On New Year’s Eve my wife and I and several other Northside Bitches took on the Zombie Uprising at Escape 605.  We may not have completed the puzzle in the allotted 60 minutes but we had a damn good time trying.  The good thing about our group was there are many not a lot of brains in the group for the Zombies to dine on.

My first visit to an escape room was definitely a thrilling experience! You have absolutely no idea what awaits you as you try to get the gist of the tasks you might encounter behind the door of an escape room. You have probably read reviews about the escape room, but they are no help, as they avoid spoilers. Well, don’t worry. Here is a short guide for you on the kinds of tasks to expect. Rule one – always listen to your host.  They are trying to help you succeed.   We failed at rule one a few times. Oops!

There is a great variety of tasks offered by escape rooms. Some tasks may require extensive searching, while others may involve physical activity or a simple use of logic. Don’t be stressed out. Encyclopedic knowledge and outstanding intelligence aren’t critical. On the battlefield called escape rooms, you need something more useful. It’s quite possible that brainteasers will bring you back to high school math, geography and physics classes. Think you can recall the basics of mathematics? Maybe it’s high time you revisited Roman numerals and ways of solving simple math problems.

You already know that you need a team (or a buddy at least) to go to an escape room. Although teaming up with friends is pretty easy, it’s a bit more complicated to predict whether each of your friends will be able to apply his or her knowledge in a locked room in order to solve tasks.

While one of your teammates is working on a “complicated” math problem, the most attentive and sharp-sighted one should be carefully observing the room, paying close attention to each and every corner. Puzzles, secrets, and hints could be found anywhere, even in places where a sensible person would not dare to look. Don’t be shy, return to your childhood, investigate, and untwist everything possible. But please remember to use your common sense to avoid damaging the equipment.

Escape room designers have also prepared tasks which can’t be tackled by one person alone. These are the kinds of tasks where teamwork is crucial. So, go team Northside, we combined our efforts! Sometimes two pairs of hands or legs are required. You may also come against obstacles to overcome which you’ll need to demonstrate dexterity, even though no one expects you to beat sports records.

Last but not least, do not bang your head against the wall when solving tasks. Instead, identify the problem and examine every alternative possible before choosing the best solution.

The diversity of riddles and tasks surpasses the imagination of even the most discerning game players. So the only true advice is to find a team and book an escape room now!