Escape Room Preference: Escape vs Points
Escape Rooms are the hot new trend these days. You get locked in a room and you try to find clues, solve puzzles, and work together to escape the room… or at least that used to be the object of the game. The popular trend started out with the main goal being to escape the room. However a new trend is emerging in Escape Room Games. The problem with the business model of Escape Room’s is that they are a one time use usually. So Escape Room owners needed a way to have a more profitable business model and convince people to do their escape rooms again and again. So the new trend is to switch it up. They’ve either created a points based game, where you solve puzzles and search for clues but the object is to earn points or steal an artifact or do something other than escape.
Pros
Escape Room: There is something about the thrill of escaping, of getting out of your current precarious situation, that is exhilarating. Not knowing if you can move fast enough to escape, not knowing when or where you might escape from. Being able to run out of the room screaming that you made it out, you won! That’s an amazing experience that has made Escape Rooms so popular.
Points Based: Instant gratification throughout the game. Get some points, get excited and move on. Get some points, get excited and move on. There are no losers per se. You’re going to be able to get at least some points. Since there is no end goal of pass/fail, you’ll always feel like you accomplished something even if you didn’t “escape”.
Cons
Escape Room: If you don’t escape you feel like a loser. You might not get to all of the puzzles or be able to get that instant gratification. If you escape you probably won’t want to come back and do the room again. If you get to the end and don’t escape then you feel defeated but don’t want to pay to go back to the same room that you would be able to complete in a few minutes.
Points Based: No big win at the end. Small instant gratification might not be big enough to make you feel like you’ve received your $30 worth. If the business has a goal to make you come back, they might not allow hints which might make you stuck not moving forward in the game which most standard Escape Rooms provide to ensure you move forward in the game. Feeling frustrated if you don’t move forward in the game or work toward a set goal.
Exit Strategy Games currently only offers one room and it’s an Escape type room. We’re opening up a second room with another escape style goal. However, we’ll start working on a third room soon enough.
Have you tried both styles? Have you thought of more pros or cons? Do you have a preference for a type of room? If so, let us know in the comments, thoughts, additional info, and which type of Escape Room that you prefer and why.
Exit Strategy Games
9833 Kent Street
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 399- EXIT
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