Elements of a Great Escape Room

Immaculate & purposeful decor.

Most escape rooms in Canada have a theme or storyline communicated through the facility. An escape room should therefore be lavishly decorated and carefully detailed. Every piece of furniture or work of art, every book, and every tchotchke should fit into the world of escape rooms. The player should feel that every single object could be a clue. In a way, dressing for the escape room is similar to dressing for a play.

An immersive experience.

When a person enters an escape room, they should feel like they are in the middle of the room. Again, decor plays a big part in this, but other elements, such as the method by which clues are given out, can also contribute. A good escape room makes the clue an organic part of the experience, with an attentive game warden providing tailored clues without disrupting gameplay.

High-tech gadgetry.

While low-tech brain teasers are a much-needed and popular aspect of any escape room, electronic gadgets and the like can help keep the escape room experience unexpected. As every Escape Room visitor knows, we have some very cool gadgets in our game, which were all invented by us!

A good mix of puzzles.

However, a good escape room relies on more than just high-tech gadgets. Some physical clue-finding and old-fashioned mental puzzles should also be thrown into the mix. This will help keep everyone playing the game, from the athletic to the brain teasers, engaged and active, which is the ultimate goal of any escape room.

Complex, interconnected clues.

The best escape rooms mississauga have a clean narrative that feels seamless from start to finish. Once all is said and done, and the door is open, players should feel like the clues are connected somehow. It could be more satisfying when a movie or TV plot introduces elements that feel like they need to be more organic in the plot. It's the same when an escape room jumps from clue to clue without building on previous puzzles. Of course, the clues should be different, as that reduces the challenge, but they should work together somehow!

Activities that invite teamwork.

The point of any escape room is to work together with friends, family or colleagues to solve the clues and get out! So if the escape room is made up entirely of puzzles or challenges that individuals can complete on their own, it could be a better escape room. Whether they're working together to solve a particularly complex brain teaser, following a multi-step process, or performing a physical feat, the Escape Room should have clues that require more than 3 people.

A sense of narrative flow

Storytelling attracts people. That's why movies, books, shows, and video games are multi-billion dollar businesses. It's also why we're obsessed with developing news and trying to read between the lines to make a full sense of the story being weaved.

With escape rooms, designers use the narrative hook of storytelling to spark curiosity. Finding the next clue becomes more important as you learn why the clue was left in the first place. Creating characters and backstories for the challenges provides additional subtext to guide your next decision. For example, if you're in a film noir detective setting, that empty whiskey bottle is more important than it first appeared.

Creating a rich narrative around escape rooms is certainly challenging. Still, designers who get it right make the experience more engaging and memorable.

A puzzle sequence that works

The fun can grind to a halt when you get stuck on a puzzle. Of course, the puzzle should be challenging, but leading customers down a dead end only leads to frustration. Several clue threads are lying around in most escape rooms to find the right balance between challenge and guidance. Participants who get stuck can work on another loose end until it takes them somewhere else. Sometimes a clue found at the beginning only makes sense for a group at the end.

Escape room designers think carefully about these balance issues, trying to give participants enough chew to stay safe. Still, enough obscurity that they can't solve puzzles by simply trying the first thing that comes to mind makes sense. After all, solving a problem is far more rewarding when it takes effort.

Dramatic theme

Themes admittedly draw people into puzzles better than any other design element. We have active imaginations, so getting the chance to pretend we're superheroes in training or trying to prevent a time-consuming apocalypse adds to the immersion and stakes. Creating a cohesive theme requires countless hours of planning. It also requires designers to go out and find props, furniture and decorations that are 100 percent on-topic. At the same time, we want to guide participants consistently, which means something other than a mundane prop look should look like a guide. Of course, there are times for exceptions when a clue is telegraphed unexpectedly. Still, participants should never feel betrayed by an unexpected leap in logic.

These elements make a fun, colourful, and memorable theme one of the hallmarks of well-designed escape rooms. You can enjoy all of these qualities and friendly service every time you visit our Escape Room Games in Atlanta or a city near you!

Main factors of a good escape room

  • The Story: There must be a backstory to go along with the escape room, as this is the first impression of which room escapers choose. The story provided to each guest should be engaging from start to finish and give runaways a sense of accomplishment once they complete it. It should feel like you are part of history when you participate.
  • The Room: The room detail with specific decor detailing the plot prepares the runaways to make important connections. In addition, the story and props throughout the Runaways' experience should allow them to immerse themselves in the mission and provide an interactive challenge. This gives escapees a chance to enter the world they are escaping and makes for a better overall experience.
  • The Room Level: The most important thing about participating in an escape room is to have FUN. This means that the escape room level should be comfortable for escapees. The rooms should be possible to see through and allow the Runaway to move from one area to another. Still, they should be complex enough for Runaways to use their brains and work together for a successful escape.