To make your game longer and more difficult, use two or more rooms that are next to each other and have guests “unlock” the doors between them as they progress through the game.
You could choose to place the room in Italy during the Renaissance or in New York during the roaring 1920s. If you want to have even more control over the setting, choose a time in the future where the possibilities are limitless!
For example, if the setting is based in England during the late 1800s, use a Sherlock Holmes theme. If your guests like horror movies and Halloween, choose a zombie or haunted house theme. You could also create a prison escape theme in almost any time-period you like!
If you have made several escape room, and your guests have completed a few in the past, lengthening the time past 30 minutes will give your guests the challenge they need to stay interested.
For example, for the beginning of a story you could write, “The players wake up in a room. They see a big poster in front of them with letters and numbers. They solve the puzzle and find out they are in the year 3015. "
For example, if the players have to unlock a door in order to escape one room, decide how many clues and puzzles they have to solve along the way and how long they will take. If the players are supposed to find a key, you could require them to gather clues from around the room to spell out the key’s location. If you’re planning an exceptionally large escape room, or will have many guests, you could have a flowchart that forks at one point – as long as everything comes together nicely at the end.
If the players successfully unlock a box, place clues and information inside the box that will lead them to the next challenge and puzzle. Keep in mind the plot of the story, tying together the beginning, middle, climax, and resolution.
Challenges for a zombie escape room could be to figure out who the first person was to become infected, what the cure for the zombies is, and finding the location of the cure. For a futuristic theme, you could require the players to determine what year they are in, how they got there, and how to get back to the present.
For example, if the challenge is to unlock a door, you could choose to have the players decrypt messages, open a combination lock, or search for items in odd places in order to find the key. If the players have to decode a message sent by villain, they may need to find written clues in books, newspapers, and pictures.
For example, you could hide the combination of the lock under a book. For a tricky challenge, put the key to the lock in a a separate box they have to unlock first.
You could place several dice through the room with numbers missing. The players would then try piecing together the missing numbers to open a lock. Open a newspaper and underline certain words to make a sentence the players must piece together.
You could make an acrostic where the first letter of each word creates a sentence or name. Color code the words and match the colors to a pattern somewhere else in the room. Display a sentence where the number of letters in each word correspond to the numbers of a lock or safe.
Use candles to add to a historical or spooky theme. For a safer option, use electric or battery operated candles instead of real candles. Put glow sticks in clear containers around the room to create a futuristic vibe. Branches, rocks, and dirt can create the feeling of a forest or cave.
For a cheap option, get costumes from a thrift store or ask if you can borrow clothing items from friends.
If you are using candles, make sure they are out of reach and won’t get knocked over when the players are moving around.
You could also have someone else or two people run through the game to test how long it takes. After all, you already know the answers to all of the puzzles!
For example, explain that the players are not allowed to use their phones for help. While you can’t force anyone not to use their phones, it’s best to set a ground rule that it would be cheating if they used it to help them solve a puzzle. Explain and point out pieces of furniture and other objects they should not lift or try to move.
If some or all of the players are children, allow them to have more than 3, or even unlimited, hints so that they don’t get discouraged.
For a cheap option, you could take a team photo with props and costumes and send the team digital or physical prints. If the players are adults, you could give them a cash prize or gift card.
