw your way. Before your game you may not know what to expect, but if you’re ready to jump in and be adaptable, then you’re bound to exit the game feeling fulfilled, accomplished, and that you gave it your all.
Stepping out of your comfort zone also lends itself to out-of-the-box thinking, which is crucial for an escape room. It’ll enhance your problem-solving skills by sparking creative and innovative connections. For your first escape room experience, you may feel like everything is happening too fast for you to notice, but once you step back and reflect on your experience, you’ll realize you achieved something truly awesome, and maybe even learned a little about yourself in the process.
If you thrive on working under pressure, you’ll be in your element. You may even find yourself naturally taking on a leadership role during the game, and delegating tasks to other players. Just make sure you’re not stepping on any toes in the process, and let everyone be involved. With all the excitement, you can accidentally take over without even noticing, so make sure you keep self aware of your in-game interactions, or you might find yourself uninvited to the next escape room outing!
Debrief As You Dine
You’ve escaped, and more importantly, you’ve had fun! You’ll exit into the lobby and have a moment to catch your breath, maybe you’ll even pick up a memento as a way to remember your awesome experience. It’s also a great time to ask your host any questions you had about the game you just played. Perhaps there was a puzzle you solved, but you were not sure if you got there by the intended method, and are seeking some clarification on the logic.
One of my favorite things to do after an escape room experience, is to discuss it in-depth with the rest of the team. Why not grab a bite to eat and continue the conversation, you could even find out you missed a whole part of the room! You’ll be able to exchange thoughts on how it went, which puzzles you enjoyed the most, and get the answers to any queries you had mid game if there wasn’t enough time to go into detail in the heat of the moment!
Having these conversations also helps improve your form for next time. Every time you play together you’ll discover more about the strengths and weaknesses of everyone on the team, and it can help boost your strategy and gameplay for the future. Of course, it’s not just about striving for the perfect performance, it’s also about forming those bonds with friends, which is the most important facet of an unstoppable team. After all, the escape room team that laughs together, stays together, so don’t take yourself too seriously, and just enjoy being able to carve out that time in your busy schedule, to spend it with friends doing something fun.
How Do I Win At The escape effect?
Well, we think that at The Escape Effect, you’ll leave feeling like a winner no matter what happens in the room. Play one of our awesome adventures and you’ll soon have your adrenaline pumping and heart racing…you’ll be looking like a solving superhero! We design our puzzles with a varied and customizable level of challenge, ensuring that everyone gets to experience that satisfying feeling of success. We guarantee you’ll be leaving on a high, like a code-breaking champion…and it won’t be long before you’re craving another challenge, and when you do, you’ll want to pick up one of these scratch-off posters to catalog all that you’ve conquered!
Ready to win an Escape Room?
To book your Escape Effect game, call (855) 426-3372 or book online today.
