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What we learn from KIds in an escape room

What We Learn From Kids In An Escape Room

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Cross Roads Escape Games is one of the few escape rooms in Southern California that has a game specially designed for kids! We find it shocking that more escape rooms don’t cater to kids because they are GREAT at escape rooms!

Adults have a way of overcomplicating a simple puzzle. We see this all the time in Fun House KIDS where adults will get stuck on a problem and overthink a very simple answer. Often times, when kids are correct, adults shoot down their idea and try to rationalize a much more complicated solution. Here are some of the things we have learned from kids that adults should learn too.

#5 Be open to weird ideas

Escape rooms are often full of crazy scenarios that have you doing things you would never be doing in real life; that is why we love them. Kids are great at coming up with creative problem solving and it usually works! Be creative in an escape room and let yourself be open to the most ridiculous ideas. Even if it is not 100% right, it might at least get you started on the right track. It is always worth a try!

#4 Don’t get stuck on one idea

We see this a lot in The Hex Room, where someone will try what they think is the right answer and a lock won’t open so they will give up. Try thinking of new ideas! Don’t get discouraged, normally you are just overlooking something obvious.

#3 Don’t get frustrated- ask for help

In a Fun House KIDS game, kids love talking to Zoltar, who is a magical talking painting that can provide guidance in the game. If you are stumped on a puzzle, there’s no shame in asking for help from either your group or your game master. Escape rooms should be fun, so if you find yourself not having fun, ask for a hint and move past it so you can start having fun again!

#2 Don’t overthink

True story: An adult got a random bunch of letters with no order and started turning those letters into numbers based on their placement in the alphabet. They then started comparing pictures that had that number of people in the picture to the letter on the block. This is overthinking. Meanwhile, as an adult is doing all this, a kid comes along to use the letters to spell out a common word. When there seems to be no connection between one clue to another and you are mixing your own hunch in there, you are overthinking it. Kids are great at taking the information they have been given and connecting the dots without using any outside knowledge.

#1 Your main goal is to have fun

Adults can become competitive and want to race the clock and make the leaderboard, but often times they blow through a room and end up missing all the fun and funny moments. Remember that you are here to have fun. Soak in the atmosphere, play with the cool props, step back and watch your friends solve a puzzle, remember that you are here to have fun.

Do you play escape rooms with your kids? What are some valuable lessons they’ve taught you that we all could learn from? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook!

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Three Tips for Escape Rooms with Family

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The Holidays are here again and for many, that means time off from school and work, lots of food, and visits from family and friends. Of course, when you have out-of-town visitors, you need to find something to keep them entertained.

I love playing escape rooms with my family. Since my brother and I are big escape room fans, it’s almost become tradition to take on an escape room whenever we get together. My parents like to join us as well and, though my dad would say he doesn’t really do much besides hold the clues, I really cherish when I get to participate in one of my passions along with my family.

My Parents after nearly escaping The Fun House.

Bringing your family to an escape room is an exciting and unique way to spend time together, but you should be sure to pick the best game for your group. Here are a few tips to make sure you and your family have the best time possible!

Tip One: Choose A Theme

It’s very important to find a room that everyone in your group will enjoy. Though you may love the intense rush of trying to survive a horror film, there’s a good chance that grandma would prefer something a little less heart-pounding. Escape rooms like The Fun House are a great choice for families because they are light-hearted, appropriate for all ages, and provide fun thrills without any scares.

Tip Two: Choose A Difficulty Level

Unless you have a family of avid gamers and puzzle-solvers, I would recommend looking for games with an easy to medium level of difficulty. Rooms that are packed with puzzles are the best choice so everyone will have something to work on. Non-linear games are also fairly helpful for groups of mixed experience because players can work on multiple puzzles at once, ensuring everyone has something to do. You want to challenge yourselves so you feel accomplished, but you don’t want a game so challenging your group feels overwhelmed.

Tip Three: Play For Fun

Everyone likes to win, but sometimes you have to accept a loss. When playing games with family, it’s important to keep your cool and remember that you are playing an escape room for fun. Manage your expectations and just try to have the most fun you can have in the escape room. Remember that you are getting to spend time with your loved ones, solving puzzles and playing games, and that whether you escape or not shouldn’t really matter as long as you’re creating great memories. And if you do happen to beat the game? Well, that’s just the icing on the cake.

Have you tried taking your family to an escape room? What was your experience? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Geoff Durham

Game Master, Manager

Cross Roads Escape Games

changing the game

Actors and Interactivity, a Focus on The Fun House

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Changing The Game Part One:

Actors and Interactivity, a Focus on The Fun House

Escape rooms have been exponentially advancing in puzzle design, creative tech installations, and immersive elements, and some rooms do this VERY well. Here is part 1 of 3 where Jason talks about actors, interactivity, immersive elements, and how we utilize them all in The Fun House!

