We all know an escape room is a themed environment filled with puzzles, but how do we know what the puzzles are once inside the room? In our years of game and puzzle design, we have found there are many different types of puzzles, and knowing what some of these are can be of great help once inside the game. Here are the types of puzzles you might encounter in an ESCAPE! Alaska Theme-Park-Quality Escape Room™.

DISCOVERY

When you first enter an escape room, the best thing you can do is investigate and inspect everything in the play space. This can be made a bit more difficult because you are likely to find at least a puzzle or two that will attract your attention.

LOGIC/PATTERNS

Looking for - and finding - patterns is one of those things that makes you feel extra smart. Patterns and logic puzzles are often the most difficult parts of an escape room, so don’t feel like you have to solve them all on your own; get the rest of the team in there to help!

LIGHT

Light-based puzzles can include black light, red light, or even the plain light in the room casting shadows.

SOUND

Sound can not only help you determine where in the space you need to be, but the sound itself could be a clue. It could be a sound effect or a radio, but anything you hear in an escape room is probably important.

MATCHING

Matching shapes, colours, items… this is where finding patterns comes in handy. “Hey! All these items have colours on them! Maybe that’s a clue.”

NAVIGATION

Whether navigating a maze with your hands or trying to get through a series of infrared lights with your entire body, navigation puzzles will really test your dexterity.

PERSPECTIVE

Have you seen those sidewalk paintings that look 3D? That’s a great example of perspective because they only look right from one specific angle. This is where that whole Discovery Phase in an escape room can really help.

RIDDLE

Riddles are fun, but can be tricky. That’s sorta their point. Here’s one of our favourites:

“I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere, the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space. What am I?”

(Answer at the end of this article)

MEMORY

Simon Says is probably the most recognized type of memory game, but any puzzle that tests your ability to repeat a pattern fits this type.

CIPHER

What’s that weird message on the wall? How in the world do we translate THAT!? Well, the key is likely in the form of a cipher, a small piece of paper, wood, or other device that shows you how to turn those alien letters into the English alphabet.

TEAMWORK

There are some puzzles that require multiple players to solve. Think: the two keys that must be turned simultaneously to launch a nuke. Except in an escape room there is a slightly more fun outcome.

ASSEMBLY

Basic jigsaw puzzle or more obscure shapes may need to be properly assembled.

HIDDEN MESSAGE

Sometimes the answer is right there in black and white., hidden in plain sight. You just have to find a way to reveal the message. (Standing on your head almost never helps- we tried.)

There’s not gonna be a test and you certainly do not need to memorize this list in order to play an ESCAPE! Alaska escape room, but if reading through this once helps you figure out a single puzzle, we’ll call that a win.

The answer to the riddle is “the letter e.” “I am the beginning of Everything, the end of everywherE, the beginning of Eternity, the end of timE and spacE.”