Tip and Tricks for Beating Escape Rooms: Advice from a Pro (and a Slightly Obsessed Owner)
Hi, I’m Shelley Cootes, an escape room enthusiast, puzzle lover, and the proud owner of Narrow Escape Rooms in Penrith. You might recognise me as one of the friendly faces who greet you.
I’ve been obsessed with escape rooms ever since I was invited into my first one years ago. I’ve tackled more than 150 escape rooms across Australia, New Zealand, Paris, Brussels and London. For the past seven years, I’ve also been a Game Master (GM) watching other people play escape rooms. I’ve seen it all. From teams that work together like a well-oiled puzzle-solving machine, to… well, let’s just say some teams forget to check the pockets even though it’s in the pre-game briefing.
If you’re new to the concept, escape rooms are immersive, puzzle-filled adventures where teams solve clues to complete a mission before time runs out. They’ve become one of the world’s most popular forms of interactive entertainment — and for good reason!
So, whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned escaper, here are my top 10 escape room tips and tricks to help you think smarter, stay organised, and, most importantly, have fun.
1. Search the room thoroughly
Methodically search around the room, the best teams I have seen play start in one place in the room and search methodically until they find something of note, they will communicate that to their team, if it gives that ‘aha’ moment, they will start to solve the puzzle, if not, they mentally note it by saying it out loud and continuing the search eg. We have a morse code chart over here, I found a key, we have a padlock that requires 4 numbers or letters, there are some hieroglyphics etc.
Some more pro searching tips:
- If it opens, try to open it gently, no force should be needed. Just because the door or drawer is closed, it doesn’t mean it’s locked and it only takes a second to try it!
- If your teammate checked it, it doesn’t hurt for you to check again. How embarrassing it has been when we were stuck, asked for a clue and been told we missed taking an item out the of box we opened 10 mins ago! As a GM, so many times, I’ve seen people think that someone else checked it..
- If it’s not nailed down and you’ve not been instructed not to touch it in some way, you can move it.
2. Communication is everything
Escape rooms are all about teamwork and communication. Share your thoughts and ideas out loud, imagine having the right idea but making a simple counting error, you might give up thinking it was wrong. If you bring your team mates along for the journey, they can correct you. If you don’t tell them what you are doing, they might not understand, Reminds me of high school maths – show your working out!
If you do need a clue, the Game Master listening will be able to give you a more tailored clue if they know where you went wrong.
3. Look for logical connections
Most escape rooms have moved away from finding a 4 digit number and trying it randomly on multiple locks till you find the right one. If there are locks in the room, is there some indication where you may get the answer from? Is there a symbol close by, a colour or name, some sort of clue to where the code goes?
Don’t just randomly guess answers, a 4 digit padlock, as an example, has 10,000 combinations – 0000 to 9999! If you have the 4 digits but don’t know the order, there is 24 possible combinations. Yes, you might guess the combination in the first few guesses, but often this doesn’t happen. You might as well spend your time looking for the clue to the order.
Would you believe it, I once watched someone spend 30mins randomly pushing buttons till he solved a puzzle, meanwhile his team was working on the rest of the room, he missed it all and when the rest of the team worked on clues for the puzzle he was working on, they were unable to help him solve the puzzle as he was too far down the guessing rabbit hole.
4. Check your mindset
Your mindset sets the tone for the whole experience. Go in with a positive attitude and treat it as a fun challenge, not a test. If you keep telling yourself you are not good at this, that is likely to be true. Go in thinking this is going to be a fun challenge and it more likely will be.
Confidence and curiosity go a long way in escape rooms — and a good laugh helps too!
5. Don't be afraid to ask for clues
Most good escape rooms (like us!) will give you as many clues as you’d like, the only thing holding some teams back from getting a clue is pride. I’d recommend if you haven’t solved anything in 10mins, ask for a clue. I’ve often seen a team get stuck on one puzzle for too long refusing clues from the GM, then they get too far behind in the room and ask for lots of clues at the end as they start to stress about the time. If they’d taken that clue offered earlier, they may have had more time to solve puzzles towards the end without clues and time stress.
At Narrow Escape Rooms, we pride ourselves on giving the right clue at the right time, it could be a simple as “did you notice the images on the drawer” or a complete walk through of the puzzle depending on the team
6. Keep an eye on the Clock (But don't obsess)
If you get stuck, check out how much time you have left, but if you seem to be moving from puzzle to puzzle, try not to keep looking at the clock. The lack of time (or perceived lack of time) puts on more pressure and for some, impedes their decision-making abilities. So many times, we see people overlook things towards the end of their game, something we are sure they would have solved if it was at the beginning of the game, its just due to the time pressure.
7. Divide and Conquer
There’s always that one team that insists on doing everything together, moving as a clump from puzzle to puzzle like flys. Don’t be that team. Split up and tackle different areas of the room. That way, you can work on multiple puzzles at once and make actual progress instead of hovering around one person going, “What if you try turning it the other way?”
8. Don't Overthink it
Look, I love a good brain teaser, but escape rooms aren’t trying to trick you into solving the Pythagorean theorem backwards while balancing on one foot. If a code has four numbers, don’t start doing complex maths unless the room specifically asks you to. Often, the simplest answer is the right one. If you find yourself attempting Morse code using the blinking light on the ceiling, take a step back. You might be overdoing it.
9. Stay Cool Under Pressure
Escape rooms are meant to be fun, so if you find yourself yelling at your best mate because they don’t understand what you are trying to tell them, take a deep breath. Stress makes it harder to think clearly. Keep the energy positive, stay patient with your teammates, and remember—it’s just a game. No one’s actually going to leave you locked inside (…probably).
10. Learn from Every Escape Room
Whether you escape or not, take a few minutes after the game to reflect. What worked well? What could your team improve next time? Did you communicate clearly? Miss an obvious clue? Or did someone (looking at you, Bob) forget to mention the key they found?
Each escape room teaches you something new — about puzzles, teamwork, and problem-solving. Before long, you’ll be the go-to escape room expert in your group!
Ready to Put These Tips to the Test?
Now that you’ve got the inside scoop, why not see how your team stacks up?
Book an adventure at Narrow Escape Rooms Penrith and put these escape room strategies into practice. Whether you’re planning a night out with friends, a family challenge, or a corporate team-building event, we have the perfect room for you.
👉 Book Your Escape Room
👉 Or read more: Top Tips for Your First Escape Room
Final Thoughts
Escape rooms are more than just puzzles — they’re a test of creativity, teamwork, and communication. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned escaper, these escape room tips and tricks will help you play smarter and have more fun.
Now grab your team, get ready to think outside the box, and remember — the key to escaping is teamwork!