Escape room facts for kids
An escape room, also known as an escape game, is a fun game where a team of players works together. They find clues, solve puzzles, and finish tasks in one or more rooms. The goal is often to escape from the game area within a set time limit.
Escape rooms became very popular in North America, Europe, and East Asia in the 2010s. The first permanent escape rooms opened in Asia. Later, they spread to Hungary, Serbia, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and South America.
Contents
What is an Escape Room?
Escape rooms are inspired by "escape-the-room" video games. This is likely where their name comes from. You might also hear them called Room Escape, Escape Game, Exit Game, or Live Escape.
Even though they are called "escape rooms," escaping a room might not always be the main goal. Also, the game is not always limited to just one room.
How Do You Play?
Players usually form a team of two to ten people. They work together to solve the game. Escape rooms are set in many different made-up places. These can be prison cells, old dungeons, or even space stations. The goals and challenges in the game usually match the room's theme.
The game starts with a quick talk about the rules and how to win. This can be a video, an audio recording, or a game guide who explains everything.
After the introduction, a clock starts counting down. Players usually have 45 to 60 minutes to finish the game. During this time, players explore the room, find clues, and solve puzzles. These puzzles help them move forward in the game. The challenges in an escape room are more about thinking than being super strong or quick with your hands.
If a team gets stuck, there is a way for players to ask for hints. These hints can come on paper, through a video, an audio message, or from the game guide in the room.
If players cannot solve the puzzles in time, the game operator will tell them. Then, they are led out of the room.
If players reach the goal within the time limit, they win the game! Sometimes, teams with very fast times get their names on a scoreboard. Most escape rooms have clues and codes that help you unlock new areas.
Designing an Escape Room Game
Solving Puzzles
Escape rooms test your problem-solving skills. They also test your lateral thinking (which means "thinking outside the box") and teamwork. They offer many different puzzles and challenges. When you solve them, you unlock new parts of the game.
Escape room puzzles can include:
- Word, number, and symbol puzzles: Like secret codes, riddles, crosswords, Sudoku, word search, and math problems.
- Puzzles with physical objects: Such as jigsaw puzzles, matchstick puzzles, and chess.
- Physical activities: Like searching for a hidden object, putting something together, going through mazes, or untying a rope knot.
For example, an escape room puzzle might involve a code on a spinning fan. You can only read it using a special flashing light in the dark. So, players need to turn off the lights, turn on the flashing light, notice the spinning fan, read the code, and then use it later in the game.
Stories and Themes
Escape rooms usually have a story or a theme. Here are some common themes you might find:
- Airplane
- Carnival
- Christmas & Santa
- Detective/Police/Crime
- Dream
- Heist / Thieves
- Historical
- Library
- Military
- Magic
- Music
- Office
- Pirate
- Prison
- Science
- Sherlock
- Space
- Spy
- Supernatural
- Tomb / ancient civilization
- Vampire
- Western
- Zombie
How Escape Rooms Have Changed
Early escape games mostly used paper and pencil puzzles. Some versions are even digital or can be printed at home. As escape rooms grew, they started using physical locks. You could open these locks by finding combinations, hidden keys, and codes using objects in the rooms.
These ideas have grown to include cool technology and amazing decorations. They also have more detailed stories. This makes the game more fun for players. It makes puzzles more interactive and creates a feeling like you are in a play or movie.
New devices like VR headsets are also changing escape rooms. Multiplayer VR games can turn old-style escape rooms into a new kind of game. These virtual reality escape games have many different themes and locations. Some companies that make VR Escape Rooms include Ubisoft, Exit, VR Cave, ARVI VR, and Escape VR.
See also
In Spanish: Escape room para niños
