For everyone’s first escape room, no one knows what to expect. Instead of going in blind, here are some tips and tricks to help you enjoy your first experience:
Tips
Read everything carefully
What trips people up the most is not reading all the clues thoroughly. Do not skim over any notes you may come across. The wording and use of words are there for a reason.
Don’t overthink the escape room puzzles
Remember these rooms were made to be challenging but not impossible. If you think too much about the puzzles, you will get tripped up. Most solutions are quick and simple. For example, if a clue says, “what has four fingers and a thumb but is not living?” It is very simple, but most people will overthink the question and waste precious minutes. The answer is “a glove”. Maybe there is a glove in the escape room you need so you can solve a puzzle.
Call out your discoveries
Communication is key in escape room experiences. If you find anything, tell your group so they know what is going on and how to help solve a puzzle. They may also need that information for another puzzle. When you find a lock, call out “need a four-digit numeric code!”. Speaking up improves your chances of success.
Share your conjectures
Once you share your discoveries on a clue or puzzle, you should say what you think it means or how to solve it. Do not be afraid to speak up. Even an incorrect guess might trigger a teammate to a new idea to get to a solution. Your thought could be a piece of a correct combination or solution.
Try splitting up
Divide and conquer. There are a lot of puzzles in the escape room to complete in a short amount of time. Try working on them with a small group of 2 or 3. If it is an easier puzzle, try figuring it out yourself. But remember to share your discoveries with your WHOLE team, so everyone is on the right track.
If you are stuck on a puzzle, let someone else look at it
Some puzzles will stump you. The best option sometimes is to walk away. Get someone with fresh eyes to look over it. Try out other puzzles and eventually go back. Time is precious so do not waste it!
Search the escape room thoroughly
Escape rooms can be sneaky, so look in every corner of every room. Look underneath things, above items, inside pockets, every nook and cranny. There could be clues lurking…
Tricks
Skip the last digit / letter in combination
If you have a 4-digit combination and you know the first three, “sledgehammer” – or guess – the last digit. This will eliminate wasted time. The same goes for any letter combinations as well. Guessing is a key to problem-solving!
Attempt combo solutions frequently
If you have multiple codes that you think are correct, just try them all out on the lock. Odds are one of your codes is the exact one. Usually, there is no limit to how many times you can use the combination, so no harm no foul right?
Keep everything organized in the escape room
You don’t necessarily have to do this one, but it helps in so many ways. Divide piles into what you have completed and what you still need to solve. This will alleviate any confusion throughout the group. There have been so many times a person will be working on a puzzle that has already been solved. Do not make this mistake!
Have fun!!
The most important tip… have fun of course! These escape rooms were made for your entertainment so enjoy them! If you ever feel frustrated, your Game Master is always there to supply hints and clues for you. So book to your nearest escape room today and join in on the fun!!
For our rooms here at Timed Out Escape, we recommend West for your first escape room. It is fun, interactive, and not too difficult. It is still challenging so exercise your brain muscles!