Mastering the art of how to behave can be challenging for some, and anxiety inducing for others. So we thought we’d put together a list of do’s and don’ts in escape room situations.
I interviewed the staff, some friends, the cat, and a couple of other escape room owners to figure out what grinds our gears and what we really enjoy seeing and hearing whilst running your live action games.
Let’s start with some Don’ts
One of the most obvious but infuriating DO NOTS, believe it or not is; Please don’t break things. Accidents happen and sometimes, even as Games Masters, we break things accidentally too. We can almost guarantee that nothing needs to be forcefully removed from the wall. (yes that means things that are screwed in too!) nothing needs to be snapped or squashed. The easiest way to avoid accidental breakages is to not leave things on the floor! We can’t speak for other escape rooms, but in all of our games you’ll find a table, a chair or a flat surface at the very least to leave used props on.
Another thing we don’t enjoy that will probably shock the well behaved amongst you glorious readers, We don’t enjoy seeing you fighting. Whilst calling your husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, brother, sister, friend or colleague a silly goose is quite funny the first time, we really don’t enjoy it when you’re frustrated. The best way to avoid this is to accept and ask for clues. However many you want. Just ask. We can and will help you avoid a divorce or an awkward hour in the pub post game.
Whilst we’re on the topics of things we don’t enjoy… Please, and I do stress please, Do Not under any circumstances wear your short shorts (or skirts)! I am positive your butt looks amazing in them, when someone is standing behind you, However you will be bending, sitting, and possibly crawling in a room completely covered by cctv. We don’t want to see anything that you wouldn’t show Grandma.
Let’s move on to some of the things you should do.
Please make sure you’ve sprayed some deodorant on before you go in, the last thing you need is to get over excited in a room with little ventilation and spend the rest of the day self conscious. (We have some spray in the bathroom if you feel you need some post game). It’s only polite for the rest of your team too!
Always leave padlocks open and on the code you opened it with. In short, once you’ve opened a padlock, you wont need it again so place it back on the hasp, or in the cupboard you opened and move on. This helps us reset faster for the next team but also means we don’t cry as much at the end of your game.
The most important DO is to have fun. We do this to watch people enjoy our art! Escape rooms are our passion. We want you to have fun. Don’t take it too seriously, accept clues and hints and enjoy yourselves. It ts harder to fail a CypherQuest escape room than it is to win one. So have a laugh, enjoy the hidden jokes and easter eggs, and find your new obsessive hobby.
Happy Escaping <3