Room Escape Artist

The first rule of room escapes is to thoroughly inspect the room when you begin. Tear through and investigate everything.

In Room Escape 101 (the post that really started things off for us), we put it:

When the game starts, there’s a tendency for noobs to stand around looking at their feet like they are at a school dance. Don’t do that. Get your hands dirty.

The first thing you need to do is turn over the room. Inspect everything.

• If you can open it, open it.
• If you can take it apart, take it apart.
• If it has sides, look at all of them.

You never know what is or is not a clue.

This is pretty easy to follow. Do enough rooms, and the initial tear-down becomes automatic.

Things become a bit more dicey if a game has a second room.

Beware of the Second Room Stupor

When a room escape has a second (or third [or fourth room]), you tend to enter them later in the game, and they can shatter your focus.

• Extra rooms are usually designed pretty outrageously; which makes them just as awe inspiring as they are distracting
• There are almost always carryover puzzles from the other room that you’re trying to solve, and those can bait you into missing other details
• You’re pretty deep in the game and time is starting to feel like a luxury that you don’t have

All of these factors compound on one another, and distract you from task one. Search the damn room from top to bottom.

The only thing better than a room escape is a room escape with more rooms than you expect. Enjoy it. Don’t let it distract you.

Take your time. Search every room thoroughly. It will save time for you later in the game.

The second room stupor is one specific trap to avoid. For more tips, check out our Player Tips section.