Escape room challenges are designed to be entertaining and create an immersive experience. Escape rooms also force you to use all of your senses while working as a team to find clues, solve puzzles, and be victorious. Being mentally and physically prepared to take on the challenges that await in any escape room is a big advantage. 

5 Types of Common Escape Room Puzzles to Look ForTo help you prepare for your next escape room challenge, we will highlight what kinds of puzzles can you find in an escape room below.

1) Texts & Numbers

One of the most frequent escape room puzzles to look for are those inspired by numbers and or texts. Perhaps your room will have mysterious numbers on the wall, or perhaps there is an odd text inscribed inside a drawer. These may be a distraction that really have nothing to do with your challenge, or like in most cases a clue that will help you move on. Look for

  • Standard mathematical puzzles for solutions or hints
  • Equation puzzles to uncover clues
  • Missing-letter puzzles

2) Physical Puzzles

Another common escape room challenge to look out for are physical puzzles. For example, maybe you’ll have to undo a knot to free up a clue, or maybe you should look at that knot as a clue based on its positioning. Looking behind or below large objects by moving them can represent a safe way of solving a complicated escape room puzzle. But, be advised you shouldn’t move furniture and objects if it is prohibited in the escape room location’s rules!

3) Sounds & Lights

A vital part of every escape room game is the visual and heard clues often represented as slight sounds and light. Even though this might surprise you, there are some subtle clues in sound and light that can help you find the solution to your next puzzle. Some of our pro escape room tips include listening with attention to background noise and looking closely at where lights aren’t shining. You’ll be surprised how much information you can uncover with this simple tip!

4) Hidden objects

Escape rooms do their best to make you and your team members work together to solve puzzles. A good team brainstorming session can be triggered by simply uncovering hidden objects. There are plenty of areas where you can discover such important clues, so a best practice is to search through books, drawers, and any other potential hiding spots you notice.

5) Logic & Combination Puzzles

Logic and combination puzzles represent the center element of escape rooms. Keep in mind that for most, you’ll require extra attention to the details presented rather than extensive knowledge on a topic. For example, you should pay close attention to repeated themes, uncovered mysterious symbols, and don’t avoid attempting to combine more than one puzzle. 

Understanding what kinds of puzzles you can expect to face in an escape room will help you enter your next escape room challenge better prepared for whatever is waiting behind the locked door. Everything and anything can end up being an important clue, so be alert and pay attention to your surroundings at all times. Trying different approaches can also help you solve new puzzle types present in an escape room. Oh, and don’t forget to have fun, this is the main purpose of any escape room challenge.