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Introduction: Best Codes

This instructable is filled with tons of cool codes and ciphers I'm sure all of you will enjoy.

If you enjoy what I do here, subscribe to my YouTube channel, Bolillo Kremer, to see some of my entertaining coding projects. You can check out my latest video here! Facial Recognition Taser (YOU LAUGH YOU GET TASED!!!)

For more awesome codes and cipher go to my website bestcodes.weebly.com
or visit bestcodesgame.weebly.com
to practice decoding

Also visit my other instructable "Movie Codes" or see them here at

http://bestcodes.weebly.com/movie-codes.html

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Anything Goes Contest

Step 1: A1Z26

A1Z26

The A1Z26 code is a very simple code. As you know there are 26 letters in the American alphabet so Z would equal 26 because it is the 26th letter in the alphabet.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Step 2: ASCII

ASCII

ASCII is a computer code that is similar to binary. Instead of using 1's and 0's like binary it uses the numbers from 1-256

A=65

B=66

C=67

D=68

E=69

F=70

G=71

H=72

I=73

J=74

K=75

L=76

M=77

N=78

O=79

P=80

Q=81

R=82

S=83

T=84

U=85

V=86

W=87

X=88

Y=89

Z=90

a=97

b=98

c=99

d=100

e=101

f=102

g=103

h=104

i=105

j=106

k=107

l=108

m=109

n=110

o=111

p=112

q=113

r=114

s=115

t=116

u=117

v=118

w=119

x=120

y=121

z=122

0=48

1=49

2=50

3=51

4=52

5=53

6=54

7=55

8=56

9=57

Step 3: Atbash

Atbash

The Atbash code is just the alphabet backwards. For example A would equal Z.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Z Y X W V U T S R Q P O N M L K J I H G F E D C B A

Step 4: Binary

Binary

The Binary code is a code that the computers recognize using only 1's and 0's. It is a very complicated code because they are different for lowercase and capital.

A 01000001

B 01000010

C 01000011

D 01000100

E 01000101

F 01000110

G 01000111

H 01001000

I 01001001

J 01001010

K 01001011

L 01001100

M 01001101

N 01001110

O 01001111

P 01010000

Q 01010001

R 01010010

S 01010011

T 01010100

U 01010101

V 01010110

W 01010111

X 01011000

Y 01011001

Z 01011010

a 01100001

b 01100010

c 01100011

d 01100100

e 01100101

f 01100110

g 01100111

h 01101000

i 01101001

j 01101010

k 01101011

l 01101100

m 01101101

n 01101110

o 01101111

p 01110000

q 01110001

r 01110010

s 01110011

t 01110100

u 01110101

v 01110110

w 01110111

x 01111000

y 01111001

z 01111010

0. 00110000

1. 00110001

2. 00110010

3. 00110011

4. 00110100

5. 00110101

6. 00110110

7. 00110111

8. 00111000

9. 00111001

! 00100001
@ 01000000

# 00100011

$ 00100100

% 00100101

^ 01011110

& 00100110

* 00101010

( 00101000

) 00101001

- 00101101

_ 01011111

+ 00101011

= 00111101

; 00111011

: 00111010

" 00100010

' 00100111

` 01100000

~ 01111110

< 00111100

> 00111110

? 00111111

¿ 10111111

, 00101100

. 00101110

/ 00101111

{ 01111011

} 01111101

[ 01011011

] 01011101

€ 10101100

¶ 10110110

Step 6: Caesar Cipher

Caesar Cipher

The Caesar cipher is a code Julius Caesar invented when he mailed letters. He invented it so if his messenger was robbed of that letter and the robber wouldn't be able to read it. It is probably one of the most simple codes ever. It is 3 letters back so A would be X. The Rot Cipher is almost the same as the Caesar Cipher.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

X Y Z A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W

Step 7: Columnar Cipher

Columnar Cipher

The Columnar Cipher is a type of transposition cipher.

1. Get Keyword

2. If your keyword is Zebras, that is 6 letters. You would write 632415 because Z is the 6th highest letter in the word and E is the 3rd highest letter and so on

3. Then message under the numbers in rows of 6, because Zebra is a 6 letter word.

4. Write out 123456. Under the number write the letters from each column that match the numbers in the original line of numbers.

Step 8: Combination Cipher

Combination Cipher

A Combination Cipher is a Cipher using 2 or more codes. For example if you wanted to make the best code ever, you could do Atbash, Caesar Cipher, Vigernere Cipher, and then A1Z26.

Step 12: Francis Bacons Substitution Cipher

Francis Bacons Substitution Cipher

One of Bacons best code was a code that used bold and regular fonts in a certain order to make a new letter. For example "code" would be something like this "Fra nci s Bacon wa s a co ol guy". After you see the sentence put all of the letters in to groups of 5, like this "Fra nc i sBac onwa s aco o l" leave out any extra letters. Once you have it like this you are ready to decode.

*= Regular Letter B= Bold Letter

A= *****

B=****B

C=***B*

D=***BB

E=**B**

F=**B*B

G=**BB*

H=**BBB

I=*B***

J=*B**B

K=*B*B*

L=*B*BB

M=*BB**

N=*BB*B

O=*BBB*

P=*BBBB

Q=B****

R=B***B

S=B**B*

T=B**BB

U=B*B**

V=B*B*B

W=B*BB*

X=B*BBB

Y=BB***

Z=BB**B

Step 14: Keyboard Code

Keyboard Code

The Keyboard Code is just the order of letters your keyboard.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Q W E R T Y U I O P A S D F G H J K L Z X C V B N M

Step 16: Phone Code

Phone Code

The Phone code is really cool because not a lot of people know it. It is just the number the letter is on and then what number it is on that number. For example A is on 1st number on 2 so it would be 2 1

2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 8 8 8 9 9 9 9

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 4

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Step 19: ROT Cipher

Rot Cipher

The Rot Cipher is when you take a letter and put it back or fourth to equal a different letter. An example of this would be -1 equals A=Z. +1 equals A+B It is Related to the Caesar Cipher.

This is a Print out of the Rot Cipher Wheel. Cut out the 2 circles leaving the inner circle NOT HOLLOW. Then you stick a tack or a paper clip through the middle of the inner wheel. Then you can spin it around to do your cipher.

Step 21: Scytale

Scytale

The cylinder decodes for you!

To make a cylinder cipher you need long strip of paper and cylinder.

Wrap the paper around the cylinder so there are no parts of the cylinder showing.

You can temporarily tape down the edges to help you with this part. write your message across the cylinder (write 1 or 2 letters on each part of the strip) Then unwrap the paper from the cylinder.

You can't decode the cipher unless you have a cylinder the same diameter as the one it was made on.

Step 25: Vigenere Cipher

Vigenere Cipher

The Vigenere Cipher is a 26x26 grid of letters a-z. It is a more complicated cipher so I will have to try to demonstrate with explaining battle ship.

Directions

1. Choose a code word (any word. no numbers)

2. Write it like this (my code word will be "code") i m t r y i n g t o e x p l a i n h o w t o d o t h i s it doesn't matter if the code word cant fit evenly c o d e c o d e c o d e c o d e c o d e c o d e c o d e

3. Look at the grid and follow the row i and the column c to the intersection like in battle ship. the letter they intersect on is k. that is how you encode it. To decode it take the code letter in this case c and go until you find k. Then go up all the way so you will find i.

Step 27: Subscribe to Bolillo Kremer

If you enjoyed this tutorial or just enjoyed any part of this, please subscribe to Bolillo Kremer.

I will be making more funny robot projects very soon and I would really appreciate your support! Thank you so much! I'll see ya on the next tutorial ;)

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Best Codes: This instructable is filled with tons of cool codes and ciphers I'm sure all of you will enjoy. If you enjoy what I do here, subscribe to my YouTube channel, Bolillo Kremer, to see some of my entertaining coding projects. You can check out my lates...

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Use this helpful tool to translate between morse code and text. To begin, please enter words or morse code in the Input box and press Translate.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR USING THE MORSE CODE TRANSLATOR
How to translate morse code to text:

Enter morse code into the input box using period (.) and minus sign (-)

Morse letters must be separated by 1 space

Morse words must be separated by 3 or more spaces

You can use / to separate morse words. There must be at least 1 space before and after each separator used

How to translate text to morse code:

Enter text into input box

Characters that cannot be translated into morse will be ignored

If morse code and text is entered, the converter will assume morse mode

The Morse Code Generator and Translator is based on code developed by Kurt Grigg.
WHAT IS MORSE CODE?

Morse code is a method of communicating with a series of sounds or lights that can be understood only by someone who knows the code.

Each Morse code symbol represents either a letter or number and is represented by a unique sequence of dots and dashes. The duration of a dash is three times the duration of a dot.

Samuel F.B. Morse invented a code that was used to send messages over electric telegraphs in the 1830s. The SOS distress signal - three dots, three dashes, three dots - proved to be a simple way to communicate in an emergency.

With the invention of the telephone (and, later, two-way radios and cellphones), Morse code is nowadays used mostly just for fun by amateur radio operators. Certain amateur radio bands are still reserved for Morse code use.

HOW CAN I LEARN MORSE CODE?

Learning morse code can be a fun and rewarding experience. It may seem daunting at first, but with practice, anyone can learn to interpret and transmit Morse code messages.

One of the best ways to start learning morse code is to use an online morse code translator like the one on this page. These tools give you the chance to practice and test your abilities.

A chart like this one can also help you learn morse code by visualizing the dots and dashes on the letters of the alphabet:

A great way to practice is by listening to morse code transmissions on the radio. Many amateur radio operators still use morse code, and you can tune in to their transmissions and try to interpret the messages. You can also join a morse code club or group to practice with other enthusiasts.

