Escape rooms are entertainment for everyone and there is no doubt about it. However, it should not be forgotten that the player is also a customer who is bound by certain social rules. Do you know what to do and what not to do in an escape room? Here are 10 rules of savoir-vivre that will make you and your group well remembered by the staff.
In the case of escape rooms, savoir-vivre refers to a set of rules that affect comfort, safety and the overall perception of the experience in a social situation, which is the group's visit to the room. The plethora of stories exchanged among Game Masters from around the world (some of which you may have seen in Anna's article) suggests that not everyone knows what a visit looks like from the perspective of the staff and how important certain elements of the experience are. Personal culture comes naturally to most, although for some behaviours we may simply not know what we should or shouldn't do because we've never been in a specific situation.
One of our goals is to educate in the context of escape rooms. So here we go!
How to behave both in the room and before and after the game? How to be a cool and informed user of a puzzle room? Here are ten rules that, if followed, are sure to win over the room staff and keep everyone entertained - and some work at it, too. Some of these may seem obvious, but the perspective of the staff presented with each of them may make some things somewhat of a novelty.
First of all, don't be late
Of course, various random situations happen that are beyond our control. However, it's important to remember that a group's lateness can not only affect the shortened playing time in the room but also mess up the schedule and delay further groups that have booked late. This is troublesome for the Game Master, who is tasked with ensuring a full good experience - sometimes, as much as they want to, they can't extend the time of a late group because there is already another group in the waiting room.
In addition, in most cases, companies publish information on how much earlier you should come to the venue (e.g., evenly at the booked time or 10 minutes earlier to familiarize players with the rules of the game). If there is no such information, it is worth checking it in the regulations, booking confirmation or simply asking. Such knowledge will certainly affect comfort and allow you to better plan your time. You may need time for using the washroom before the game, for example. This also works the other way: do not come to the room much too early. Why? You can hit a time when a staff member isn't there yet, or is busy with another group and won't be able to fully devote to taking care of you. This can definitely knock down the chronology of the day.
Second, don't come under the influence of alcohol
It must be said plainly: it's simply dangerous. The staff is responsible for the group that is playing in the room, and we would not be surprised if they refused to allow such a person to enter the room. Rather, it goes without saying that such a situation would not be among the most pleasant ones for anyone.
A drunk person can also do something unconsciously, without controlling reflexes: destroy a prop, run into a wall, throw up on a colleague, press the panic button by accident and thus spoil the game for everyone. Not to mention that such a person will not be able to cope with solving puzzles. Other participants in the game will have to deal with her instead of solving the puzzles (unless they themselves are under the influence of alcohol). It is much better to have fun while sober and to leave all the intoxicating drinks for "after the game".
#somethingaboutme I've heard of many real-life situations involving people coming to the venues after a beer or five. In addition to those mentioned in the previous paragraph (yes, they are real), there were other stories: about a player who climbed onto a bunk in a prison cell and fell asleep, about a gentleman who settled his physiological need into a bucket, about a person who tried to swing on a chandelier and was surprised that the chandelier couldn't support the weight, or about a lady who tried to eat plastic grapes that were part of the Alice in Wonderland-themed room decor.
What can I say: It's not worth being a group about which such legends will circulate.
Third, don't destroy things in the rooms
Probably rarely someone does such things on purpose - more often it is the result of using excessive force against a delicate mechanism. Sometimes it's better to ask (e.g., via walkie-talkie) if you're sure something should be pulled or pressed hard for a given puzzle. Even more so if there is some unconventional solution, of which there are more and more in escape rooms.
#somethingaboutme I myself have had two such situations in my life, and I don't regret taking my opportunity to hint at those times. In the first situation, I was faced with a puzzle involving interaction with fuses. I didn't know if I could use them in the indicated location, which was strange, to say the least. It turned out to be a good clue. Another time I came across a puzzle that required pouring a substance into "something". All signs pointed to it being a hole in the bars, but my intuition told me something was wrong. I asked. And it was a good thing - otherwise, I would have unintentionally flooded all the electronics with water. This brought a lot of good - the staff covered up the hole and no one came up with such an idea anymore.
And if someone already destroys something, even accidentally, you don't hide it behind a cabinet or under the carpet. Simply admit to the staff and try to fix the problem together. That way, other groups will have a chance to use the room and won't be in danger of having their visit cancelled because of a broken puzzle.
Fourth, respect the game master
Perhaps this point sounds trivial. However, you need to keep in mind a couple of factors in which the room worker plays a major role. First of all, game masters are also human beings: they like certain things and dislike certain things. In order for everyone to feel comfortable in each other's company for the coming hour or more, it is worth taking into account the fact that one person may be diametrically opposed to another. For example, you shouldn't force anyone to listen to black humour jokes: you never know if you'll make someone uncomfortable or uncomfortable by doing so.
