Top 5 Mistakes When Playing an Escape Room Game

We believe these days everyone has already heard about the escape rooms. Most people know what those rooms are and what to do there. They are pretty comprehensive, but once you inside, the rush of the game may get to your head. Commonly, people get over excited, too distracted or too stressed for no reason once the clock starts the countdown.

So that is why we are here today. To discuss what are the reasons that stop you and your team from having an awesome time playing the escape game. There are popular mistakes that every player is keen to make once or twice in one set. Worst of all when someone actually spends the whole hour acting under the influence of that mistake. Such a behavior will definitely spoil the whole experience and will discourage you from playing again.

That is why we have prepared a short guide about top 5 mistakes to avoid when playing an escape room. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy it and find some useful tips for yourself. So here we go.

1. Getting stuck with a single clue

The number one among all of the mistakes to avoid in an escape game is the mistake of getting too concentrated on a single clue or riddle and so getting completely stuck in the process. This is happening in almost every set and pretty much with each team member at some point of the game. The worst thing you can do is to focus on just one clue. Why? Well, first of all, you are missing out all the others hints you may have around you. Secondly, you may have found a key to the puzzle but it can be not the right time for it. You may make some use out of it only in the last few minutes.

Usually, this behavior is most common in the very beginning when a player finds the first thing to solve and becomes overexcited and obsessed with solving it. So the best you can do if you find yourself in such situation is to drop what made you stuck immediately and start looking for other hidden objects in the room.

2. Stressing out over the time

Another reason why you lose at escape the rooms games is that you can’t let go thinking and stressing out over the time. This happens every time. People start to rush, get extremely nervous from the very start and as a result, get irritated by minor slowdowns and angry with their teammates. In this way, the game takes a drastically negative turn. There is no need to explain why this behavior is really dangerous not only for the successful results but even for remaining any warm feelings among the members of your team.  

Just keep in mind that 60 minutes is actually a lot. And it is up to you, as a player, either to make this hour exciting and fun or stressful and frustrating. Also, constantly thinking of the time will simply distract you from the vital elements of the game. You may misunderstand the instructions, miss the clues and solve the puzzles wrong only because you are rushing that much. It’s so definitely easier when your mind's at ease.

Our best advice to you - try to prevent panic, stop looking at the watch, cover the clock, if you can, and let the time fly. Take as much time as you need to solve the puzzles and celebrate each of your small victories over the riddles. And most importantly - enjoy yourself!

3. Forgetting about your team

Another common mistake in escape rooms is forgetting that it is a team game. Most locations are built in a way that should require from 4 up to 10 people to win. Otherwise, you won’t be able to find and solve all of the puzzles on time. So as you can see it is clearly not an independent activity. Teamwork is essential if you want to get out in time.

Despite that fact, typically people become playing for themselves more than for the team. Everyone goes on their own way and forget about the team the minute the first clues are found. Instead of sharing the updates on the progress and communicating, players get caught up in their personal struggles.

But without well-build communication and a role distribution, the team will have low chances of winning. The best way to avoid this problem is to come up with a team strategy ahead. So don’t think what you need to beat the escape room. Think what your team needs to do to beat room! That the true winner attitude. Don't be shy to think out loud, read aloud every riddle you find, vocalize the actions you are doing at the moment, and inform others about your next steps.

Thorough planning is what makes teamwork effective and productive. The game will put you into different situations and give you plenty of different tasks. Knowing who is responsible for what will help the process to go smoother. This way every player has own role and also know what others are doing.

4. Overthinking everything

The thing is that the time limit or/and unordinary situation put so much pressure on people that it completely blocks people's ability to stay calm and rational. After all, the real escape games are exactly nothing more than just games. But people tend to forget that once they are in. And that turns into a serious problem for the players.

The tendency to overthink is another mistake we want to cover. The idea that escape rooms are purely logical and intellectual games is a huge misunderstanding. They also aim to appeal to your creativity, resourcefulness, childish curiosity, etc. So when you overthink every single clue you find on your way, you may lose the chance to win the game. You simply won't solve all puzzles. Sometimes the answers are way easier than you think, you just need to relax and look around.

Just don't make it harder than it’s supposed to be. Remember, that the whole point of going there is to have fun and enjoy yourself. No one is there to judge your knowledge or to make your life harder. So forget what is right or wrong and just enjoy!

5. Not asking for a help

It is not cheating if you ask the room master for the hint. Especially, if you've been stuck for a while and can't see a solution. Although people usually assume that it is an easy way to win and so, it's unfair or not challenging enough. But such a mindset won't help you win. On the contrary, this mistake should be avoided, if you don’t want ending up losing the game. Once again, it's all just for fun, so don't spend time in frustration when you are stuck and just ask for help. That is what rooms masters are there for!

A final note before we go

We have discussed major issues that are typical for player's mindset. But there are few more minor mistakes which still can also spoil the game. They are:

1. Forgetting about the clues. To avoid that, put everything you find in one place, or make a list of them, so it always will be in front of your eyes;
2. Listen carefully to the instructions before the game. They help you to ease your way inside the room and explain what to expect from the location;
3. Don't get distracted on your phone. Everything you need to escape is inside that room, so you'll just waste your time searching for answers online;
4. Not listening to the backstory. They play a big role in understanding the puzzles.

Summing things up

That was our guide on how to enjoy the escape rooms without following the wrong behavior patterns. Hopefully, you will be able to recognize those 5 mistakes when you're locked in an escape room. What we really want you to remember is not to stress out and enjoy every minute of that given hour! Have fun and good luck!