As I play more and more escape rooms I increasingly see more venues overlook the experience set around the rooms themselves. It’s great that a lot of thought goes into the puzzles of said rooms but the energy in before and after the event seems to me to have floundered a little.
A truly unforgettable escape rooms is so much more than clever puzzles, tech, the generation of room – it includes every touch point from the moment teams arrive to long after they have left.
First Impressions Matter: Customer Service & Hosting
Let’s start with the welcome. I have had the misfortune of walking into venues that offer an experience, be it an escape room or other immersive event, and feeling like I have inconvenienced my host. The impression us owners and hosts give to our players the very moment they turn up will stick with those players for a long time. It’s very high up on the “Will I visit this place again” list and one bad experience can cost you a returning player.
So you have happy and smiley staff welcoming the players in the best way possible, great! But are they knowledgable and enthusiastic about the job at hand? Making sure your hosts know the rooms, venue and history of the business can not only help your hosts answer questions the players have but also create a report with more experienced players. Enthusiasts are always up for a good discussion about escape rooms, especially the one they are about to play or have just played. Report and good conversation sticks with people and are more likely to recommend your rooms as a result.
The waiting room (If you have one) or the system you have in place to welcome teams in the first place is also a really important factor. I, personally, don’t like the ‘office space’ feel to a lot of waiting/briefing rooms. It doesn’t mean those venues are bad but some thought into where and how the players are greeted and briefed goes a long way. Pulling people into the experience immediately adds extra oomph to the experience.
Hints: Immersion vs. Disruption
In my opinion there is nothing worse than a hint system that sounds robotic. What I mean by that is reading a hint that reads like it came from ChatGPT (And before you say anything, you can tell difference).
Obviously, if your room stars an AI computer that delivers the hints then you might get away with this – as long as it’s obvious you’re not actually using AI for the hints – that’s a conversation for another blog! But a little human element really helps hints gel with the players. Wether they are typed up or spoken out loud, having your host control a hint system allows for a more natural conversational flow within the game. It becomes an immersive point of contact as well as ‘just’ a hint system. And knowing that your hints are being given to you by your host tells the player syou have a host that is paying attention to your game.
That all being said timing, tone and style of delivery are all things that need to be thought through and adhered to. Two of our rooms involve typing out the clues – my hosts need to be attentive and ready to help when it is needed. Asking for a hint and waiting for almost a minute for the hint to arrive is something I think most of us have experienced and it breaks the immersion instantly (Stop putting one host on multiple games!).
The tone and style of your delivery can obviously be whatever fits the theme of the room – but that human touch can really help relax the players. If your hint sounds to abrupt, solid or uncaring then it can frustrate players if they have not fully understood your hint.
Photos & Souvenirs: Cementing The Memory
I genuinely get upset if I leave an escape room with no photo opportunity. If I have left with no callback to the experience I instantly think that the business has missed a trick that in all honesty is simple to rectify. There are 3 very important things I feel should be followed when taking and delivering team photos:
1. Make it more than just a photo: Take a photo and use a system that puts the team name on it and/or your game logo! We’ve all been in a position where getting that shot of you and your family or friends on that rollercoaster is going to cost you an arm and a leg – well not here! Most escape rooms give this out for free and will stay with most players for a very long time so fancy it up a bit, it creates value.
2. Deliver it as soon as possible: If you do send photos, the quicker you do, the more memorable it is. Don’t wait a day or two – or even worse a week (Which I have experienced). Build it into your hosts reset routine. There is nothing better than getting that team photo right away – it keeps the conversation going and keeps the buzz buzzing.
3. Make the photo itself an experience: Add some costumes or think about how to frame your photos. Create an area in your rooms that feels more than a photo shoot than just a team photo. Make it fun and engaging. It will feel as though your players are getting more for their hard earned cash!
And of course, if you are taking photos, it pays to train your hosts in framing those photos well. There’s nothing worse than half a team photo be the rooms ceiling.
Photos are great, but what about an actual souvenir?! There are a handful of rooms that I have gotten badges from, along side the time card, but what if you got something else? We give theme specific tokens from each of our rooms. This also makes them collectable. Don’t go bust over your tokens – people are not expecting a gold ring for completing your room. The added extra, however small, will feel expensive.
Final Thoughts
At my core, I believe escape rooms are a form of live storytelling. That means every detail matters: the way you’re greeted, the atmosphere of the lobby, the quality of the props, the personality of the host, the way hints are woven into the narrative, and the care taken after the game.
A good game is fun. A great experience is unforgettable. That’s what we’re here to create.
When you think back to your favourite escape room, is it just the puzzles you remember? Or is it the way it made you feel? The story you became part of? The people who brought it to life?
That’s the magic we chase every day.
Whether you’re new to escape rooms or a seasoned player, next time you visit one, take a moment to notice the little things. Because the game might bring you in — but it’s everything else that brings you back.