Learning morse code may seem like an outdated skill, but it can be a fun and rewarding hobby. It can also be useful in emergency situations when other forms of communication are unavailable. With a bit of practice and dedication, anyone can become proficient in morse code and enjoy the thrill of transmitting and receiving messages in this classic code.

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Learn Morse Code With This Morse Translator and Decoder

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Use this helpful tool to translate between morse code and text.

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Escape Room Supplier - We put magic in your business.

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There are numerous mechanisms, electronic devices and other fancy equipment to make your game fun and challenging. But, sometimes, all it takes is just pen (or printer) and paper. Learn more about codes and ciphers and how to use them in your escape room.

You may not be aware of it, but we use codes ciphers every day. Street signs, food allergen symbols in restaurant menus, computer icons. Most probably you have also used ciphers to make a hard to break internet password, or to send a secret message to your friend during high school times.

Codes and ciphers are both used to deliver some sort of message. This might be achieved in many different ways and we are going to show you some that you might be cool to use in your escape room.
Caesar and other letter-based ciphers
The first type of ciphers uses only letters to encode the message. It could something from changing teh odrer of the lertts (not a challenge, not even for new players!) to some more fancy tricks.

For example, you can use the first letters of each word of the sentence to form a phrase: Consider It a Poorly Hidden Example of a Riddle. A similar kind of puzzles are acrostics. They are poems in which the message is encoded in the first letters of each of line or paragraph. To read the hidden meaning, one has to read the poem both vertically and horizontally.

In the past, the disk ciphers were used to decode the messages. Here you can see a disk used to crack substitution ciphers, like Caesar's.

What about Caesar? He is the author of one of the popular ciphers, named "Caesar's cipher". It shifts every letter by a fixed number of letters down the alphabet. For example, if the shift is "2", the C becomes E, and E becomes G. Try writing down a cryptic message and hide the shift number somewhere in the room. It's fairly simple once you get a grasp of it but can still provide quite a challenge. Iqqf nwem!*
From Morse to emojis - symbol-based ciphers
The second form of ciphers uses graphic symbols, and thus makes a room for more creativity. You can use one of the already established sets of symbols, or make one of your own. Looking for something classic? The Morse code uses only dots and dashes and it's generally well-known to many - but that does not mean that everyone will be able to decode it!

Everyone knows the Morse Alphabet - or do they?

If you want a more modern approach, you can always try the emojis. They are also a set of symbols that are used to convey a message - be it simple words, or even whole sentences; for single letters, opt for one of the computer fonts, like Wingdings, which substitutes each sign with a different symbol. If you are feeling really creative, nothing stops you from creating your own alphabet. Bonus points symbols fitting your room's theme.
Break the routine by breaking the cipher
Codes and ciphers might not be the most visually attractive escape room puzzles. However, their simplicity might be nothing short of deceiving. Neglecting them might cost the group a lot of time! Therefore they are the kind of challenges that encourage teamwork and brainstorming together to decode the hidden message. And all you need is just a piece of paper with some (encrypted) text on it!

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Codes and ciphers in escape room puzzles - Escape Room Supplier

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There are numerous mechanisms, electronic devices and other fancy equipment to make your game fun and challenging. But, sometimes, all it takes is just pen (or printer) and paper. Learn more about codes and ciphers and how to use them in your escape room.

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iStock Gold Locks Combination Realistic Rotating Secret Unlock Code Font Banking Security Metallic Alphabet Spinning Wheels With Letters And Numbers Vector Safe Protection Elements Set Stock Illustration - Download Image Now

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Gold locks combination. Realistic rotating secret unlock code font....

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These are the most common and flexible escape room puzzle ideas that we've seen in our experience doing 400+ escape rooms across the United States and Europe. These ideas are not specific to any particular theme or company, and can be adapted to work well in most rooms.

On one end of the spectrum, these puzzle ideas can be perfect for an escape room on a tight budget. On the other end of the spectrum, some of the best escape rooms in North America use these ideas with stellar execution.
This list is broken up into two sections:

Section 1: Extracting Digits, Letters, Directions, and Orders

Section 2: Extracting Phrases

Section 3: Extracting Pictures and Instructions

Section 4: Extracting Items

Section 5: Alternate locking mechanisms

Section 6: Simple Circuits

This section contains very common puzzle themes that are repeated in many escape rooms. Many of these themes can be easy to implement and are not high-tech, but can lead to fantastic results in high-quality rooms.

Idea #1. Extract Numbers from Pictures

This one is incredibly flexible since it serves both as decor and a way to hide numbers that are used in some sort of combination lock. This one is also easier to implement since you just need some sort of design or image, and then to secure it to the wall firmly so that overzealous room escapers won't be able to pry it off.

Tips: An extremely common method is just counting, like the example in the image caption above. You can have an image of 9 pineapples - and somewhere else in the room you have a hint that a pineapple is supposed to correspond to a number. The number of pineapples, in addition to the numbers of 3 other fruits, can give you the code for a 4-digit combination lock.

Idea #2. Cast a Shadow

You can be creative with items and design / place them in such a way so that they leave a series of numbers or letters when a spotlight is shone on them in the right way. The spotlight can turn on once a user does the appropriate action, maybe press a button that is only accessible after the player discovers it or unlocks the box that contains it. Additionally, you can use shadows to point the user towards particular symbols or items of interest on a wall or a floor.

Tips: This is an excellent place to try to turn some of the decor of the room into a puzzle!

Idea #3. Build a Number Using a 7-Segment Display

These 7 segment screens might be less common nowadays, but they make a simple way to have your players build-their-own numbers by following a set of instructions on some sort of 2×3 board.

Tips: You may be able to go further and have players construct letters or even full words as well. Just make sure that your instructions are precise, while not needing too much reading.

Idea #4. Press the Buttons or Place Items in the Right Order

This is a common puzzle. There are a sequence of buttons (or pull strings or equivalent), and players need to press the buttons in the correct order. The buttons are labelled or shaped with some sort of object, and some sort of clue elsewhere in the room will tell players which order they should press the buttons.

An alternate way to implement this puzzle is to have players press the right set of buttons at the same time. This may help involve multiple team members, as the buttons might be physically separately from each other (or, there are simply too many buttons for 1 person to press simultaneously.

Tips: In psychology, a commonly cited research paper states that the average human can hold in working memory up to 7 +/- 2 items. If you have a sequence of buttons that your players need to press, we recommend anywhere between 6-8 items. 5 or fewer is problematic as it becomes easy for players to bash the order of the remaining once they have just one of the items. 9 or more is problematic as it becomes difficult for players to remember the sequence. If you ask for players to memorize the order of 8 items, we recommend giving players a boogie board that they can use as live memory.

Idea #5. Decrypt Messages

These red symbols sure look enticing. If only we could decipher this... (This is the Codex Runicus)

Custom codes and ciphers are the most common in escape rooms since they're a great way to incorporate the theme. Other than custom symbols, Morse code seems to be the second most popular because of its flexibility (works in audio and flashing light forms too) and general recognizability. Other popular codes and ciphers include Pigpen Cipher, Caesar Cipher, or a Book Cipher (commonly the Arnold Cipher).

Tips: This code sheet (from Puzzled Pint) lists the most common codes / ciphers used in puzzle hunts, which is also some of the most common codes / ciphers used in escape rooms. Make sure you provide some sort of reference sheet for your players if you plan on using a cipher / code - this is not necessarily common knowledge.

Idea #6. Find Information in Plain Text

You can hide information in passages of text that otherwise help fit the story or theme of the game. This one is incredibly flexible. There are a huge number of ways you can do this, including:

1. Highlighting or coloring certain words or letters in a text passage

2. Giving your players access to some sort of sheet with holes. These holes lined up with the text in the right way will show specific words that players should read.

3. Particular words in the text will refer to particular objects around the room, which will give players a particular selection or ordering.

4. Hide a message thats revealed if players read the words in a particular way, for example every 5th word, or reading down a particular line.

5. Certain words in the passage could glow if held up to a light, when the lights are turned off, or over a blacklight.

6. Have players look up information in a particular file

Idea #7. Reveal Invisible Messages by Blacklight

This is one of the more common mechanisms that we see in early escape rooms. A blacklight is hidden somewhere in a locked box or cabinet somewhere in the escape room, which lets players comb the walls and objects around the room for hidden puzzles written in blacklight marker.

Tips: Make sure that the things you want to show in the blacklight are visible when the blacklight is shone on it. If it isn't visible, either you'll need a stronger blacklight, a new coat of blacklight paint, or you need to move the clue to somewhere with much worse lighting. Please also keep the batteries fresh!

Advanced Tips: You can also have a whole wall full of blacklight paint, and then have some sort of player action trigger a whole room to light up in blacklight with a blacklight fixture.

Idea #8. Piece Together Parts

This common puzzle involves players slowly finding various pieces of a large clue they need to solve the game. This is incredibly common as it allows players to achieve satisfactory progress, let them try to solve the incomplete puzzle, and then realize that they need more pieces in order to proceed. This comes in a variety of flavors:

1. You get the pieces of a multi-piece puzzle sequentially, not all at once.

2. A critical piece of paper you need comes in parts, and you need to find all or most of them in order to understand its contents

3. A jigsaw puzzle or tangram puzzle or something similar

Tips: Make sure that your pieces are durable and can withstand rough use from hundreds of escape room players. A dirty sheet of paper is not fun to play with.

Idea #9. Search for Items in Odd Places

This is almost certainly the most common escape room puzzle - it's so common that every one of the escape rooms we've had have had searching as a component in some way or another. This simply involves hiding important things in not-so-obvious places.

Tips: Common places include within coat pockets, inside a book safe, inside drawers, inside containers, on top of a ledge, on top of surfaces that are just beyond eyes reach, or stuck to a support pillar of the room. More evil places include behind parts of the wall, underneath the floorboards, or wedged behind things.

