Escape games are thrilling fun for families and groups of friends. They’re also meant to be very mentally challenging. After all, if an escape room was easy to figure out, it wouldn’t be very fun, would it? Half of the thrill comes from their difficulty. However, there is a method to the madness, as with most things. Put yourself in the best position possible to free yourself from escape games before time expires by remembering these three frighteningly simple tips:
1. Search Everywhere
This tip may sound pretty basic, but you might be surprised by how often simple clues get overlooked. Escape games can get chaotic, especially in the beginning. Everyone is excited and anxious to begin finding clues. Over-excitement can often lead to simple mistakes. Be extremely thorough. Look everywhere and touch everything. Treat the room as if you were trying to complete an in-depth painting of it, rather than as if you were tearing everything apart looking for your phone or wallet.
Sometimes, key objects can be in the strangest or most obvious of places. Check bookshelves, as well as the books themselves, underneath tables and tablecloths, behind paintings or pictures, ledges along the wall, and underneath carpets, lamps, candle holders, etc. Essentially, you want to take every object in the room and turn it upside down, inside out, and sideways. Try not to overlook a single thing. If you were provided a clue for every time someone said “That was so obvious! How did we miss it?” you could probably escape the room in under 30 minutes.
2. Organization is a Virtue
As you and your group begin to filter through the possible clues in the room, try to keep everything organized. If you need to write something down to remember, then do so! If you discover something that looks like it’s important but you don’t have enough information yet to figure it out, keep track of it. You won’t necessarily discover things in the order in which you’ll need them, so be sure to organize your clues into “used” and “unused” piles. This will also ensure that no one wastes precious time trying to figure out a clue that has already been used.
3. Communication Is Vital
Most importantly, remember that you’re not in the room alone. Escape games are a team effort. Utilizing your fellow group members effectively is absolutely vital to successfully solve the puzzles and win the game. Know everyone’s strengths before the doors close and vocalize them.
Generally, it’s best practice to split your large group into several smaller groups. Divide and conquer. That way each part of the room gets analyzed and everything gets passed over with more than one set of eyes. However, just because an escape room has a maximum capacity of 10 people doesn’t necessarily mean you should play with all 10 people.
It’s recommended to play with 70-80% of the maximum capacity, although this can vary by game or group. If your amount of members is a little less than the maximum size, you can avoid over-crowding. That means everyone has a little more space to think and everyone will have something to work on. Work together in your groups, but don’t bunch together and leave another section of the room completely unexamined.
If you’ve been staring at a puzzle for too long without making any headway, grab someone else to take a look at it. Two, three, or even four sets of eyes are better than one. If more than a couple people can’t figure it out, that’s generally a sign that you don’t have enough information yet. If you find something important but it’s missing a piece, be sure to call it out. Escape games are won and lost based on the ability of two people who found related items to match them together. Effective and cooperative communication can be the difference between winning the room and losing it.
Ready to Test Your Wits with Haunted Escape Games?
In truth, escape games, even haunted ones, boil down to your most basic practical thinking abilities. Think of it like an interactive version of the SAT. It’s not about your amount of knowledge. It all comes down to your ability to think rationally under pressure. The difference between winners and losers in escape games comes down to problem-solving, deductive reasoning, common logic, and communication skills, along with a touch resourcefulness. When excitement and anxiety come into play, practicality and logical thinking become skewed.
Of course, keeping a cool head is much easier said than done when you’re trapped in an escape room haunted by malevolent spirits! The escape games at 13th Hour are the ultimate test for lovers of the escape room. If you think you have what it takes to master our excitingly terrifying escape games, book your tickets today! Our escape rooms are open year round!