In case you haven’t noticed, escape rooms are getting quite popular these days, especially in our neighborhood. Where games were once few and far between, now there are some towns that even have more than one. And as we see more escape games on Long Island, players are left with a serious question: Which of these escape companies should I go to?
Just about all of the posts on this blog have gone into detail about how all escape rooms run things differently. The number of rooms, the kind of games, the style of the game master—it’s all important to take into consideration. But if it’s your first time visiting, you won’t know any of this information going in. So how’s an escape enthusiast to make a decision?
Here are a few tips for finding the right escape room for you.
Visit the Website
First impressions matter. In this day and age, the place most people hear about fun things to do is the wonderful world wide web. Whether it be through Facebook or Google, your first step to researching an escape room is probably going to be through a phone or computer.
That’s one of the reasons that websites are so crucial in this business—in any business. It’s the hub of all information—where the building is located, what games there are, how to get tickets, what restrictions there might be. Good business owners will understand this, which means that they’ll most likely have an easy to navigate website that answers most of your initial questions without too much of a hassle.
If you visit a page and find that it’s on the barren side—if the pages are out of whack, or there’s a lot of contradictions in the information—that might be a red flag as far as visiting the business is concerned. This isn’t a hard rule, but if they’re really putting the effort into their escape games and their business, that effort will usually be reflected on their webpage and social media.
Read Reviews
I simply cannot stress enough how important this is. Reviews are your Ask the Audience lifeline, your public poll, and one of the easiest ways at your disposal to find out more about the customer experience. Browse through Facebook, Google, Yelp, or TripAdvisor! These are the places customers go when they feel they have something important to say.
Like any sort of reviewing system, you’ll be hard pressed to find a business with 100% 5-star reviews. But it’s easy to get a general consensus online. Is everyone talking about the great time they had? Are they name dropping awesome employees, or listing their escape times? Or are they talking about confusing clue systems and defective props? By glancing through popular comments, you’ll be able to get a good idea of what you’ll be walking into when you book.
Stop By the Store
When all else fails, there’s nothing better than an in-person visit to soothe the nerves. Go ahead and stop by the business you’re planning to book, even if you don’t have all your details together yet. You’ll be able to talk to an employee, and really get a feel for how they treat their players and how they run their games. If you call ahead, you may even be able to schedule a demonstration so you can get a feel for what you’ll be asked to do during the game.
It’s really important to note that the timing of your visit can be crucial. We’d certainly recommend calling ahead, or at least dropping by on a weekday when game masters tend to be less busy. On the weekends, you’ll see bunches of people hustling in and out, but you may not receive as much time or attention while games are running inside of the rooms. And if people are busy playing, there’s no chance you’ll be able to sneak a peek at the games themselves. The good news is if we’re busy, it’s because a lot of other customers thought we were worthwhile too!
Give Us a Call
If you don’t have time to swing by and say hello, you can always call ahead. Websites and social media pages should have clear answers on how to contact the company by email, or a phone number where you can call and speak to one of the booking specialists. Not only will they be able answer any questions you have about scheduling and group size, but they should be able to give you some insight into the different games the company offers. The answers you get on the phone can tell you a lot about customer service and interaction from company to company. Still, it’s important to remember that many companies will have a high call volume, and might need to hold or reschedule your call to give you the attention you deserve.