Since before Indiana Jones had to escape from the map room, people have been intrigued by the idea of having to solve a puzzle to move out of a location. Movies and books have featured this heart-pounding, race-against-the-clock action for decades, and now people can play the games in real life.
Escape room adventure destinations have been popping up all over the country in recent years and offer the same made for the silver screen type thrills for people who want to join a group of friends for a visit.
The game begins when your group is locked into a room filled with a variety of items related to a particular theme. Working together, you need to solve the various clues to escape from the room. Along the way you can ask for hints to help you solve the puzzle. If you aren’t able to reach the solution in time, you lose the game.
Despite the entire scenario being nothing more than a fun few minutes playing a puzzle game, most players find their hearts pounding and their palms sweaty. For most, playing an escape room game is an adrenaline fueled adventure that allows them to suspend belief for just a little while and pretend to be an action hero with everything on the line.
Most of the escape rooms are themed in some way, but styled to appeal to the 20 and 30-somethings escape room organizers are hoping to attract. There is usually some spy paraphernalia included and the soundtrack is likely to transport you to another time – or at least make you feel as if you’ve been air-dropped into a James Bond movie.
And as intense as the games are meant to be, they aren’t supposed to be scary – or make you feel like you would if you were making your way through a haunted house near Halloween. Instead, escape rooms are a blend of adventurous and thrilling, mixed with cozy and fun – in most cases.
Most are designed for groups of two to a dozen people. You receive a brief introduction from the game master at the beginning who explains the storyline and gives you the general rules of the game. Rules and storylines vary based on the scenario you choose and the particular escape room you visit. This means you could spend years traveling to different locations around the United States and the world and never have the exact same experience twice.
Most games take about 45 minutes, but they’re shorter if you and your group are able to solve the puzzle faster. Solving the puzzle requires tearing the room apart in a search, much the same as law enforcement would search a house looking for evidence of a crime.
Along the way, you’ll need to solve smaller puzzles to get to the larger solution. For instance, you might find locked cabinets or suitcase that you need to open, clocks that broke at a certain time, knickknacks and household items situated in a way that hides clues, and various other ways to move from step to step to step until you’ve solved the whole puzzle.
One of the most fun things about playing escape rooms games is seeing how everyone handles the pressure. Despite it being just a game, people often panic because they are trying to beat the clock, or they become intensely competitive and get frustrated when they’re unable to solve the puzzle easily.
Escape room games also vary in difficulty. It’s best to begin with an easier game until you get the hang of things. It can be daunting getting locked in a room and then tasked with solving a particularly difficult puzzle. If you start with an easy game, you’ll get the feel for how you handle pressure and you can gradually increase to more and more difficult scenarios.
These games so far have been a hit and have become increasingly popular around the world, and are open to those who want to play from coast to coast in the United States. Some people assume it’s just a fad, but in a world where increasingly more of our time is spent staring at one screen or another, many people find it refreshing to enjoy entertainment that’s a little bit different than the norm.
Best of all, it’s now possible to bring all of the fun of escape room thrills home with you. This means you can play with friends any time you choose in the comfort of your own living room or game room. You’ll save money and you’ll be able to introduce escape room fun to more people than ever before. And for those who are a little intimidated to try the experience in person, you won’t need to worry about any extra pressure of being watched or being locked in a strange place.
We’ve chosen a few of our favorite new escape room games and activities and listed them below:
Escape Room in a Box: The Werewolf Experiment Game
This werewolf themed escape room game gives players an hours to crack the codes, find the clues, and solve the puzzle. Players are told they have been exposed to a virus that will turn them into werewolves if they aren’t able to outsmart the mad scientist behind the plan. This game links to Amazon Alexa so you can track time and get your clues just as you would with a destination escape room game.
Retails for about $30
Escape The Room Secret Of Dr Gravely'S Retreat Game
This game for three to eight players transports players back to 1913 where they are enjoying a stay at the Foxcrest Retreat – that ends up not being all it is advertised to be. Players must figure out what secrets the doctor at the retreat holds and do so before time runs out.
Retails for about $22.
Escape the Room Stargazer's Manor Board Game
In this version of the escape room, you’ll be solving the mystery of Stargazer’s Manor and help save an astronomer’s life by solving the clues.
Retails for about $22.
Spin Master Games - Escape Room the Game Welcome to Funland Expansion Pack
This version of the escape room is set in an old amusement park that’s now inhabited by a scary clown. Within the hour you must find a way to get free from the clown’s cage. This is an expansion pack of the original game.
Retails for about $23.