Word of caution: Escape rooms that have more searching will also have more players trying to take apart the room. We'd warn against hiding things in the ceilings, above arms reach, or inside electrical outlets as that can cause issues.

Idea #10. Retrieve Items Out of Reach

This is especially common in prison-themed escape rooms. The keys to a cell are usually just out of reach beyond the bars, and the players must use a long stick, a magnet on a string, or grabby tool.

Tips: Keys are not magnetic, but steel rings are. A magnet attached to a string can grab keys on a steel ring. This concept also applies in general to any object that's out of reach via normal means, and the player must find some sort of method to extract the object out. Usually the object is a key.

More Tips: You can also do this with lines of sight. Potentially something written somewhere is not visible unless the player holds up a mirror.

Idea #11. Solve Puzzles in Everyday Objects

This idea is a catch-all for all of the different kinds of objects that you can turn into a puzzle. Playing cards are extremely common and probably somewhat overused here. Here are some more ideas:

1. For objects that clearly belong together, you can write on them so that it spells out some sort of code or message (when reassembled into the right order).

2. For objects that are very numerous, you can write various symbols on them and have some sort of mechanism to get your players to choose the right ones (in order). You can also have your players count them to get the combination for a lock.

3. For objects that already have numbers on them, you can have some sort of mechanism to have your players choose the right ones in order in order to get the combo to a lock.

4. An object has to be placed in exactly the right place in order to trigger a magnetic lock (see the "Magnetic Reed Switch" idea)

Tips: Another way to expand on this is to have your players put these items in order to form some sort of code. The ordering can be by size, length, in the order that they were mentioned in a passage of text, or so on.

Idea #12. Take Out an Object from a Maze

The key (or other important object) is hidden in plain sight, but the player has to solve some sort of maze in order to access the object. The player has to maneuver the key or other object outside of the maze using a set of restricted movements.

Tips: There's tremendous variety here. The maze can be horizontal and rely on tilting motions, vertical and mounted on a wall, or even 3-dimensional and requiring the coordinated actions of two players.

While the key lock is ubiquitous, it can easily be overused. Here are some of our suggestions to go beyond the normal key lock and look into other mechanisms. Some of these mechanisms can only be executed with some basic electronics knowledge.

Idea #13. Open a Combination Lock

Combination that are common in escape rooms include 4-digit combination locks, 5-letter word locks, and directional locks. These locks are fairly common in escape rooms and do well to establish more variety in the locks in an escape room (and help prevent the scenario where players aren't sure which lock their code should go in).

Tips: For 5-letter word locks, some players will attempt to guess the right word according to the theme of the room (like MAGIC for an magic-themed rooms). To avoid that, it's better to go with a world that's much less obvious. Similarly, for 4-digit combination locks, players will likely try to guess the last digit after they have 3 out of the 4 digits.

Idea #14. Go with some Fancier Combination Locks

There are some fancier combination locks that feel higher quality and more weighted may make sense for your themes - for example you can check out the Justin Nevins cryptex lines, crafted within the USA.

Idea #15. Place an Item to Trigger a Sensor

An object placed in the correct location can trigger the opening of a door or cabinet. This is more advanced than the other ideas on this list but also can be a simple electronics project.

Tips: The object will usually have a magnet or an RFID tag buried on the bottom. The surface that the object is placed on will have a Reed Switch or some sort of RFID reader. There's enormous flexibility here to hide the technology inside props that are appropriate for your theme. Make sure that once the door or cabinet is open, it is very clear to the players that something inside the room has changed.

Getting Started: For beginners to electronics, we recommend getting an Official Arduino Starter Kit. After getting familiar with the platform, you can get a pack of reed switches to test out some basic ideas. Arduinos are small computers / micro-controllers that can route switches to the correct action (e.g. if 3 items are placed in the right place then a maglock will open a hidden door).

Non-Recommended Puzzle Ideas

While these are still valid puzzle ideas for escape rooms, we personally don't recommend them (although they can be fun for certain players).

Not recommended due trivialness

Trivia - Escape rooms are best when they don't depend on pre-existing knowledge, else your customers can easily get stuck. This includes answers to crossword puzzles that rely on trivia rather than guessing of a proper word.

Riddles - These mostly rely on people having heard the riddle before, and are usually difficult to fit into the theme of the game.

Arithmetic - A math problem shouldn't be used as a puzzle by itself.

Not recommended due to frustration

Puzzles without one definite solution - Following the puzzle solving process properly should lead players to one definite solution, not two, three, or multiple.

Technology that is likely to be finicky - If a player does exactly the right sequence of steps, they should be able to solve the puzzle.

Not recommended due to safety

Hiding things in fake electrical outlets - This is a safety issue.

Hiding things in ceilings - This is also a safety issue

Conclusion

Our general (and very common) advice for entrepreneurs interested in starting an escape room business are to travel and try out as many great escape rooms as possible before you begin, to get a sense of what makes a good experience for your customers.

These ideas that we listed can be incredibly easy and inexpensive to implement, but please don't make them seem like they were easy or inexpensive to implement. These ideas are very common, which means that the most basic versions of these puzzles are somewhat overdone. However, with good execution and application of your theme, you can still delight your customers with variants of these puzzles.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means that we may get a small commission for any purchases made through the links. Image Attribution: The cover picture of this blog post is made by leoflynn on deviantart.

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Top 15 Puzzle Ideas for Escape Rooms (2023) | Escape Room Tips

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These are the most common and flexible escape room puzzle ideas that we've seen in our experience doing 400+ escape rooms across the United States and Europe. These ideas are not specific to any particular theme or company, and can be adapted to work well in most rooms. On one end of the spectrum, these...

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Q: What's the ultimate win for an escape game operator?

A: Making a group of players want to simultaneously curse you and high-five you.

Seriously! When escape room players love you and hate you at the same time, you're doing something right!

To run a truly great escape room, your puzzles must be challenging, unique . . . and FUN!

To help you get started, NowEscape has compiled the following list of 101 escape room puzzle ideas, based on the most common escape-game puzzle types around the world.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

This list is by no means all-encompassing. There are hundreds more room-escape puzzle ideas out there that you can explore, adapt, and use.

These ideas are provided to spark your imagination - to give you the "a-ha!" you need to design your own unique puzzles.

Will copying these ideas as described wow your customers and make your brand a household name?

Probably not.

Veteran escape room players are looking for puzzles that surprise them.

You want your escape rooms to be the standard by which new players judge all other games going forward.

Take these ideas and craft them into something your customers - and your competition - have never seen before.

Are you up for the challenge?

Let's get started.

The puzzle types and percentages discussed in this article are based upon research conducted by Scott Nicholson in 2015 and published in his white paper,Peeking Behind the Locked Door: A Survey of Escape Room Facilities. You can download his white paper here.

Hidden Objects

Hiding physical objects throughout a room is the most common puzzle used by escape room designers.

That doesn't mean you should avoid using hidden objects - you just need to get creative in how you do it.

Idea 1: Hide a clear glass ball in a container of water.

Idea 2: Hide money or documents in a book.

Idea 3: Hide a key in a flower pot.

Idea 4: Hide a key on a wall where it's only visible when illuminated by black light.

Hidden objects are used in 78% of escape rooms worldwide.

Team Communication

One of Nowescape's favorite puzzle categories involves tasks that can only be completed if several people work together.

These puzzles are not only challenging, they require players to exercise team-building and communication skills.

Many corporate groups looking for team-building exercises for their employees seek out rooms that require this type of problem solving.

Idea 5: Require one player to perform a task in one room with no view, while a teammate who can see the results provides directions from another room.

Idea 6: Chain or tie players to one another, restricting their movement until they find a key to release themselves.

Idea 7: Connect the electricity that powers a puzzle to a stationary bicycle. Require one player to pedal continuously while another solves the puzzle. For an added challenge, if the player operating the bicycle stops pedaling, reset the puzzle.

Team communication is used in 58% of escape rooms worldwide.

Light

There are numerous ways to use light in an escape room.

Light can be used as a tool to reveal or hide clues. It can also be used to create atmosphere, supporting your theme and helping immerse your players in the environment you've created.

When considering the types of lights and light effects you'd like to use in your escape room, keep your theme in mind. A black light may fit into your nightclub or biolab theme perfectly but may seem out of place in a pirate ship or a castle dungeon.

Idea 8: Place a code on a spinning fan so that it can only be read using a stroboscope in the dark.

[Tip: Make sure you warn players in advance if using any kind of strobe light effect; strobe lights can cause customers with epilepsy to have seizures.]

Idea 9: Create clues that glow in the dark.

Idea 10: Require players to navigate a completely dark environment.

Idea 11: Write clues or messages with UV-paint (transparent or otherwise).

Idea 12: Use a lamp and a sundial to reveal a hidden door.

Idea 13: Create a three- to four-character sequence out of Christmas lights on the ceiling, then surround it with additional lights. Design a switch that shuts off the additional lights, leaving only your code lit up. Require players to find and figure out how to use the switch in order to read the code.

Light is used as a puzzle element in 54% of escape rooms worldwide.

Counting

Although complex mathematical puzzles are often not recommended, since you cannot predict your customers' education level and math ability (see the section on algebra and mathematics below), it is generally safe to assume players are able to count.

Idea 14: Hide objects that are clearly related throughout the room and require players to find them all and use the total number to solve another puzzle.

Counting is used as a puzzle element in 53% of escape rooms worldwide.

Noticing Something "Obvious" in the Room

Often, players are so busy looking for hidden objects and obscure clues they miss what's right in front of them.

Rather than hiding all your clues, try putting some of them out in the open and see how long it takes your players to realize they are there!

Idea 15: Require players to step into a set of footprints printed on the floor in order to open a door.

Idea 16: Place a set of scales in the room and require players to balance or weigh a set of objects.

