Like most jobs, a day of Game Mastering begins when I clock in. The rest of my day, however, is bound to be unique. Once I’m clocked in, I take my stuff to the Clue Room and check in with my Team Lead to see what games we have booked for today.

Before any games can run, I have to set up all the rooms. I first flip on all the lights and then go through and turn on all the tech props. This could be as simple as using a remote, or as intensive as reaching inside the mechanism to hit the reset button. Once all parts of the game are powered on I check that all the locks in the game are zeroed out (set to 0000). The last part of the setup is to send test hints to make sure the chime/audio cues are working.

After everything is ready to run, the Team Lead on shift will let me know when the group has been checked in. When they’re ready, I head up front to greet them in the lobby. We small talk a bit while we walk to the game and then I give a run-down of the rules and story for their play. Once we’re all on the same page, it’s time to start! I go sit down at my station in the Clue Room and start the clock. During the game I watch and listen to the group play and give hints whenever necessary. I also monitor to make sure the tech is running properly and that I’m ready to troubleshoot if needed.

Once the group gets out, escape or not, I greet them again and answer any questions they have. We usually take a fun group photo as well. After that I walk them back up to the lobby and offer them to sign our leaderboards. Once the group leaves it’s time to reset. Resetting the game is basically playing it in reverse. It’s also the time to sweep and disinfect the game to make sure it's clean for the next team. This cycle gets repeated between 5 and 7 times throughout my shift, and then I’m good to go home. My job is certainly unique, and I love every minute of it.

A Day in the Life of a Game Master

The First Five Minutes in an Escape Room