ICYMI, escaping escape rooms is one of my favourite things to do.
I got engaged in an escape room, I did one the day after BOTH my weddings, and to announce my pregnancy, and I’ve done more a few others besides those too.
And along the way I’ve picked up a few tricks on how to do it well, and today I’m sharing them with you.
1. Look EVERYWHERE
Nine times out of time, if I get stuck in a room, it’s because I’ve not physically found something – perhaps a piece to the next puzzle or where to input a solution.
So look everywhere – in pockets, under rugs, in drawers, under drawers, inside books, on the top of shelves. And if in doubt, look everywhere again. Often it’s best to find everything you can in a room before you even try to solve a puzzle.
2. Be organised
If the room you’re in has space for it, create both an in-progress pile and a discard pile.
Place anything you find (which can be moved) in the in-progress pile. That way, if you’re searching for, say, six jigsaw pieces to create an image, you’ll know where the rest of them are when you find the last one.
The discard pile is useful for clues that have been used. Most escape rooms only use each item once, so putting anything that’s been used already in a set place makes it less confusing later, especially for people who weren’t involved in a specific puzzle.
3. Talk to your team
As you’re searching, talk out loud about what you’re finding. “There’s a number lock here.” “I’ve got some sort of icons on the wall here.” “I think there’s a door behind this bookcase.”
Communication can really help you piece together the different parts of the room to pull puzzles together across different parts of it.
4. Two’s company
In my opinion, the ideal number of people to be looking at a particular puzzle is normally two. I don’t know why, but it just works well! You can bounce ideas of each other but not talk over each other or get in each others’ way.
If you realise more than two people are getting into a puzzle, step away and check if anything else needs to be worked on right now. Sometimes it’s the only loose thread, but in many rooms there will be more stuff to work on.
5. Swap puzzles
Getting stuck on a particular puzzle? Swap time!
If you’re getting frustrated by a puzzle, it may help to tackle something new while someone else takes a look at yours.
And it may be counterintuitive, but sometimes it’s best not to explain what you think you need to do to solve it – you might be bogged down in certain assumptions, and a fresh pair of eyes can bring a new perspective to cracking it wide open.
6. Check your working
If you’re sure you’re on the right track but the lock isn’t opening, just redo it. Rework maths, recount shapes, realign books. Wiggle the key, or get someone else to try it in the lock.
7. Look for the connections
If you find yourself at a point where you have a lot of clues but no idea how to translate them into answers, take a step back and look for commonalities. Do any of the clues fit together (literally or figuratively)?
It can also help to look at the inputs you have – do you have a number lock, direction lock or a regular padlock? What does that mean about how to use the clues that you have?
8. Understand the escape company’s “language”
This is especially key if you are doing more than one room at the same premises, but understanding the specific way that an escape room company tries to communicate its clues and answers to you can really speed up your solving.
Did previous rooms rely a lot on counting items? On searching hard-to-reach places? Do they like hiding things in books or on wall decor? Will there be a mechanical puzzle or a riddle? If you see something in one room at a venue, you often see it in a different one.
9. Don’t take it too seriously
Of course, you should feel free to play escape rooms the way you want to play them, but my ethos has always been that I’m there to see the entire room and enjoy solving some clues, not to compete.
I tend to say upfront to hosts that I want to be nudged if I’m going super off-track or running particularly behind schedule, even if I don’t ask for a clue. At the same time, I don’t shy away from proactively asking for a clue if I’m stuck and getting frustrated by it.
What are your tips?
Do you have any advice for wannabe master escapists?