Your first escape room game: a beginner’s guide

An escape room game gives you a situation to investigate and a set of puzzles that move the story forward. You might open a locked drawer, reconstruct a sequence of events or establish which document can be trusted. The objective is not always to escape a locked room, and a timer does not always mean a deadline.

For a first game, you need curiosity and a willingness to discuss ideas. You do not need to know a catalogue of secret codes in advance.

Recognise what the puzzle is asking

Observation puzzles ask you to notice or compare details. Ordering puzzles give relationships such as “immediately before” or “not at either end”. Code puzzles provide a rule for changing symbols or letters. Evidence puzzles ask what the available information proves, which may be less than it first suggests.

Read the question before calculating. A time, a name and a three-digit code require different answers. Keep leading zeroes when the instructions require them, and distinguish “before” from “at or before”. Small wording choices often carry the rule.

Seven habits for a first session

• Read the introduction and the controls before opening every object.
• Say discoveries aloud, including where you found them.
• Keep a short note of facts, separate from guesses.
• Let one person enter an answer while the others check the reasoning.
• Rotate the mouse or keyboard so nobody becomes a permanent spectator.
• Check a failed answer against the exact question before inventing a new theory.
• Take a hint when the group is repeating itself rather than making progress.

What to do when a puzzle will not budge

First, reread the instructions slowly. Then list what is known. Have you used every condition? Are you applying a rule to the correct object? If your answer seems plausible but is rejected, check the requested format and any units.

Explain your approach to someone else without skipping steps. They may spot an assumption you have stopped noticing. If several leads are available, a change of puzzle can also help. Avoid searching for a walkthrough until you have tried the game’s own help, which is less likely to spoil later discoveries.

Hints are part of the game

Use the smallest amount of help that makes the next step clear. Read a hint, return to the evidence and try again before opening the solution. If you do reveal the answer, take a moment to understand why it works; otherwise the next puzzle may feel just as opaque.

There is no need to turn the first evening into a test. Discuss in advance whether you want an unhurried investigation or a stricter personal challenge.

Set up the screen and save

Choose a display everyone can read, keep paper nearby and reduce interruptions. Before a break, check how the edition saves progress. Browser saves belong to that browser and device; where an export option is available, keep a backup before changing devices or clearing browser data.

Where to begin

Choose a setting you like from the catalogue, then try its free Exploration room. The clockmaker’s workshop is one possible starting point, but enjoying the subject matters more than an unverified difficulty ranking.

Escape Maison’s investigations are written for adults. For a session with younger players, start with our standalone family riddles and assess reading and difficulty before choosing a full adventure.