Idea 17: Reveal a clue if a player sits on a piece of furniture, such as a sofa or a bed.

Idea 18: Hide the entry to the next room under a bed, beneath a rug, or behind a ventilation cover.

Noticing something obvious in the room is used by 49% of escape rooms worldwide.

Symbol Substitution with a Key

Symbol substitution is generally a simple task of comparing provided symbols to a key and matching them up to the letters or numbers they correspond to.

While a fairly easy puzzle to solve, something like this at the beginning of a game can give players an early win and the confidence and motivation to tackle more difficult puzzles later.

To make a symbol substitution puzzle more challenging, you can place the symbols in one room and the key in another, thus requiring players in separate rooms to work together to solve it.

Idea 19: Substitute Morse code signals, braille, or hieroglyphics with letters.

Idea 20: Substitute letters for numbers, or vice versa.

Symbol substitution with a provided key is used by 47% of escape rooms worldwide.

Using Something in an Unusual Way

Objects don't always have to be used for their original or most common purpose.

Providing objects that look like set decoration but that can be manipulated in unusual ways to accomplish goals is a great way to challenge players to think outside of the box.

If players need a hint on how to use something, you can incorporate the hint into part of another escape room puzzle.

Idea 21: Provide a dial phone that can be used as a calculator, or vice versa.

Idea 22: Provide a plastic card that players can slide between a door jam and a latch to open a locked door or a door with no handle.

Idea 23: Require players to use a heavy object in the room to apply weight to a platform or a switch.

Idea 24: Hide a magnet inside an object, such as an eraser, that can be used to lift a key out of a floor crack or operate a magnet-activated switch.

Idea 25: Provide a loose screw that can be removed and used to pull out a drawer that's missing a handle.

This kind of out-of-the-box thinking is used by 47% of escape rooms worldwide.

Searching for objects in images

Depending on your theme, you may have paintings, diagrams, photographs, posters, and other decorations on the walls (or in frames on shelves or desks) around the room.

Why not add some puzzles to your set decoration?

Idea 26: Encode clues or messages in a map.

Idea 27: Require players to recognize a famous person and use that information elsewhere in the game.

Images with clues hidden in them are used by 43% of escape rooms worldwide.

Assembly of a Physical object

Many rooms include objects that obviously (or perhaps not so obviously) go together and require players to combine them to either create a new object or to activate a switch.

Idea 28: Require players to insert money into a money-counting machine.

Idea 29: Require players to run a credit card through a credit card reader.

Idea 30: Reward players with a clue if they put beer in a fridge.

Idea 31: Activate a switch if players attach a prop to a statue, such as inserting a fishing rod into a fisherman statue's hand.

Idea 32: Require players to place a model car on a map.

Idea 33: Require players to place a book on a shelf.

Idea 34: Activate a switch if coins are deposited in an old public phone.

Idea 35: Dispense a clue if coins are deposited in a vending machine.

Idea 36: Reveal a clue if players set a laptop on a table.

Idea 37: Give players a jigsaw puzzle to assemble. Include one extra piece, which can be used as a clue or a tool elsewhere in the room. We have seen this puzzle at one of the Manchester's escape rooms.

Object assembly is used by 40% of escape rooms worldwide.

Algebra and other Mathematics

There is some debate among escape room operators regarding the use of algebra and mathematics (as opposed to counting or simple calculation) in escape games.

Some feel that escape game players expect challenges they may not be prepared for and understand that they can request hints if they get stumped. Others believe that all the knowledge required to solve the puzzles in a room should be either extremely basic or specifically provided in a prop or another puzzle.

A solution that may satisfy both sides of the debate would be to include mathematical puzzles but also provide alternative ways to solve them (such as a mathematics book on a bookshelf containing the answer) if players lack the skills to solve them on their own.

Idea 38: Provide an algebraic formula and require players to calculate the answer.

Algebra and mathematical equations are used by 39% of escape rooms worldwide.

Pattern identification

According to the German gestalt theory, our brains naturally create patterns from or connections between stimuli in our surroundings.

Give your players an opportunity to recognize and combine related items to create messages or clues that aren't immediately obvious.

Idea 39: Provide a set of dots within which a shape or code can be found.

Idea 40: Give players a set of symbols that can be combined to create a word or a number.

Idea 41: Attach items to a wire board and require players to connect those that create a pattern.

Pattern identification is used by 38% of escape rooms worldwide.

Riddles

Riddles have been challenging minds for thousands of years. They typically require players to consider alternate meanings of words or to make leaps in logic.

In ancient Greece, the ability to solve riddles was considered a sign of keen intelligence. In fact, Greek mythology brought us the famous story of the Sphinx, who allowed entry to Thebes only to those who could answer her riddle.

BrainDen.com offers a collection of riddles you could use in your escape game puzzles.

Idea 42: Make the answer to a riddle a clue that players need to complete a task.

Riddles are used by 37% of escape rooms worldwide.

Ciphers without a Key

Unlike the symbol substitution with a key discussed earlier, this type of puzzle requires critical thinking and logic rather than matching.

Idea 43: Let players re-create a cipher key from some known information and apply the key to an encrypted code.

[Tip: If you choose to use ciphers in your rooms without providing a key, make sure you provide players enough information to recognize that they need to develop the key themselves. Players can become discouraged and less motivated to keep playing if they spend too long looking for a key that isn't available.]

Players are required to develop their own cipher keys in 35% of escape rooms worldwide.

Sound

Many escape game puzzles rely upon players' sense of sight. But there's no reason to neglect the other five senses!

Using sound as a puzzle element can be an interesting way to mix things up a little and give players some diversity.

Like light, sound can also be used to reinforce your theme and immerse your customers in the world you've created. You can also use sudden, loud noises to distract or frighten players, if it's appropriate for your theme.

Idea 44: Play a melody that players must repeat using a mini-piano.

Idea 45: Give players a message in Morse code.

Idea 46: Play a sequence of sounds (animal sounds, rhythms, tones) and require recognition of the sequence to solve another puzzle.

Idea 47: Use a well-known music track to provide a clue that involves the band name, the song name, or something related to the song. For example, a Beach Boys song could represent the need to use a shell or a bottle of sand for some purpose.

Idea 48: Play parts of the same message in different rooms so that teammates have to spread out and listen simultaneously to get the full message.

Idea 49: Play a loud distracting sound to indicate that a player has pushed the wrong button or flipped the wrong switch.

Idea 50: Record clues on cassette tapes and provide a tape player to listen to them.

Idea 51: Transmit clues or messages over a radio; require players to find the batteries and the right frequency.

Sound is used as a puzzle element in 26% of escape rooms worldwide.

Mirrors

Mirrors can be used by players as tools to solve puzzles.

Idea 52: Create a message or a map that can only be read using a mirror.

Idea 53: Require players to hit a target using a laser and mirrors.

Idea 54: Write a hidden message on a mirror that is only revealed if a player breathes on it.

[Tip: Here are instructions for writing hidden messages on mirrors.]

You can also create tricky visual illusions when incorporating mirrors into the puzzles themselves.

Item 55: Use a mirror to make it appear as if a clue is within arm's reach. When players reach for it, they'll find only empty space.

Mirrors are used as puzzle elements by 26% of escape rooms worldwide.

Abstract logic

Some puzzles aren't challenging because they're hidden; with some puzzles, the trick is simply figuring out how to arrive at the right answer.

Idea 56: Hide clues in finished Sudoku or similar puzzles. We've see it at one of the London escape rooms.

Idea 57: Make the answer to an IQ test question the secret to solving another puzzle.

Abstract logic is used by 22% of escape rooms worldwide.

Research using information sources

Providing reference materials (hard copies or via digital interface) can open up numerous possibilities, since they allow you to design puzzles that require outside knowledge to solve.

For those players who know the answers, such puzzles can be solved more quickly, but for everyone else, the opportunity is still available to quickly find the answer and move forward.

Idea 58: Include an almanac of facts among the books on a bookcase that contains a crucial but obscure fact, number, year or other piece of trivia.

Idea 59: If players have access to the Internet, create a dedicated website based on your theme containing a clue or message in its images or text.

Idea 60: Provide access to an encyclopedia (or the Internet) as a backup for finding solutions to trivia, math, or other puzzles most people (but not all) are familiar with.

Research skills are required of players in 20% of escape rooms worldwide.

Strategic thinking

While some might argue that escape games require strategic thinking throughout, this category refers specifically to puzzles that require players to think ahead and predict outcomes.

Idea 61: Create a sequence of puzzles that must be solved in the correct order to reach a desired outcome.

Idea 62: Give players a Chess problem to solve.

Puzzle sequences and other challenges that rely upon strategic thinking are used in 20% of escape rooms worldwide.

Hand-eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination tasks increase the energy in a room, and they're a great way to give team members with different strengths an opportunity to contribute.

Idea 63: Require players to hit the bullseye on an electronic dart board from a distance.

Idea 64: Give players a water gun and reveal a message or clue if they can hit a target with a steady stream of water.

Hand-eye coordination is used in only 17% of escape rooms worldwide.

Ropes or chains

Depending on your theme, there may be a great opportunity to use ropes or chains as props. But don't discount the opportunity to use them as puzzles as well!

Idea 65: Tie something up and make the knot difficult to untie; for an extra challenge, require the use of another tool found elsewhere in the room to release the knot.

[Tip: Make sure players don't have access to anything sharp enough to cut the rope and ruin your prop!]

Idea 66: Chain players to each other or to something in the room at the beginning of the game and challenge them to get free.

Puzzles using ropes or chains are used by only 16% of escape rooms worldwide.

Traditional Word Puzzles

Word puzzles, like algebra and mathematics puzzles, often require outside knowledge that some players may not possess.

Consider making sure alternate methods of solving word puzzles are provided, especially if you frequently have tourists who are not native speakers of your country's language.

