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Jason

About Jason

https://crossroadsescapegames.com

I grew up in the high desert and went to several colleges around so-cal. Tested out of most of my core classes for my English degree so I spent most my time learning about literature, psychology, and philosophy. Took every creative writing course I could and put most of my efforts into my writing via clubs, classes, and meet ups. After college, I continued studying and writing for pleasure. Eventually I used my unique collection of knowledge and skill to publish a book. I published Darkness and Joy last year and have been working on the sequel most of this year. I have been working at Cross Roads Escape Games since September 2016 and I am currently a Manager and Game Master.

Posts by Jason Sakal:

Fun House KIDS

Family Escape Rooms

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Greetings and salutations dear readers. ‘Tis I, Zoltar the great, the seer of secrets, knower of unknowns, and your guide to a great holiday escape.

Are you wracking your brain trying to think of activities to keep the family happy while they are visiting? Do you want to be the cool mom or dad that takes the family to try something new this week? Well worry not, dear reader, your friend Zoltar has you covered! After all, it can be incredibly difficult to find an activity that everyone can enjoy doing together. The Fun House is a perfect blend of challenging mental puzzles, wacky antics, and good clean family humor. The Fun House is guaranteed to be the hip new outing that you’ve been looking for.

We have two versions of the game, making it versatile for any age ranges. If you “grown-ups” are looking for great fun and good laughs, then we can set the game to challenge even the wittiest of you. However, if you are bringing a bunch of youngster magicians into the room, then we can alter the game to our Fun House KIDS version! We are happy to be one of the only SoCal escape rooms that caters to groups of all ages.

In the Kids version we take out some of the more complicated puzzles and replace them with puzzles that are more appropriate for those under the age of 12, as well as adding in a scavenger hunt! So, keep an eye out for those carnival tokens when you are in the room!

You see dear reader, here at Cross Roads Escape Games we are dedicated to making your experience as thrilling as possible. And if you are feeling a bit more daring, then you can check out our Hex Room! But remember that room is for ages 16 and up.

Till next time dear reader.
-Zoltar the Great

The Rebel in Hex Room

Horror Escape Rooms for this Halloween

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The Halloween season is upon us and the hour for spooky activities is nigh! Horror fans and thrill seekers alike crawl out of our eerie tombs to go enjoy the festivities! Haunts, horror films, and theatre productions; with so much to do, how is a ghoul to choose one thing over another?!? But what if there was an option that combined the best aspects of all three? Now that sounds like the kind of thing a proper thrill seeker can get behind.

Of course, you have probably already guessed that I am talking about escape rooms; the perfect blend of wits, grit, guts, and horror! Inside of an escape room you and your friends will get the chance to step out of your skin and into your very own horror movie. Once inside the walls of an escape room you must race against the clock to find clues, solve puzzles, and try and make it out alive.

This year has been very good to us horror movie junkies, putting out great film after great film. After each great film there is always the conversation of “how would I survive that movie?” It is a great topic of conversation, but have you ever wanted to see what it is like to step into those characters shoes? Now is your chance? With the Hex Room you will be cast as either a detective, a rebel, a jock, a nerd, a prom queen, or a virgin and forced to escape a crazed killer. Are you interested in finding out which character you would be? Take our test here.

Some thrill seekers visit their favorite haunts every year hoping that this year will be scarier than the last. They wait in lines and walk through mazes like sheep to the slaughter. They are dragged into the action by actors that jump out and give them a freight. And two minutes later they are out, screaming and laughing, but free. But what if you were locked in a room with no windows and only locked doors… what if you had 60 minutes to survive in that room instead of only two? That is what it would be like to be in an escape room. Many rooms employ scare actors or manipulate the inner terrors of their customers to make the experience as intense and haunting as most walk-through haunts.

The Hex Room

Now some horror fans take the initiative to become part of the horror movie in other ways, such as through immersive theatre. These productions take you into the action and make you a part of the drama just like an escape room would. However, there are no real stakes involved in many of them. Though you are part of the drama, you are still an audience member and protected by plot armor. What do you think it would be like if suddenly that protective mantle was removed, and you were placed in a room where you could escape or fail based solely on your own actions? Live or die, it is entirely up to you?

