Imagine that you’re locked up in a mystery room. The clock is ticking: you have 60 minutes to get out and in order to do that you have to find clues and solve puzzles. Time is running out and your heart is racing… Sounds compelling? Well, you’re not the only one to think so. At the moment real-life room escape games are hugely popular in Helsinki and new games are popping up everywhere and there are dozens of rooms to choose from. Each room has a different theme and a backstory, but the basic idea is the same: manipulate the objects, crack the codes and get out in time. The physical room escape is based on virtual point-and-click games. Even though you don’t need any prior knowledge to take part in an escape game (the rules are explained to you on the spot), I personally found it helpful to have had some experience with the brain teasers of online escape games before the first time I tried the real-life version. If you’re still trying to come up with some fun activities for Valentine’s Day whether it’s with your SO or a good friend, why not consider trying out an escape game?
Before booking a game, there are a few things to consider:
Choose your company carefully
Escaping the room is team work and there’s no time to quarrel, so it’s probably not a good idea to bring along that one friend who always hits the ceiling when you’re playing Cluedo. Also, it is much more rewarding if everyone participates, so form a functional group that can communicate and solve the problems together.
Pick a room you can handle and stay calm
Obviously, you can’t know for sure what the room is going to be like and how challenging the puzzles are. However, if you’re (or someone in your group) a very sensitive person, it’s best not to start with a horror-themed room. For many the experience of being locked in an unfamiliar space is intense enough. If you’re claustrophobic but still would like to try room escape, tell the staff and they will adapt the game for you. Remember that the game masters monitor the situation all the time and will let you out if you wish. It’s only a game and it’s supposed to be fun!
Think outside the box
Room escape is essentially a mind game, even though there are some games that test your physical agility as well. All the information you need is in the room, usually hidden right before your eyes, you just need to decipher it. Note that sometimes you have to go back: the items and clues you find may not be useful right away but will be later in the game. The puzzles can feel frustrating at first, but once you get the hang of it, the game will consume you.
Don’t be too proud to ask for help
If you have no idea how to proceed, you can ask for more clues from the game master. The beauty of the game is to solve the problems on your own but there’s no point refusing help if you’re stuck; there’s a time limit, you know. For a very competitive person this might not seem like a considerable option, but it’s better to swallow your pride and get on with it than waste your time being stubborn.
No spoilers!
This should be obvious but it’s easily forgotten when you’re pumped up after a succesful escape: don’t give away anything to those who haven’t been in the room. Let them go see for themselves.
Have fun with the challenges and check out some of these room escape games located in Helsinki: