Room Escape Artist

The Coffee Shop – Room Escape – Restaurant Package Deal should be a thing.

An escape game takes only 60 minutes, but the experience can, and should, extend beyond the hour.

This presents an opportunity for local business partnerships.

Meeting location: coffee shop

Successful teams get to know each other before they start playing the game.

We recommend that teams convene at a nearby cafe before the game starts. New teams can exchange names and puzzle-related skill sets. Teams of friends have a chance to catch up before they focus in on puzzles.

This also gives a cushion to players who might arrive late (and those who are habitually late).

Partner with a local cafe: Players get a discount for up to an hour before their ticket time. Depending upon how you play your cards, this could turn into an alternative revenue stream, or at the very least, a partner in referrals.

Make sure it’s a coffee shop; bars could easily send you drunk players.

Caffeinated > Inebriated

Debrief location: restaurant or bar

Whether the team will celebrate their win, or drown out their loss, they will want to debrief.

We recommend that teams go out to eat or drink together after the game to share their experiences. Not everyone solves – or even sees – all the puzzles. It’s fun to compare and contrast in-room experiences.

Partner with local restaurants and bars: Players get a discount if they arrive within 2 hours of their ticket time.

Make it easy for your players

Players are likely going to go out after their game anyway, but making plans is kind of a pain. Make it easy for your players to coordinate their plans. If you can make their itinerary for them, that’s slashing a barrier to entry to your game. If you can book reservations for them, that makes it even easier.

Help provide your players an easy way to plan their escape day.

Local partnerships

Escape rooms are inherently local businesses.

Partner with the other businesses in the area and you will each help the other grow.