What Not to Do in An Escape Room
Common sense is not that common! We explain why and what not to do in an escape room
Solving an escape game is not the easiest thing in the world. But by simply avoiding a few basic mistakes, you drastically improve your chances of getting out before the timer stops. While knowing the essential tips and tricks for playing an escape game can help you find success, avoiding the basic mistakes has a similar effect.
We’ve compiled a list of common mistakes players make in an escape room and how to avoid them. Whether you’re looking forward to your first escape room experience or are a veteran, these are some of the common pitfalls causing teams to fail.
Common Habits to Avoid in an Escape Room
Lack of Communication
One of the key components of a successful escape room escapade is clear and concise communication. Your ability to communicate with your mates determine how the team operates within the boundaries of an escape room. And with very little to rely upon except for yourselves, communication plays a crucial role in bringing success.
You can save valuable time by ensuring everyone’s on the same page. Talk to your teammates and delegate tasks so that every member is aware of their responsibilities. Once you solve a puzzle or find a clue, reiterate the information to your team.
Effective communication is the key to saving crucial time while inside an escape room. And taking with your team ensures that you don’t go around in circles. For instance, you might be looking for a piece of a puzzle that your teammate has been holding on to for a while or vice versa. Without effective communication, the risks of failing to beat the clock increase substantially.
Forfeiting Hints
Every escape room offers players a couple of free hints that can be redeemed as and when they like. Some players refuse to ask for help and waste valuable time going around in circles. Even the best players get stuck every once in a while and need help.
There’s no shame in asking for hints. And if you’ve played enough games, you’ll appreciate this common escape room feature. At any moment, players are unsure of the remaining number of puzzles or if there’s a hidden room behind the cabinet.
Hence, if you’re stuck for more than a couple of minutes, seek help from your mates. If you can’t crack the code within the next couple of minutes, simply ask for hints and move on. Preserving hints for future use or arguing about whether you need to use hints is futile and will only waste more time.
Failing to Split up
While teamwork is essential in an escape room, failing to split up and look for puzzles and clues is a severe problem. Escape rooms are designed for multiple players. Hence, you must part ways and search to save time.
When teams split up and work, they can conquer puzzles effectively. But the key to seamless performance is effective communication. Mark a specific area for collecting clues and make sure everyone’s on the same page. If there is a clue hog amongst you, it’ll make life difficult for the rest of the squad.
Failing to communicate with the team when you spot a hint or keeping all the puzzles to yourself is one of the primary reasons new players fail to escape in time. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many puzzles you solve alone. What counts is the collective effort. So, split up and work together.
Not Paying Attention to the Instructions
Certain players are so desperate to start that they fail to heed the instructions. That’s a major red flag as you’re unaware of crucial details that might come in handy while you navigate the room.
If you think you can get a head start by skipping the tutorial video, you’re gravely mistaken. The safety instructions are meant for your well-being in case of emergencies, while the intro video is designed to get players into the proper mindset at the beginning of the game.
You might even find a hint or two if you watch the video closely. While you could skip the instructions and dive straight into the puzzle to save a few minutes as the game starts, it could hurt later as you’re missing vital clues that could save time in the long run.
Not Searching the Room Thoroughly
Another common error amateur players make in an escape room is not to scour the room. Players are sometimes so scared of messing up the room and ruining their chances of finding clues later on that they simply avoid searching the nooks and crannies.
Veteran players will agree that the only way to ensure that you’re thoroughly searching the room is by getting things messy. Don’t be afraid of looking dumb. No one’s going to judge your intelligence for being thorough in your search.
Some rooms need you to get messy. Don’t be afraid of turning over chairs or looking under shelves for clues. So, open every drawer, look under tables, check the walls for hidden cabinets, and turn over every picture frame. If there is a rug on the floor that’s moving, look under it. You’ll need to collect all the clues to solve certain puzzles. So, don’t shy away from looking like an idiot if you have to.
Are You Ready for an Epic Escape Room Escapade?
Once you’re familiar with what not to do in an escape room, your chances of beating the clock increase significantly. If you follow our guide religiously, you’ll be able to solve any escape game that you come across. And if you’ve never played an escape game before, this is the perfect excuse to change that.
If you’re near Leamington Spa, looking for the best “escape room near me”, we highly recommend dropping by Experimental Escape, the best escape room in the region. Browse our exciting escape game collection and pick a game that you fancy.
Our fascinating stories are designed to keep you hooked for the entire time you’re inside the room. And don’t forget to bring your friends along for heaps of fun!
