The first few escape rooms I ever went to had absolutely no technology. There were simply logic puzzles, locks and combinations. The rooms were actually quite fun.
Then I went to a room called The Curiosity Shop in Riverside, CA. This escape adventure used some really great technology, which added to the overall experience of playing the room, and the great thing about it was that the technology was ‘invisible’. In other words, it just worked when it needed to, added to the atmosphere and story… and didn’t stand out.
When I saw this technology, I saw something that could really make escape rooms an even more engaging experience.
But sadly, that has not been the case in the rooms I have been to since then.
In 3 different rooms I have been to recently, the technology has actually drawn away from the experience, and seemed like it was there more to show off the creators electronics ability, than to enhance the experience. In one of the rooms, the technology completely failed, costing us about 10 minutes each time, as the Game Master didn’t realize it was’t working, and we did’t realize that the problem was tech-related (we thought our solution was incorrect).
So how do we correct this issue of tech-centered failures?
I think it comes down to a few things…
- TEST, TEST, TEST! Make sure that the tech works reliably and makes sense
- Remember that people are there for the adventure, not see your gadgets.
- Make sure that the tech fits the story, and enhances the experience, rather than standing out
Overall, I think technology can be an amazing enhancement to an escape game, but only if it makes, sense, is done well, and it works reliably.
What has your experience been with technology in an escape room?
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