What Goes Through the Mind of an Escape Room Game Master?

Tue, 10 Mar, 2020

Ever wondered what’s going on in the minds of those responsible for your escape experience? Let’s take a look at what they’re REALLY thinking during your escape attempt…

When Asked If You Need A Clue, You Probably Do Need One…

Game masters are the all-seeing, all-knowing deities that watch over your team’s progress from the hidden control room via strategically placed CCTV. They know the rooms like the back of their hands and if they ask if your team needs a clue, it most likely means you’re wasting your 60-minute limit by doing something completely wrong! The best advice is to take the clue for a much better experience.

You Need To Be Street Smart

Sometimes a bit of common sense is all you need to overcome certain escape game challenges. Having a classically ‘smart’ person in your team might seem like a good idea, but a much more obvious and simple solution to a puzzle may go over their head. Overthinking is definitely one of the main problems faced by escape game players. Sure, the rooms are designed to be a challenge, but keep in mind that the average person should be able to complete a room within 60 minutes!

They Get Frustrated Too!

A common misconception is that escape room game masters are equivalent to the evil puppet master Jigsaw from the SAW movie franchise. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Game masters are on your side and want you to succeed, so it’s only natural for them to also get frustrated when they see your group making silly mistakes!

Resetting The Room Is A Pain…

A game master’s duties include welcoming, briefing and guiding players – but after the fun ends they also have to reset the rooms... This means returning the room to its original state by replacing clues and hidden objects, re-locking locks, cleaning, tidying and making the room have an ‘untouched’ feel. This is a time-consuming process, but an extremely important one – it also needs to be done after each successful playthrough!

They Could Do The Rooms Blindfolded

It’s a game master’s job to know the rooms inside and out. They know every nook and cranny and could realistically be given a 10-minute time limit to complete any of their escape rooms. You should listen intently to their introduction and briefing, as they’re likely to allude to contextual hints and clues that will definitely help you escape. They aren’t called game ‘masters’ for nothing!