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TL;DRIf you’ve played video games, you’ve probably experienced gameplay elements that stretch the laws of reality. Abstract connections can sometimes be found in escape rooms too, with players often having to exercise suspension of disbelief when the story or setting may be a little unbelievable. But just because it’s unrealistic, it doesn’t necessarily make it any less fun!
Have you ever played an escape room that relied on strange logic for a puzzle? Did the game ask you to do something even though you didn’t understand why? Did you solve a puzzle accidentally, only to wonder how or why that solution worked in the first place? If you’ve answered “yes” to any of these questions, you might have encountered video game logic in an escape room.
What is video game logic?
“Video game logic” is a term used to refer to odd, unrealistic logic found in video games. We love video games at The Escape Effect; we’ve written about them before. Because we’re such big fans, we are very aware of the strange things games can ask players to accept as true. This includes things like a character not being able to climb a waist-high wall, or a small backpack fitting hundreds of items inside it. For the sake of the game, these things are true even if they would never happen in real life.
It isn’t just adventure games that stretch the laws of reality. Puzzle-based games often require players to make some pretty abstract connections. An item on one side of a building might trigger something on the opposite end. A small tool might be the exact size and shape needed to fit an unrelated puzzle.
Video game logic is not necessarily a bad thing. Certain uses of reality-bending are often necessary in order to make a game fun. Using the phrase to refer to a game element is just a fan’s way of saying, “That’s not how the real world works.” We poke at the silliness and enjoy the game despite (or, sometimes, because of) it.
Is there video game logic in escape rooms?
Escape rooms do feature some interesting logic sometimes. A lot of it falls in with the suspension of disbelief. We can’t realistically fit an entire Greek temple or medieval castle into the building, so players have to make assumptions. Assume, for the sake of the game, that this is a real castle. Assume that we really are in Victorian England, despite the fact that time travel isn’t real and Sherlock Holmes is fictional.
We do our best with the set design to sell the idea that players are in the game’s setting. From there, it’s up to them. It’s the same kind of thing we do when playing video games. We set reality aside to better immerse ourselves in the story.
As far as gameplay itself goes, there’s a good reason why some escape room enthusiasts have adopted “escape room logic” as a companion term to video game logic. Like video games, escape room puzzles have occasionally gone in some odd directions. We do our best at The Escape Effect to make our puzzles logical and easy to understand. It takes a lot of work to plan clues that lead to puzzles in a natural way. We have to fit them into the theme and create a reason for them to be in the rooms. Despite our best efforts, there is always the chance for one of these ideas to come across as a littlestrange.
Embracing escape room and video game logic
Many other escape rooms go through the same when planning puzzles to fit into their games. Sometimes, the reason for a puzzle existing within the escape room’s universe is a little “out there.” Sometimes, the step needed to solve a puzzle is not one that players think of as naturally as the designers hoped. It happens once in a while, but that doesn’t make escape rooms any less fun.
As entertainment that takes inspiration from video games, it’s only natural that a few of the sillier elements have found their way over. Escape rooms add video game-related Easter eggs sometimes, and we’ll add some video game logic. We’re glad that players will suspend their disbelief when playing our games. We hope you can find humor in the way we sometimes bend the rules of reality to suit our setting, just like our favorite video games do.
Come play at The Escape Effect
Choose from our four amazing escape rooms! If you’re ready to play, call (855) 426-3372 or book online today.