Puzzling Logic: 9 Ways to Step-up Your Escape Room Game

A puzzle is something that needs to be solved, but that doesn’t have an obvious, predetermined set of steps you can take in order to solve it. This practically sounds like a puzzle in and of itself—which is why it’s a smart move to brush-up on your puzzle-solving skills before tackling your next escape game.

1. Remember the first two rules of puzzle solving. Written by puzzle experts Gianni Sarcone and Marie Waeber, they go: 1) Nothing is as difficult as it looks. 2) Nothing is as easy as it looks.

2. Do the straightforward tasks first. Is there a math problem to solve? A word to unjumble? A cultural reference to nail? Figure that out, and only then start thinking about how it fits into the grand scheme.

3. Remember the rules. Your escape game master will tell you the dos and don’ts of your escape game. Not paying attention to the introductory spiel can spell disaster for even the cleverest of clue solvers.

4. Jot down notes. With all that’s thrown at you with puzzles—especially when there’s multiple ones to deal with, like in an escape room—you need a good way to organize your thoughts. An old-school pen and paper set usually does the trick (especially since we take your smartphones away!).

5. Watch out for double entendres and puns. Humans are usually willing to take things at face value, so plays on words and visual puns can be hard to spot at first. But keep your eyes and ears peeled for anything with the potential for two or more meanings.

6. Keep an eye out for oddities. If something seems out of place, it almost certainly requires some sleuthing. In other words, what appears to be an intentional error might as well have giant neon arrows pointing at it that scream, “Scrutinize me!!”

7. See what’s hidden in plain sight. Sometimes something that seems entirely irrelevant or mundane is actually the key to it all.

8. Let it simmer. If you can’t figure it out but you know something is there (see point 5 above), give the task a rest and turn your attention to something else. Things often fall into place once your brain is given some breathing room—otherwise known as a “eureka moment.”

9. Use your hints. It’s not a “cheat” to use a hint—it’s part of the game!

Put your escape game skills to the test in one of Krakit’s four themed escape rooms. You can book your next sleuthing experience here: http://bookeo.com/krakit.