10 Secret Design Ideas That Enchant your Escape Room With Fun & Magic

This puzzle requires neither instructions nor checking mechanism. Instead, players logically link clues from another part of the game and know the moment they've succeeded. It's from the 4th game we published (The Lost Mummy), and since then we've been firebombing checking mechanisms.

Even the 'good' example of above results in a 4 digit combination rather than intrinsically adding to a bigger puzzle. For example, spelling a word like OPEN, or making one letter in an acrostic word.

To do this well, you'll most likely need to design a major combination puzzle that requires several smaller challenges to be solved first. More on this in Secret 6.

Yes, it's hard, but 100% worth every painstaking hour invested into eliminating all checking mechanisms.

If you're trying to make players rage-quit in frustration, just get random unconnected puzzles and chuck them all in a room together. You'll be sure to succeed.

It forces players to simply run around guessing what goes with what.

This is the very definition of rage-quit.

For example, what would make a better clue location for players who need to open a toolbox?

• A scrap of paper in the bin, or
• Symbols scratched into the side of a hammer.

Printable escape room kits give you lots of options for interesting puzzles, including scrunching, cutting, throwing and folding.

This is perfect for the overly-curious goblin or that particularly clumsy barbarian in your party. There's no need to worry about breaking sensitive game pieces because you can just print it again!

So don't fear to really unleash the creativity of your adventurers, always add at least 3 puzzles that involve tactically using the kit.

Here're some ideas:

Here's a breakdown of the various activities to include in your escape room design:

• 30% Tasks: these are challenges that required Doing not Solving. For example, when players see a maze they instantly know how to complete the challenge (they just need to do it). Other great examples are alignment or folding puzzles. Tasks give players a 'quick win' where they feel like they're crushing it before they get to the harder puzzles. For example, we get players straight into the game when they piece together clue cards to make a bigger picture. This very simple task gives them an immediate 'win' feeling which spurs them on to try more rather than scratch their head at being stuck.
• 40% Puzzles: these are what you're thinking about when imagining Escape Room Puzzles. Players won't notice the distinction, but they'd be described as 'harder'. In reality, they require Solving but take almost no time to Do.
• 30% Party Games: Everyone loves party games. Jam them into your mix for ultimate fun. For example, shooting targets with a NERF gun or avoiding land mines while blindfolded. They can even be special rules that apply to the game, like 'Players can't talk until completing X'. These just require a very short description showing players how to set the game up, along with the Success Condition. Since your printable escape game is being played by kids at a party, or groups of friends, they'll suspend disbelief and not cheat. Effectively, the solution is intrinsic to the puzzle.