Exploring Different Puzzle Types for the Ultimate Challenge

One of the biggest attractions of escape rooms, according to puzzle lovers themselves, is that no two rooms are ever the same. But what’s particularly interesting is that even the exact same escape room - featuring the exact same puzzles - can create an entirely different experience, depending on who you’re facing the challenges with. 

How? Well, it all comes down to the different types of puzzles featured in escape rooms, and the various ways that our brains process these puzzles to generate a solution.

Let’s start by looking at the different puzzle types you may find in an escape room:

Riddles: A riddle is any sort of numerical or mathematical equation that requires solving. It could be a Sudoku or number line, a missing word puzzle, or a classic veiled statement.

Physical: Physical puzzles involve the body, and typically involve some form of action such as moving objects, undoing knots, or hitting targets to unlock the next stage of the escape.

Audio Visual: Audio Visual clues can often be found in escape rooms. This could be lights shining on specific items, sounds playing, or clues hidden in the room design, such as paintings.

Hidden Object: Sometimes, necessary objects are concealed in areas around the room. A hidden object puzzle may involve finding items located in books, drawers, or cupboards.

Logic: At times, escape room puzzles aren’t ‘puzzles’ at all; they just require common sense and initiative. For example, if something looks wrong or out of place, it probably is!

Escape rooms are a lot like the old TV game show The Crystal Maze, where teams could choose from a mental, physical, skill, or mystery game. And the player selected for the game was always matched to the right type of puzzle for them. That’s because not everyone is the same; everyone has different thought patterns and problem-solving abilities that naturally make them more suited to one type of puzzle over the others.

Thought Processes & Problem Solving

There have been a lot of studies into how different people approach problem solving, and while there are no definitive answers as to why people think differently, one study concludes that aspects such as imagination, reasoning, art, religion, maths, and science can all affect problem solving approaches through pattern restructuring. 

Other studies have focused less on experience (nurture) and more on genetics (nature), concluding that women typically take a more systematic approach to problem solving, while men are more willing to try different techniques and adapt as needed. 

With this information, it’s easy to see how escape rooms are as much about the people you’re with as they are about the puzzles themselves. Varied escape rooms, which feature a good selection of different puzzle types, are ideal for larger groups, allowing for all members of the group to shine when they’re preferred puzzle type comes along.

With many different puzzles on the table, players all rely on each other, support each other, and leverage the knowledge of each other… they all collaborate to succeed.

Posted on 2020-09-17 by escapetheapp.