This is what makes Escape Rooms so thrilling. Unlike horror movies where everything is scripted, and you are just along for the ride; and unlike immersive theatre where they ensure that you have everything you need to make it to the final scene, Escape Rooms put you in the action. Everything you do, everything you forget to do, all of it has rewards and consequences. At the end of an escape room, your choices are your own.

Jason Sakal
Manager and Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

game masters

Are you Game Master material?

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As you may have heard, Cross Roads Escape Games is hiring game masters again and that means it’s time to send in your applications! If you are wondering if you have what it takes to be one of our game masters, here are some of the qualities that make for a truly great game master (in no particular order).

Maintaining Character:

This one is a pretty big one, and definitely the first thing I think of when it comes to great game masters. A game master’s ability to not break immersion is one of the most vital aspects of the job. You must be able to play a convincing character while under pressure and always remain in character for the entire duration of the player’s experience.

I remember one time when I was playing an escape room, our game master was new and didn’t know which hint to give for our puzzle. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the game master said, “let me go ask my manager”, stepped out of the room, and went to ask for help. Immersion destroyed!  It might seem like a lot to ask from the actor/game master, but those that can pull it off are truly a cut above the rest.

Improvisation, the ability to think on your feet:

Ask any of our game masters and they will tell you how important improvisational skills are. In our YouTube series Confessions of a Game Master,we delve into the importance of improvisational skills in the episode “Expect the Unexpected.” It might be a good idea to take a moment to go watch the video here.

A day in the life of a game master is never dull. You never know what is going to happen and it is important that you be able to come up with creative solutions to problems in the moment. Did you give someone the most direct hint in the world and they still don’t know what to do? Think of something! Players didn’t listen to the rules and now you need to sheriff on the spot? Do it! You need to have lightning fast responses to keep games flowing smoothly.

We are a team and we support each other in the moment. Usually there is either a manager or a senior game master that can provide you with a quick answer, but sometimes you simply have to act. We will train you for almost every situation… but expect the unexpected!

Which brings me to my next point:

Have good judgement:

            Common sense and good judgement are usually not skills that people put on job applications, but in this job, it really matters! Every day you will face decisions that you have to make. Is the person that is asking for a hint ALMOST at the solution? Do they need a small nudge in the right direction? Or are they completely lost and need to be turned around? These snap judgements can be the difference between your players getting a satisfying “A-ha! moment,” and your players feeling let down.

If a player wants a small hint and you spell out the puzzle for them, they can often feel like you robbed them of the chance to solve things themselves. Being able to discern the best choice to make before you make it is the sign of a superb game master.

Attention to detail:

Being a game master is all about paying attention to the details. This is useful when checking your room resets for mistakes as well as monitoring your players non-stop. You must keep track of which clues have been found, which clues have been used, and which clues have been used incorrectly. There is nothing more disheartening than asking for a hint and having the game master give you a hint to a puzzle you’ve already solved.

Here at Cross Roads Escape Games, each game master is in charge of monitoring their game constantly so that when a player asks for a hint, you are able to give them an immediate and well thought out answer in character. If you are not paying attention, the players will notice. Trust me.

Time management:

One thing that all escape rooms have in common is that they run on a very tight schedule. It is up to the game masters to make sure that they are performing their duties optimally at all times to keep the day flowing smoothly. A game master has many duties they must perform throughout the day and making sure that all of them are completed without causing delays to the games is a vital component of any escape room team.

The life of a game master is a careful balance of moving quick enough to be efficient, but slow enough to be thorough. Mastering this balance is how you become a true game master!

And last but certainly not least:

Enthusiasm:

Having enthusiasm for the job and for the characters you play is honestly the most important part of being a game master. If you aren’t having fun, your group probably isn’t having fun. A smile and a bit of excitement can go a long way towards making players feel psyched for the game and making your team mates feel energized throughout the day.

