Have you ever played escape games? If yes, you know how busy those 60 minutes are and how important it is to structure them well. If you have never tried out yourself in any escape rooms, you might be a bit uncertain about how you should begin to look for the clues.
Regardless of which time you go into an escape room, you should consider escape games strategies to play effectively and find the way out. American Escape Rooms composed a guide about the 7 trickiest escape room strategies you should think through before entering the room. Following these suggestions, you will become an expert on escape games: you will be able to beat every kind of escape room no matter the theme and difficulty!
This evergreen saying can indeed characterize what escape games (partly)are about. The most important things that escape rooms can teach are teamwork, cooperation, respect towards others, trust in the playmates, and responsibility towards each other.
The number one escape room strategy is: Work in teamwork! Don’t want to be the only hero! More eyes see more; more minds can work more effectively. We are distinct personalities by nature. Take advantage of this “biodiversity” and benefit from each other’s skills, abilities; reveal hidden talents, and do brainstorming to accomplish the mission as soon as possible!
Listen to the various opinions and be open to ideas that differ from yours. Accept it, if you are not right; we are human, don’t worry!
Be a real team player! There is no time for extra, unnecessary fights!
This escape room strategy is closely related to teamwork. Communication is essential for successful cooperation and to avoid misunderstandings. Never think that the other thought anything! If it was not clear what your playmate said, ask back! Otherwise, you will waste time; however, time is the most precious thing in escape rooms.
Maybe you are not allowed to speak; use alternative ways to share your thoughts: write down, draw or apply gestures or mimic. Always discuss the questions because hesitation is a time-eater. As soon as you find something, let the others know about it! You should pay attention to the playmates’’ “messages” as well. Make clear what is whose job and announce the head goal of the game, already at the very beginning!
Escape rooms are very various; however, we can divide them into two main categories: linear and nonlinear escape rooms. In linear escape rooms, you have to follow the order of the puzzles; the team members should work together on the same task.
Contrary to this, in non-linear escape rooms, every player should have a specific duty or area, corner in the room, what they ought to work on or explore. Everything should be suspicious and might have fundamental importance, so keep the clues organized! This is the third of our escape room strategies.
Among the clues, it is more complicated to distinguish the important signs from the unnecessary details when you are in the room. As the fourth of our escape room strategies, we suggest that if you feel lost in the ocean of information, go to the middle of the escape room and have an overall look at the scene! First, forget about the details; just examine the “surface”! If you cannot realize anything strange, have a profound look at the hidden signs, and open your third eye to perceive even the most silent hints. If you can't find anything, return to the middle! You might loop this process until you perceive the meaning of the things.
This is more than an escape room strategy; this is advice for the whole life: time is an extremely precious treasure of us. In the escape rooms, its value is even higher! Don’t waste your time with hesitation, meaningless arguments, and remaining stuck in one puzzle. Check always the time and announce it out loud for the team!
The ultimately important thing: don’t panic! Time pressure can result in positive but, for some people, negative stress. Don’t let the panic overwhelm you! Keep your sangfroid!
Playing escape games requires a complex way of thinking. Let’s consider our next escape room strategy! You should associate, use distinct perspectives, and allow your brain to fly creatively.
At the same time, you ought to stay with two feet on the ground and not overthink everything.
The most evident escape room strategy: Before entering the room, pay full attention to the game leader! They share the essential details with you, tell the team the basic information, and help you start the game. Usually, even while playing, they support the participants. Every letter of their words is golden! Trust them!
You are already prepared for the game! Don’t be shy! Try yourself! Trust yourself!