Idea 67: Here is an online crossword puzzle maker.

Word puzzles like crosswords or word searches are used by 14% of escape rooms worldwide.

Mazes

Mazes can come in all shapes and sizes. You can build a life-sized maze for players to navigate or give them smaller mazes to complete using hand-eye coordination and teamwork.

Idea 68: Activate a switch when a labyrinth puzzle is completed.

Idea 69: Require players to navigate a hidden maze with a radio-controlled car using a camera feed or a teammate's directions.

Idea 70: Place a key in a covered maze and require players to use a magnet to move it through the maze to an opening where it can be retrieved.

Idea 71: Give players a map that reveals the exact path through a maze and hide a code in the path pattern.

Mazes are featured in only 14% of escape rooms worldwide.

Physical Agility

One of the best ways to immerse players in your fictional world is to create physical obstacles they must overcome, especially if your theme involves horror, science fiction, or heist elements.

Whether they have to crawl out of a serial killer's basement or climb over debris to make repairs to a damaged escape pod, giving players a chance to interact physically with the space considerably heightens the level of realism.

[Tip: Not all players are physically able to perform tasks that require crawling, climbing, or navigating obstacles. Make sure you specify the level of physical activity required in your room description, so customers can plan appropriately.]

Idea 72: Full-sized secret doors aren't the only way to hide a secret room. Consider providing access via a trapdoor set into the floor.

Idea 73: Require players to navigate a laser maze; reset the puzzle and make them start over again if they touch a beam.

Idea 74: Hide something at the end of a tunnel or an HVAC vent that's just big enough for a person to crawl through.

Players are required to get physical in only 13% of escape rooms around the world.

Touch

Back to the five senses. You can use texture and temperature to add to the atmosphere of a room, but you can also create puzzles that require touch.

Idea 75: Place an object in a sealed box with a hole in it and require players to identify it solely with their hands.

Idea 76: Set up a switch that requires simultaneous pressure on multiple items or spots around the room so that multiple team members must work together. Add to the challenge by requiring the pressure points to be tapped in a certain sequence.

The sense of touch is used to solve puzzles in only 12% of escape rooms worldwide.

Knowledge of facts not provided in the room

As mentioned previously, many escape room operators and players consider it bad form to require outside knowledge (with the exception of commonly known facts) to complete a game.

Idea 77: Require players to know the street address of the room.

Only 11% of escape rooms around the world require players to use information not provided in the room to solve a puzzle.

Shape manipulation

Shape manipulation can be combined with pattern identification, although it doesn't have to be.

Idea 78: Give players a matchstick puzzle to complete.

Shape manipulation puzzles are used in 11% of escape rooms worldwide.
How are you doing? Is your head filled with ideas yet?
Now let's move on to some extremely rare escape room puzzles categories.

Liquids

Liquids are rarely used in escape room puzzles.

In order to successfully use liquids in your escape game, you'll need to consider several factors, such as how easily you can reset the room if you need to dry off props or furnishings and what you will do if players spill or drink the liquids (and thus make the puzzles unsolvable)

Idea 79: Place a key or object in the bottom of a container that is too narrow for a player's hand; require players to pour liquid into the container to raise the floating item.

Idea 80: Provide a hose or a water gun that produces a strong stream or jet of water that players must use to push an object or a button from a distance.

Idea 81: Provide liquids of different colors and require players to mix them to create a new color that is needed in another puzzle.

Only 9% of escape rooms worldwide use puzzles that involve liquids.

Social engagement with actors

Some escape rooms use actors to great effect (as evidenced by the popularity of the "Trapped in a Room with a Zombie" theme) while others interact with players only through their hint systems.

Using actors in your escape room can come with additional operations challenges, such as increased payroll, costuming expenses, and contingency plans if actors calls in sick or fail to show up for work.

That said, talented actors can significantly increase the realism of a theme.

Idea 82: The prisoner in the next cell keeps whispering and muttering nonsense (or is it?) throughout the game.

Idea 83: The psychopath drags a group member (actor) from the room; screams can be heard in the next room for most of the hour . . . then, as the clock ticks down . . . silence.

Idea 84: As players frantically search for clues, a mental patient on the other side of the door randomly pounds on it and shouts to be let in.

Social interaction with actors is used by only 7% of escape rooms worldwide.

Physical engagement with actors

Some escape games create a complete interactive experience for their guests with actors and entire houses or buildings to explore. These venues begin to blur the line between escape room and immersive theater or performance art.

There are currently few facilities offering this type of experience. Operators who are considering entering this space are pioneers in an exciting new form of entertainment.

Idea 85: A physician gives a player a physical, discovers something that terrifies him, and bolts from the room. Seconds later, alarms go off and the facility is locked down.

Idea 86: A guide takes players hands and leads them through the dark into their one-hour reality.

Idea 87: Non-player characters (NPCs) provide hints or messages to players throughout the game.

Currently, only 4% of escape rooms worldwide feature physical interaction with actors.

Smell

The sense of smell can be powerful. It can create a sense of nostalgia . . . or it can result in a disgust or fear. If you can find air freshener that matches your theme, you can use scents to add realism to the experience.

Idea 88: Apply scents to color- or letter-coded containers (or add letters to jars containing scented votive candles); then require recognition of the scent pattern to decipher a coded message.

Idea 89: Add scents to blank jigsaw puzzle pieces. Give players the final "picture" (i.e., arrangement of scented items) and require them to assemble the blank puzzle based on the scents on the pieces.

Idea 90: Let players know that two objects must be combined by making them smell the same.

Only 3% of escape rooms worldwide include puzzles that incorporate the sense of smell.

Taste

Not surprisingly, the sense of taste is rarely used in escape room puzzles. Many people respond negatively (or throw up!) when they taste something they do not like, and even the fear of unpleasant tastes can be enough to impact a player's enjoyment of the game.

Additionally, because they respect the props and furnishings around them, many players will assume they are not meant to put objects they find in an escape room in their mouths.

If you choose to use the sense of taste in your room, you'll need to find a subtle way to let players know a) that they are allowed to put items that look edible in their mouths and b) that they will not be forced to taste anything that will make them sick..

Idea 91: Give players a cinnamon candy and require them to apply this knowledge in the next puzzle.

Idea 92: Scatter white powder (salt, sugar, baking soda, flour) on a surface and make it critical that players find out what it is.

Idea 93: Require players to use chewing gum to connect two things together.

Idea 94: Give players a cup of a clear beverage; tasting it is the only way to determine which nearby container (lemon-lime soda, club soda, water) contains the next clue.

Only 1% of escape rooms worldwide require players to taste something.

Temperature

Obviously, you want to set the environment temperature according to your theme. So if your players are in a morgue, make sure it is cold; if they're in a crematorium, make sure it is hot.

In rooms in which the ambient temperature isn't extreme either way, some objects and substances will display different properties depending on their temperature.

Temperature is a fun and unusual way to hide or reveal clues or messages in an escape room.

Idea 95: Write a message or draw a map on a surface with thermochromic paint. Provide an icepack or rely on a player's body heat to reveal the hidden message.

[Tip: Paint with Pearl sells thermochromic paint online.]

Idea 96: Write a letter in "invisible ink" which must be warmed up to reveal the secret message

[Tip: You can make invisible ink yourself with common household products.]

Idea 97: Provide a thermometer and an enclosed space or an object for which the temperature must be measured to complete a code or solve another puzzle. We have seen in one of the Tallinn escape rooms

Idea 98: Create a puzzle that requires conversion of Fahrenheit to Celsius or vice versa; provide a thermometer to assist those who don't know the conversion calculation.

Idea 99: Place a temperature sensor on the wall and activate a switch or reveal a clue when the sensor is heated to a certain temperature. Depending on your theme, players may have access to a tool that will produce heat, or they may have to rely on the warmth of their hands.

Idea 100: Write something on the inside bottom of a bowl. Cover it with an opaque (non-transparent) liquid which must be heated and evaporated to reveal the secret message.

Idea 101: Cover a code made of metal wire with wax which must be melted off in order to see the code underneath.

Fewer than 1% of escape rooms worldwide contain temperature-related puzzles.

So, there you go! 101 escape room puzzle ideas to help you get started.

Many of the ideas referenced in this article were generously contributed by escape room business owners around the world. To avoid accidental spoilers, I've listed them in no particular order.

My gratitude goes out to:

Nicolette, Escape Room in Tucson, Arizona, USA

Paul, Best live Escape Room in Essex, England

John, Escape Room in Denver, Colorado, USA

Rita, Escape Room in Gastonia, North Carolina, USA

April, Escape Room in Marietta, Georgia, USA

Sarah, Escape Room in Richland, Washington, USA

Renee, Escape Room in Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Elina, ActivityFan (activity booking website)

Got an idea you think should be added? Drop me a few lines via email.

If you're feeling a little lost or overwhelmed, don't be discouraged. Not only are you not alone, there are two other potential solutions that may take that weight off your shoulders.

First, there are companies that sell escape room designs to operators who aren't quite ready to do it themselves.

Escape room designs generally cost anywhere from $700 to $5,000 or more, depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the design and the number of puzzles included.

Some of these designers also offer packages that include consulting, equipment, delivery, and installation for an additional fee.

Your second option is to buy into an escape room franchise.

When you purchase a franchise, you gain a recognized brand, room designs that have proven to be successful in other markets, and the support and guidance that come from operating as a franchise owner.
For a complete list of resources, browse Nowescape's Escape Room Resource Directory, which lists escape room service providers around the world.
You'll also find plenty of tips and insight in the following Nowescape blog articles:

If that's not enough - you may also be interested in 13 Secrets from an Escape Room Design Guru.

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Use this list of 101 escape room puzzle ideas, based on the most common escape game puzzle types around the world, to create your own unique set of challenges that will delight your customers and earn you outstanding reviews.

