It’s easy to believe that our team has a lot of fun watching the security cameras. It’s a common misconception that customers are funny when they’re playing, or that it’s amusing to watch them get scared, or even that they’re doing silly things. Sadly, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most groups that play unknowingly emulate each other, and we see a lot of repeated behaviours on camera. Now, some of these behaviours are great ways to solve puzzles or communicate, but then there’s a long list of escape room mistakes we see made over and over again. Here’s a concise list of what not to do when you play your next escape room!
Scavenger hunting
To be fair, a lot of escape rooms require you to look around for information. Some go so far as to make you search pretty intensely. But at Escape Games Canada, you don’t need to hunt for anything. All the information you need is visible; the trick is to figure out how to use it. A good tip to avoid the temptation to start looking underneath furniture is to assess the room and figure out what kind of information you need before finding a source for it. For example, do you see a keypad? Then you need to find a source of numbers to unlock it.
Being too stubborn
Communication separates the novices from the pros. We can’t overstate how important it is to keep a cool head and exchange ideas with your team. The trouble is, there’s frequently one person who insists that they’re right, and nothing derails communication faster than someone who’s stubborn. It’s easy enough to avoid that behaviour yourself, but how do you diffuse a stubborn member of your group? Make sure they feel like they’re being heard and their ideas are recognized. Don’t allow things to escalate and your group will be joining forces to solve the toughest challenges before you know it!
Making assumptions
It’s too easy to assume information when you’re in an escape room. Assuming you need to use each button in a sequence, or that an answer is comprised of entirely unique inputs, are just some of the ways you might find yourself stuck for long periods of time. But assumptions are a natural behaviour, so how do you avoid making them? The trick is to be aware. It’s easy enough to see a keypad and guess at how to solve it, but make sure you’ve checked around for any relevant information first. Keeping your wits about you will help you avoid the pitfalls of assumptive guesses and keep you on track to solving your escape room in record time.