Escape Rooms: What You Need to Know in 2024

Posted on January 1, 2024
by Faith Neece

Introduction

Escape rooms have become increasingly popular over the past few years as an exciting and immersive entertainment experience. But if you haven’t experienced an escape room yet, you may have a lot of questions about what they are, how they work, and honestly, what all the fuss is about. In this blog post, we’ll set you up with everything you need to know about escape rooms in 2024.

What are Escape Rooms?

Escape rooms are interactive games that challenge participants to solve puzzles, find clues, and complete tasks within a specified time limit (typically one hour) in order to "escape.” These games are designed to challenge your problem-solving skills, teamwork, and creative thinking.

Escape rooms have a fascinating history that dates back to the early 2000s. The concept originated from online point-and-click adventure games, where players solved puzzles and escaped from virtual rooms. Eventually, game creators developed physical escape room experiences with challenges for groups to solve in person. The trend spread quickly as new creators built more and more physical experiences worldwide.

Today, escape rooms are a rapidly growing global industry! Escape games continue to evolve, with innovative puzzles, high-tech elements, and captivating storylines, making escape rooms a thrilling and engaging form of entertainment for puzzle enthusiasts worldwide.

How do Escape Rooms Work?

We’ll walk you through the entire escape room process, from choosing your adventure to bragging about your awesome escape time.

Gather Your Group: Escape rooms are best experienced with a group of friends, family, or colleagues. The ideal team size may vary depending on the specific escape room but usually ranges from 2 to 8 people. Many escape rooms offer group packages for larger parties or corporate events. For us here at Breakout, check out our team-building page for more info on large groups.
Choose Your Theme: Escape rooms come in a variety of themes, ranging from horror and suspense to adventure and fantasy. Common themes include prison breaks, heists, robberies, treasure hunts, and westerns. Pick a theme that appeals to your group's interests for a more engaging experience.
Book Your Experience: Escape room prices vary, but you can expect to pay anywhere from $20-$60 per person in your group. At Breakout, our price per person decreases the more people you add. So you save if you bring a bigger group! Some escape rooms take walk-ins, but we highly recommend booking your escape room in advance to ensure your spot.
Enter the Game: Once you sign in and are all ready to go, your escape room game master will take you back to your game. They’ll explain how everything works and give you some guidance to follow. Then the game will begin, and you’ll be free to start looking for clues!
Ask for Clues: Most escape rooms will allow you to ask for hints if you get stuck. Keep in mind that rules about clues vary by escape room. Some escape rooms give you a clue limit or issue penalties for excessive clues, such as taking time away to solve the room. At Breakout, we allow unlimited hints, so you can ask for as many or as few as you want. Keep in mind that most groups will need hints to escape, so please do use them!
Escape the game! What all escape rooms have in common is a series of puzzles, clues, locks, and riddles that will lead you to a final solution. When you crack the final code, you’ll escape the room! You’ll get to take a photo with your final escape time. Feel free to share it for bragging rights! If you don’t escape, don’t feel bad. Escape rooms are meant to be challenging. As long as you have fun, that’s still a win in our book.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some additional answers to our most frequently asked questions.

Does the Door Actually Lock? No, escape rooms prioritize safety, and the doors are not physically locked. Players can leave the room at any point if they need to use the restroom or for any other reason.
What if We Don't Solve Anything? Escape rooms are designed to be challenging, but it's not uncommon to get stuck on a puzzle. If you're struggling, don't get discouraged! Keep exploring, communicate with your team, and consider asking for a clue from the game master (we promise you will at least solve something).
What Should We Bring and Wear? Most escape rooms require nothing more than your presence and enthusiasm. Comfortable clothing and footwear are recommended, as you may need to move around and search for clues. Avoid wearing high heels or restrictive clothing that could hinder your mobility.
What Is the Difficulty Level? This depends on the escape room. Some escape rooms will list a difficulty rating (usually from 1-10) for each of their rooms. At Breakout, because we give unlimited hints, we do not rank our rooms by difficulty. It’s up to you to make the rooms harder or easier by the number of hints you decide to use.

Family-Friendly Escape Rooms

Can kids play escape rooms? In many cases, yes! Escape rooms can be great fun for people of all ages. Parents and caregivers should keep a few factors in mind.

Mature Themes: Some escape rooms may have horror and other adult themes. Some escape rooms also combine elements of haunted houses and have live actors in them. However, there are still plenty of family-friendly options at most facilities.
Age Limits: Age limits may vary depending on the escape room. At Breakout, we allow children of any age to play our rooms with an adult present. Children 14 and older can play without an accompanying adult as long as they have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian. See more about our age requirements here.
Challenge Level: Escape rooms are designed to be challenging for adults, but children and teens can still complete them. Caregivers should know that they may have to take a more active role in the room to help their children complete it. However, in our experience, even if kids don’t completely understand everything in the escape room, they still have a blast.

Quick Tips

Want to ace your escape room? Here are some of our best game-master-approved tips:

Communicate effectively with your team. Share information, observations, and ideas.
Think outside the box. Pay attention to details and consider unconventional solutions.
Manage your time wisely. Keep an eye on the clock and prioritize tasks accordingly.
Stay organized. Keep track of clues and objects to avoid confusion.
Have fun! The primary purpose of escape rooms is to enjoy a unique and immersive experience with your group.

Escape rooms provide an exciting and challenging activity that encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity. With these tips and information, you'll be well-prepared to embark on an unforgettable escape room adventure in 2024.

Ready to try it out for yourself? Book an escape room with Breakout here.

Note: This blog post was written based on general knowledge and personal experience. Consult the specific escape room provider for accurate and up-to-date information regarding their offerings and guidelines.