Wishing to take an afternoon to escape ordinary life and breakout into a real adventure with breakout games? Explore winning strategies!
Did you know that there is only a 30 to 50 percent chance of solving an escape room challenge? That means that almost half of the groups fail.
Sometimes hosts are more generous and give you a hint if you are stuck, but this still doesn’t guarantee that it will lead to victory.
So, how do you ensure a win at escape rooms like breakout games?
The secret is in preparation and strategies using these top tips.
Pick a Team Leader
Designating one person to be the point person can keep communication streamlined. Decide who this person will be before entering the breakout escape game.
The leader will be responsible for collecting everyone’s clues and information. They won’t look for clues themselves, rather put together the bigger picture.
When they see a pattern or solution, they can relay this to the rest of the team.
Have an Eager and Medium Size Team
The rest of your team should be enthusiastic and motivated. Don’t ask someone to join your breakout game team if they don’t like games or refuse to work with others.
It is also a good idea to have everyone meet or know each other prior to gaming. You should know everyone’s name and maybe a little bit about their personality.
Don’t pick two people who hate each other or have issues working together.
And keep teams just under the maximum people allowed. Too many people make the room crowded while too little means more work for everyone.
Know How Escape Rooms Work
Before playing, look online and tell your team to check out how an escape room works. You can read about common layouts and themes, as well as the usual types of puzzles.
Also, know the rules to most escape rooms like safety guidelines and restricted items. Most facilities follow guidelines like no clues are hidden that require power tools or outside objects to find. That means no unscrewing electrical sockets.
Review and Look for Secret Codes
Before you start your quest, review types of puzzles and the codes used to solve them. This prior knowledge is not necessary to solve the puzzle but it could help you think outside the norm.
For instance, you do not need to be able to read Morse code, but you might recognize that a clue is using it to help you reach a conclusion.
Soak in the Entire Room
Once you enter the room and as you move through it, be sure to look everywhere, from top to bottom. Take in the big picture of the room before moving on to a specific detail or puzzle.
This can help you find connections. One puzzle might be another piece of a larger puzzle. You may find something that another teammate needs.
Divide Up Tasks
While you may have the entire layout of the room in your mind, don’t try to do everything yourself. This is why you have a team and a team leader.
Divide each puzzle or section of the room into small groups. Working with a partner can help you understand the task faster.
Move On and Trade Tasks When Stuck
Sometimes working on one thing too long makes your brain shut down. Go to your leader and tell them you need to refocus on another section of the room because you are stuck.
The leader can tell another pair to switch with you so that both teams have a fresh perspective. Staying stuck on one task wastes time.
Remember the Theme and Back Story
Most breakout games DC have a backstory and a theme. The story is told before entering the room. This isn’t just for fun or authenticity. The stories may actually hold clues or just help you think logically about a solution.
So, pay attention to the back story and refer back to it when you are stuck. This can put you in the mindset of the creator and fictional characters of the game.
Pay Attention to Clues
All breakout games locations are different when it comes to giving clues. Sometimes they are set to go off when time on one section exceeds the average. Other hosts tell you how to request a clue by pushing a button, for example.
When a clue is given, stop what you are doing a listen closely. Or if you are stuck, you can ask for a hint if applicable to the location.
Communicate Everything
It doesn’t help if you find out a piece of the puzzle and keep it to yourself. Or you might notice something that you didn’t before but assume others have. Don’t assume, also announce a new discovery.
Communicate loudly to everyone and then go to tell your leader what you have found.
Notice Distractions
A lot of breakout escape games will purposely put fake clues or distractions in the room to deter you from real clues. These clues might be too obvious or be leftover from setting up the room that holds no significance to the challenge.
For example, the numbers on a book jacket or the bar code on a CD case most likely are not part of the clue.
Mark What You Already Checked Or Create a “Done” Pile
You want to stay organized while you and your team search for clues. Make a pile of items that have already been reviewed or make sure you leave things like cabinets and draws open to show you’ve looked in them.
But, as you search, do not rip apart your section. While it might be clear that it has been searched, it will be difficult to see how the area was set up originally.
Bring a Note Pad
There are limited items that you can bring in the room with you, but most escape rooms will allow a pen and paper.
This can help you take notes and not rely on your memory so much. You can easily tell teammates your findings this way.
Get to Know Breakout Games Before You Go
When you decide that you are going to breakout games, you want to look at the web site before you come to play. You can also read some reviews for more tips and secrets on winning the challenge.
For more ways to have fun check out the gaming section of our blog.
