An escape room game is a unique experience which can be the highlight of any group outing. For a successful escape room adventure, it is necessary to not only have fun but also maintain decorum. The required etiquette must be kept for maximizing on the fun while also not making anyone uncomfortable. It may be a gaming experience, but every game has designated rules which must be followed. Here are a few dos and don’ts for maintaining escape room etiquette.

1.   DO: Be on Time

The most basic step to ensure a successful adventure and maintain the escape room etiquette is to not be late for a game.  Being on time helps prepare the mind for the game ahead. If you’re late, you will be left scrambling for time during the actual game and there are pre-game preparations to complete as well. Being early also helps. If you have a slot booked with Escapology Kissimmee, get there early, hang out with your companions and grab a bite to replenish your energy before heading into the escape room.

DON’T: Use Your Phone During the Game

You are here to enjoy your time with friends and family. Do not waste your time on the phone instead of communicating with your teammates. The game is right before you and the apparatus to play it is there too. For a person of the modern era, it is very tempting to whip out your phone to quickly search for solutions on the internet. But that is not how you play a game. It is time to use your own critical thinking skills.

2.   DO: Listen to the Instructions Carefully

It is basic escape room etiquette to listen to the instructions provided by the staff. These are provided specifically to help you have a successful adventure. The staff is not your enemy, they are here to assist you. They will be as much a part of the game as you and your companions are. Understanding the instructions can also be crucial in comprehending how to interact with the escape room apparatus. There will be no need to fumble around when you can be sure of things through the instructions.

DON’T: Assume on Information Already Provided

One of the biggest causes of confusion and chaos is assuming information. If you have any questions, ask the staff for assistance. Do not fill in the gaps with your own knowledge. A successful adventure in an escape room requires precision. It is good etiquette to not give your teammates faulty information which may end up hindering the team’s progress. There is no need to fret about forgotten information, the staff is there to help. You need only ask for the actual information instead of assuming.

3.   DO: Pick a Good Team

An escape room adventure is a group experience. You must work with the team. Collaboration is the key. So, picking a good team is a must. Not everyone has to be a smart problem solver. But an assortment of compatible personalities can work together towards a common goal. A team need not have designated roles but if the team members can choose a role for themselves to focus their skills on, victory is often assured. A good team ensures a successful adventure.

DON’T: Bring People Not Interested in Escape Rooms

It is good etiquette to bring only those players to an escape room who are interested in the game. There is no point in inviting a person who couldn’t care less about the escape room experience. Such players will not take the game seriously, therefore, ruining the team experience. It wastes the time of the players interested in the game and of those who are not interested. So, it is better to bring people to an escape room who wish to have such an experience.

4.   DO: Keep an Eye on the Clock

An escape room adventure can only be successful if you can beat the clock ticking away. It is not rocket science to know that keeping an eye on the clock to see how much time is flying by is necessary to ensure victory. Most escape room games have a time limit. It is there to keep the game hours contained but also to heighten the suspense and thrill of the situation. So, it is necessary to keep track of the time for the sake of the game.

DON’T: Waste Time on A Single Puzzle

If you are stuck on a puzzle, do not waste your team’s time and effort on the same puzzle and move on to a different one. Sometimes, solving other puzzles first can broaden your perspective so when you return to the previous puzzle, you know what to do. The clock waits for no one. So, it is better to focus on other puzzles so that nothing piles up at the last second. The goal is to have fun so there is no need to stress about the puzzles.

5.   DO: Use Every Prop in the Room to Your Advantage

The props inside an escape room are there for the sole purpose of helping you attain victory. A successful adventure is guaranteed when all the usable props are utilized properly. The escape room apparatus is a puzzle on its own and you must solve your way to use the props correctly. It may look complicated to new players but once you and your team get the hang of it, you will be unstoppable. Afterall, the props are there to assist you, not be your enemy.

DON’T: Act Rude and Break Props

It is polite etiquette to not cause damage to other people’s property. The escape room experience may be yours to collect but the room itself belongs to the business owners. Don’t destroy their property for your own entertainment when there are other ways to have fun. Accidents may happen but none of them should be deliberate. Respect the staff and the escape room apparatus which are trying to give you a good gaming experience. Don’t break what does not belong to you.

6.   DO: Ask for Clues if You Get Stuck

There is no reason to be ashamed about asking for clues or hints. It does not reflect poorly on your intellect nor is anyone sitting around and waiting to judge you. An escape room experience caters to your entertainment. If you are stuck on a puzzle, the staff is always willing to help. Asking for clues will not decrease your chances of winning. Hints are not complete answers and only clues to the actual answer, but these are definitely meant to lead you to victory.

DON’T: Keep the Clues All to Yourself

While clues are helpful, there is no point in having them if you do not share them with the team. An escape room game depends on the team effort. There is no point in hogging all information to yourself when the point of the game is to collaborate. There is nothing to achieve by keeping the clues to yourself since this is not a competition. You are playing with your teammates, not against them. So, use the given and attained clues to lead the entire team to victory.

7.   DO: Have Fun

An escape room experience is meant to provide a fun gaming experience in real life. There is no point to it all if you are not enjoying it. So, do not stress on the puzzles or the clock. Enjoy this exhilarating experience for what it is, a fun game. Victory certainly has a nice ring to it, but it is not the only reason to play an escape game. Let yourself feel the suspense and the thrill of the escape room while maximizing on the fun game aspect of this experience.

DON’T: Give Up if You Fail Your First Try

Victory is not the end all and be all of escape room experiences. The experience is about having fun and the first failure is one to learn from. It is all about understanding how everything works on your first try and trying again with this established knowledge for a better perspective. So, even if you fail on your first try, learn from this experience and try again. It will remain a failure if you don’t try again but a second try has the possibility of victory.

An escape room adventure can only be successful if the players are enjoying the game. It is basic decency to maintain a good etiquette before, during and after the game. But there is no need to lose your mind about it. Most of the dos and don’ts listed here will come naturally to most people. It is a good thing to maintain decorum, but this is not a diplomatic dinner party. It is a fun outing with friends, so it is necessary to have fun while being polite.