Tips to solve an escape room

Here are 3 tips that will help you solve escape rooms:

1. Be a Sherlock Holmes.   Don’t rush, don’t panic.  Stay calm and think logically.  Most importantly, take your time.  The clock is ticking but there is no reason to rush.  Don’t be the guy who ends up having to call an escape room employee to come open the door for you because you got stuck in the bathroom.  This is the main reason why people fail in an escape room.  Most people get stuck because they rush.  I know, the clock is ticking and you’re getting really close to the time limit, but slow down and work it out logically.  Don’t try to force things, let the clues guide you to the next step.

2.  Read the puzzles. Most escape rooms will have locks with combinations.  Read the numbers and not just the words.  Some of the time you’ll find that the numbers are written in words ie. 1234 becomes one two three four.  Most people will just read the word and not the numbers underneath.  Also, don’t just look at the locks.  Read everything in the room.  It’s in the details that you will find the next step in the puzzle.  Try to look at everything in the room in terms of how it relates to the puzzle.  If you see a bottle of wine, think about if it has any relevance to the puzzle.  Most escape rooms will have clues hidden in things around the room.  Look for things that are out of the ordinary.  Look for things that are unique.  Most of the time it’s in these items that you will find that one clue that will lead you to the next step.

3.  Don’t get stuck on one puzzle. If you’re stuck on one puzzle, move on to another.  Most escape rooms have at least two puzzles you have to solve at a time.  When stuck on one, try to figure out what the clue you are missing is.  Most of the time it will be in something in the room.  If you are stuck on both, don’t get frustrated.  Your group will get through it.  Most puzzles will be related in some way.  If you are stuck on both puzzles, look for how they are related.