By Leslie Kell
Creative thinking is one of the key components to unlocking the fun in any escape room. As cluemasters we watch people on a daily basis and we get an opportunity to see how people work through varying thought processes to help them solve puzzles. Through this experience we have seen people use a multitude of techniques to assist in creative thinking. With that in mind, here are a few creative characteristics of players who we’ve seen in our rooms and how their thought process helped them to win the game.
- Be willing to try the ‘what if?’
One of the best techniques to help creative thinking when in an escape room is when players are willing to try the ‘what if?’ If you have a thought of what might connect together, but it seems random, try it anyway! We’ve seen groups do this and it usually works out for them to use some imagination and think ‘What if this really works and is the right answer?” You never know until you try, so be bold and see what you can come up with!
- Listen to the thoughts of others
The best way to play an escape room is with a group of friends or family. If you go in with a group, it’s a good idea to include them! Listening to your group and bouncing ideas off of them is a great way to inspire creative thinking because they most likely will think differently than you and may have a better idea that advances you further in the game.
- Be curious
Curiosity is a key component to playing escape rooms. We often tell players that they have permission to ransack the room (as long as they aren’t using brute force or breaking anything.) The reason we say this is because you never know where a clue might be hidden. Curiosity is what encourages you to search in creative places to find the clue(s).
- Try again
It’s true that not every idea will work in an escape room, and not every answer is the correct answer. If you try to solve the puzzle one way, and it doesn’t work, don’t give up! Groups that we see who use creative thinking are usually the groups that try a new solution after their first one fails. Just like with anything in life, try a new solution if the first one doesn’t work they way you hoped.
- Keep it Simple and Have fun!
One of the reasons that younger players often do well in escape rooms is that they come in to the room with the intention to have fun! In addition, they think about each puzzle very simplistically. Creative thinking doesn’t mean complicated thinking. Groups that use their imagination and have fun while coming up with puzzle solutions are often successful.
Escape rooms are all about using your imagination and curiosity, mixed in with some logic to solve the puzzles. In fact, escape rooms can even inspire creative thinking. So if you need some help to think creatively, book your next escape room and see if you can employ these characteristics to ultimately help you win the game!
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