If you’re new to the world of escape rooms, chances are that you’re approaching your first game with some misconceptions. But don’t worry! We’re here to help! We listen to our customers every day and what they have to say can sometimes surprise us. We want to make sure that you have the most fun possible when you come play, but there are some beliefs circulating that make escape rooms seem intimidating or impossible. Let us set the record straight and debunk these huge escape room myths.
1. You’re dumb if you fail
Time and time again we hear people telling us how dumb they are because they didn’t complete the game, but it’s just not true! Escape rooms are a learned skill; just like learning anything else, there is a curve and practice makes perfect. The more escape rooms you play, the easier they’ll get. Those people who squash all-time escape room records? They are probably enthusiasts who’ve played over a hundred games! So you should never feel disheartened for not escaping; just keep practicing, you’ll get better. In fact, we feel so strongly about this one, we wrote a whole blog about the subject!
2. All escape room facilities are connected
There is no head office, no CEO, no union. Escape room facilities are mostly small businesses run by people passionate about gaming. Of course there are a couple of games that are owned by larger parent companies, even a couple of franchises floating around, but most escape room companies are small. That means that every facility is different, we all have our own unique strengths and flavor.
3. The staff are watching you play and laughing at you
Most, if not all, escape room facilities have security cameras in their games. Customers often ask if we spent the hour laughing at them. Sorry guys, but they are security cameras. What you see and experience in the game is reduced to a tiny black and white view of the back of your head for us. So that time you screamed, or that funny joke your friend made, we’re sadly not in on any of that. We’re watching everything just to make sure you’re safe and having fun.
4. A puzzle can be unsolvable
Sure, this is technically true, but that would be lousy game design. Every puzzle is solvable, the trick is to collect all relevant information, and figure out the logic behind it before trying to solve it. At Escape Games Canada, we don’t believe in using red herrings, or in making puzzles impossible to solve. All the information you need to solve any of our missions is contained within the game, you don’t need any other resources with you.
5. All escape rooms are created equal
There are hundreds of companies with thousands of escape rooms and themes. Different companies even have different philosophies about how to build their games. Naturally, with so many people generating so many ideas and building so many different ways, escape rooms differ wildly from one another. Even games that may seem similar because of a common theme, a prison for example, are usually completely different from one facility to another.