Game mastering is fun and thrilling work that always keeps me enthusiastic. I find it hard to not be energized when I get to spend my day sharing escape rooms with many strangers. If the idea of acting, puzzles, and deadlines doesn’t get your blood pumping, I don’t think game mastering is for you.

Though there are many qualities that make for a great game master, these are the most important ones to keep in mind. As a game master, you will be expected to foster these qualities within yourself and always keep improving. Interested in applying? Fill out an application today!

Join our team!
Download Game Master Application

Are you a game master with some tips on what it takes to be great? Leave us a comment below!

Jason Sakal
Game Master and Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

The Fun House

What I Look For In An Escape Room: Jason

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Personally, I love escape room and I will try and solve ANY puzzle I come across. I love puzzles, riddles, scavenger hunts, and even the pixel hunt kind of games in video games. I love the process of going from being completely unaware of the answer, to a full understanding of the puzzle by piecing together the clues. If a puzzle can do that for me, then I am over the moon!

The puzzles are a HUGE part of what I look for in an escape room. Though I don’t think that puzzle design can carry the experience on its own, it is definitely one of three big factors to my enjoyment of a room.

When I solve a puzzle, I want to know exactly how the puzzle works just by solving it. For example, there have been times where I thought “I don’t think this makes sense but maybe ____ is the answer?” Then it works, and I feel a little disappointed, even though I got the answer correct. The reason I feel let down is because the puzzle didn’t work the way I had thought it was going to.

Now I know what some of you might be thinking. You didn’t like the puzzle because it didn’t work the way YOUthought it would? And I completely understand the eye rolls that I might be getting right now but let me explain!

Making a good puzzle is very much like writing a good plot twist into a story or movie. If the twist is not foreshadowed earlier in the movie, then it just feels like a plot device. But if there are subtle hints from earlier that influence how you should be thinking, then when the twist happens you are like “WHOA! I knew that that painting from earlier was going to be important!” Same goes for puzzles. If your team has been trying things to no avail and then you look at one clue you haven’t used yet and suddenly everything clicks and you exclaim “WAIT! What if the ____s are actually showing us how to use these other clues!” then you have yourself a GOLDEN “aha moment!” And in the end, isn’t that what all puzzles are really about?

The next thing I look for in an escape room is theme. At the end of the day, if you don’t like the theme of a room then you won’t be having as much fun as other people that can really engage with the setting.

I am a huge Horror film junkie! I watch them all; everything from the Exorcist to Zombie Mutant Vampires from the Hood! What can I say? I am a silver lining kind of person. I can find diamonds in just about any roughs. However, just because I enjoy the genre does not mean that all horror movies are good. Same goes for escape rooms. The theme of the room is kind of like the salesman for the room: It is what catches my eye fastest when I am looking for an escape room to play. However, once I actually get into the room, I feel that theme carries the least amount of weight on whether I will find the escape room enjoyable or not.

Third, and possible most importantly, is immersion. I don’t care if my team is being hunted by a serial killer or if we are all aliens trying to break out of area 51, I need to be sold on the idea. It isn’t enough to tell me that I am a fish in an aquarium, you need to sell me on that every moment of the experience.

This can be achieved in many ways. It could be as simple as giving everyone a mask to wear, or as complex as having actors in the room that interact with the players in a certain way to get the desired result. Trust me, nothing convinces someone that they are an outlaw in the wild west more than giving them a cowboy hat, a bandana, and having the “law dogs” lock them up in a jail cell. We’ve already talked a lot about immersion in one of our other blog posts, so I don’t need to go too far into how to achieve full immersion… but it is VERY important!

So, to sum this up, when I am looking for an escape room to play the three things I am looking for are:

1) What is the theme?

2) Do they have well thought out puzzles? (This is kind of hard to find an answer without spoiling anything, but reading people’s reactions to the puzzles in reviews is often a good way to find out how good the puzzles are.)

