You want to play an escape room with your friends soon, but you're worried about completely failing. No problem, with these ten tips, that won't happen, and we guarantee you'll leave with joy and a good feeling.

Tip 1: Be open to new things!

When you play an escape room, you should also embrace what is offered to you. If you start the escape room by focusing on what you don't like and what might be different from what you're used to, you won't have any fun. So, embrace the adventure!

Tip 2: Look at everything closely!

In most escape rooms, it's really important to look at everything very closely. Because every little object, no matter how small, can play a role in an escape room. It's also worth looking under things, picking things up, and thoroughly analysing every corner of the room.

Tip 3: Read texts and read them aloud!

If you find text in an escape room, it is certainly important for the progress of the game. Groups often spend longer in an escape room because they don't read the letter on the desk, don't bother to read what's on the wall, or don't read the hidden scroll. It is really important to read everything carefully, even if the text seems long at first. And when you read, it's best to read it aloud, so all your fellow players can take something in.

Tip 4: Be open to other ideas and don't try to do everything yourself!

Of course, you know everything and can do everything, but let your team members have a go too. Even if you're sure it's not the solution, let them try. Sometimes the answer to a puzzle is so unconventional that you wouldn't have thought of it, but others might. And sometimes your team members will give you other important insights that you need for the tasks. Always remember that you can complement each other brilliantly as a group. One of you can probably calculate well, another is good at searching, and you might be quick at combining things. So, work together instead of working alone! Besides, it's much more fun if not just one person is opening all the locks, but if everyone can enjoy a moment of success.

Tip 5: Each key usually only fits once, leave it in!

If you find a key, put it in the lock, and then turn it, leave it in there afterwards. This not only helps you keep track of what you've already used, but also helps the game masters tidy up the room more quickly afterwards. You also wouldn't believe how often we've had to call groups after games to return keys. So definitely don't put them in your pocket, even if that's usually your habit.

Tip 6: Think differently too!

Normally, it should be like this, but this time it's not working? Exactly, try to think the other way around too. Try to approach things from the back, rethink them or look at them from a different perspective. Even if you think you already know a puzzle, it's possible that this time it will be used completely differently and the solution will be found in a completely different way. So, allow new thoughts and don't just stick to usual patterns.

Tip 7: Listen to the Game Master!

If the game master tells you that you don't need a particular item at the moment, then listen to the game master. Some things cannot be solved immediately, but will cost you unnecessary time if you try them anyway. The game master knows the escape room well and knows when to deal with which things. So if the game master wants to nudge you in a certain direction, then let yourself be nudged!

Tip 8: Tell the Game Master to help without being asked!

Yes, of course, you're the cleverest person on this planet and are guaranteed to complete every escape room without hints. No! Of course not! Let yourself be helped! Good game masters know when to give which tips and how to maintain the group's flow. So tell the game master from the start that you want to complete the room and would appreciate support with hints. Only then can you fully enjoy the escape room.

Tip 9: Don't assume a team member has already handled everything!

Of course, you trust your team members when they say they've already searched the shelf completely. Trust is good, but in an escape room, control is better. Four eyes see more than two, which is why all corners of a room and all objects should always be examined several times. Look at everything, even if someone says they've already done it. Try the number code a second time if you think it should be correct, because maybe it was just entered in the wrong place. The important thing here is not to expose someone, but to move forward together as a group.

Tip 10: And if you didn't manage it this time, don't be discouraged!

Even if it suddenly comes to an end after 60 minutes, the experience remains and it was still fun! It will definitely work next time! Don't be discouraged. You're not stupid because you haven't solved an escape room. Sometimes it's down to your form on the day, sometimes it's down to the team composition and sometimes it's simply because the puzzles didn't appeal to you. That's not a bad thing. Of course, it's nicer when the escape room ends with a sense of achievement. But take this as a successful experience. Try to understand what the problem might have been. Were there simply too many puzzles or was the level of difficulty too high? Then it's better to look for easier rooms first. Did it not work well in the group? Then go bowling together and find other team members for the next time. Or did you not get into the story and therefore struggled with the puzzles? Think about whether it was you, the form of the day or rather the puzzle structure and draw your conclusions for the next adventure so that it will work within the 60 minutes! And most importantly: look forward to the next escape room challenge!