SAGE ESCAPE ROOM ADVICE THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE
We here at Exit Strategy Games in Elk Grove, CA, believe that you can play Escape Room Games any way that you want. If you’re anti-hint then don’t take that hint. It’s your game that you paid for, you can play it anyway you see fit. However, with that being said, we’re going to undoubtedly give you our opinion on the matter and at the risk of sounding redundant, we’re going to give you some helpful hints regarding escape room hints.
Clarify Hints Ahead of Time: Some games (which I personally dislike this style) state you only get one hint and that’s it. This can be extremely frustrating and can potentially ruin a game. Ask for clarification, especially if you’re new. Often when pressed these escape rooms will tell you that you can get more hints but you won’t be in the running for the leader board, win, or some other prize or bragging rights. If you voice your concern, they might tell you their limited hint system is more of a guideline than a strict rule. Discuss with your group if you’re looking to really compete for time, or if you’re more interested in having fun and playing the game. If you’re new I’d leave the leader board competitions to more seasoned players and just enjoy the game while you get a handle on escape rooms. I’d also discuss with your group if you want to be more hint heavy to be able to see ALL of the puzzles in the room, or less hint heavy and know you may get stuck only seeing half of them. Being on the same page ahead of time about hints can really help your game.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for a Hint: Escape Room Games are group games. Any good Escape Room Game is made to let people work together to solve fun puzzles and escape the room or accomplish a goal. That being said, if your group is stalled don’t let your ego ruin the game for everyone else. The reason that pretty much all escape rooms offer at least one hint (I’ve only ever heard of, never experienced, one escape room not offering hints and they had some pretty bad Yelp reviews because of it), is that they know that it’s very very rare that people escape their rooms with absolutely no hints and they want to make sure you have fun and move forward in the game. If you’ve spent a lot of time on a puzzle and your group is not moving forward, that’s a great time to put your ego aside and grab that hint so you can continue game play and ensure the most fun possible.
Take Unsolicited Hints That the Game Master Offers: You’re in the middle of trying to solve a puzzle, you feel like you’re on the brink of solving it when an annoying game master interrupts you and asks if you want a hint! No you shout as you continue to toil on for the next 25 minutes getting nowhere. Often, the game masters know that you’re either headed in the totally wrong direction, or you’re spending way too much time on one puzzle and you might miss some of the best parts of the game. So if you get an offer for an unsolicited hint, I’d advise strongly that you take it. If you really feel like you’re on the brink of figuring it out, politely say no, but watch the time carefully and if you don’t move forward within minutes, like 2-3 minutes, ask that game master for that hint.
Don’t be that Guy (or Girl): If the majority of your group wants a hint, don’t be that guy (or girl) that screams no and won’t let anyone else move forward with the game. Also, don’t be that guy (or girl) screaming for a hint within 30 seconds of the game while everyone else is solving a few puzzles every few minutes and moving forward. A good rule of thumb for most games (ask for that clarification ahead of time though), is that you probably shouldn’t ask for a hint for the first 10 minutes at least. Usually escape rooms have either easy puzzles toward the start of the escape room, or puzzles that need at least 10 minutes to get the whole picture. Give it a little time before you ask for a hint. On that same note, if you’ve figured out NOTHING at all, and have solved 0 puzzles and have no idea what is going on within the first 10 minutes, it’s probably a good time to ask for a hint.
Hopefully our hints will help you with your hints!
9833 Kent Street
Elk Grove, CA 95624
(916) 399-Exit (3948)
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