WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP IN AN ESCAPE ROOM
Everyone who goes into an escape room prefers to solve as much as possible on their own, with no help from an in-game character or Game Director. The reality is that only 4% of groups at ESCAPE! Alaska complete our rooms without at least one hint. There are so many different types of puzzles, and different players have strengths with different puzzle types, so it’s not uncommon for a group to run into a situation where they’re just not going to proceed without a little outside nudge.
The problem is that you have no idea how far into the room you’ve progressed or how much is left to do, so it’s difficult to gauge just when you might need to ask for that hint. And, since you’re here reading this, you obviously want a hint on when to ask for a hint. There are a few occasions you should ask for help in an escape room:
1) IF EVERYONE HAS WORKED ON A PUZZLE YOU’VE DISCOVERED, WITHOUT SUCCESS, ASK FOR HELP
There are items you may get or find in an escape room that are very clearly SOMETHING, you just don’t know what … yet. Before asking for help, you might want to make sure everyone has taken a crack at solving them. If no one in your group is making progress on the puzzles you have, then it’s probably time to ask for help.
2) IF YOU HAVE YOU GONE 10 MINUTES WITHOUT ACCOMPLISHING/FINDING ANYTHING NEW, ASK FOR HELP
If no one really knows what to do next and players are wandering aimlessly, it’s likely time to ask for help. Escape rooms have different numbers of puzzles and difficulties, but on average, 10 to 15 minutes without accomplishing something in the space can put you so far behind that it’s impossible to win. And nobody wants that.
3) ANYTIME YOU FEEL THE URGE TO GUESS, ASK FOR HELP
Seriously, don’t do it. Guessing is the single biggest waste of time in an ESCAPE! Alaska Theme-Park-Quality Escape Room™. If you feel guessing is your only option, it’s better to ask for help.
Sure, it’s great if you can make it through any escape room without asking for help, but your first goal should just be having fun and beating the room.
Once you’ve asked for help, heed the advice you’ve gotten. Groups occasionally ask for help, then determine the help wasn’t what they wanted, so they resume guessing and working on other puzzles. If the Game Director gave you a specific hint, you can be sure it is most definitely the thing you need to be working on.