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In my previous article, I shared my exhilarating journey of how I made my first DIY escape room. As a Game Master, I was over the moon, and my friends had an absolute blast! Today, I'll let you in on the secret behind my DIY escape room's success and the types of puzzles I crafted for the ultimate adventure.

Now, we often size up escape rooms based on the complexity of their puzzles. If they're too easy-peasy, nobody feels a sense of accomplishment. The true satisfaction lies in conquering challenges. On the flip side, if puzzles are too tough, people will struggle to solve them. Nobody enjoys failing, and overly tricky puzzles will lead to just that.

So, what's the trick? I'm not spilling any groundbreaking secrets when I say it's all about striking the right balance. But how do you find that sweet spot between a satisfying sense of achievement and a challenge that's actually attainable? Feast your eyes on my list of puzzles, and feel free to borrow them for a fabulous DIY escape room party of your own 😉

2. Invisible Text

This is one of those "wow effect" puzzles. Actually, you have to prepare this one at least one hour before the game starts. The trick is that there is an invisible text on the paper, which appears only when it is put underwater. Coooool, right?

You don't have to use chemicals or invisible inks, there is an easy way to do this.

You'll need: 2 sheets of paper, 1 pencil, water in a tray, and a smooth surface (a mirror will do the job).

Soak one of the papers in water to make it wet and place it over the mirror.

Take the dry paper and place it on the wet sheet of paper.

Write your message on the dry sheet using a pencil.

Throw away the paper in which you have written the message.

You can see that the message written on the dry sheet of paper also makes a slight imprint on the wet sheet of paper.

Allow it to dry completely. When it becomes completely dry, the imprint becomes invisible.

When the players put the paper underwater, the message appears again, and that is the moment when they realize that you are an awesome game master.

3. GPS Coordinates

This puzzle is one of my favorites because it triggers thinking outside the box. In my case, it was a hidden piece of paper with a big number written on it. At least 1 out of 5 people for sure will recognize that the number is actually GPS coordinates. Because they were allowed to use everything in the room, it was time for them to put their smartphones into action. Using any GPS app, they can easily get to the destination.

Ok, so how is it possible to get out of the room in the middle of an escape room game?? That is a logical question, but as I said before, thinking outside the box brings lots more fun and unexpected puzzles. As soon as I changed the goal from escaping the room to finding the hidden treasure, a new world of possibilities opened. That means that the players are not necessarily locked in the room and that's why the GPS puzzle is a very good option.

The location was across from my apartment, next to the high school entrance. When they got there, they found an envelope with another clue in it. Because the GPS satellites have a +-5 m error, you should find some object in that radius that cannot be missed and you should put the envelope next to it. In my game, it was an electrical junction box and I put an electricity symbol next to the coordinate number as a hint. I even burned the sides of the paper so it looks kind of struck by lightning.

Trust me, the players will love this addition of a treasure hunt to your escape room.

5. UV Lights

UV lights are among the most used puzzles in escape rooms. You don't need a special kind of light or expensive markers to create this puzzle. You can do it with an everyday fluorescent yellow marker and a regular battery lamp.

First, Make the invisible ink

Some people are making a real mess trying to achieve this trick. They are opening the markers with pliers, washing them in hot water, boiling them in a microwave, washing them again... oooooh is such a nightmare and a real fluorescent mess all around your kitchen. Many times these preparations end with failure and frustration. That's why I like to make things simpler in order to make them better. Using the following method you can achieve the same effect without doing all of the things I mentioned before.

Take an illustration/picture with dark color background and write your message/clue on it, using the yellow fluorescent marker. Then hang it on any wall where the luminance is a bit lower. This way everything is visible except the hidden message, which appears under the black light only.
Trust me, this way the message appears better and it takes less time to prepare the puzzle.

Tip: Here's a sneaky little secret - instead of opting for a plain, dark illustration or picture, choose one that's related to your escape room theme (just like I did with the Leaning Tower of Pisa). This clever twist ensures that even if the room is bathed in light, the image will act as a delightful distraction, camouflaging your hidden message like a master of disguise.

Now, don't let my Pisa backdrop fool you! While it might not be the darkest of backgrounds, I had no trouble scribbling my secret code. The key was placing the picture in a part of the apartment where the light was dim and mysterious, making the covert message all the more elusive.

Now Let's make the black light:

You can use a regular battery lamp or even a smartphone flashlight.

Just grab a piece of clear tape and stick it right on top of the flashlight/battery lamp. Then take a blue color highlighter and color it. Take another piece of tape, place it on top of the first tape, and color it with the blue highlighter. Repeat this 5 times and you have a homemade black light.

The players will find a cell phone hidden in the couch. Sneaky, huh? But this isn't just any ordinary phone. Oh no, this one has a special app on it. It's a face recognition app, specifically designed for unlocking other mobile apps. That's right, we're going full Mission Impossible on this puzzle!

So, the players will need to use the face recognition app to scan Da Vinci's face from the portrait hanging on the wall. Once they do that, a 4 digit code will magically appear on the phone's screen. That code can then be used to unlock a box, a door, or whatever other devious contraption you've cooked up for them.

To get the face recognition app to recognize a picture of a face (in this case, Da Vinci's face), you'd need to use an app like Applock with face/voice recognition features. When setting up the app, you'll have to use the picture of Da Vinci as the reference face for the app to recognize. This means you'll have to "train" the app by scanning the picture a few times to ensure it can identify that specific face.

Once the setup is complete, players can use the app to scan Da Vinci's face during the game, and a 4-digit code will appear when the face is successfully recognized. It's important to note that the quality of face recognition may vary depending on the app you're using and the phone's capabilities. You might need to experiment with different apps or adjust the picture's size and lighting conditions to ensure the face recognition works smoothly during the game.

And there you have it, folks! A high-tech, Da Vinci-inspired puzzle that will have your players feeling like master spies. Just make sure they don't accidentally unlock your Twitter account while they're at it.

7. Morse code

Cracking Morse code makes you feel like Alan Turing decoding the Enigma machine during WW2. By using Morse code, you can turn light, voice, and sound signals into text information.

For example: Install a Morse code app on your smartphone. In the app, write the combination that opens your lock. Remove the bulb from your ceiling light and place the phone there.

Make sure your phone has enough battery to transmit flashlight Morse code for at least an hour. At one point in the game, players find a Morse alphabet. Ahaaaaa, the light isn't broken after all, it is a coded message.

So when they crack the code, they open the lock that leads them to the next challenge. This puzzle isn't an easy one, but when they finally solve it, it gives the players a lot of self-esteem and a feeling of accomplishment.

8. Tiny Tiny Tiny tiny text

This will make them squint like Clint until they find the magnifying glass you should put in some of the locked boxes. Write your clue in Times new roman (font size 2) on a regular sheet of paper, but make sure it is printed on a good-quality laser printer. Let's see who needs a new pair of glasses.

9. Custom questions

This is a good way to wrap up your escape room game. Because you're going to set up this game for your loved ones, friends or family, I suppose that you already know each of them very well. You are familiar with what they love, their favorite song, food, artist, and so on. You probably have some inside jokes only the two of you are in on.

For example: One of my friends loves astronomy and knows a lot of things about the Universe, our solar system, and so on. So I wrote down a question that he certainly knows the answer to (e.g.How many planets are in our solar system?)

Another friend of mine is a big NBA fan, so my question for him was: How many NBA titles has Michael Jordan won?

When they do the math, they get the combination (in this case 1990) for the last lock that opens the "treasure" box.

This puzzle makes them work together more than any other puzzle.

All of these questions must require a numeric answer.

10. Interactive games and tasks

Not all of the challenges have to be logical puzzles. Of course, when you think of an escape room, the first thing that comes to mind are brainy challenges and "aha!" puzzles. But in order to keep the flow of the game, you have to include some challenges that don't require actual thinking, rather they merely imply executing some tasks.

For example: Finding a hidden key in the room isn't something you have to solve, you just have to inspect every corner in that room and there it is.

Having to connect dots to make hints appear is also a good example. Anyone can do it just by following the given directions for connecting the dots.

These tasks set the pace of the game, and it's a great way to give the players a feeling of accomplishment. Their self-esteem rises as they solve this challenge, so they become more enthusiastic to finish the whole game.

Sometimes players can struggle when solving logical puzzles, and if you set up only logical challenges it may even become tedious. Maybe at first they will love to show how smart they really are, but eventually, they may get tired of logical analysis. That's why you should mix things up with this kind of tasks, which will keep the excitement throughout the whole game.

You can even throw in an interactive game in order to solve some of the challenges.

For example: Put one of the clues out of reach, but still visible. One option is to put a clue (padlock code) in a different room and lock the door with a padlock and chain. This way the door can be ajar just enough for the clue to be visible, but not enough for players to enter the room.
Now, in front of the clue, place a piece of paper with an illustration of a target, covering the padlock code. They need to shoot the target with a bunch of rubber bands. When you hear a "Yaaaaaay!", you know that someone hit the target and under it the padlock code was revealed.

13. Measuring Tape

Putting regular household items into creative use has always been a staple in DIY escape rooms. These items can often go unnoticed until the players realize they are part of the game.

To design a simple puzzle using a measuring tape, decide on a 3-digit code and measure out each digit as the length of a piece of yarn. Use a different color for each digit. Now, since the players will not know to connect the yarn with the measuring tape you need to provide some cluing, and we will take you through the design process step by step:

First, assuming that we would leave the lengths of yarn scattered around in the room, we would need to give a clue as to which order they should be used. This can be done by putting three dots of the right colors on a piece of paper and putting an arrow to show the direction.

Second, leaving just the clue and the length of yarn in the room will not necessarily be enough for players to know that the yarn should be measured. To ensure that the players will get this, put an image of a measuring tape in three different colors, instead of just dots.