3) How immersive is the game? (One thing I look for is people discussing a game’s hint system in the comments. I ask myself if it makes sense for the setting or not.)

Look at the escape room’s website to get an idea for theme, and then if you are intrigued read some reviews. I can temper my expectations based on other peoples’ reviews and how well the room markets itself. I have only played around 30 escape rooms so far, so I would not consider myself an expert, but this method has helped me search for the next game my team will take on.

What do you look for in an escape room? Let us know in the comments below!

Jason Sakal
Game Master & Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

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Dear Zoltar #1: How To Be A Good Leader

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Hello, dear readers and escape enthusiasts. In an effort to spread my great wisdom and wit with the world, I have taken on an advice column. Yes I, the Great and Magnanimous Zoltar, Seer of Secrets and Keeper of Escape Room Secrets, will be lending a (beautifully painted) ear to those in need of some guidance through their escape room journey. Our first letter comes to us via Red Tailed Hawk (much more reliable than owls and also work during the day) from someone who may be just like you.

Dear Zoltar,

My friends and I have played many escape rooms and so far, we haven’t won a single game. I have played with friends, with family, with strangers! Every time it seems that victory is just out of reach. What are we doing wrong?

I know that every great team needs a great leader, so I do my best to push my team and make sure we are all working together to try and escape! I start every game by giving each player on my team something to do. One person will be in charge of looking in drawers on one side of the room, while someone else will be in charge of figuring out which puzzle we need to tackle first! I have each of them explain their answer so that I can try it on the locks. I stay in touch with everyone constantly! I let them know how much time we have and try to motivate everyone by pushing them to work faster.

We are never fast enough!

What can I do to help my team more and get us our first win?

Sincerely,
Natural Born Leader

 

Dearest N. B. Leader,

‘Tis I, Zoltar the Great, the seer of secrets and your guide on how to be a better leader for your escape team! Now, I know that it can be hard to face so many challenges and still come out with no victories, but the most important bit of advice that I can give you is this: If at first you don’t succeed, then try, try again!

Solving puzzles and escaping from escape rooms is a skill like any other skill. The more you practice, the better you will get. It is good that you are playing rooms and switching up your team each time. This allows a level of adaptability, that some leaders do not have. This will also give you a chance to work on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of newer players. Supporting your team mates by allowing them to play to their strengths is the truest sign of a good leader.

There has been a previous blog post describing the types of players in an escape room. Perhaps you should take a look at it and see if you can identify which type of player each one of your friends or family is.

Sometimes being a leader means gently guiding your team rather than pushing them. I can tell you from experience that constantly reminding players just how little time is left can be more stressful than helpful. While sometimes a good reminder is needed, save it for good intervals. If you tell your team how much time is left every minute, you will only be adding to the noise already in the room and could create more confusion.

I don’t believe your team really needs to explain every puzzle to you before they try solving it. If they think they have the correct answer but it doesn’t work, they should definitely explain their thought process! But explaining everything before trying a code is a good way to burn through your very limited time. Perhaps you should allow others to try their codes on the locks and offer an ear and another point of view if they get stuck.

I have no doubt that if you keep playing and keep growing as a leader that you will lead a group to victory someday soon. Just remember to let your group play to their strengths and give gentle guidance. It will make for a more enjoyable game for everyone and just might improve your results.

Til next time, dear reader,

Zoltar The Great
Seer of Secrets, Advice Guru,
The Fun House at Cross Roads Escape Games

P.S. Are you in need of some escape room advice? Send me an email at info@crossroadsescapegames.comwith the subject DEAR ZOLTAR and you may see your letter answered in the future.

Characters of The Hex Room

What Your Hex Room Character Says About You

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Good! So, you’ve taken our online personality test! But do you know what it means to be a Jock, Nerd, Virgin, Rebel, Prom Queen, or a Detective? In case you haven’t watched as many horror movies as we have, here is some information on what your horror movie stereotype says about you and how you can best live up to your role within your very own horror movie. It’s basically a mood ring, but instead of colors, it’s made of archetypes!

