“Come Watson, come!” he cried. “The game is afoot. Not a word. Into your clothes and come!” (Arthur Conan Doyle, The Return of Sherlock Holmes.)
Exciting isn’t it? The idea that there is something to be solved, and you are the only one that can do it. Like the Sherlock and Watson’s of this world, a mystery is easy to get caught up in.
We’re all curious beings after all.
So, put on your detective caps and come along for the ride! Here are our thoughts on coming out on top:
All good detectives work together
What do Mulder and Scully, Riggs and Murtaugh and Morse and Lewis all have in common? Other than being some of the most iconic pop culture detectives to star on our screens, they are dynamic duos who work together.
Like all the greats that have gone before you, great detectives communicate. They take in the crime scene and rake over all the information that is before them.
So, share what you see with your team.
Ask your questions out loud and don’t be afraid of saying something that at first doesn’t make sense. It might just spring a winning thought out of your teammate that stopping you from progressing to the next stage.
Establish a work ethic
Playing to your strengths can be the making or breaking of a team in an Escape Room. So, establishing a good work ethic straight away will bring the best out of you and your team.
Strategizing with your teammates will bring clues and evidence together more easily than going in completely blind. So have a plan.
Your technology-minded teammate may lean more towards cracking a code, whereas you may see patterns in the text that has been left in the typewriter. Finding your groove in the game will allow everything to come together.
Be organised
Let’s get this straight – you’ve found your evidence and some of your clues, so why are they dotted all around the room? It’s not like there’s still information for you to find to complete your puzzle!
Establishing some organisation with what you find will make your life so much easier. What do you think real investigators do?
So, find a space where you can lay things out in front of you. This might be a desk or a space on the floor! Whatever space you choose though, don’t let it hinder the rest of your search.
Having your physical evidence in some kind of order will allow you to see what you’ve missed. Don’t forget, you can still take the clues with you if you need to!
Clock watching
Sixty minutes on the clock, and no way to keep track when you are in the room. What are you going to do about it?
Most Escape Rooms do have a way of telling you how much time is left on the clock. However, my last Escape Room only announced this through the sound system when we had three minutes left! With seconds to spare, we made it out. Just.
For obvious reasons, having your mobile phone with you is a big no in any Escape Room. What with Google and YouTube around, there’s just no point in having one with you in there!
Arming yourself with a watch is the best solution. Nominating someone on the team to keep an eye on the time will solve all your panic, as you scramble to the end of your game.
Stay focused
When the clock is ticking and you are feeling like you’re never going to win the game it’s easy to lose focus.
Don’t.
Keep your head in the game and utilise all the time you have to solve the mystery. It’s as simple as that.
More than one puzzle to solve
The beauty of an unfolding mystery is that there are many elements you have to find to complete the story. Getting hung up on one puzzle is not going to solve the case!
Just because you are part of a team doesn’t mean you have to work on every puzzle together. It’s actually better to cover more ground so that between you, nothing is missed out.
If you are struggling to figure something out, call your teammate over. Fresh eyes are often helpful when you encounter a roadblock. Also, don’t neglect your Games Master if you are really stuck, or need a clue.
Do you think you have what it takes to take on an Escape Room? Have a look at some of our Exciting Escapes to see if you’re up for the challenge!