Generally, success rooms have an escape rate of around 30%. If you want to be in that magic third, you’ll need a bit of practice, some good critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and of course a bit of insider know-how.
In this blog, we’re detailing how you can flex your escape room abilities a little more the next time you head into a room. Alternatively, impress your colleagues, friends or teammates by whizzing through the challenges on your very first attempt.
Read on to learn how to be good at escape rooms, as we share our top tips for an experience that gives you the best chance of getting out in time, whilst having fun in the process!
Table Of Contents
- Stop… Collaborate & Listen
- Enjoy The Experience, Don’t Focus On The Escape
- Use Hints To Your Advantage
- Search The Room & Props Thoroughly
- Organise Items & Game Threads
1. Stop… Collaborate & Listen
Vanilla Ice said it best. The old cliche – teamwork makes the dream work – has never been more true than in an escape room. You simply don’t have enough time in an hour to make your way through all the puzzles as an individual. These games have been designed as team building activities, so make sure everyone in the group has a job to do. You can swap your roles throughout the game.
It might be tempting to say ‘I’ve checked that already!’ if you see someone looking over something you’ve already scoped out. In fact, we actively recommend casting an extra pair of eyes over all the clues, objects and decorations you encounter. Our brains all work differently, so someone else in your group may be able to pick up a crucial bit of information you’ve scanned over and missed.
2. Enjoy The Experience, Don’t Focus On The Escape
Is the point of an escape room really to escape it? Well, yes and no. That’s the objective, but ultimately you’re playing a game. So one of the best ways to be good at an escape room is to relax and enjoy the experience. We want you to feel involved in the storyline, but it’s also important to take a moment to laugh and have fun with your teammates.
If you don’t think you’re going to get out in time, or if you just can’t figure out a puzzle, don’t feel stressed or annoyed by it. No one likes a commandeering leader either – avoid pointing the finger if someone suggests the wrong answer or gets swept up following a false lead.
3. Use Hints To Your Advantage
Don’t let pride get in the way of your ability to escape. Our rooms have all been designed to give you a good challenge, so don’t make the game more difficult for yourself (or lose momentum), by spending too long on something you’re stumped on.
Not only will you reduce your chances of getting out, but you also won’t get to experience what else is happening in the room. Whether you get out or not – you normally only have an hour for escape rooms slots, so try to give as many puzzles a go as you can, especially if you’re a beginner.
4. Search The Room & Props Thoroughly
When you first enter the room, spend a couple of minutes closely investigating everything in it. Open everything that you can open – drawers, books, chests. Look underneath, above and inside objects, but don’t force any which are clearly jammed shut or attached to something else. Everything will be in the room for a reason, and if it’s not useful right away, it might come in handy later.
Make sure you read clues properly, especially for games designed to give you an extra challenge, such as our hardest room, ‘Fractured’. It can help to read them out loud, as this lets everyone in the room hear them simultaneously. Don’t skip ahead if you’re half-way through reading something. Collect all the information on hand before you attempt to solve a puzzle, to save slowing yourself down by tackling a challenge the wrong way.
5. Organise Items & Game Threads
Most items are single-use in an escape room, which means that once you’ve used them to crack a code or unlock a clue, they won’t be needed again. It’s helpful to discard all these items in a corner, especially if you’re a bigger group, so that they don’t get confused with the items you need for challenges you’re still trying to solve.
Some games are single-threaded, which means that solving one puzzle will lead you to the next, and so on. In other games, your team can branch off into smaller groups to solve multiple puzzles at once. Be vocal about what you’re currently working on, and express your ideas. You’ll save your group wasting time stuck on the same thing, and give yourselves a better chance of finding the correct answer faster.
How To Be Good At Escape Rooms: In Summary
We’ve covered how you can be good at escape rooms with our tips on acing your time locked inside one!
Ultimately, learning how to be good at escape rooms mostly boils down to your ability to work well in a team, which involves a blend of smart delegation and a diverse mix of skill sets within your group.
Remember that your ability to successfully escape a room is not a reflection of your intelligence, or your experience. The more games you play, the more likely you are to develop an understanding of the way escape games work and the types of escape room puzzles you’re likely to encounter. But what would be the fun in knowing you’d definitely make it out every time? We’re here to give you a challenge – not a promise!
If you’re ready to put your problem-solving skills to the test, book one of our rooms today, or contact our team to decide on the right room for you. Our escape rooms are designed for all abilities and experience levels, so there’s something everyone can enjoy.
Book your slot now and experience the thrill of an escape room.