Detective

The Detective is the person who has enough rapport with everyone to actually get them to listen to what they say. They are great listeners and when people talk, they pay close attention. However, the Detective usually spends most of their time trying to keep the other characters alive instead of actually solving the mystery.

  • Has the highest chance of being killed while helping another character.
  • PROS: Great communicator, great multitasker, good puzzle solver.
  • CONS: High responsibility, so much paperwork, dresses like they’re in the 70s.
  • EXAMPLES: Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) in The Wicker Man (1973); Dewey Riley (David Arquette) in Scream (1996).

 

Rebel

The rebel is known for doing rebellious things (who would have guessed it). This leads many of the other characters into thinking that they are more prepared for the horror movie than they actually are. I mean, if they are already used to doing crazy things, how much harder can it be to try and fight for your life against an insane serial killer… right? They are independent and don’t ask for other characters help, usually to their own dismay.

  • Has the highest chance of being killed after separating from the group.
  • PROS: Thinks outside the box, focused, outside observer.
  • CONS: Not really a team player, probably has a tragic backstory.
  • EXAMPLES: Marty (Fran Kranz) in Cabin in the Woods (2012); Taryn White (Jennifer Rubin) in Nightmare on Elm Street III (1987).

 

Jock

Probably the only person in the group that voted against the rest of their team’s decision of leader of the group. Most likely, they voted for themselves. Plays enough sports to think that they are good at everything.

  • Highest chance of suggesting the group split up to search for clues. Probably dies shortly after.
  • PROS: Brave, protective, loyal.
  • CONS: Can’t easily change their mind, relies on strength over brains, has to ask Coach for permission.
  • EXAMPLES: Glen Lantz (Johnny Depp) in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984); Curt (Chris Hemsworth) in Cabin in the Woods (2012).

 

Nerd

Has watched the most movies, horror or otherwise, of any of the other players in the group. They remember small bits of information from each movie, quotes and factoids mostly, and they are happy to tell people this information

  • Highest chance to be killed right as he figures out some piece of vital information.
  • PROS: Observant, good memory, planner, book smart.
  • CONS: Nobody listens to them until it’s too late, loses their glasses like way too much. Seriously, get contacts.
  • EXAMPLES: Randy (Jamie Kennedy) in Scream (1996).

 

Prom Queen

Probably showed up to the escape room late or right on time. Also, is most likely to have read the question “how many people have you kissed?” and asked if they have to answer that question.

  • Highest chance of dying after saying the words “Hello? Is anyone there?”
  • PROS: Driven, confident, has small group of close friends.
  • CONS: Can get caught up on appearances, trust issues, can’t run in heels.
  • EXAMPLES: Helen Shivers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) in I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997).

 

Virgin

The person that was brought along because everyone actually likes them. This being said, the virgin is most likely to be the one that is too afraid to fill out the questionnaire fully. They will leave answers blank in hopes that if they don’t admit to having fears, that they won’t have to deal with anything scary. Most likely to have not realized that the Hex Room is a horror themed escape room when they were invited/when they booked the room.

  • Highest chance of surviving the ordeal only to drag a new group of friends into the sequels!
  • PROS: Sweet, friendly, avid reader.
  • CONS: Too trusting, prone to being sacrificed, is going to suffer.
  • EXAMPLES: Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in Halloween (1978); Sally (Marilyn Burns) in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974).

Keep in mind, being the Virgin doesn’t guarantee you are the “Final Girl,” a common horror movie trope pertaining to the last remaining victim of a horror movie. After all, remember Sigourney Weaver’s wise words from Cabin in the Woods: “It doesn’t matter if the virgin lives or dies, as long as she suffers.”

After taking this personality quiz, we are sure you will better know yourself and be better prepared for surviving a horror film. Want to put your new understanding of self to the test? Get your most trusted group of friends together and enter The Hex Room.