There are also situations in which you need to be understanding. The game master doesn't always have the opportunity to extend the game - especially if the group can't handle the puzzles and is only halfway through the game after the regulation time. There may already be someone else waiting in the lobby for whom a room needs to be cleaned and prepared.
The same goes for long conversations after the game about impressions of the room - these are not always possible due to a busy schedule, and the game master is not to blame.
Fifth, consult all booking changes
Rooms are prepared specifically for the group that booked the game. Some scenarios require different initial settings for a specific number of players, so any change in the number of participants should be communicated to the staff. It should also not be assumed in advance that we can bring a child to the room - this too should be consulted in advance.
Generalizing - it is best not to leave room for understatement. If something changes, it is in good taste to notify.
Sixth, don't forget the culture of cancellation
Random events are something we don't always have control over. Sometimes it is very difficult to predict the consequences of actions - booking a room a few days in advance is unlikely to make us sick or break a leg. However, there are times when something happens that makes it impossible for us to show up for a game. And this is where you have a chance to be polite.
If you know that you will not be able to show up on the booked date, the staff should be notified immediately. Not everyone realizes that a non-cancelled booking causes the company to incur electricity and employee costs. Such problems are often solved by a deposit or a provision in the regulations informing that, for example, a return can be made up to 24 hours before the game. You have to reckon with the fact that a visit cancelled 15 minutes in advance may not be returned, and understanding the other party is really important.
Seventh, don't come in sick
In the age of COVID-19, I don't think anyone needs to be reminded that out of respect for someone's health, you should not show up at the premises with a runny nose, fever and cough, or any other sickness ailment that could pass to another person.
There are really many possible solutions to this situation. If the date is far off, you can easily cancel the visit or move it. You can also find someone to take your place or let the group go without you. Anything is better than infecting someone. The consequences - besides health - are also economic. After all, someone due to illness may need to take leave, which prevents them from working and thus earning.
Eighth, don't eat and drink during the introduction
An escape room is not a buffet. Of course, there are companies that offer their guests water dispensers, and there is a snack machine in the hall. However, there are behaviours that greatly interfere with the staff's ability to run the game. When the room introduction or safety briefing begins, don't eat, listen. Coming into the venue with a bag full of chicken nuggets, fries and a soda is not only out of balance, but also disrespectful to both the staff and the other guests who have to smell it.
Ninth, don't spoiler when leaving the room
Playing in an escape room brings many emotions - especially for those with less experience (but not only). Most often we let the emotions out when leaving the room or the whole venue. Often the end of the game for us means the beginning of conversations about it, and here it is worth thinking about others who are waiting to enter the room after us. Playing in an escape room is a great adventure, but a one-time thing. Exchanging thoughts between team members about the puzzles after the game when there is another team waiting in the waiting room for entrance can cause deep disappointment with spoilers. It is worth waiting until you leave the building - there will still be time to exchange impressions. Especially since such situations can be troublesome for the staff as well.
#somethingaboutme Quite recently, I went with my regular team to the room that we had on our radar for some time, but never got around to. We were excited and happy to finally experience a room we had heard so many good things about. We showed up at the appointed time. The team from the previous reservation hadn't left yet, but they didn't have much left - we easily agreed not to disturb them or ask them out of the room, because we had time, and for them it was their first encounter with an escape room and it would be worth it for them to remember it well. However, when the team left the room for the lobby, its members began to loudly exchange opinions about it among themselves, completely ignoring our presence. We didn't have time to draw their attention, and we learned all about the actor's presence, the operation of several puzzles and the caches that had to be searched. We were sorry that this group did not respect our request and we learned everything about the room even before we played in it. This greatly spoils the perception of the whole experience.
Tenth, remember that you are not alone
An escape room is all about teamwork. The game should be enjoyable for each player, so their needs should not be ignored. Already at the outset, i.e. when making a reservation, you should make sure that all the people in the team will like a particular room (for example - everyone agrees on a room from the horror category so that the presence of a possible actor will not make anyone uncomfortable). The fact that the person making the reservation suits horror does not necessarily mean that others share his opinion. Such things simply need to be discussed beforehand. However, this is not just about potentially ignoring the needs of fellow guests, but also about the other people involved in the experience, such as the staff and other groups that may be found in the waiting room at the time. Loud conversations in the waiting room may disturb a group that is in the room or is in the waiting room waiting to enter another scenario.
I recently came across an informational brochure about trains: it takes the work of 30 people to set one train in motion. It seems to me that it is no different with escape rooms. In order for one room to accommodate a group, several to dozens of people work on it - creators, designers, electronics engineers, testers, and game masters.
This article featured rather extreme cases and situations that do not happen every day. Perhaps we don't experience or think about it on a daily basis, but the work of these people involves comprehensive service to the player as a customer. And being a cool customer is really a simple matter. If the group sticks to all these rules, it will certainly be remembered well, I promise!
