HOW TO BE A BETTER ESCAPE ROOM PLAYER - COMMUNICATION
ESCAPE! Alaska Game Directors have pooled their insight from watching thousands play escape rooms (as well as our own adventures in other states), and have put together a comprehensive list of tips on how to do better the next time you enter a new escape room. We’ll be sharing them with you in the coming weeks, beginning with the one we feel is most important:
TIP #1 - COMMUNICATION
We all know communication is a big deal, but how critical is it in an escape room, and what needs to be communicated? And when?
The answer to both “what” and “when” are pretty simple: it’s “everything” and “immediately.”
We’ll explain why communication is so important, not only to your finishing an escape room, but doing it as quickly as possible and ensuring the whole team has a great time in the process.
*COMMUNICATION KEEPS PLAYERS FROM WASTING TIME
Let’s say Player 1 finds an object, correctly determines it belongs somewhere else, and relocates it , but doesn’t announce any of this to the rest of the group. When another Player finds the object, they may put it back in its original position, thus resetting the prop. This can (and does) continue with players moving a prop back and forth because no one knows where it started or where it belongs. Announcing the discovery of an item and its new placement helps prevent other players spending time doing and undoing something that’s already completed. This will also let everyone know an item has been used, and is not likely going to be necessary again.
*COMMUNICATION LETS EVERYONE KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Calling out locks is a common early move in an escape room. “We’ve got a numeric digital keypad over here!” or “This has a four-digit alpha lock!” lets the rest of the group know to be on the lookout for something that could lead to a solution for these types of locks.
*COMMUNICATION ENSURES EVERYONE SEES THE COOL STUFF
After a game, we routinely have guests ask “what did that one thing do?” or “how did we open the secret compartment?”. In many escape rooms, but especially ESCAPE! Alaska productions, there are big moments in the room that everyone enjoys getting to see - communicating to the rest of the room in advance ensures others get to appreciate these moments.
*COMMUNICATION WORKS BOTH WAYS
Of course, communicating to a group who isn’t listening doesn’t do you much good, so it pays for everyone to lend an ear to any player making an announcement.
Escape rooms are all about the fun (and a little about the competition), and these helpful nudges will add to the fun and success you enjoy while playing these games with family, friends, and co-workers.