Escape rooms provide immersive experiences. Some rely on the excitement of being locked in but more commonly now most tend to focus on a specific mission.
Concerns with being locked in
Escape rooms are a fun activity designed to bring teams together on a shared mission. For many though the prospect of being locked in can add a layer of anxiety which may prevent them from considering this activity. In truth, the prospect of being locked in is indeed a simulation. Even rooms focusing on entrapment will ultimately have emergency overrides present within the room with links to gamemasters and fire safety systems to unlock in the event of an emergency
Most Rooms are Unlocked
For ourselves at Prodigy and many other escape rooms we don’t lock the doors at all. We favor focusing on escapism with an objective or mission needing to be completed rather than the need to escape. This freedom to nip out and use the toilet or simply the assurance can help players to relax and really get into the storyline. By focusing on an objective you get focused on the mission rather than the prospect of being locked in.
What do people prefer?
It’s down to personal preference of course. Some like the intense nature of being locked in a room and certainly, this is what the concept of Escape rooms was created for. But as years have gone on the adventure rooms have increased in popularity under the title of Escape rooms due to their more immersive nature. Our view is that escape rooms are still a new prospect for many and that we’d rather groups visit us without an additional layer of tension built in.