Jason Sakal
Game Master and Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

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Zoltar’s Reflections Of The Fun House

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Greetings and salutations dear reader! Tis I again, Zoltar the Great, Seer of secrets, and your guide to celebrating the Fun House’s 2nd birthday! In honor of the 2nd birthday of the Fun House I figured it would be fun to take a moment to reflect on how our lives were before The Fun House opened its doors and be grateful that we no longer live in the desolate wastelands that existed during that time.

I know that many of you were sad, lost, and (dare I say) despondent in the days before the Fun House, as was I dear reader… as was I. But then, like a shining beacon of hope, the Fun House manifested and… and… well… it just seemed to lack something. It needed something big; something new and intelligent; something with well-groomed eyebrows and a chin that don’t quit; it needed, of course, me!

Yes, I remember the day that the Great Cross Roads Circus found me in an old self storage unit. I had been left for all eternity behind a slowly fading painting of Madonna. One of the Rhoades ringleaders heard my cries of help and, doing what any half decent ringleader would do, came to the rescue of the crying Madonna painting! It wasn’t until she had already taken the Madonna painting and had turned to leave that she realized that it was, in fact, MY painting that was talking. Sorry Madonna. You may have the looks, but I have the looks and the voice!

In the dust and darkness of the storage unit, I met the great ring leaders of the Cross Roads Circus for the first time. It was there that the great ringleader recognized my talent and did the only sensible thing to do … placed me right in the center of attention in the Fun House!

What has been the best part of living in The Fun House for these two years? Without a doubt, it has been acting as a mentor, muse, and supportive shoulder on which to cry (metaphorically of course, for I was not painted with shoulders) for many hopeful apprentices. Each day I help these aspiring souls to think more creatively, to believe more profoundly, to laugh, share, joke, play, and enjoy life to the fullest. I don’t want to put understate just how intensely moving a game in The Fun House can be. Each game I help people discover whether they are truly Magnificent Magicians or Clueless Clowns and each one of us is better for it.

Ah yes. It has been two great years filled with many amazing magicians and clowns of all age! Our circus has grown quite large in the last couple years and continues to grow every day. I sure do look forward to even more wonderful years of magic, mystery, and perhaps a few jokes along the way.

If you haven’t had the chance to test your wits in our topsy-turvy Fun House yet, then I suggest you come on down as soon as possible and find out if you have what it takes to be a worthy magician or if you are simply a clueless clown.

That sounds like an important bit of personal discovery if you ask me.

Zoltar The Great
The Seer of Secrets and your guide into the future.

Jason_April_W4_1

Tips on how to solve puzzles in an escape room!

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Being good at playing escape rooms is just like any other skill: it takes some practice. As you play more and more escape rooms, you will learn what methods work for finding solutions to puzzles and what habits just waste time. If you are a new player or are already an escape enthusiast looking to improve your gameplay, here is some advice and techniques I have found effective when solving puzzles in escape rooms!

#1) Look at the lock!

This is such an important step that I see a lot of players skip. Even if the puzzle doesn’t have an actual “lock” per say, look at what it is that you are putting your solution into. What kind of solution do you need: Does it require numbers? Letters? Directions? Colors? Look at what it is asking for even before you look at the clues that you have found. After all, once you know what you are looking for, the clues you need will stand out to you!

#2) Look at the clues!

Do not be that one person that looks at the lock and instantly starts guessing random codes. The odds are that you aren’t going to get the right combination and even if you do guess the right code… congratulations… you are still going to need to solve the puzzle to figure out which clues have been used and which clues haven’t. I can tell you from experience, if you don’t separate the clues you should have used and set them aside, your team will continue trying to use them on EVERY SINGLE PUZZLE they come across. You may have saved five minutes by hacking a lock, but you have wasted 15 minutes throughout the game just trying clues that no longer have any purpose. TRUST ME… just look at the clues.

Once you know what you are looking for, the clues will begin to make more sense. Once the clues start making sense, it becomes easier to deduce the correct answer. Remember, solving puzzles is a matter of deductive reasoning.You start with infinite ideas on how it can be solved and begin narrowing the possible solutions based on what the clues are telling you

#3) Talk it out with your team!

