“What is an Escape Room?” A Beginner's Guide

Posted on July 23, 2026
by Brad Ervin

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.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN AN ESCAPE ROOM?

First, you and your team need to choose a room storyline! You can choose from rooms like an old haunted mansion, a sinking submarine, or even a kidnapper's creepy hideout. While some of our themes are a bit spooky, all of our games are designed to be fun, not scary. You can take a look at all of the Breakout storylines here.

Once you have selected your theme, you and your team will gather inside the room with your personal Game Master. Your Breakout Game Master is your personal hint giver throughout the game. They will explain the rules to you at the beginning, make sure you are ready to play, and then will head back to the Breakout control room to watch your game and listen for whenever you need help. At any point during the game, if you need help or want to ask for a hint, all you have to do is ask, and your Game Master will speak directly into the room through a speaker system.

How does an escape room 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 team and community events.
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 $25-$65 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! We also have special rates for team-building events. 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 the game room. 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. Rules about clues vary by escape room. Some escape rooms give you a clue limit or have some kind of penalty for excessive clues, such as taking time away to solve the room. At Breakout, we allow unlimited hints without any penalties, so you can ask for as many or as few hints 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 also 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.

What happens inside an escape room?

Explore the room for clues. The first thing to do in an escape room is to search the room for clues. When you find a clue and solve a problem, it will lead you to your next step. Your clues will eventually lead you to the final solution of the room.
Use your resources. You’ll be given a whiteboard and markers to keep track of information and work out solutions to problems. You can also use your phones for calculators, flashlights, and notes. Finally, your resources also include hints from your Game Master. Don’t be afraid to ask for clues when you’re stuck.
Work together. Team work really does make the dream work! Communicate with your fellow players to successfully escape the room.

Are escape rooms scary?

While some of our themes are a bit spooky, all of our games are designed to be fun, not scary. You can take a look at all of the Breakout storylines here.

We have themes that allow you to experience a safe amount of thrill, so, we’re never going to jumpscare you or lead you into danger. Additionally, some people suspect there will be a live actor in there to scare them - this is also untrue! While we can’t vouch for every escape room, you can be assured that your group will be the only people inside the room.

Do you actually get locked in?

While the storyline is built around the idea of being locked in a room, our doors remain unlocked throughout the entire experience. If there were to be an emergency, or you want to take a bathroom break, you can walk out and return when you’re ready.

What should a first-timer expect?

Escape rooms can be a lot of fun, and the experience is more enjoyable when you have an idea of what to expect. Remember to communicate with your teammates, explore the room carefully, examine the clues you find, and try every combination in every lock. Not every puzzle is straightforward, so be patient in your approach, and don't be afraid to ask for hints when you need them. And finally, have fun! If you laugh and make some memories, that’s always a win in our book.

What to expect your first time

Checklist

Before Your Game

[ ] Focus on Fun: Approach the experience with fun being your main goal. Escaping the room is definitely something you want to do, however, spending quality time with your group is more worthwhile!
[ ] The Game Master is your ally: Your Game Master wants you to succeed and enjoy the game, so don’t hesitate to use them as a resource if you feel like you might need it. They are there to help you - not judge your choices and thoughts during the game. Sometimes hesitation can cost you!

During Your Game

[ ] Think outside the box (but not too far): Creative thinking is highly encouraged in escape rooms! However, keep in mind that all groups can achieve the same answer with the provided clues, so try to avoid jumping to conclusions that don’t involve what you already have in front of you.
[ ] Stay organized and efficient: Start your game by taking a general inventory of your surroundings. As you solve puzzles, it’s crucial to keep items you haven’t used yet separate from those you have. Remember, most of the time clues and codes are used only once per game.
[ ] Communication is Key: Share your findings, explore different ideas together, and make sure you’re all on the same page. Be willing to listen to everyone’s ideas, no matter how silly they may seem. Most important of all, keep your cool no matter how stressful the timer running out can be. Tension and conflict are a surefire way of not escaping!
[ ] Stay Focused: Resist overthinking or focusing too much on the small unrelated details. Approach your findings with an open mind. Focus on what the clue is trying to tell you: the answer is often right in front of you! Remember, puzzles require solving in order to progress, the answer won’t be handed to you.
[ ] Get Help: Has it been a few minutes and your group is seemingly stuck? Go ahead and ask for that hint. Don’t feel embarrassed - help is allowed and even encouraged! It’s not always worth it to “tough it out” on your own. Even a little nudge in the right direction is better than being frustrated because you’re stuck on the same clue for 20 minutes.

Ready to try an escape room yourself? See our games here.