Developing your own escape room might sound like a massive task at first. But it really doesn't have to be! For a Children's birthday, an afternoon with friends or a school lesson, you need neither an elaborate backdrop nor complicated high-tech puzzles. On the contrary: the best homemade escape rooms are often surprisingly simple.

1. You don't need complicated equipment

First, get yourself a few crates, boxes or envelopes and some locks. Combination locks, small padlocks or key-operated locks are particularly handy.

Now all you need are things you can find at home or at school anyway: paper, pens, small objects, string and perhaps a torch.

What is important is that the players should always have the feeling of being able to discover something.

2. A simple story is completely sufficient

You don't need a ten-page backstory. Think of a simple starting situation:

A treasure has been hidden. A secret must be uncovered. An important message has been locked away. Or the group must crack a code before time runs out.

Above all, the story should provide a reason for the players to solve the puzzles.

3. The best riddles are often quite simple

Especially with a self-built escape room, you shouldn't make the puzzles unnecessarily complicated. A few simple classics work particularly well.

Magnet fishing

Attach a magnet to a string or a stick. With this, players must fish a key out of a box or a hard-to-reach area, for example.

This is especially exciting for children, because it requires not only thinking, but also dexterity.

black light

Using a UV pen, you can write clues that are not visible to the naked eye. A small blacklight torch instantly turns them into an escape room puzzle.

Hide, for example, a code, an arrow or a short hint.

Translate secret symbols

Create a simple secret code. The players receive a table of symbols and must use it to decode a message.

The following applies: Keep the message short! A single sentence is completely sufficient.

For example:

„The key is under the red book.“

That way, the players immediately understand what to do with the information.

Simple counting and arithmetic tasks

Even simple mathematics can make a good escape room puzzle. For example, have the players count objects and combine the results to form a numerical code.

For example:

3 books + 2 balls + 4 pens = 324

The puzzle doesn't have to be mathematically difficult. What is important is that the solution leads to a lock or a next clue.

A jigsaw puzzle

A jigsaw puzzle can also be brilliantly integrated into a self-built escape room. You can use a normal puzzle or make one yourself.

It gets particularly exciting when there is a clue, code or message on the back of the finished jigsaw puzzle.

You can also cut an image or a map into several pieces. Only when the players have found all the pieces and put them together correctly will they recognise the next clue.

The puzzle does not even have to be large. Just 10 to 20 pieces can be enough for a short escape room puzzle.

4. Build the puzzles on top of each other

The most important tip: the puzzles should not simply lie next to each other.

Better is a small chain:

A clue leads to a box. Inside the box is a key. The key is used to open another box. Inside, the players find a secret code. The code opens the next lock.

This automatically creates the typical escape room feel.

5. Plan a finale

In the end, there should be a clear conclusion.

Perhaps there is a treasure, a sweet, a gift or the crucial message in the last box.

Even better: tailor the ending to fit your story.

For example, if the players are searching for a treasure, the treasure should actually be waiting for them at the end.

6. Less is more

The most common mistake when making your own escape room is wanting too much.

You don't need 20 puzzles. For a children's birthday party, just 5–8 simple puzzles can provide plenty of fun.

And another thing: the players should experience a sense of achievement. If nobody knows what they are supposed to do after ten minutes, the puzzle is probably too difficult.

A good homemade escape room doesn't have to be perfect. Above all, it has to be fun, tell a little story and give the players the feeling of having achieved something together.

Do you want your Family members or Employees impress, then a real escape room is naturally the right choice. But for a little adventure in between, you can come up with something simple.

And that is actually the most important rule when designing an escape room: You don't have to think in a complicated way – your players should.