Many people love going to escape rooms, and many are also curious about the games’ technical specifics. In this piece we try to present several of the cardinal points that are important pillars of a smooth game and essential conditions of a good one.
The first and most conspicuous thing is the camera
The vast majority of escape rooms use cameras during the game, for several reasons. One of the most obvious is so that the game master can help when a team needs it; another is to head off unexpected situations. For instance, if a team sets off in completely the wrong direction, or plays against the rules, the game master sees it and can speak to them over the radio. One of the most typical cases is teams climbing places they shouldn’t. So the camera system exists for the safety of teams and to help them. It doesn’t mean that we follow every minute of a team’s game like a reality show — we check in on teams regularly (every five to ten minutes) to see how they are getting on and whether they need any help.
We try to keep our cameras relatively well hidden, so that players don’t feel they are being watched. But it is vital that these devices are present in every part of a room, so that games can run as safely and as enjoyably as possible.
The countdown clocks in the rooms
At Időcsapda, players can follow how much time they have left on a monitor in every room. This matters a great deal, because getting stuck mid-game can cost competitors a lot of time. In such situations the clock is very useful, since knowing the time lets teams weigh up whether to ask for help. It is the game masters’ job, of course, to recognise these situations too and ask the escapers whether they can help. That way time becomes not the players’ enemy but their good friend. At Időcsapda we try to make the counters fit the room’s atmosphere as far as possible: we use different typefaces (a Harry Potter font), for example, or different backgrounds (Chernobyl, or Psychopath the Killer room).
The radio is an escaper’s best friend
In escape rooms teams sometimes get stuck; the flow of the game breaks and they may fall so far behind that little chance of escaping remains. To resolve these awkward situations, someone came up with the idea of an instant channel between the players and the game master, so that teams can ask for help and move on. Almost every escape room uses this practice. Not everywhere, though, can you use it without limit: in some places it costs you time, in others the number of hints is capped.
At Időcsapda you can call on unlimited help, because we believe the experience of getting out matters most. Experienced escapers needn’t worry, of course: we only help when the team asks. With younger teams and those with small children it is different — there we do our utmost to make sure the team gets the sense of achievement they came for. That means we stay in contact more, and if we see they are stuck we ask whether we can help and try to guide them onto the right track in a way that keeps the experience at its best.
No reason to panic!
Solving logic and dexterity puzzles against the clock in a locked room fills you with adrenaline and excitement at once. But there can be occasions when a player doesn’t feel well and wants to leave. These are very isolated cases, yet escape rooms have to be prepared for everything, and it was to solve them that we introduced panic buttons. The panic buttons sit next to the locked doors and are clearly marked; when a player presses one, the magnetic locks open and the room can be left by the shortest route. Obviously this only happens in rare, individual cases, but it is better to be prepared for everything: if someone dreads being shut in and it hits them in the escape room, they can still change their mind with the help of the panic button. Not to mention that it also makes leaving easier in the event of danger. So panic buttons are indispensable from a safety point of view as well. It is usually teams with small children who occasionally want to get out early, but even that is among the very rare cases. All in all the panic button is a friend that gives a sense of safety, making sure the whole escape is untroubled.
