How does an Escape Room work?
First time in an Escape Room and not sure what exactly you have to do?
Things are much simpler than you imagine.
You enter a themed space together with your team, the timer starts and from that moment you have to observe, discover clues, solve puzzles and work together to complete your mission before time runs out.
You don't need to have played before, be good at maths or know anything in particular.
Everything you need is inside the game.
Escape Room step by step
Every escape room is different, but a team's progress through the game usually follows a few basic stages.
Step 1: Explore!
The first thing to do is look carefully around you.
Search the space, observe objects and pay attention to the details. A book, a box, a painting, a symbol or even something that at first looks merely decorative may be hiding a clue.
Explore logically and carefully. You don't need to use force or take the space apart.
Step 2: Discover clues!
As you explore the room, you will start to find clues.
It could be a number, a key, a message, an object, a symbol or a piece of a bigger puzzle.
Finding something doesn't necessarily mean you can use it straight away. A clue may only make sense several minutes later, when you discover something else that is connected to it.
Step 3: Think!
This is where the real puzzle solving begins.
Do the numbers you found form a code? Does an object fit somewhere else in the room? Are two different clues actually one single solution?
Escape rooms don't usually require specialised knowledge. They mainly require observation, logic and imagination.
And many times the simplest explanation is the right one.
Step 4: Teamwork!
Teamwork is perhaps the most important element of an escape room.
If you find something, tell the rest of the team. If you have an idea, share it. If someone is stuck on a puzzle, try looking at it in a different way.
Very often one player has found one half of the solution and someone else is already holding the other.
Many minds are better than one.
Step 5: Unlock!
Every correct solution takes you one step further.
It might open a padlock, activate an electronic mechanism, reveal a hidden drawer or even open a secret passage to a space you didn't know existed.
In modern escape rooms, progress doesn't rely only on keys and padlocks. Lighting, sound, sensors, automation and mechanisms can react to your actions and make the story unfold around you.
Step 6: Complete the mission!
The timer keeps counting down.
As you progress, the puzzles, clues and story start to connect until you reach the final challenge.
Will you manage to solve the last mystery and complete the mission before time runs out?
The goal may be to escape. But real success is having shared an experience that you will remember long after the game.
What if we get stuck on a puzzle?
It will happen. And it's perfectly normal.
During the game the Game Master follows the team's progress and, when needed, can help you with a hint.
Their aim is not simply to reveal the solution, but to give you the right nudge so that you can carry on by yourselves.
Asking for help doesn't mean you failed. What matters is that the experience keeps going and the whole team has fun.
5 tips for your first Escape Room
1. Talk to your team.
Tell the others whatever you find. A piece of information that seems insignificant to you may be exactly what someone else needs.
2. Don't get stuck on one puzzle forever.
If you're not making progress, leave it for now and work on something else. You may still be missing a clue.
3. Keep the clues organised.
Separate the ones that have already been used from those you may need later.
4. Don't use force.
If something needs excessive pressure to open or move, that is probably not the right way.
5. Get into the story.
Don't treat the room like an exam. It's a game and the main goal is to have a good time.
First time in an Escape Room?
Even better. The first experience is usually the moment you understand why so many people become escape game fans.
If you would like to learn more about the experience itself first, read:
What is an Escape Room?
Still have questions?
We have gathered players' most common questions in a separate guide with answers about duration, number of players, ages, difficulty, hints and much more.
Ready to play?
Now that you know how an Escape Room works, all that's left is to choose the adventure that suits your team.
See all of The Lock's Escape Rooms and start your next mission.