As a date venue
Teams large and small and families come to us constantly, but lately we have noticed a rise in bookings for two. As a game master it is easy to tell which pair is at the start of their relationship and which have been together longer, are more used to each other and know each other better. But the most interesting — and by far the easiest, practically instant, to spot — is always the first-date couple.
On the one hand it is flattering that two people choose us as the place to get to know each other; on the other, thinking about it, it is a fairly obvious choice. At the cinema you learn little about the other person beyond the fact that — in the better case — they can sit still for 90 minutes. A dinner with conversation is somewhat better, but during an active programme like an escape room, solving the puzzles together gives you a glimpse into your companion’s way of thinking in just 60 minutes. Not to mention that escape rooms, brainteasers and logic puzzles are immediately a shared interest, which brings a little extra connection right at the start of a relationship.
If we invite a hoped-for partner to an escape room for a first date and they say yes, we already know we are on something like the same wavelength.
There has been a counter-example, of course: of our many pairs, we know for certain that one couple broke up here, in our Magic World – The Burrow room. The young man wasn’t shaken when the young woman stormed out: he finished the game alone and escaped successfully in the end!
For team building
Effective teamwork and a pleasant workplace atmosphere both depend on developing the relationships between colleagues. A shared good experience, a task overcome together, creates community. Little wonder, then, that workplace teams and team-building groups are very frequent visitors of ours.
A sharp-eyed game master can spot several kinds of such team: some begin by introducing themselves to each other, so they are probably meeting for the first time here and are new to the workplace. And of course there are the well-established groups who have worked together for years, have been to a few team-building events and mostly just want to have a good time. In both cases they have come to the right place.
For overcoming fears and phobias
Some players visit us and other escape rooms in order to face their fears and phobias. We are not talking about a fear of heights, of course, but mostly about claustrophobia and panic disorder. In such cases it is very important that the team, or the player concerned, tells the game master about the issue in advance. Depending on the severity of the phobia we then explain and talk through which parts of the room may be difficult: the narrowest spaces, doors that close, points from which the exit isn’t visible, or — in the case of panic disorder — any startling things that open or jump out suddenly, where the panic buttons are, and so on.
We know little, of course, about the medical side of this idea, whether it is justified, or whether the approach is advisable at all; we only see the trend that this is one of the reasons some teams come to us. What is certain is that a supervised, controlled, safe environment, playful challenges and tasks, panic buttons (which get you out immediately) and walkie-talkies (on which you can ask for help at any time) may offer enough of a handhold that the attempt doesn’t turn into a negative experience. It helps a great deal, too, that nobody comes alone: with three or four friends or family members you can create a pretty good atmosphere while solving the puzzles and playing together.
And to finish, the experience of one lovely player, shared with us on Facebook: “And an experience of my own that I’m still grateful for: because of my claustrophobic daughter, our game master offered entirely of his own accord to leave the entrance door open. She only fled the playing area three times during the game, but once she had calmed down she always came back happily to play. That’s how the time we spent there could stay an experience for everyone. Thank you!”
