Tips for Making It Out of an Escape Room

Going into an escape room can be a great team building exercise or just a fun challenge for family and friends. Figuring out how to work your way out of an escape room is a thrilling experience, a challenge for many, and we certainly don’t want to ruin your fun. Instead, we simply want to offer you a few pointers to ensure you have a great experience.

Escape rooms are designed to be tricky, and there are often a lot of false leads and red herrings meant to keep your from winning. Doing everything by yourself will waste valuable time and probably annoy the rest of your group. Instead, try delegating different tasks or puzzles to various members of your group. You can work on things no one else seems to notice, or serve as a go-between for different parts of your group.

A good rule is to never simply watch someone else do something. Either help them if they need it, or go do something else. Remember, the clock is ticking.

This is critical if you’re ever going to escape. Treat every object and clue as important, and do your best to remember where every clue came from and what it’s used for. One helpful way to do this is to designate an equipment manager of sorts—someone who can take stock of objects, clues or other puzzles and recall the information when needed later.

Another organizational tip is to make a “used” and “unused” list. What clues or objects have you already seen through? Which ones haven’t you examined yet? This will save your from a lot of backtracking and time wasting later.

This is a broad tip, but it could ultimately be your best friend. Keep in mind Occam's Razor. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means that the simplest solution is often the correct one, so don’t overthink puzzles and clues.

Also, it’s worth keeping in mind that escape rooms try to be authentic as possible, but there are bound to be objects that are not part of the game. Things like electrical sockets, exit signs or ceiling tiles aren’t part of the game. Focusing on these wastes time and can be dangerous.

Finally, here’s a bonus tip: Most escape rooms don’t allow you to bring in your cell phone or smart watches. However, bringing in a regular wrist watch is usually fine. This will help you stay on track even if you’re not looking at the timer.

Our Escape Zone offers two different experiences. Test your skills in the abandoned mineshaft of Hidden Below or the creepy Room 113 from a long-forgotten motel. Both rooms offer some of the toughest escape room experiences in Pittsburgh. Click here to book your hour-long escape room adventure at Zone 28!