 

One way that escape rooms have tried to change the game is by incorporating elements of immersive theatre to their rooms. Usually, this takes the form of an actor or actors that play certain roles within the room. By adding actors to your room, you can increase the immersion for players by giving them a living, breathing part of the game to interact with. The actors can be used to illicit a variety of emotional responses from the players, based on what theme the room is.

For instance, if you were designing a horror room you could implement a scare actor to pop out and frighten the players adding an aura of dread that will follow the players as they open each new room. On the flip side of that, you could always employ an actor to play a funny or silly character. A great example of this is The Great and Amazing Zoltar, the Seer of Secrets who resides in our Fun House.

Zoltar interacts with players by telling really bad “Dad jokes”, puns, and by being strange and bizarre. Zoltar serves a dual function: he adds to the wacky atmosphere of the game with his witty humor and narcissistic demands for compliments, while also serving as our game’s hint system. Regardless of how Zoltar is utilized by the players, simply being a live, interactive experience enriches the overall atmosphere of the room.

Instead of having a game master enter the room to give hints, he is always present and feels like an interactive agent for progress that works with the players. Often times we have players that spend the entire game joking and interacting with Zoltar, never once using him as a hint system. One player said it best when she commented that “the game would not feel the same without Zoltar. I couldn’t imagine playing through The Fun House without picking fun at him at least once.”

The key to a successful interactive Escape Room element is, you guessed it, immersion. When a player approaches Zoltar and tries their best to flatter and persuade him onto their side, it feels like it is part of the game. The players are not just standing around waiting for someone to show up and point something out, resulting in getting pulled out from the immersion. Instead, they are playing a sort of minigame with Zoltar where their reward is a riddle, piece of elderly advice, or joke that points them in the right direction. They are immersed in the experience while receiving hints AND while completing the room.

Next time on “Changing the Game” with Jason, we discuss game play mechanics and obstacles with examples from our beloved Hex Room!

Jason Sakal
Game Master and Manager at Cross Roads Escape Games
Magic Puzzle Wizard Genius

Clueless clown

The Zen of Being a Clueless Clown

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Greetings and salutations dear reader. I am Zoltar the Great, the seer of secrets, and today I am your guide to the rest of your life as a clueless clown. Yes, dear reader, even though you have failed to escape the Fun House and now find yourself eternally employed as a clown, there is still so much to look forward to.

Under the big top there are thousands of jobs that must be done every day, and not all of them are suited for a magician. After all, while they were off solving puzzles and using their enormously large brains, was it not you that was shouting the loudest? While they were trying to carefully inspect their clues, was it not you that was juggling the fastest? That’s right! There are many things that a clown does that simply makes no sense to a magician. So, if the job requires a bit of nonsense or general whimsy, a magician will simply fall flat. And because of that, there will always be a need for clowns.

It is simply a fact of life that clowns have more fun than magicians do. I mean… sure… you could just play the game and solve the puzzles needed to escape; but a clown will take time to smell the roses along the way. For a clown, it isn’t enough to simply get a secret spinning decoder used to translate ancient and esoteric hieroglyphics into a usable clue; a clown must spin that secret decoder several dozen times simply because it spins. Oh, how wonderful it must feel to be a clown!

See, don’t you feel better now? Some people get so carried away with the idea of “winning” or “losing” and they forget that the most important part of the Fun House is… the FUN. Win or lose, magician or clown, as long as you had fun playing, that is all that matters. So, go ahead and shine on my crazy diamonds… shine on.

Zoltar The Great
Seer of Secrets, Motivational Clown Speaker, Incredibly Handsome
Cross Roads Escape Games

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

Cross Roads Escape Games

Which game should you choose- The Fun House or The Hex Room?

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Quite often when people call to book a game with us, they ask us which game they should choose. While both of our games provide highly-immersive and entertaining experiences, they are two completely different themes. Use this handy guide to help your team decide which adventure they should take.

Do you consider your team as ‘beginners’?

If your group is composed of mostly (or all) first-time players, I highly recommend The Fun House. With its light-hearted atmosphere, whimsical puzzles, and the fact that everyone is working as a team, The Fun house is a great way to introduce new players into the world of escape rooms. The game is packed to the brim with puzzles, meaning everyone in your group can try their hand at solving something. The integrated hint system can provide help at any time with no penalty.

Are you looking for a challenge?

If your group has played a few escape rooms before and is looking for a challenge, The Hex Room is for you. The Hex Room changes how a traditional escape room works by separating you into individual rooms within the game. Because of this, each player is responsible for solving their own puzzles as well as working together with the group. Unlike traditional escape rooms where some players can fall to the background and observe, each player must be present and active within this game. Furthermore, The Hex Room has an extra, optional puzzle within the game for players to further challenge themselves should they so choose.

