Room Escape Artist

If your escape room story includes a surprise twist, don’t let it negate the players’ hard work. 

Do No Harm

Twists and turns make stories juicy and exciting. A surprise twist as a narrative device can add power and depth. When we consider escape room stories specifically though, there is a danger that needs to be avoided. 

Escape room stories unfold while the game’s players are striving towards a goal. Maintaining the integrity of the players’ efforts is important. A twist that nullifies the progress the players have achieved can feel unfair and unsatisfying. A late-game story twist that shifts the stated goal, or worse yet, makes that initial goal useless or harmful, can really dampen the mood of the experience.

I’ve played too many games where we find out in the final minutes that the person we were trying to help for the entire game turns out to be evil, and could only fulfill their evil plan by tricking us into helping them. Even if the game leaves just enough time and content for us to then thwart this newly unmasked villain, it still feels bad that we played for such a long time working towards something we shouldn’t have.

I sometimes feel like these games would have been better without the twist. Just let us solve the problem, complete the mission and leave on a high note. 

It doesn’t help when during the game debrief we learn that the twist sets up the story for their next room… which will be opening two years from now. That doesn’t make me feel any better.

Create A Satisfying Twist

Late game story twists should be surprising, but inevitable. They need to feel satisfying and logical, but not damaging. One of the things that makes the twist in the movie The Sixth Sense so good is that it doesn’t damage or negate any of the work or progress made by the two main characters. It makes us feel good that everything they have accomplished is still intact.

Another effective technique is to reveal the story twist early in the experience. Have your surprise moment but then let the players spend the bulk of their time working towards the correct goal.

Conclusion

Story twists can enhance an escape room experience by adding layers of complexity or surprise, but they should ideally build upon the players’ progress rather than undermine it. It can be fun to learn new information that reframes the narrative or adds a bit of depth to the story without nullifying our achievements. Consider the players when you write your escape room stories. Make sure their efforts are respected and rewarded within the context of that story.