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How to Solve a Puzzle

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On this blog, we’ve covered a lot of topics, from What Is an Escape Room to Who Should I Bring to an Escape Room and a who slew of other escape room-related musings. But I realized just recently that we were missing the most basic part of escape rooms: how do you solve a puzzle? I’ve decided to tackle this deceptively complex topic so first-time players and Escape Room Extraordinaires can play to the best of their ability.

WHAT IS A PUZZLE?

Let’s start at the beginning. According to Merriam-Webster, a puzzle is “something that puzzles” (a very unhelpful definition if you ask me), or “a question, problem, or contrivance designed for testing ingenuity.” In escape rooms, you will come across a wide variety of puzzles, but they will all have something in common:  you will be required to use your brain to connect pieces together and discover an outcome.

Step 1: SEARCH

No matter what type of room you are playing, there is one thing you should always do first: Search the room. This should be a very obvious step, but I have seen many groups stumble over this important step and severely impact their game. Any escape room you play will have clues scattered around for you to find. If you don’t take the time to discover your space and collect the provided clues, there is a good chance you will miss vital information that will help you not only solve your puzzle, but be able to understand what you are solving. I recommend collecting anything that looks like it is a clue and placing it somewhere accessible to the group but not in the way. Put things on top of a large open table or desk if there is one available; Do not pile everything in walkways or in front of doors. Know the difference between what looks like a clue and what is just set dressing. Which brings me to a little footnote here:

Know the difference between clues and set dressing. More often than not, clues are made to stand out just enough that they will catch the eye. Look for things that don’t belong, are repeated in different ways throughout the room (such as colored blocks, similar but distinct statuettes, or jars labelled with different types of poison), or look to be purposefully altered in some way. Leave behind things that do not easily move, seem to only serve the purpose of making the space more believable, or don’t have any defining characteristics. And as a pro-tip, avoid making a mess of the room in case you accidentally cover up something you need.

Step 2: ORGANIZE

After you’ve collected you clues, it’s time to move on to organizing your clues. Organize your found items into groups that correlate with each other. Have a collection of severed doll heads each with different hair? Those might go together. Have three marbles, a rubber snake, and a portrait of an old lady playing cards? Those might not go together unless there is something else that stands out about them. Remember to use common sense. If it feels like you’re stretching to make a connection, there’s a good chance that’s not the right path. Ask your group for their opinions.

It’s important to remember that escape rooms are played by a lot of people each day, each with varying degrees of familiarity with puzzles. Many escape rooms are also aware that they will have players that are not native English-speakers and have developed their puzzles to be more accessible to a wide audience. If you find yourself digging for some obscure horror movie reference to open a lock, chances are there’s an easier way to solve the puzzle.

STEP 3: FIND

After you have organized your clues, it’s time to move on to the next step: finding where to input your code. If you are solving a puzzle and it looks like you are getting an answer containing five numbers, look for a place to input a five-digit code. This can also help you in the opposite direction. Have a collection of items but you’re not sure what to do with them? Look at what you’re trying to unlock. If it’s a five-letter lock, you know you will somehow have to convert your puzzle pieces into letters. Seriously, this is probably one of the most helpful hints I can give for any escape room; Know what you are looking for and let that guide your puzzle solving.

STEP 4: INPUT 

And now we reach the final part of solving a puzzle: input your code. If you are unlocking a number or letter lock made up of tumblers, it’s important to make sure you are aligning your code perfectly to the correct spot. Look for any indicators of where to align your code. After your code is aligned, give the lock a firm tug. Yanking ferociously multiple times on a lock will not open it if you have the wrong code, despite what many people seem to think. If your lock doesn’t open, check again to make sure your code is perfectly aligned to the correct spot and give it another tug. If you are using a keypad, make sure you hit the submit button after entering your code. Most of the time the submit button is specifically stated or may even be part of the code.

BONUS TIP

What if your lock doesn’t open? Double-check your work. Start from the beginning of your puzzle again and make sure you didn’t make a mistake. Ask a teammate to check your work. Search your room for another lock or place to input your code.

I hope this guide will help you or your friends in your escape room endeavors. Remember, escape rooms can be overwhelming at times, but as long as you stop to think about your basics, you can ensure your group moves in the correct direction.

