For some people, the build-up to their first escape game can be a nerve-wracking experience: will you be an effective teammate? Will you escape in time? What if there’s a puzzle that you can’t solve? There are so many variables and unknowns that first-timers have to contend with, so if you’re feeling slightly anxious about the doors closing behind you, don’t worry! It’s perfectly normal – we promise!

An experienced player in escape rooms, or how to surprise teammates

If your debut is quickly approaching and you’re in need of assistance ahead of some escape game teambuilding, here is a list of things to say that will definitely impress your teammates!

“They WANT us to think that!”

Escape rooms will often have a red herring or two placed strategically around the room. What’s a red herring you ask? It’s something that is used to intentionally mislead or distract you. In other words, if something in the room seems too obvious to be part of the narrative, it’s probably a red herring! Adopting a slightly skeptical mindset can help you avoid falling into any of these sneaky traps.

“We might be overthinking this…”

Now, this is where things can get complicated... Escape rooms are designed to have you second-guessing yourself and it’s important to be suspicious of your surroundings, but being overly skeptical can lead to overthinking. Sometimes the answer you’re looking for is staring you right in the face! Try to keep that in mind throughout the hour...

“These locks are part of the game!”

Locks are an escape room staple; you can guarantee that you’ll see at least one type during a game. Whether it’s a padlock, deadbolt or combination lock – they’re very rarely/never just part of the decor. Quickly move to seek out the locks and figure out how they tie in with the narrative. 

“I think that code is braille/binary/pigpen!”

A common feature of escape games is the use of codes and ciphers, and nothing beats feeling like a real-life secret agent after successfully cracking a code. We guarantee that you’ll definitely encounter at least one type during a game, so brushing up on your knowledge beforehand would really impress your escape room teammates. Imagine their looks of amazement after you correctly identify a code? The extra homework would be worth it after seeing the surprise on their faces!