Does your team enjoy being scared?

The Hex Room is a horror-themed game. Though we do not have any live actors within the game, being separated within the game as well as the set design, lighting, and audio makes for an intense horror experience. If you team is easily frightened or does not want to be separated, I highly recommend The Fun House.

Is your team over the age of 16?

No one under the age of 16 is permitted to play The Hex Room. Our age limit is very strict. However, The Fun House is a challenging game that all ages can play.

Should you play Fun House or Fun House KIDS?

We offer an alternate version of our Fun House game designed specifically for kids under the age of 13. If you are trying to decide whether to play the original or the Fun House KIDS, this should help you decide. If your group is comprised mostly of younger kids (equal to or greater than the number of adults), especially if nobody has ever played an escape room before, I recommend the KIDS version. For groups of young teens, I suggest talking with them and seeing which version they would prefer. Remember, our integrated hint system can provide help at any time during the game, so if they want to take on the challenge of the original version, they can ask for a push if they feel they are falling behind.

If you have a group of mostly adults with one or two younger kids, we can add a special puzzle into the original Fun House just for the kids with a special prize if they compete it! Just give us a call after you book and ask for the extra puzzle for kids.

The most important thing to do when deciding on a game is to talk with your group. You might find it funny to surprise your friends or family with the fact that they will be separated in a horror-themed game, but I can promise you they will not find it quite as funny. Let your team know the theme and anything that might make one hesitant before they agree to play.

Let us know if this guide helped you to pick a game, or if there are some other questions you have while deciding on a game. Let us know by commenting below!

Geoff Durham
Game Master, Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

Fun House KIDS

A Magical Birthday: Escape Room Birthday Parties at Cross Roads

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Is your child’s birthday quickly approaching? Are you looking for a way to make their party extra special? Well, come on down and test your wits in our FUN HOUSE!

An escape room is a great birthday party idea because they are an interactive group experience that emphasize and strengthen many skills including teamwork, communication, and problem solving, while still being an entertaining and immersive game.

The Fun House is a topsy-turvy experience filled to the brim with laughs, mystery, magic, and excitement! You and your team must work together to find clues and solve puzzles before time runs out. The light-hearted nature of the game makes it an ideal party destination, full of puzzles that allow groups to work together or break into smaller teams.

If your team consists of young children with dreams of being magicians, have no fear! The Fun House KIDS provides the same whimsical fun and puzzle solving experience but is an alternate version designed for younger players between the ages of 8 and 13-years old. However, it is never too early to send your children off to the circus and children of all ages can play the game! We’ve added some hands-on puzzles to this version of the game so that everyone, no matter what age or height, will have something to do.

What could be better than running off to prove yourself at the circus? Why, how about a party afterwards! Cross Roads Escape Games offers a beautiful lounge that is a comfortable, private space where your group can unwind, talk about their experience, eat some cake and ice cream, and open presents. Along with the lounge rental, we can provide cups, plates, napkins, utensils, balloons, and even take care of clean-up.

Speaking of food, what could possibly go better with a birthday party than pizza? If you need catering for your party, we offer a special escape room package from Top Class Pizza that includes three Large 1-Topping Pizzas, two 10” cheesy bread sticks, two 10” cinnamon sticks, and two 2-liters of soda.

Parents love having their child’s birthday party at Cross Roads Escape Games because they know the kids will have a great time interacting and using their brains and not being distracted by phone screens. Kids love escape room birthday parties because they can be clever, solve puzzles, and win prizes in a unique experience. If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary for your child’s next birthday, try the Fun House for a truly memorable party.

The Fun House and Fun House KIDS is for 4-8 players and is one-hour long. If players are 13 years or younger, they must be accompanied by an adult in the game. Both of our games are private games, meaning your group will not be paired with strangers. Our lounge is available to rent for an extra fee and comfortably fits up to 13 adults. We also do bachelor parties, proposals, baby announcements, and other celebrations! If you have any questions about parties at Cross Roads Escape Games or you would like to book your party, give us a call at (714) 572-1004.

Geoff Durham
Manager, Game Master, Party Animal
Cross Roads Escape Games

Jason_April_W5_1

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.

I Escaped! t-shirts

What You Win If You Escape

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Prizes! Everyone loves prizes! Did you know that Cross Roads Escape Games is one of the very few escape rooms that gives out prizes? Even if you don’t escape, every group leaves with something.

We are escape room enthusiasts too, and our favorite thing to do after an escape room is to sit down with our team and talk about it over some food and drinks. Next time you visit us, make sure to head to Top Class Pizza or Stereo Brewing afterwards!