Our ready-to-play game kits

14. Periodic Table

Decoding puzzles are very common in escape rooms, but the classic codes that are commonly known have a drawback. Some players might already know how they work and will instantly recognize them and create an unleveled playing field. This is why it can be a good idea, and a lot of fun, to come up with your own odes.

In this example, we will make the substitution cipher into our own. A substitution cipher is simply a code where a look-up table is used to decode a secret message. The periodic table can be used as such a look-up table to create a great puzzle.

First, you need to pick an answer word or solution that can be formed by the element symbols. Each element in the table has a one- or two-letter symbol and putting these together can form surprisingly many words, e.g., NoTiFICaTiON (see this comprehensive list).

Second, write out the element number for each symbol as a sequence, e.g. 102 81 9 53 2081 8 7 on a piece of paper. Don't forget the spaces in this one, they are important.

Third, to make sure that the players connect the sequence of numbers to the periodic table, you need a clue. For a very gentle nudge, you could color code the numbers to the colors of the background of the elements on the table. For a stronger push, you could show each number in the upper right corner of a square like they are shown in the table.

15. Labyrinths

Classic puzzles like sudokus and crosswords should be used with care in an escape room. Much of the fun of an escape room is about learning the rules of the puzzles. The rules for classic puzzles are already known so in this case solving them can become a chore. However, as long as you choose a puzzle that doesn't take too long, there is still the interesting challenge of extracting a solution from it.

The easiest way to use a labyrinth in an escape room is to solve the labyrinth yourself first. Then, on a fresh copy of the labyrinth, write the letters of the answer along the correct path. Finally, fill in random letters in other places so the correct letters are not giving away the path. The players will now need to solve the labyrinth and write down the letters along the path they take.

16. Pattern Matching

Common to many escape room puzzles is that the player must make an intuitive connection between the clues to even begin the puzzle. Often this connection is formed because two clues share some property such as color, shape, size, or pattern. In this example, we will show how to make a puzzle that is only solvable by identifying the same pattern in two places.

For this puzzle, we will assume that the solution is a word. First, write the letters of the solution in a pattern and then extend the pattern to include some symbols that are not part of the solution. In our example, we used the solution ROSE and arranged them randomly in a grid pattern with a distinctive shape. This is the first clue.

The second clue contains the same grid pattern but with circles instead of letters. Each of the circles that correspond to a letter in the solution is marked with the number of that letter in the solution word, enabling the player to put the letters in the right order.

To integrate this puzzle into an escape room, how about leaving the first clue in plain sight, but locking the other one behind another puzzle, i.e., in a padlocked box?

17. Extract a secret message from a letter

Starting an escape room with a simple letter that explains the situation to the players is a great way to set the stage and deliver the narrative of your game. It also happens to be the perfect place to encode your first clue. Hiding information in plain sight is a practice known as "steganography", but without further dwelling on fancy words, here is how to do it yourself:

It's best to first have written the letter that you need in the game anyway. Then, you need to figure out the secret message that you want to hide in it, in this example let's take the word "UNDERTHEHAT" which could be a clue to the location of an object. Now, edit your letter by going from the beginning and marking each of the letters in the secret message as you come across them, like this:
You will laUgh (and you are quite welcome) wheN I tell you that your olD acquaintancE is tuRned sporTsman, and Has takEn tHree noble boArs. "WhaT!" you exclaim, "Pliny!"-Even he.
Rather than capitalizing relevant letters, you could also omit the letters completely, write wrong letters instead, write them in a different color, or mark them in some other wáy.

This is even easier to do at home since household items can make for great hiding places. A matchbox is particularly great because it can be used in different ways:

You can encode information in the matches themselves

You can write a clue on the bottom below the matches

You can put an item inside it

You can write a clue on the inside of the cover box

Drawing attention to the matchbox can be done with a direct clue that can easily be the solution of another puzzle, like "MATCHBOX".

19. Crossword clues

Full crossword puzzles can be very time-consuming for the players but using just the way clues are constructed you can disguise your clues. For example, instead of giving the clue "MATCHBOX" directly, you could give a crossword clue to it, such as "SMALL FIERY CONTAINER". You can use online crossword solvers by entering the solution, "MATCHBOX", as the known letters.

If your players are particularly language savvy you could consider turning up the difficulty by using cryptic crossword clues instead. Cryptic crossword clues have many forms, but the simplest one is to hide a word inside the clue itself, like this:

FIERY LOGS HIDE IN HAZMAT CHEST

The words "hide in" hint that there is a (plural) word hidden in the following letters. Players will realize that disregarding the space the word "MATCHES" is hidden which fits the definition "FIERY LOGS". To create this puzzle, I just decided to split the word into MAT and CHES and then googled for words ending with MAT and starting with CHES to find a suitable pair. Note that creating good cryptic crossword clues is not easy and a puzzle in itself.

Both of these clue types require some vocabulary knowledge, so gauge your audience carefully before using them.

20. Telephone spelling alphabets

Back in the days, long before today's advanced communication systems, the military struggled with low-quality and long-distance telephones. In particular discriminating words that sound similar when pronounced was an issue. For this reason, telephone spelling alphabets were developed, of which the NATO Phonetic Alphabet might be the one most people know.

It consists of 26 code words: Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

How about recording a clue or secret code on an old tape recorder and letting the players find the tape and the player themselves? Or even easier, change your answering machine on your cell phone to contain this message and leave the players with your phone number as a clue?

21. Research

I use the term research for puzzles that require players to piece together conclusions based on documents or evidence. This is the type of puzzle that you would typically find in a murder mystery game, but it can also be used in regular escape rooms. Research puzzles fit particularly well when the game has a narrative that supports it as we will see.

In this example, we will start with the solution. The narrative of the game is to identify the name of the person who launched a cyber-attack on your country. The players have been called to the hotel room where he is found together with his passport, but unwilling to speak. This is already a research task since the players will need to compare the face to the passport photo to establish their name.

Now, we will improve it to fit better to a game for home.

First, let's get rid of the body. Imagine he managed to flee the scene, but luckily, we have security camera footage from the hallway that accurately shows the face of the person entering the room. The footage can be represented as a single photo.

Second, producing a full passport might be a bit too time-consuming, but the receptionist would have taken a photocopy of the page showing his identity. What she has given the players is such a photocopy for all residents, maybe six persons in total.

Players will certainly feel like a real detective when they find the security camera photo and compare the image to the stack of papers to look up the name.

22. Logic puzzle

We saved one of the best for last. Logic puzzles can fit in in most games and we used it ourselves in "The Gilded Carcanet" which you should. The example we will show in this article is not taken from the game, so no spoilers are incoming.

You probably already know the kind of logic puzzle where you are given three kids, Susan, John, and Lily, and three desserts, apple pie, brownie, and ice cream. You have to deduce which desert is the favorite of each kid. You also get two clues: John doesn't like cake at all and Susan's favorite has chocolate in it. John's favorite would have to be ice cream, Susan's favorite must be brownie and that leaves only apple pie as Lily's favorite.

Let's design an escape room puzzle based on this idea. Maybe you know from another clue that the four-digit secret code to the geography professor's safe is the year he visited the Taj Mahal. In his office, your players would find a world map on the wall with pins in the locations of the seven wonders that he all visited. On the floor, in front of the map, seven cards are found with the years he visited a location, 1967, 1971, 1974, 1976, 1982, 1989, and 1992. The players must pair the years to the locations to solve the puzzle. The clues that you could include in the professor's notebook could be along the following lines:

I didn't go to America before 1982

I went to Asia only in even years

I went to China right after Jordan

From just these clues it can be determined that the professor went to the Taj Mahal in India in 1976, even though it will not be possible to determine the years he visited the three American destinations.

If you're concerned that the players will just brute force the 7 possible solutions, this can be fixed by deciding that the code is the last digit in the years he visited "Italy - Jordan - China - India". This increases the possible combinations to 360.

This is also an example of a puzzle that reflects the reality of the game universe. Not only does it make sense that a geography professor would have traveled the world, but the existence of the puzzle itself makes sense because the cards with the years have simply fallen down from the map and players have to restore it.

23. Laser Maze

Create a laser maze using lasers and mirrors, which players must navigate through to reach a goal.

A laser maze involves setting up a series of lasers that players must navigate through in order to reach a goal or obtain a clue. This puzzle can add excitement and challenge to your escape room, and requires players to use strategy and problem-solving skills to succeed.

To create a laser maze, you will need to set up lasers and mirrors in a room or hallway to create a maze-like path. Players must navigate through the maze without touching any of the lasers, which will trigger an "alarm" and reset the game. The maze can be made more challenging by adding obstacles or requiring players to reach certain points in the maze to progress.

You can also add additional challenges to the laser maze by requiring players to retrieve objects or solve puzzles while navigating the maze. For example, you could set up a puzzle at the end of the maze that requires players to use clues found throughout the room to unlock a door or reveal a code.

Overall, a laser maze can be a fun and exciting puzzle to include in your DIY escape room, but it does require careful planning and setup to ensure that it is safe and challenging for players.

Extra tip: This puzzle can also be set-up with thread instead of lasers.

24. Word Search

Using a word search puzzle is a popular way to add a puzzle to your DIY escape room game. It involves creating a grid of letters and hiding words within the grid that relate to the theme of the game.

To create a word search puzzle, you will need to come up with a list of words that relate to the theme of your escape room. For example, if your escape room is based on a pirate theme, your list of words might include "treasure," "ship," "map," "compass," "anchor," and so on.

Once you have your list of words, you can create a grid of letters and hide the words within the grid. The words can be hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or even backwards, and players must find all of the words in order to solve the puzzle.

To make the puzzle more challenging, you can use smaller fonts or create a larger grid with more letters, which will make it harder to spot the hidden words. You can also use overlapping words or create a theme-related image within the word search grid.

