The best escape rooms immerse you in a different reality. With challenging puzzles and engaging stories, it’s easy to forget you’re playing a game. But no matter how tense the game may get, it’s important to remember that it’s just that – a game. It’s also important to keep calm if you want to be successful when you play an escape room. Here are some tips for how to keep your cool when the pressure is on.
Breathe
It’s a simple piece of advice that you’ve heard time and time again, but that’s because it really does work. If you’re feeling the stress of your escape room, whether the timer is ticking too quickly or the scary atmosphere is overwhelming, the best thing you can do is take a deep breath. Slow down and ground yourself; a couple of tranquil breaths will bring you to the next puzzle with calm and new perspective.
Step away
Sometimes the stress isn’t from the escape room, but from the group you’re playing with. Whether your group disagrees about how to approach the game, or they’re just rowdy, tension from inside your group can really add pressure during a game. The best way to keep calm is to step away. It doesn’t matter if you’re involved in the argument; close your eyes, take a breath, and push through. Heated debates are not productive, and if you can find a way to move forward with a newly found calm, the rest of your group will follow suit.
It’s only a game
The painfully obvious truth that so many people forget is that as exciting and intense as escape rooms are, they’re still just games. Reminding yourself of that simple fact will help you keep calm and collect yourself when the heat is on. You’re playing for amusement, and that adrenaline rush you get from the pressure of a ticking timer and from challenging puzzles is all part of it. So, surrender to the atmosphere, lose yourself in the story, but remember that in the end, it’s all just for fun.