Continuing our look into the types of clues, tropes and puzzles you might well encounter in an escape room game. Sorry to say, but there are no answers to be found here, just a general overview allowing a first time player a glimpse into the inner workings of how clues and puzzles might be resolved. So, with that in mind, onward and upwards...
COLOR MATCHING PUZZLES
Assigning different colors to clues is a very common practice. More often than not these types of puzzle are hiding in plain sight. An example might be a box with four colored dots painted on the top. A red, green, yellow and white dot. Looking around the room you can see a red telephone with the number 6 written on it. Then in the corner there's a yellow book with the number 7 written on the back...and so on...you get the picture. Put all the numbers in sequence and you have yourself an answer to something.
FIND THE RIGHT ORDER
Once again a very common type of clue. There will be any number of objects that have a similar correlation to each other. You'll then need to work out the particular order they need to be in for another clue or a solution to be produced. These orders can be based around numbers ie dates, birthdays or any form of measurement where there is a definitive order involved like the alphabet or playing card suits. Once you have a answer...then it's time to go find the problem that it fits!
TEENY-TINY CLUES
Yes, we keep on reminding you that if there's an object in the room, whatever it may be, it's been placed there deliberately for a reason. So, if you find a magnifying glass, then you can guarantee that there's something tiny waiting to be discovered. Often the path to these well hidden objects will be within the clues given for something else, maybe a riddle or a drawing with directions.
SECRET/TRAP DOORS
There's nothing like discovering a secret door leading to another space! Like Narnia! This sort of thing really takes us back to those exploring days of our childhood. Finding that there's a new entrance to a hidden room is probably the most exciting thing you'll do for a long time. Nothing will give you quite the buzz or fill you with amazement and awe. As to where these entrances are situated, only you can discover this. Maybe there's a chubby-hole behind a picture or a secret entrance behind a wardrobe. But where ever it's situated, believe us when we say that the room designer will of worked hard on hiding it well. Sometimes these doors will open if the right code is inserted into a keypad or you'll be needing to swipe a sensor. One thing is certain, that finding hidden rooms will be one of the highlights of your game.
FLIP THE SWITCH
Again, yet another common clue hiding in plain sight. The number of times we've seen players start the game in virtual darkness and yet never think to turn on the lights. Also lighting can be used to illuminate objects or areas of the room that hold some significant clues or solutions. The possibilities of using the light switch and light as a source of clues is practically endless. So, try the light switch the moment you enter an escape room game.
SHADOW PUZZLES
This also brings us back to our childhood games when one of us had a flashlight and made shapes on the bedroom walls. Well, now we're all grown up and in an escape room, we can return to rediscovering those childish skills. If you find a flash light then there are any number of uses it could be put to. And casting shadows is one of them. Sometimes an ordinary table object might point to a clue with it's shadow. There are a million and one ways shadows can point out things. Your job is to get creative.
DETAILS FROM THE STORY-LINE
Always keep in mind that the escape room game is based around a mission. All these puzzle and clues are leading to a climax when the time has run down. Take a look at the story line. Games designers often hide clues in plain sight within the story-line or narrative. Make sure you've read up on the mission properly before you commence. If you're playing a virtual game, then always pay careful attention as to what the Games Master is saying. On many occasions he's actually giving you a clue. So make sure that you all are paying attention!
MATH EQUATIONS
In the same way some peeps are more visual in therms of thinking, so it follows that there are those more suited to mathematical problems. Hopefully there will be someone with a head for numbers among your group of escape room players. Having said that, as we previously mentioned, any puzzles you have are not going to be super difficult to solve. The same holds true of math puzzles. You may be to finder the value of a place-holder in an equation or denote a value for some symbols. But whatever the requirement, don't worry as it's all easily doable. The nice thing about mathematics puzzles for the escape room designer is that there are an almost infinite number of possibilities to choose from.
