The competitive part of us may wish not to ask for clues and try to beat the fastest time, but in reality, the point of an escape room is to have fun and enjoy the experience.
When the timer starts, split up and search the room thoroughly. Say what you see out loud when something seems related to a puzzle, and whenever you find or unlock something interesting. Sharing this information is crucial to making connections between clues. For example, that symbol under the desk might be crucial later, but if you don't let your team know, they won't have a chance to use it! Communication is essential. Even thinking out loud can help spark new ideas in your teammates.
It's likely that you'll find yourself stuck at some point and need a little push in the right direction. Don’t let pride take over, there’s no shame in asking for clues! You'll have a better time if you progress consistently through the room and figure out most of the puzzles even if you don't quite manage to get out in time. Sometimes it can be hard to get started when you have so much to consider. Don't wait more than 5-10 minutes to ask for your first clue to get started, because you may never get that precious time back if you waste more minutes without any progress!
When you find important items and puzzles, it can be helpful to keep them all in one place so your team can easily inspect or retrieve them as needed. A good room won't allow you to "break" a puzzle by disrupting the locations of objects, but keep in mind that the proximity of certain items can be deliberate in a way that makes the puzzle easier to understand. Exercise caution if something appears elaborately arranged.
Rooms are rarely 100% linear, so while it's tempting to follow the action, it's not the best use of time to have 5 people watching someone complete a maze to collect a key. Try to find your own avenue of exploration and work on props and areas that the rest of your team isn't focused on. If you have difficulty solving a puzzle, especially a physical one, don't hesitate to ask a teammate to take over. Different approaches to problem solving are essential for success. Plus, no one likes to monopolize the puzzles! Admit defeat and act in the best interest of the team.
The puzzles in an escape room must be fair and logical. Sometimes it will take thinking outside the box, but start with basic solutions and a rational approach to problem solving. Don't start randomly throwing numbers and codes into locks. Not only is it a waste of time, but you run the risk of unintentionally going to a place that wasn't intended for you until later in the game. The same goes for forcefully bypassing locks and puzzles. This will only disrupt the flow of your game and create confusion. Escape rooms rarely require any physical strength. Respect your surroundings and don't ruin the experience for your team or those who will play after you.
Keep used keys in their locks, and open locks on their latches. This avoids confusion over which keys were used and which lyrics/codes were the correct solution. Especially in a large room, it helps if there is something like a track that your teammates can refer to if they were busy elsewhere.
“Don’t touch” doesn’t always mean “don’t look”! Although some room items like electrical outlets are not part of the game and should be ignored, props and other locations can be marked "Do Not Touch" while still containing important visible information.
If your game master says stop, then stop! They are there to help you and preserve your experience. If you think something permanent needs to be done but you're not sure (for example, cutting a wire), say out loud what you are going to do. Give the game master a few seconds to intervene if you're about to cause damage! Prevention is better than cure, and they will thank you! If a game master suggests it's time for a hint, it probably means you're off track and wasting time, so take their advice and ask for one.
The competitive side of us may want to take no hints and try to beat the fastest time, but the real purpose of an escape room is to have fun and enjoyment.
Keep an eye on the clock so you remember to ask for cues if you're stagnating; Games are rarely won by pushing hard only for the last 5 minutes. Don't worry about getting the fastest time, unless you're competing in the Escape Room World Finals, of course!
After the Game
When the game is over, your host will congratulate or commiserate with you and should be able to answer any questions about any puzzles and stages that may remain. A good game master will try to ensure that you have seen the majority of the room during your experience. In general, escape rooms aren't worth replaying to complete, and your money is better spent on a new room next time. Usually a team photo opportunity will follow and then, depending on the facilities, you may be able to sit down and have a coffee. Your team will probably be excited to talk about the experience, but always be careful not to spoil rooms and puzzles in the presence of other guests, it's not polite!
Debriefing together after your escape room is recommended as you can catch up on some of the puzzles and solutions you may have missed whilst working on different parts of the room. Discuss your failures and successes, and maybe even which room to play next!
Finally, if you had a positive experience, consider leaving a review online so other people know how much fun you had. This will help the escape room industry to grow, allowing new rooms to come to your area on a regular basis and potentially improving the scale and production of experiences available to you.