Escape rooms are an exciting, fun way to experience a high-energy, fast-paced game with friends, family members, co-workers, and loved ones. Hardly anything can compare to working along with your teammates towards a common goal, especially with the adrenaline of knowing there are only 60 minutes on the clock to escape! If you’ve never been to an escape room, you are in for a treat! An escape room is a 60-minute series of puzzles, riddles, and clues. If you worry about not understanding what to do in your first escape room, specifically what types of puzzles you might encounter … we’ve compiled a list of the most common puzzles you’ll find right here. Enjoy!
1. Riddles
According to Oxford Languages, a riddle is “a question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning, typically presented as a game.” When you visit an escape room, it is a given that some form of a riddle will appear. Whether it is a written riddle that leads to an answer for a lock, or a verbal riddle given to you by a Game Master that will direct you to your next step. Riddles are often one of the most pivotal elements of an escape room!
2. Jigsaw Puzzles
A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often oddly shaped interlocking and mosaiced pieces. To no surprise, escape rooms make great use of the classic game from your childhood as well. Assembled puzzles sometimes show you an image with information that you may need later in the room or unlock something on its own! From putting pieces of a letter together to assembling a traditional picture puzzle, prepare with a keen eye to identify correlating pieces of miscellaneous items!
3. Math Equations
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a mathematician to solve these types of puzzles! Although math is one of the less common puzzle types, some escape rooms do include simple math equations in their rooms. If you find a series of related numbers somewhere in a room, some simple addition may just help you through a puzzle!
4. Keys
Finding a key is a common escape room puzzle and one that many people underestimate whenever they visit their first escape room. Although it may seem simple, sometimes finding a key is difficult and may require completing several other puzzles before you are able to find the key. Just remember: Most escape rooms use one key per lock, so don’t stress out about finding another use for a key if you already used it once!
5. Hidden Objects
Searching for hidden object should always be the first thing you do when entering an escape room. Escape room designers love to hide objects in creative ways that fit well with the theme, so be sure to search for secret compartments by rummaging through every piece of furniture. Don’t leave any item unturned!
Now armed with the knowledge of the common puzzle types you may encounter when at an escape room, it’s time to book your own adventure at Alcatraz Escape Games! At Alcatraz, you and your teammates are locked in a themed room filled with puzzles and riddles that will guide your escape. With only 60 minutes on the clock, it’s up to you and your teammates to work together to decipher clues and free yourself from the room. Will you make it out? Book now for the ultimate escape room experience at Alcatraz Escape Games!
As if you didn’t have enough reasons already … here is a blog about the “Top 3 Benefits Of Escape Room Team Building”!
