31–40 of 97 posts
Whenever I see anything about modern escape rooms, I always remember Crystal Maze, a fantastic game show from the 90s in the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Maze
Honestly I fail to see their appeal. I did one and it was so boring. I think the main “appeal” is that it locks you in a room where everyone is forced to actually interact and not just stare at their phones. It seems to be mostly used for corporate outings or clubs, where people aren’t quite comfortable with each other yet. I’m thinking it would also be good for group dates. But for with your real friends with whom y…
Personally, I see the "Escape Room" boom as something akin to the "Fondue Party" craze in the 70's. It's a fun social outing... once. Eventually there won't be enough new customers to sustain the business model and they will disappear almost as quickly as they arrived. I'm sure there are better example, particularly ones from the entertainment industry booms of the 1920's and 1950's but I just can't think of any off…
Can anyone comment on what puzzles they've had to solve in an escape room? I haven't been to one but people I know want to do it, not sure how fun it would be.
If you have ever played the Professor Layton video game series, the puzzles often remind me of that - a mix of lateral thinking, observation, basic codes and patterns and careful observation. The whole experience is very much like a real life puzzle video game.
> are explicitly about not having an easy way out Really? I've done a dozen and in every single one, you could simply exit back from the door you entered from. The rooms were never truly about "escaping", at least past the lore and story. They are about searching for clues and solving puzzles. I've never been in one where we were explicitly locked inside. Generally you just make your way through and exit out a differ…
Curious -- what were the puzzles like? Do you remember any specific puzzles? I'm thinking of doing one but I don't know what to expect. Edit: Not sure why downvoted, I'm genuinely curious of this person's experience. Is asking not allowed?
A sequence of puzzles which unlock the next step.
Puzzles like the code lock may be numeric, you may find a clue to the code as a sequence of colors, which you have to find the color key for (maybe it is split into parts and hidden around the room).
Sometimes it's as simple as finding a key. e.g. in the pocket of a coat hanging on the wall, or a note inserted into a book on a shelf. (Tearing the room apart to find objects is usually the best strategy!)
Some puzzles get a bit more clever than this but these are usually the foundation elements.
I can't read the full article but it the preview seems oddly mixed in whether its talking about how there are fire hazards vs. how they're a successful business model. Either way, I enjoy them. I do, however, think the business model could be a lot more scalable. Content providers should seek to either use the same space for multiple games, or use the same game across multiple scenarios. This would be a great use cas…
It can be a good business if you have a few rooms. There's two types of people who get into it: passionate people, and people who buy designs online for a decent revenue. The latter makes more money, but there's some amazing escape rooms that are Disney-parks-level.
Unfortunately, escape rooms work way better in non-cities. Rent is too expensive in big cities, so the rooms suffer. Many of the best rooms are in really random places, since financially it works out better. It's a really interesting space, and I'm starting to see a few big companies form around it. I am curious to see if big companies (with decent but generic games) overtake the smaller passion project ones.
(Money aside, designing and building an escape room is one of the most fun things I've ever done. There was a solid mix of cool tech, puzzle design, prop design, showmanship and more. If you're interested, I can help get started! My email is in my profile)
> are explicitly about not having an easy way out Really? I've done a dozen and in every single one, you could simply exit back from the door you entered from. The rooms were never truly about "escaping", at least past the lore and story. They are about searching for clues and solving puzzles. I've never been in one where we were explicitly locked inside. Generally you just make your way through and exit out a differ…
That's because due to fire code, they aren't allowed to lock you in. You should be thankful that that is the case.
Whenever I see anything about modern escape rooms, I always remember Crystal Maze, a fantastic game show from the 90s in the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crystal_Maze
I loved the Crystal Maze as a kid. It started back up again a couple years ago. It's now hosted by Richard Ayoade.
I was really fascinated by the industry, so I got into it and eventually built my own as a side project ( http://StartupEscape.com ) It can be a good business if you have a few rooms. There's two types of people who get into it: passionate people, and people who buy designs online for a decent revenue. The latter makes more money, but there's some amazing escape rooms that are Disney-parks-level. Unfortunately, escap…