Geoff Durham

Game Master, Manager, Puzzle-Solver

Cross Roads Escape Games

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Expecting the Unexpected

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Predicting Players in Non-Linear Games (Part Two): Expecting the Unexpected

In part one of Predicting Players in Non-Linear Games, I talked about how you can influence which puzzles your players will go for first by making certain options more accessible and noticeable to them. In this post we will be discussing what to look for in your beta tests and how to expect the unexpected.

One thing that all escape room owners can all agree on is that if players are given the ability to do something, they are going to do it. It doesn’t matter how alien the concept may appear to you, there will be someone down the line that will attempt ANYTHING to solve a puzzle. The human mind is an incredible thing and some players will come up with some truly spectacular ways to try and solve the puzzle, and sometimes… it will work.

This is why beta testing a room is so vital to the design process. You might think that you have the perfect design for a room but the moment you put a player inside it, they will find flaws in everything that you have made. If there are numbers spread randomly around the room, then expect the players to randomly guess the correct 5-digit code out of a group of 10 numbers and open a lock way before they are supposed to.

If it is an outlier event, then don’t worry too much about it. But if you find that the behavior keeps happening over and over again during your beta test, then you know there is something in your room that is leading players to taking that particular course of action. Interview each player afterwards and ask them how they solved it. If they point to something and explain that they used a clue in a way than you intended; good! You have found something that needs to be changed. Alter the prop so it can’t be used in that way or change the puzzle to exclude that option from its solutions. Keep testing and changing until all of your puzzles can only be solved the way that it is intended.

Though it is true that each person is unique, groups of people tend to follow certain patterns of behavior. Believe it or not, people become more predictable when you put them in a group. There are tons of psychological studies done on peer pressure and group mentality. But most of them agree that if enough people in a group react a certain way to something, everyone else in the group will follow along/react the same way.

This behavior is great for all of us that are trying to predict what a person will do. So, at the end of the day, the best thing you can do is beta test your room again and again with as many different types of groups as you can find. Show it to people that love escape rooms, people that dislike them, and people that don’t even know what they are. When you start having groups reacting in the same way, that’s when you know that you really got ‘em!

Coming up next, we will discuss an important problem with non-linear games… the dreaded BOTTLE NECK! Till then, good luck to you.

Jason Sakal

Game Master and Manager

Cross Roads Escape Games 

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Bad Habits of Escape Room Players

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As an escape room enthusiast, I try to take every chance I can to play an escape room. I have played good rooms, bad rooms, and rooms that have almost melted my brain with the creativity and complexity of their puzzles. I have also game mastered here at Cross Roads Escape Games for several years now and there are a quite a few habits shared by both new and advanced players alike.  

If you’re like me, you are always looking to improve your escape room game. Here is a list of four habits that I have noticed cause even the most advanced player to fail from time to time.

1. SOLVING BEFORE SEARCHING

I see this all the time. A player will begin to search their room and the moment that they come across a puzzle they immediately start trying to solve it, before finishing their room search. Often times this leads to them not giving vital clues to their team mates in a timely manner or completely missing clues that help them solve the puzzle they are stuck on.

It is much more efficient to search your room and take note of all the puzzles that you find and gather all your clues before you even attempt to solve your first puzzle. This affords you the benefit of having all your clues in front of you and gives you the ability to determine which clues probably go to which puzzle. You have to search your room fully anyways, so don’t stop half way through just because you fall to the temptation of the first puzzle you see.

2. GETTING MARRIED TO YOUR FIRST SOLUTION

Now I don’t mean to break up any warm fuzzy feelings people have with the first solution they come up with for their puzzles, but like your first love… your first guess is pretty unlikely to be “The One.”

Of course, there is nothing wrong with getting the wrong answer to a puzzle, but if your gut reaction to a lock not opening is to assume that the puzzle is broken, then you might have this bad habit.

It is pertinent to double check your work and try the solution more than once, however if the answer just doesn’t work, move on! There are so many people that get a single idea stuck in their head and are then unable to look past it to find any alternative solution. They stop trying different ways to solve the puzzle and just assume that the puzzle is malfunctioning or outright broken. Trust me, save yourself the head ache and give puzzles the benefit of the doubt; especially if the room has already been open for a while.

3. NOT SHARING YOUR RESEARCH

This one seems like it would be common sense really, but you’d be surprised how often people don’t think to tell their team mates what they have learned from their attempts at trying to solve a puzzle.

