What Determines a Good Quality Escape Room?

Escape rooms have exploded in popularity over the past several years, and it’s not hard to see why. Their mix of teamwork, problem solving, and a style of game play taken straight from the video games and thrilling movies that we all know, and love can present a tantalizing real life experience that cannot be beat by anything else. But not all escape rooms are created equal. So, what determines a good quality escape room?

1.       A good quality escape room is an interactive experience. - The goal of a good game designer is ultimately to immerse the players in the experience and activate their internal suspension of disbelief. This can be achieved in a few keyways. One of the first things players will notice about the escape room is its setting. If the room itself is poorly designed, then players will never achieve the necessary immersion. It should be large enough to accommodate the players themselves and filled with details that will encourage them to think about their surroundings and the task at hand. Space and detail should work together to increase immersion and direct the minds of the players.

2.      A good quality escape room has good quality puzzles. – The quality of the puzzles themselves should be intellectually stimulating, fun, and distinct from something they might otherwise find at home or in their daily lives. Important clues should be hidden within the environment, which should prompt players to pay closer attention to the details that you have already set up and encourage them to work more closely as a team. f

3.      A good quality escape room has a good balance of difficulty. The game master should balance the difficulty level of the games and the room itself. If the game is too difficult for players, this could indicate a poorly designed experience. The setting and the games should be arranged in such a way that players can figure things out if they think hard and work together, but not in such a way that is obtuse, esoteric, or requires too many leaps in logic on the part of any one individual. Conversely, things should not be made too easy for the players either; if they can solve the puzzles in seconds, then there’s a high chance that they will become bored and won’t enjoy the experience overall.

4.      Finally, a quality escape room will help the players, at least temporarily, feel like they are someone else. Everyone loves movies, video games, and books for the chance they give us to escape into another reality and to live the life of someone else for a moment. Through the setting, puzzles, and overall story provided by the game master, a quality escape room will help players feel as though they are that character in a story, working together with the others to reach a satisfying conclusion. While this can be the most difficult aspect of escape room design to achieve, when done well, it invariably provides players with a sense of joy, accomplishment, and satisfaction that one would be hard pressed to find in most other mediums.

Here at Boerne Escape Room, we prioritize quality escape rooms for the full enjoyment of our guests! Book your room today!