Overall, using a word search puzzle can be a fun and engaging way to add a puzzle to your DIY escape room game. It requires players to use their observation and pattern recognition skills to solve the puzzle, and can be easily customized to fit the theme of your game.

Here's an example of how you can create an audio puzzle:

1. Record a message: Create a recording of a voice or sound effect that contains a clue or information that players need to solve the puzzle.

2. Hide the message: Hide the recording somewhere in the room or make it accessible through a specific device or object that players need to find or interact with.

3. Decode the message: The message may be in code or contain a hidden message that players need to decode or decipher. For example, you could use a sound effect to represent a letter of the alphabet, and players would need to listen to the audio and write down the corresponding letters to reveal a clue or solution.

4. Use the clue: Once players have decoded the audio message, they can use the information to solve a larger puzzle or unlock a new area of the room.

Some tips for creating an effective audio puzzle include:

Keep the audio message short and concise so that players can listen to it multiple times if needed.

Use sound effects or music to create an immersive experience and engage players.

Make sure the audio message is audible and clear, and avoid using background noise that could make it difficult to hear the clues.

Test the puzzle with friends or family members to ensure that it is challenging but not too difficult to solve.

Overall, audio puzzles can be a fun and challenging addition to your DIY escape room game, and they can add a unique element that players may not have encountered before.

26. Cryptex Puzzle

A cryptex puzzle is a type of puzzle that uses a cylindrical container with a combination lock to secure an important item or clue.

The container has a series of rotating discs with letters or symbols that can be arranged to spell out a code or phrase that unlocks the lock and allows access to the item or clue inside.

Here's how you can create a cryptex puzzle for your DIY escape room game:

1. Gather materials: To make a cryptex puzzle, you will need a cylindrical container (such as a PVC pipe or cardboard tube), a series of discs with letters or symbols, and a lock mechanism (such as a padlock or combination lock).

2. Create the discs: Cut out several cardboard circles or squares to fit inside the container. On each disc, write a letter or symbol that will be part of the code or phrase players need to solve the puzzle.

3. Build the container: Fit the discs inside the container, making sure they are free to rotate. Attach the lock mechanism to the container so that players can't open it without solving the puzzle.

4. Create the code: Determine the code or phrase that players need to spell out using the letters or symbols on the discs. You can make the code as simple or complex as you like, depending on the difficulty level you want to achieve.

5. Hide clues: Place clues throughout the room that will help players solve the puzzle and unlock the cryptex container. For example, you could hide a piece of paper with the code written on it or create a riddle that players must solve to figure out the code.

6. Use the clue: Once players have solved the puzzle and figured out the code, they can use it to unlock the cryptex container and retrieve the item or clue inside.

Some tips for creating an effective cryptex puzzle include:

Make sure the discs fit snugly inside the container so that players can't easily manipulate them.

Use a combination lock rather than a padlock if possible, as it adds an extra level of difficulty and makes the puzzle more challenging.

Test the puzzle with friends or family members to ensure that it is challenging but not too difficult to solve.

Overall, a cryptex puzzle can be a fun and engaging addition to your DIY escape room game, and it can add an element of excitement and mystery that players will enjoy.

Our ready-to-play game kits

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26+ DIY Escape Room Puzzles ( + FREE Printables )

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If you're looking for a fun and challenging activity to do with friends, family, or colleagues, why not try creating your own escape room? With these 24+ DIY escape room puzzles, you'll have all the inspiration you need to design a thrilling and engaging experience. And the best part?

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Funlab, the team behind Holey Moley, Archie Brother Cirque Electriq and B. Lucky and Sons, has pivoted to offer entertainment online. You and your friends can now enjoy formerly in-person-only events like trivia, escape rooms and something which the crew is calling the "funlympics". The company is offering two virtual escape rooms - the swashbuckling Pirate Island and the enchanting Magic School. Each room is perfect for isolated teams of six to ten, with each participant joining the virtual room individually via Zoom. As with most escape rooms, a gamemaster will be present if you need assistance as your team solves puzzles together online. There's no official advice to dress up for the game, but heck, we'd certainly recommend it.

Using photospheres, multimedia and the latest web technology, Next Level Escape have adapted one of their physical escape rooms so you can now play it online, and sci-fi fans are going to love this one. It puts you in charge of figuring out what happened to Agent Fox, a top-ranking agent of the Future Directions Bureau. He was sent back on a crucial mission in the 21st century to preserve the integrity of the timeline, but has subsequently gone missing. He's literally nowhere in time now, and the Bureau suspects skulduggery. Which means it's down to you to figure out what happened, restore him to the timeline and save the future. No biggie. Next Level Escape have expertly captured the feel of the original game with all its ingenious puzzles, clues, locks and secrets. You can play on your own, or assemble a team of friends to tackle the room together via vid chat. And unlike many of these challenges, you can take as long as you like to dig in deep to the narrative. You are time cops, after all.

You can purchase a code for one device for $15, or a $50 code that nets you a voucher for the same amount to be used at Next Level Escape's premises after the lockdown, thereby doubling your money. Sign up here.

Bad Altitude probably belongs more in the category of story-based online videogames than actual escape rooms. But let's not quibble. The setup is this: you are with some number of friends, either clustered together around one computer screen, using different screens in the same room or in different locations and linked via Google Hangouts, Zoom or any other video chat platform of your choosing. If you're in the same physical space, we suggest clustering around the largest screen you have and nominating one member of your team drive the action. Your mission is to solve problems aboard a commercial flight, from overly sensitive passengers to lost luggage to, as you might expect, landing the whole damn plane. There is no human on the other end in real-time, but several different cartoon characters help or hinder you on your quest. Your primary contact is the flight attendant on board, a very friendly but slightly inept Welshman named Rhys.

The Aussie online purveyor of escape rooms offers a variety of themed experiences you can tackle with your friends, fam or colleagues. Solve challenges together over video chat or gather your housemates around the computer for some stimulating puzzles, excitement and off-beat fun. Experios has got you covered with options for two to six players and different levels of difficulty to choose from.

You've just seen a spectacular show at the head for the white sails of Sydney's (and let's be honest, the world's) most iconic building to find out. While auditoriums have sat empty during lockdown restrictions, the Sydney Opera House team got busy developing a Sydney Opera House. As you're filing out of the auditorium with the throng of other audience members, you spot a door with a sparkling stained glass window. It's ajar, revealing a glimpse of a room that would not usually be accessible to the public. You can't help yourself: compelled by curiosity, you enter - and the door swiftly closes behind you. You're trapped. Next to a baby grand piano you spot an old-timey telephone. Suddenly, it starts ringing madly. Want to know what happens next? Well, you don't need to physically virtual escape room designed to transport you into the hidden labyrinth of backstage rooms underneath the venue - without you ever leaving your home. The Trials of Wisdom is a free online game that engages your problem-solving skills to solve riddles and puzzles in order to free yourself. Taking inspiration from Mozart's fantastical opera The Magic Flute , this game has plenty of hidden Easter eggs to tickle the interests of classical music aficionados and theatrical fanatics, but prior knowledge is not a prerequisite to give these puzzles a crack, which involve decoding ballerinas' dance positions and deciphering meaning from the ramblings of a frustrated orchestra player.

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Can you escape? Here are the top 14 escape rooms in Melbourne

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The Saw escape room is pretty damn scary - but so are many on this list of the best Melbourne escape rooms.

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https://www.60out.com/blog/solve-common-escape-room-puzzles

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How many common escape room puzzles do you know?

Preparing for your first escape room can be exciting and a little daunting. You know there will be puzzles to solve and clues to find,

but do you know what puzzles will turn up and how you can solve them?

With this guide, you'll understand the seven common escape room puzzles that you'll come across and what to look for.

What Common Escape Room Puzzles Will I Find?

There are seven categories of common escape room puzzles.

1. Numbers and Texts

You don't need to have a degree in mathematics or English in order to solve common escape room puzzles, but you'll definitely be using numbers and words in your solutions.

2. Physical Puzzles

Physical puzzles are common in escape rooms.

3. Light and Sound

You may be surprised at how many common escape room puzzles will subtly incorporate the environment by introducing light and sound cues.

4. Hidden Objects

It's rare that you'll find a clue laid out for you as soon as you walk into a room. The most common escape room puzzles have to be found before you even start solving them.

5. Visual Design

The room's design isn't just for atmospheric effect; common escape room puzzles will almost always be incorporated into the design of the room.

6. Logic Puzzles

Most of the time, you'll need more logic than knowledge to solve common escape room puzzles.

7. Combination Puzzles

Common escape room puzzles don't rely on just one puzzle type. You'll usually have to combine them!

How Do I Find Common Escape Room Puzzles?

By being alert and constantly trying different things, you'll be able to find and solve common escape room puzzles.

If you're stuck, remember that different family members often have different perspectives. Sometimes that's literal - a shorter family member may be able to see something that a taller one can't!

The beauty of having your whole family in an escape room is that you can each bring your knowledge and ideas to the table. By having everyone scour the room for common escape room puzzles and clues, you may be able to solve the room faster.

Why 60OUT?

If you're looking for a suitably challenging place to solve common escape room puzzles in the LA area, look no further than 60OUT.

60OUT has 23 different themed rooms across seven locations, which means that there are plenty of options for you and your family to choose from. Whether you're going with a small group of escape room pros or you're a big family trying escape rooms for the first time, there's an option for you.

At 60OUT, we're excited to help you experience and solve these common escape room puzzles. Book a room today!

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What Are the 7 Common Escape Room Puzzles? | 60OUT

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How many common escape room puzzles do you know? Preparing for your first escape room can be exciting and a little daunting. You know there will be puzzles to solve and clues to find, but do you know what puzzles will turn up and how you can solve them?