This is the point where your team mates become invaluable. If you are looking at the clues and aren’t coming up with a solution to the puzzle, bring everything you’ve discovered to your team mates. Tell them what the lock is looking for, tell them what clues you’ve found and what you think those clues are telling you. Once you’ve done that, tell them everything that you’ve tried so far so you don’t waste time coming to the same conclusions. Talk it out and brainstorm different solutions. Don’t worry about being 100% right on what you guess during the brainstorm. This is the point where everyone brings their ideas to the table and everyone talks about what works/doesn’t work and why. You and your team will narrow the possibilities down until you come up with a solution that uses the clues to open the lock!

#4) Try the solution twice!

Uh Oh! The lock didn’t open. You review your solution and you are POSTIVE that you have the right answer. But it didn’t work the first time! Don’t panic. If you are sure you have the right solution, try inputting the code into the lock once more. Sometimes you have the number on a lock slightly off, or you accidentally press an extra digit on a keypad. It happens. Just make sure everything is lined up perfectly and take your time inputting the code. If you want to be extra sure everything is done right, then have your teammate impute the code the second time; just in case you are doing it wrong. And don’t forget, you may need to give a lock a gentletug to open.

#6) Come back to it.

If you have tried everything to solve a puzzle but you are missing a piece or just aren’t getting it, come back to the puzzle later (if possible). Most escape rooms have multiple things that need to be done at any point in time. If you’ve given the puzzle your best shot, then perhaps you don’t have everything that you need to solve it yet. You might think you know the solution only to discover a clue later that changes EVERYTHING! So, don’t get stuck! Feel free to step away from a puzzle and come back to it!

I hope these tips can help improve your gameplay and make you more effective escape artists. Do you have some tips that should have made the list? Leave other escape enthusiasts your best advice in the comment section below! And be sure to test your escape artistry in either The Fun House or The Hex Room at Cross Roads Escape Games!

Jason Sakal
Manager and Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

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FAQ: In Depth Answers

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If you are reading this, then you have probably already looked over our FAQ and have a few more questions that you might want some clarification on. Here are some of the questions that we get asked on a day to day basis.

Player Limits?

The two rooms have different maximum player capacities based on the size of the rooms. For the Fun House we can accommodate 4 – 8 players at once. For the Hex Room we can accommodate up to 5 – 10 players at once. Both rooms were designed for approximately six players, but we can have up to 8 in the Fun House and 10 in the Hex.

This last statement is important to note. When people see that the maximum is 8 or 10, and the minimums are 4 and 5, they always seem to ask one of two questions. Can we have more than the maximum or can we have less than the minimum?

Can we play with more?

No, the maximum player limit is very strict. We get asked a lot if we could fit “just one more” person into the game, and the maximum listed is our cut off point. With more than the maximum number of players, the game becomes cramped and chaotic. It’s a perfect example of “too many cooks in the kitchen.”

We are dedicated to bringing you the best escape room experience and our maximums are in place to make sure you get the best experience possible.

Can we play with less?

For the Hex Room, no. Five players are needed in order for the game to be playable. Because each person is split into their own separate room in the beginning, you MUST have at least 5 players; as there are clues in each room that will be important to solving puzzles and escaping.

As for the Fun House, yes! You can play with less than four players. However, since the Fun House is a private game, you must pay for the minimum number of tickets, which is 4, in order to reserve the room. In the Fun House, everyone starts in the same room and there is A LOT of puzzles to solve, which is why we suggest you bring at least 4 people to tackle this room.

How do you accommodate groups larger than 18?

Since the maximum for the Hex Room is 10 and the maximum for the Fun House is 8… what can we do to accommodate large groups of more than 18 people? Since we cannot have more than the maximum number of players in either room we can run multiple games back to back.

For large groups up to 36 players we recommend renting out our private lounge for 18 people to wait in while the other 18 people are inside the game, and switch when the first games are over.

Do you have actors in either room?

