10 Best Escape Room Tips to Beat Your Next Game

Introduction

A lot of escape room players ask, “what are some things that strong teams do in an escape game?” Here, we will share some concrete tips to help your team win any escape game.

Dock at the Moon in Gateway virtual escape game

10. Share your discoveries

Escape rooms involve multiple people looking at different things and finding different clues. After finding something interesting or relevant, you will want to alert the team. Don’t be shy and make sure everyone can hear you!


9: See the forest

Time flies when you are solving problems but don’t forget to take a step back and see the bigger picture. Being able to see the connection between each puzzle, and map out the relationship between each element will help you prioritize and identify the gaps that need more attention. Like sports, you want to keep your eyes on the ball and mind on the game.

8: Divide and conquer

Have a couple of people working on one puzzle and a couple on another. Spread yourself out to make use of the numbers. Too many people on one puzzle can make it more chaotic and you can run out of time before moving onto the next.

7. Optimize skillsets

In a race against time, understanding the strength and weaknesses of your team members can make the difference between a win and a loss. For example, assigning a team member good at spatial logic to a rhythm-based problem might not yield the best outcome. So work smart and make sure you assess every problem and see if you have the best people for the job.

 

6. Experiment and adapt

A big part of an escape room challenge is testing a team’s ability to adapt to different design language and problem sets. Don’t be afraid to try different ideas and or being wrong. Fail fast principles are very much at play here. If something is not working, try coming up with other ideas instead of doing the same thing over and over!

 

5. Do a proper handoff

If you’ve been staring at the puzzle for the last 20 minutes and aren’t getting anywhere, let someone else have a try or call for backup. Sometimes it just takes a fresh set of eyes to see the answer that’s staring you in the face. However, do not just slyly walk away. Do a proper handoff so they can benefit from the work you have done so far.

 

4. Coordination

From managing tasks, items, to the flow of information, coordination is the one trait that is shared among high performing teams. This does not mean you need a management system or implement recurring team standups. However, it does mean that you need a system in place. We’ve seen top-down or distributed systems work equally well so pick whichever you are comfortable with.

 

3. PUGS are risky

PUGS stands for pick-up-games, where teams are made up of random strangers. These teams usually exhibit communication issues and perform worse than established teams. You want people you’re already familiar with and comfortable around if you want to maximize your chance of success.

 

2.  Bring a smile

Keep the moral high and be a cheerleader for your team. When faced with difficult challenges, staying positive and keeping the ideas flowing is the key to overcome. Problem-solving is a journey, so play the game with style and the wins will follow.

 

1.  Reflect on the game

Regardless of the outcome, each escape game gives you an opportunity to reflect on the team’s strength and weaknesses. What went well, what didn’t go so well? Take away what’s valuable and apply those learnings to work or your next game. Sounds like a win-win situation!

 

Conclusion

An escape room is a great activity to refine your teamwork and optimize team performance. Ready to put the top 10 tips and your team to the test? See if your team has what it takes to save the world in one of our immersive sci-fi adventures at Reason!

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