These tips for solving escape rooms and games will help you conquer your next escape room!
I’ve completed about five different escape rooms with my friends and we’ve become huge fans. Below I’ve pulled together my top 7 tips for winning and solving escape rooms or games whether you’re visiting an escape room company or trying to solve a DIY one at home.
Listen Closely to the Introduction/Backstory
Listen and watch closely the introduction and backstory video and anything the staff tells you as you start your game. There will be information that can help you solve clues and they always have good reminders to keep in mind while playing.
Examine The Room Thoroughly
The first time I did an escape room I really didn’t even know where to start. That’s OK. Just start by examining the room you’re in thoroughly and engaging with whatever “puzzles” or items there might be. Move things that are moveable (don’t force anything!), check out shelves and every little corner. You’ll start to naturally find items or clues that help you determine what you should be doing.
Tips for Solving Escape Rooms: Don’t Be Too Proud For Hints
Most escape rooms provide a few hints as part of the experience. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to use them especially if it’s one of your first escape games.
Don’t Overthink It & Walk Away When Needed
If you’re working on a puzzle or clue and just can’t seem to crack it, it’s okay to walk away. Let someone else try. They might have a fresh perspective that’s needed to solve it. Or it might be a puzzle that you can’t solve until you finish something else.
At a recent game, 5 out of 6 of us tried solving a certain puzzle and when my brother stepped in to try it he immediately saw it because he was actually taller than the rest of us and literally saw the solution because he was viewing it from a different angle!
Puzzles May Have to Be Solved Exactly
When you are solving a puzzle or task, be mindful that you might need to solve it very specifically. By this I mean, if you’re lining up some items that look like they’re fitting together well, keep adjusting them until they’re perfectly in place.
There have been times when I’ve been putting pieces together and it looks really good, but it needs to be completely exact for the puzzle to actually be solved and reveal the next item. So again, this might be a situation where you need to take a step back and let someone else adjust the pieces.
Tips for Solving Escape Rooms: Communicate!
Keep talking with everyone else while you’re working through clues and solving items. I think this makes the game more fun and exciting. Plus, you might be working on something that actually ends up being a clue or the key for what another person is working on.
Don’t Go Hungry
You need to be able to focus, which is not possible on an empty stomach. Plus, I get pretty cranky when I’m hungry and my partners in escape don’t deserve that kind of attitude from me. 🙂
Who Should Visit an Escape Room or Game?
I’ve had the most fun visiting escape rooms with my friends. Usually we’ve been in groups of 6 which I think is just the right amount. Any more and the room might be crowded and any less it might be kind of hard to solve! But, most places have options for smaller and larger groups. I also think escape rooms are a great family activity as well as a team building activity for corporate outings.
What’s the Best Escape Room Game?
Out of the escape rooms I tried in Cincinnati, I can easily attest for The Escape Game as by far the best one. It’s incredibly immersive and they have really fun and different types of rooms. I found the escape challenging but not impossible and the attention to detail within the room was really thoughtful and fun.
The Escape Game in Cincinnati is located on The Banks, so it’s conveniently located, has lots of parking nearby and plenty of other things to do around before or after your game. Plus, The Escape Game is a chain so you can find locations outside of Cincinnati. It’s rated #1 in America and I’m not surprised! Now that I’ve moved to NYC, I hope to visit their location here too.
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Casey is the founder of Casey La Vie & has been running this travel and lifestyle blog since 2016. She’s on a mission to balance her career as a social media manager with exploring her home of New York City and seeing more of the world.
I like that you shared your Escape Room Experience with us. It would be a nice thinking exercise for my wife and my kids. We would love it if an event specialist can suggest one of these escape rooms nearby.