How Escape Rooms Work – Beginner’s Guide

Escape rooms are the ‘it’ thing today. They’ve taken the world by storm, and it is understandable why. Honestly, escape rooms appeal to the general mass, teenagers, and adults. Everyone just loves escape rooms.

Escape rooms have become a wild, wild worldwide phenomenon. Be it escape rooms in New York or mystery rooms in Bangalore. Almost every country in the world has escape room facilities, even if it is in lower numbers. And, if they don’t, at least the concept is known to its people. The credit also goes to the not-so-complicated title of the game.

While people are increasingly becoming aware of escape rooms as a phenomenon, there are still many curious ones out there. So, now we will discuss in detail how escape rooms work and some basic rules of the activity.

What exactly are escape rooms?

Let us start with answering the most basic question- what are escape rooms? 

As the name suggests, escape rooms are immersive, real-time puzzle games. The players are supposed to escape the room within a specific time, usually around 60 minutes, by solving the puzzles and riddles and looking for clues.

However, do not make the mistake of underestimating escape rooms. They just sound simple but offer you a good challenge. However, don’t be daunted by them. Escape rooms are fun and light-hearted activities that are meant to be enjoyed.

The history of escape games dates back to 2007 in Japan when a company named SCRAP built the first escape room as we know it today. The whole concept of an escape room is based on a video game, also called ‘Escape the Room.’ Ever since then, the phenomenon of escape rooms has spread like wildfire.

Escape rooms offer a wide range of experiences to people. They have themed rooms, each dealing with different genres. Hence making them one of the most exciting experiences out there. When playing escape rooms, it is a surety that you will never get bored.

Moreover, escape rooms are those activities that are bound to make you feel like the protagonist of the story, whether you’re responsible for saving the world from a supervillain or an inevitable threat.

Escape rooms are also preferred by organizations and educational institutions alike. The reason is the enhancement of team-building and cognitive skills, amongst other crucial skills.

Types of escape rooms

Elaborate themes and storylines also come in different variations while offering the same thrill and quality of experience. As stated earlier, most escape rooms provide a plethora of themes- ranging from heists to mystery-solving to escaping a mad scientist to saving the world from a supervillain. Some escape rooms are even based on popular movies or T.V. shows. Given below are the different types of escape rooms that you can choose according to your liking and convenience.

• Classic escape rooms

These are the regular, live escape room experiences that all escape facilities most commonly offer. These are the original escape rooms that find their origins in Japan. In this escape room experience, participants are looked inside a room from where they are supposed to escape under a time limit. They do so by looking for clues, solving puzzles, and connecting the dots to get out of the room finally.

• Online escape rooms

Much like the classic escape rooms, online escape rooms share the essential characteristics of standard escape rooms. The only difference is that online escape rooms are more of a remote experience. You can play these escape room games with your group of friends while sitting in the comfort of your home. All you need is a laptop or desktop and an active internet connection.

In these escape rooms, someone from the escape room facility itself represents you and your team and acts as you guide them. Online escape rooms assumed more prominence around the time of the pandemic and are now as popular as the classic escape room games.

• Virtual and augmented reality escape rooms

Virtual and augmented reality escape rooms are the latest trend in the escape room industry. They take the escape room experience to a whole different level. This technology enables the players to experience escape rooms like a video game. The best part is that instead of confining the participants to four walls, they have the freedom to roam around a large area, making the entire experience even more real.

Workings of an escape room

While each escape room is unique on its own, and each has its own mechanics of working, there are a few things that are common in all of them. It does not matter which escape room facility you are using or whether you are out there saving the world or assisting Sherlock Holmes in solving the toughest case of his life yet so far.

This is how 99% of escape rooms function- The Game Master gives you an overview of the storyline/plot of the game that you have chosen, basically giving you a background about everything.

Once you are inside the room, you need to find answers to a few more questions while trying to escape the room. Post that, you and your team members are supposed to work together and look for clues continuously throughout the room.

Remember that there are no wrong answers; hence, let your imagination run as wild as you want. Escape rooms require everyone’s participation. Hence, there are never going to be moments where you’d feel left out from the team or the game.

A few rules to keep in mind

Like every other game, even escape rooms come with a set of rules and regulations. Here are some basic rules to follow at an escape room facility

• No phones:

This rule is quite self-explanatory in itself. Escape rooms are supposed to be an immersive experience where you are required to put your own head into the game. Hence, phones are a no-go, for they might even count as cheating.

• Don’t damage the property:

There are certain items in an escape room that solely serve the purpose of aesthetics and making the experience more genuine. Such items are even marked with a ‘not-a-clue’ sticker. Hence, pay attention, and do not vandalise or force your way into items that aren’t a clue.

• Minimum age limit:

As we stated earlier, escape rooms come in all sorts of genres and themes. This means that they even include themes that aren’t suited for young kids. Hence, we advise you to read everything about the escape room properly and don’t take your kids to experiences they won’t enjoy or aren’t allowed into.

• No alcohol:

Most escape rooms don’t allow intoxicated guests unless they specify otherwise. Hence, it’s advisable that you go through their rules before taking in any intoxicating substance.

Final thoughts

If escape rooms were uncharted territory for you, we hope this article helped make it easier to understand them. As we said, don’t be daunted, for escape rooms are actually a super-fun activity to go for. So what are you waiting for? Go book your first escape room experience now. Happy escaping!