Escape Room Tips
Solve Your Next Escape Game Even Faster!
Getting ready to play an escape game?
Whether you’re playing here at Kersey Valley Attractions or in Chicago, New Jersey, or Los Angeles, every escape game is different. However, here are seven escape room tips that will launch you toward the goal of solving the puzzle a little quicker—and escaping in time!
- Leave no clue unturned. Explore the room quickly to turn over any evidence. Move pictures, open drawers, slide doors—without causing harm or destruction, of course. Not everything in the room is placed for aesthetic value alone. Chances are, if it’s not nailed down, then it’s meant for you to play with, manipulate or use as a clue. Here are a few other pointers:
- Look for differences and similarities.
- Note if an object is pointing toward another object.
- Note any special markings or letters or numbers (although some markings are just random).
- Look under and behind objects.
- Flip through books.
- Keep keys in their opened locks. It’s rare that a key is used more than once.
- When you’re done solving a clue, put it in the discard pile so you can focus on what comes next.
- Search the entire room: nooks, crannies, walls, floors, corners, pockets, everything.
- Listen to your game master. They might drop a clue that will lead you to something else.
- Try many different combinations to open combination locks. (If you have the first three numbers/letters in a four-digit code, then enter the first three and cycle through to figure out the last one.)
- If something is difficult to open, don’t force it. It’s probably not meant to be opened.
- Keep an open mind. When you’re playing an escape game, things are not always as they may seem. One clue can lead to another and another and another. And each clue may need to be applied in a different way.
- Team up to work together or split the duties. Sometimes two heads are better than one. So, talking it out can often help new ideas to pop up. And listen to other people’s thoughts too. You might hear something that points you in the right direction. In addition, if someone is really adept at solving something, such as a word puzzle, they may want to work alone on that task while the rest of your group focuses on other clues. One more tip: don’t have everyone working on the same puzzle. Divide and conquer!
- Shout it out. If you find something, announce it loudly so everyone can hear you. You need to get all of your heads working together. This is not a one-person challenge; it’s a group activity, so use all of the brainpower you can get.
- Don’t get hung up. Not every clue is meant to be solved immediately. Some clues or props may need to be put aside until the end of the game, or its purpose may make more sense once you’ve uncovered a few more clues.
- It’s OK to ask for clues. There’s no shame in asking for a clue. In fact, it’s rare that a group gets through an escape game without at least a single clue. We do insist that your group must come to a consensus before the game master provides a clue.
- Be patient and positive. Negativity is only a waste of time in an escape room. And you can also overthink a clue. So, if you can’t figure out a clue, simply put it down, move on, and come back to it later. Or just pass the task onto someone else, while you tackle a different clue. The clock is ticking!
Ready to put these Escape Room Tips to work?
Click here to book your year-round Kersey Valley Escape Room challenge today!