Top Class Pizza, located at 1026 N Tustin Ave in Anaheim, is less than a mile away from Cross Roads and serves fresh gourmet pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and pasta. Their pizza crust is to die for and their Chicken Alfredo pizza is a Cross Road’s favorite! Just for playing a game at Cross Roads Escape Games, Top Class Pizza offers a 10% off coupon to all players OR a buy-one-get-one-free coupon to the few who manage to successfully escape!

Stereo Brewing, located at 950 S Via Rodeo in Placentia, is .7 miles away from Cross Roads and is the new hip brewery in town. Stereo Brewing has a great selection of beer on tap, fun music, and sometimes food trucks for when you want a bite to eat with your drink. Just for playing, guests receive a 15% off coupon for any beer on tap, OR if they escape they win a 25% off coupon for any beer on tap! Our current favorite is the ‘Wall of Sound’ Oatmeal Stout.

As you probably know, our escape rates are fairly low. On average, 40% of players escape The Fun House and 20% escape The Hex Room. The Hex Room also has an additional challenge to “survive” that only 5% are able to complete and escape. If you are a part of this 5% of survivors, then you also win a free “I survived” sticker! Wear it proud because you are one of the few!

I survived The Hex room prize

If you play The Fun House KIDS, our alternative kid version of The Fun House for children under the age of 13, there is a bonus challenge inside the game to collect 8 gold coins. If all 8 coins are found, kids get to pick a prize from our treasure chest! Our treasure chest is full of an assortment of toys that change all the time!

Now, this trophy is not free like the other prizes we have, but it is worth bragging about. If you manage to escape either of our games, you are qualified to purchase an “I escaped” t-shirt! We are very strict on our t-shirt sales and will only sell our “I escaped” shirts to those who actually escape. Yes, we have turned down many offers. T-shirts can be purchased in store for $20. We have both men’s crew neck and woman’s V-neck styles in sizes S-XXL.

I Escaped! t-shirts

We know our games are not easy, so that is why we believe everyone deserves a prize! Book your game with us and see what one you will leave with!

Madison Rhoades
Co-Owner and Creative Director
Cross Roads Escape Games

Zoltar

Zoltar’s Premonitions: Mr. Literal

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Greetings and salutations dearest reader! I am Zoltar the Great, Seer of secrets, and your guide to the funniest thing I have ever seen in the Fun House!

Many people have asked me, “Zoltar, do you enjoy hanging around and laughing with your players all day?” My answer to this question is simple. Yes. Yes, I most certainly do. It would be apt to say that I revel in the shenanigans that my players come up with while under the big top. Oh, I could go on and on about the many laughs shared between myself and my players. But of all the different types of people that have visited me here in the Fun House, there was one that tickles my funny bone to this day. I call him Mr. Literal!

Yes! We all know someone like Mr. Literal. This person takes your word for everything. This person often finds simple instructions to be unintuitive and frustrating. This is the person that when you say, “give me a second”, will count to one out loud and then ask if you are ready yet. Yes, you know exactly who I am talking about, don’t you? One of my fondest memories was created by someone who took everything I said too seriously.

This all started when Mr. Literal asked for a clue to a puzzle that one of his team mates was in the process of solving. My response to Mr. Literal was “If you put your heads together I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out.” Mr. Literal stared at me with slowly widening eyes as the dawn of realization passed over him. He then turned to his team and demanded a huddle.

“Zoltar says that we need to put our heads together!” He shouted as his team huddled around him. He then stuck his head towards the center of his huddle circle. The other team mates exchanged looks of skepticism as they slowly leaned in and touched their heads together.

Now… I could have said something and put a stop to it right there, but honestly, I was curious to see how far this would go… So, I asked if they had figured it out yet. Of course, there was nothing to figure out, but Mr. Literal immediately replied that they were still working on it.

“Are you sure you are standing in the right spot?” I asked. The words popped out of my mouth unbidden and drenched in sarcasm. Most people would have realized in that moment that literally putting their heads together couldn’t possibly solve a puzzle… But this wasn’t most people; This was Mr. Literal!

And do you know what he did next? He told everyone to move to the center of the room and everyone in the group began to move their feet together shuffling towards the center of the room with their heads pressed together.

I… was… breathless. They stood together with their heads pressed together for what had to be a full minute before someone in the group finally spoke. “What exactly did Zoltar say to you?”

“He said that if we put our heads together we should be able to figure out our puzzle.” In that moment, his entire team groaned audibly and pushed away from the huddle. Mr. Literal stood there with a confused look on his face as his team walked away to go back to solving puzzles and I laughed harder than I have ever laughed in my life.

This was indeed one of the funniest moments I have ever experienced in all my time in The Fun House. Perhaps, dear readers, I shall reveal more of my favorite stories from the big top in the future. Make sure to keep an eye out for more of Zoltar’s Premonitions! Of course, not literally.

Jason Sakal
Manager, Game Master
Cross Roads Escape Games

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