Neither of our rooms have actors in them. You will have a game master watching you the entire time, but they will not be in the room with you.

What is the difference between Fun House and Fun House for Kids?

The difficulty levels. In the Kids version, we take out some of the more complicated puzzles and replace them with a few puzzles that are a bit more straight forward and hands on. It is a great room for children that are looking to become young escape enthusiasts!

Which room is better?

I get this question at least twice a day. My answer is always this. It is a matter of taste. Both rooms are fun and immersive experiences, but they have different themes. The Hex Room is a dark and sinister experience that is intense and thrilling. Whereas the Fun House is a very light-hearted experience that is humorous and whimsical. Do you want to try and escape a crazed killer that is obsessed with horror movies or do you want to put up with the AMAZING Zoltar and all of his silly antics as you try to prove yourselves worthy magicians? The choice is yours and, honestly, as far as I’m concerned you can’t go wrong with either one!

Jason Sakal
Game Master and Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

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Who Are Escape Rooms For?

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So, you’ve been thinking about doing an escape room for a while now and you’ve looked around at all the different themes they have to offer. They look like fun, but you’re not sure if you and your group will like them or not, right? After all, how can you really know unless you jump right in and do one. Well, in this blog I will do my best to explain the different things that escape rooms have to offer and the kinds of people that enjoy them!

1. Puzzle People

The largest group of people drawn to escape rooms are the puzzle enthusiasts. These people enjoy exercising their mind and love solving riddles, puzzles, or brain teasers. If you fit into this category, you will love escape rooms. Escape rooms are centered around searching for clues and solving puzzles in order to advance. So, for all you Nancy Drew enthusiasts, Myst lovers, and Shivers maniacs we say, “Welcome to the wonderful world of escape rooms… what took you so long!”

2. Friend Squads

Then next most common type of person we see is the event organizer, aka the hangout enthusiast. These people are constantly on the lookout for new and exciting things to do with their group of friends. Escape rooms are perfect for people looking new things to try. Each escape room that you play is unique, with tons of themes to choose from and many different difficulty levels. You could play 10 different escape rooms and have 10 completely different experiences. And if you find a company that makes a room that you really like, or you find one that is conveniently located, perfect! Most companies have multiple rooms already open with more to come; so, you and your team can play several rooms before needing to look for a new company to try!

3. Co-workers

Another amazing thing about escape rooms is that they are incredible for team building! Be it sports teams, sales teams, or just for corporate events, escape rooms provide the perfect environment for team building and bonding! In most escape rooms the puzzles are designed to emphasize creative brainstorming, effective communication, and of course teamwork! So, whether you are trying to figure out how your sales team reacts under pressure or are looking for which of your team members might have what it takes to be a leader, escape rooms are a fun and innovative way to challenge your team.

4. Thrill Seekers

Of course, no list of escape room enthusiasts would be complete without mentioning the thrill seekers! If you and your friends are always on the prowl for new thrills, then escape rooms are a dream come true. Escape rooms are fully immersive experiences. Many games tend to increase their level of immersion by putting their players in an exciting, tense, or thrilling environment. Horror themed escape rooms are a great way to get both a steady fix of adrenaline throughout the game and the rush of escaping the room!

5. Cool Parents

And last but certainly not least, are the cool parents. Have you been trying to find ways to be the cool mom or dad? Are you trying to find a fun way to get your kids to disconnect from their phones for a while? Let me tell you, escape rooms are the way to go for both! Escape rooms are exciting and trendy, both challenging kids and giving them a memorable experience that they will want to tell all their friends about. Many escape room companies are now designing rooms for players of all ages making room accessibility for young enthusiasts better now than ever before! So, grab the kids, lock up their iPad, and plan your escape soon!

As you can see, there are many different aspects of an escape room that people connect with. Whether it’s the puzzle-solving, the immersion, or the connecting as a family away from phones and video screens, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. If you were on the fence about whether or not to do an escape room, hopefully this post has helped you get the confidence to dive in feet-first and book your escape room experience now!

Jason Sakal
Game Master, Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

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