If you try multiple times to solve a puzzle only to find yourself coming back to the same solution over and over again, then it is probably time to tag someone else in. That being said, when your team mate decides to give it a shot at least tell them what methods you have already tried and what codes you got. This will save them some time and help ensure that your team mate does just keep bashing their heads against the same wall that you have been. Let them try a different approach while you give a new set of eyes to a new puzzle.

4. NEVER PASSING THE BATON

I know we touched on this a little bit in the last one, but seriously gang… it is okay to admit that you don’t understand what to do with a puzzle. It is okay to ask for help. Sometimes what you really need to do is pass off the puzzle to one of your other team mates and step away from it. A lot of times this happens when someone gets stuck in a certain way of thinking (see getting married to your first solution above).  If this starts happening, just pass the baton and see if you can help one of your other team mates with something. Just make sure you share your findings with your team mate before walking away from the puzzle.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of habits that could hinder your gameplay, but I believe these are four of the most important ones to focus on. It’s important to step aside and analyze yourself from time to time, just like you would with any other hobby or activity you want to improve on.

Do you have anything that should be added to the list? Let us know in the comments below!

Tips for Escape Room Experts

Tips for Escape Room Experts: Confessions of a Game Master

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We’ve seen a lot of escape room players over the years, from first-timers to full-on escape artists. That is no surprise though as escape rooms make for great outings or party destinations! With the popularity of escape rooms on the rise, it’s not very hard to find a new game to play near wherever you may be at the moment. But after you play a certain amount of games, they may begin to blend together and start to feel familiar.

Here at Cross Roads Escape Games, our games were designed by escape room enthusiasts for escape room enthusiasts. Owners, Luke and Madison, have played over 250 games together, and we’ve seen several groups with hundreds of games under their belts. How do they keep each game fresh and exciting? Our game masters share some of their observations and tips to ensure you get the most out of each of your escape room experiences, even if you consider yourself an Escape Room Expert.

Tips for Experts:

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Instead of solving a familiar puzzle by yourself, coach someone less familiar through it. That way you’ll both get the experience of solving a puzzle, but also have the chance to work together, making the game more enjoyable for both of you.

Treat each game as a new game.

Even if you think you know how a game is going, allow yourself to discover the room as though it’s your first time. This will prevent you from skipping puzzles, jumping to conclusions, or missing out on hidden clues or experiences.

Be conscious of your group size.

Ask for the suggested group size before making a booking. Games like The Hex Room were designed with a certain number of players in mind. Try playing with the optimal number of players and avoid maxing out a room if possible.

Look for games that push the boundaries.

o Games like The Hex Room and The Psych Ward were designed to push the boundaries of what an escape room can be. Look for games in your area that offer something different that your traditional escape room.

Ask your game master for suggestions.

Often times, game masters have experience with other games in the area and can point you in the direction of your next game. Tell them what you’re looking for in a game (scary, silly, competitive, point-based?) and ask them what their favorite games are.

Remember to have fun.

Remember why you are playing. Don’t let yourself get too worked up on something, and if you feel like you’re flying through a game, take a moment to take a breath and see if there are any experiences you are passing up. I’ve done a few games that offered interactive elements or side quest-type experiences that I could have fun with.

Are you an escape room expert? What are some of your tips for keeping your games fresh and fun? Let us know in a comment below!

Geoff Durham
Game Master, Manager
Cross Roads Escape Games

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Psych Ward Tips: Confessions of a Game Master

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Hello everyone! It’s been a while since our game masters have shared their wisdom with you. We’ve all been going a little crazy getting the new Psych Ward running, but now that it is accepting patients, our Game Masters decided they should prepare you for this new experience. Here’s a quick overview of what you need to know before taking part in the experiment.

WHAT IS THE PSYCH WARD?

The Psych Ward is NOT an Escape Room. The Psych Ward is a strategic game of trust and betrayal. It incorporates escape room, board game, and immersive theatre elements. Traditional escape rooms require you to solve every puzzle in order to escape, but in The Psych Ward you can solve as many or as few puzzles as you need to win. Your goal is not to escape The Psych Ward, but to win.

