Top Tips for Escape Rooms

Top Tips for Escape Rooms

24 Aug, 2018

Top Tips for Escape Rooms

Top Tips for Escape Rooms

Escape room games are becoming more popular by the day. The challenge of solving a great number of clues and eventually escaping from a locked room is a recipe that has gone down a treat amongst everyone who has played the game. This is especially because the teamwork element gives added appeal and provides every member of the team with an opportunity to shine.

As is the case with any game that involves beating the clock, it can pay off to have a few tricks up your sleeve. The more assured of your plan you are, the better your chances of escaping will be.

Below, in no particular order, are five top tips for success when playing breakout games at Lucardo, in Manchester.

Choose Your Team Wisely!

Many people that sign up for escape rooms in Manchester put little or no thought into the makeup of their team. If the prospect of failing to escape doesn't bother you, that's fine - but if you want to conquer the room and successfully escape, hand-pick your teammates.

One of the key characteristics for escaping is cognitive thinking skills. However, even a straight-A student will struggle at escape games in Manchester if they can't keep a cool head.

Some clues will be real head-scratchers that require deep thought from every team member. Anyone who begins to panic will be of little use to the team, and remember that the clock never stops counting down, so try to find a balance between street smarts and cool heads.

Don't be Afraid to Speak Up!

In locked room games in Manchester, it is often the case that a team will fly through a number of early challenges and appear to be on course for a quick escape - until a nightmare clue stops them in their tracks.

When this happens, it's a case of all hands on deck. Sometimes, the answer can be hiding in plain sight. If you think you've cracked it, but then have second thoughts about notifying the team in case you're wrong, don't.

When the team is struggling, every suggestion should be welcome. Don't be afraid of any perceived embarrassment that is associated with being wrong. Coming up with wrong answers can often be a way of working your way towards the right answer.

Be Willing to Listen to Everybody

Once you're in the room and the door is locked, the clock is ticking. Each second is vital, and the input of every team member is important.

If, for some reason, you end up on the same team as somebody you don't get on with, put hostilities aside for the good of the team. Even if you doubt their problem-solving abilities, respect their ideas and their suggestions.

In any sport or activity, the best teams are often those whereby the collective unit is far more effective than the sum of the parts. The person you believe to be the weak link might just surprise you, so give them a chance.

Dish Out Praise & Foster a Real Team Ethos

It doesn't matter how old you are - everybody enjoys being praised. Not only that, being on the receiving end of praise can provide a placebo effect and instil the confidence to tackle mental exercises we may usually deem to be too difficult.

Inside the escape room, a harmonious team that is encouraging each other and handing out praise where it is due will stand more than a fighting chance of succeeding. Keep this in mind for when you start to see the first hint of backbiting or raised voices.

Try to Keep a Mental Note of Everything

At some point during the game, you could come across an object or a clue that confuses you because it bears no relevance to what you are trying to solve at the time.

Rest assured, everything in an escape room has a specific purpose. It may seem useless to you at first glance, but later on in the game, it could be the missing link that is preventing the team from moving on to the next stage.

Keep a mental note of everything that comes into your eyeline, and encourage your teammates to do so too.