Although escaping is the goal, there is no escaping the fun. As you enter your selected escape room, take a moment to seek out any obvious clues. There may be something that jumps out to you right away or an item that seems out of place. Inspect these first and see if they lead to another clue. If nothing seems out of place, pick a starting spot and systematically make you way though the room. Every item in your room has been placed to either assist or distract you from your goal of escaping.
Your room may be one room or several areas you must make your way through to escape. You will encounter locked doors, which lead to more clues, more to explore, and more fun. Do not let your frustration get the best of you. Take your time, rely on your instincts, and if you need, come back to a hint with fresh eyes. Oftentimes the answer is simple, but overthinking can cloud our thinking.
Divide and Conquer
Each room is designed for 2-12 people. You will need to work as a team. Choosing a leader may be effective, or your team may elect to remain leaderless and allow each member to make decisions. To solve clues as quickly as possible, split your team into subgroups to allow more area to be covered. Your time begins as soon as you enter the room, so it may be wise to break into smaller groups before you enter your selected escape room.
Communicate Effectively
Communication is key to all teams, especially when there is a time crunch. You must work hard to ensure found clues are accessible to each member. Clues may unlock more than one thing, or may be a red herring. Be sure you keep track of all of your clues in case you can use them to unlock a second clue. The room will become more chaotic as time runs out. Tensions will rise, as will the noise level. Speak loudly when you unlock a new clue to keep your team up to date.
Use Your Hints Strategically
Although you will be given access to hints, make sure you know when to ask for them. We recommend you space them out 10-15 minutes apart to give you adequate time to think them through and solve a problem. There are more than enough clues within your room to escape, but if your team becomes stuck, do not waste too much time before you ask for a hint.
At EscapeWorks Denver, you and your team will be challenged beyond your normal limits to escape before time runs out. Come visit us this weekend, as we recently launched our two new escape rooms on the 17th: Beyond the Flower Shop, a speakeasy in 1926, and Outbreak, an airtight lab working against the clock to discover the vaccine for a deadly virus.
