Looking for a new activity to do with friends and family over the weekend? An escape room is a great alternative to going to the movie theater, playing a video game, window shopping, or eating out.
What exactly is an escape room? If you’ve never heard of one before, you can think of an escape escape as essentially a strategy and puzzle video game in real life. Escape rooms are also sometimes called puzzle rooms or exit games.
Escape rooms are a fully immersive experience – complete with a historical or haunted theme, lots of puzzles, realistic props, animated objects, voice actors, and a Game Master who you can rely on for questions or hints during the game.
Escape Room Objective
The goal of an escape room is to understand the backstory, discover clues, solve puzzles, get hints (as they’re needed), accomplish tasks, and escape the room within the set timeframe (usually 1 hour). For example, in the case of a 1930’s speakeasy-themed room, your team’s objective may be to uncover clues in order to track down and catch Bonnie and Clyde in 60 minutes or less.
What to Expect from an Escape Room?
If you’re brand new to escape rooms, you should make sure you know what to expect – from booking, to signing a waiver, to the game rules. Read more here about what to expect at an escape room.
Choosing a Theme & Your Team Members
Theme
There are plenty of themes to choose from at The Secret Chambers. They range from an Area 51 theme, kingdom fantasy to reverse the witch’s curse, or a Wild West steam locomotive heist.
Most everyone can enjoy one of these escape room chambers (there may be a few exceptions, be sure to check with our staff with any questions.) For example, we ask that all escape artists be at least the age of 10 or above to enter The Poe Adventure, due to it’s dark, haunted Victorian theme.
Read more here for a breakdown of our escape rooms by difficulty.
Team Members
The more people you choose, the merrier! It helps to select a team of left and right-brain thinkers – as both the logical and creative sides are required for a successful escape room experience! Every person young and old can and should be encouraged to contribute equally.
For more information about how many people you should bring to an escape room, please read more here.
Booking Your Escape Room
Booking Online
Once you’ve selected your theme/room and chosen your friends, family members, coworkers, etc. who will be participating, it’s time to book a room! Usually, you can book your escape room online. Booking online is easy for payment and using a coupon or gift certificate.
It also gives you the option to select a specific date and time that works best for everyone.
Signing a Waiver
You will need to sign a waiver prior to entering the escape room. Usually, this waiver is available online.
Arriving at the Escape Room
Arrival
Upon arriving, make sure that everyone has had a chance to use the restroom, hung up their coats, got a drink of water, etc. As a result, be sure to always arrive 15 minutes before your game begins. This will ensure that you’ve had time to relax and enter the escape room without the stress of running late.
Dressing Up
Your team can absolutely feel free to dress up for the escape room experience! For example, you can dress up as pirates for The Pirate Adventure: Chapter III, or in Victorian cosplay for The Poe Adventure. (Both of these escape rooms are located at our Arlington location.)
If you choose to dress up, you have the option of having your picture taken at the end of your adventure!
Exploring the Escape Room
Game Master
When you first enter the escape room, you will meet your Game Master. He or she will explain the rules and backstory. If you have any questions or concerns, you can discuss those now with your Game Master. Your Game Master will also be available throughout the game to provide you hints throughout the game.
Hints
An escape room is timed (usually lasts about 60 minutes) – so asking for hints every 5-7 minutes from your Game Master is encouraged so that you and your team don’t feel frustrated. If you haven’t found anything new, getting hints regularly will help you proceed.
The moment your escape room adventure starts, the clock starts ticking! This means you’ll have to use your time wisely. First, be sure to look at, in, and under everything. Communicate/share findings with your team members, search for patterns, keep track of already solved puzzles and used clues, and don’t forget to utilize everyone’s skills on the team!
Remember to stay positive! Sometimes it can be a bit tricky or overwhelming when you don’t know what to do next. Remember to work together, utilize hints, and above all else – have fun!
What Happens if Our Team Doesn’t Escape in Time?
If your team didn’t make it out before the hour is up, that’s totally fine! We hear all the time how the experience was still so fun even if the escape artist team didn’t make it out on the first try.
The good news is that next time, you’ll have a goal and a good idea of what to expect for the 2nd try!
Contact The Secret Chambers
Looking for a fun escape room experience in the Arlington or Fort Worth, TX area? Look no further than The Secret Chambers! For years, we’ve been providing escape artists with highly realistic and immersive experiences. From genuine antique props and talented voice actors in The Mafia Adventure, to a blindfolded, handcuffed intro in The Pirate Adventure: Chapter III, each room brings plenty of thrill. See all our escape rooms here.
Questions? Please contact The Secret Chambers today at (817) 857-3555. We have a total of six rooms in two locations in Arlington and Dallas/Fort Worth.
