No matter how many escape rooms you’ve played, no one knows more about your next challenge than your Game Master. It’s in their title, after all. We’ve asked each of our Game Masters to give their best tips for playing your first escape game. Below are their suggestions.
#7 Ask Questions
Part of the Game Master’s job is to make sure you feel comfortable and confident as you tackle the game. Asking questions will help your Game Master know what you do or don’t understand, and therefore know what to help you with. I promise, we’d rather you ask a million questions and enjoy your game than keep quiet and have a bad time. Ask away!
#6 Think Out Loud
This is a weird one, but if you think out loud while you play, your game will go smoother. Though it may be awkward at first to be constantly talking through your thought process, it will do wonders for both your team, and your Game Master. Your Game Master will always know what piece of the puzzle you’re missing, and your team will be able to use your ideas as inspiration in the future.
#5 No Dumb Ideas
On a related note; try every solution that comes to mind, and don’t doubt your teammates. Just because an idea doesn’t make sense to you, doesn’t mean it can’t work. Sometimes you aren’t seeing things the way the puzzle designer intended, and that’s okay! Just keep an open mind and encourage your teammates to try the ideas they come up with.
#4 Keep Calm
Think of an escape room as more of a puzzle room; you won’t be chained to anything, and the door won’t even be actually locked! There’s no reason to stress, so just explore the game and focus on one puzzle at a time.
#3 Do Your Research
Escape rooms come in all shapes and sizes, so to speak. While it is important to pick a theme that piques your interest, game capacity and difficulty should also be considered. Choosing a beginner level game will make your first escape room experience a much smoother ride. Also consider that for larger capacity games, while the puzzles themselves may not be difficult, there will be more puzzles to solve per game minute. Plan to play a game with total capacity close to your group size.
#2 Manage Your Time Carefully
Every second in the game is precious, so try your best to ration your time. The goal of your game is to solve the puzzles, not be constantly searching for what comes next. Our general recommendation is to spend no more than 5 minutes preparing for each puzzle. So whether you can’t find the puzzle or are spending too much time solving the puzzle, we recommend using a hint. This leads to our greatest recommendation:
#1 Use Your Hints
We know a lot of players don’t like to hear this, but teams that refuse to ask for hints are less likely to escape. Using your hints can save you from fights, preserve your momentum, and even save you several minutes of game time. Your hints are a resource to be spent, not hoarded. At MER you will never be penalized for using your hints, but some businesses have strict limits or deduct time for hint usage. Always ask your Game Master for clarification, and adjust your strategy as needed, but never be afraid to use a hint when you need one.
We hope our Game Masters were able to impart some wisdom and help you feel prepared to tackle your upcoming adventure! You can make a reservation here, or if you feel like being a part of the magic, you can apply to be a Game Master here.