Ever wanted to step into a real-life video game? Escape rooms originated from popular point-and-click games from PCs and mobile devices. While there are similarities and differences between these video games and their real-life counterparts, there are a lot of key differences that you may not have considered.
First, and most obvious is the fact that when you play an escape room, you are physically in a room. The immersion in the physical space makes a huge difference to the player’s mindset and how they approach the game. There is a visceral element to being surrounded by a game as opposed to sitting on your couch in the safety of your living room. In escape rooms, fight or flight instincts kick in and people feel the pressure. It’s important when you enter an escape room, to keep your head, take a good look around you and prioritize information.
Another differentiation is between the mechanics of the games themselves. PC escape the room games often require the player to search for information. By clicking on various objects in the virtual room, the player uncovers puzzles that need to be solved in order to progress the story. Our real-life escape rooms are a very different story. We do not hide information around our missions; the challenge isn’t how good you are at scavenging, but how clever and resourceful you are. All of our puzzles are accessible, right in front of you, waiting to be solved. Your challenge is to solve them. So next time you visit, eat up your hour time-limit examining every nuance of the room, you won’t find any clues and you’ll just lose time.
The biggest difference between real-life escape rooms and PC escape the room games is the element of social interaction. The teamwork and communication that is created by the creative problem solving needed to play an escape room, cannot be emulated by any video game, even one played cooperatively online. Escape rooms rely on a group’s ability to work together; puzzles require many skill sets, minds, and sets of hands in order to solve them, making them much more involved than any communication that can be achieved over a headset. This communication gives you a sense of achievement and enhances the fun factor of the game.
Ultimately, personal interaction and being physically immersed in the game make a huge difference in the way a person might perceive a game. Escape rooms may have their origin in video games, but they have evolved into something much more engaging and immersive. Both games have their place, but remember that there are key differences that dictate how you should approach them if you want to win.