TIPS TO WIN

• The Psych Ward requires active participation. The Psych Ward is more than solving puzzles: it involves deduction, strategy, and exploration. This means not only will you be solving puzzles, but you will be trying to figure out who on your team you can trust. If you prefer to simply solve puzzles to try and escape a room, I recommend one of our other great games. The Psych Ward is an experience designed for those who want to try something new.
• Observe your fellow patients. It’s not enough to solve as many puzzles as you can. Pay attention to how helpful others in your group are. Remember, you can’t trust everyone.
• Pay attention to the rules. Just like when playing a new board game, you have a new set of rules to learn. Pay attention, especially when scoring is explained, to make sure you understand how to earn points.
• Come up with a strategy. You need to be able to identify those who are not on your team and earn points. Feel free to discuss strategy with your fellow patients but remember you can’t trust all of them, so it might be a better idea to keep strategy to yourself.

WHO IS SANE? WHO IS INSANE?

In each game, there will be a mix of sane and insane players. Who is sane and who is insane is decided randomly by the game each time. The number of insane players depends on the size of your group.

WHAT IS THE WIN RATE?

The Psych Ward has an even 50/50 split of Sane/Insane winning. The difficulty depends on your group and how observant or sly you can be.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE

• BE ON TIME. Timing, of course, is everything. The Psych Ward runs on a very strict schedule and games cannot be started late. Players are NOT ABLE to enter a game once it has started.
• PLAYER LIMITS ARE STRICT. This game is designed for 5-8 players. It will not function with less or more than the specified amount.
• SPECIAL EFFECTS. This experience incorporates loud noises, fog, theatrical lighting, tight spaces, and restraints. It is not scary, but you may be put in tense situations.
• KEEP YOUR GROUP IN THE KNOW. It is extremely helpful for your teammates to know what they are getting into. Feel free to send them this post for a quick crash-course on The Psych Ward.
• THE PSYCH WARD IS A REPEATABLE EXPERIMENT. Since the experience is based on deduction and strategy, you are encouraged to come back and play with a new strategy. Which patients are sane and insane is random with each game, so you may be on the other team when you replay. This experience was also designed with more tasks and tests than can be completed in a single hour-long experiment, so return players can unlock new paths and secrets within the room.

The Psych Ward is the perfect experience for fans of escape rooms who want to try something new. Adding a level of deduction, trust, and betrayal takes this experience into new realms of possibility for interactive games. If you are a fan of board games or card games like Werewolf or Mafia, The Psych Ward should be your next game.

Geoff Durham
Manager, Game Master, Insane (and won!)
Cross Roads Escape Games

Summer Escape Rooms

Keeping Your Cool- Confessions of a Game Master

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With the summer heating up, escape rooms will be a popular outing for families, friends, coworkers, and teammates. They provide a getaway from the sun and heat in an adventurous and fun environment. Sometimes though, putting groups of people in rooms and telling them to find a way out can lead to some heated discussions and emotions. Not to worry, though: Our game masters have a few tips that will help your team work more smoothly and keep the tension between players as low as possible. Check out the latest Confessions of a Game Master!

Escape rooms are fun but potentially stressful situations. You’re locked in a room, given handfuls of puzzles, bombarded with information and rules, and placed under a time constraint. All of that can add up to a pretty intense experience, and that’s to say nothing of the theme of the room. Though part of the fun of escape rooms is the rush of racing against time, our game masters have a few tips to help you keep your cool in an escape room.

One of the best ways to beat the heat of an escape room is to remember that you are here to have fun. Of course everyone likes to win, and it’s very exciting to hold the record for “best time,” but remember that your first and foremost goal should be to enjoy the game you are playing. Quite often when groups arrive determined to break the record, they get so caught up with being number one that they don’t take the time to enjoy themselves. This also adds pressure to the less experienced players since there is a huge burden on them to perform better than most players.

If it sounds like I’m not a fan of fastest time records, it’s because I’m not. Or really, I don’t think they should be as important as people make them out to be. “Fastest Time” can tell you how quickly a game was solved, but it won’t tell you how much fun the group had or how many memories they created. I encourage each group to enter every game with the goal to do their best, not the best. Your escape room experience will be instantly less stressful when your goal is to fully experience the room. And if you happen to make the best time while you’re at it? That’s the cherry on top.

What are your tips on staying cool under pressure in an escape room? Let us know in a comment below! Subscribe to our YouTube channel so you never miss a Confessions video and for other escape room goodies.

Geoff Durham
Manager, Game Master, King of Cool
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.