How to Solve Escape Room Puzzles

How to Solve Escape Room Puzzles

Contents by escape room puzzle types:

 

Types of Escape Room Puzzles

  • Cypher Puzzles
  • Lock and Key Puzzles
  • Jigsaw Puzzles
  • Number and Maths Puzzles
  • Pattern Recognition
  • Logic Puzzles
  • Word Puzzles
  • Physical Manipulation Puzzles
  • Interactive Technology Puzzles
  • Hidden Object Puzzles
  • Pattern Matching Puzzles
  • Maze Puzzles
  • Riddles
  • Mechanical Puzzles
  • Audio-Based Puzzles
  • Scent-Based Puzzles
  • Team Coordination Puzzles

There are so many different ways to utilise anything from a classic puzzle like a cypher or a maze, to more elaborate techniques like mechanical manipulation and interactive technology. As a game master, how you use each type of clue will make or break your escape room and allow it to be an epic game of wits for you players –– or a bit of a wet squib. Playing one, on the other hand, is a game of challenging yourself to solve the secrets and beat the room, and the game master. 

Things can get even more exciting when themes are introduced. What started out as a simple jigsaw puzzle in context, could turn into a methodical treasure map waiting to be stolen from pirates. With a little imagination and a hint of creativity, all of these simple puzzle concepts can be turned into epic escape room clues. And once you’ve figured out how to spot them, you’re well on your way to solving them and escaping the room in record time –– whether you’re in the heart of the city or on your living room sofa. 

Here are the most common types of puzzles and clues you’ll come across in an escape room and how to solve them. 

Cypher Puzzles



Type: Encoded messages using cyphers. Cypher puzzles are common in printable escape rooms and are a great way to encourage logical reasoning and critical thinking skills.

 

How to Solve Cypher Puzzles: 

  • Identify the cypher used (Caesar, Vigenère, etc.) and decipher the message.
  • Look for other clues that will reveal the type of cypher. 
  • If the cypher requires a key, multiple puzzles may need to be solved to decipher it before the message can be decoded. 

 

Lock and Key Puzzles



Type: Unlocking physical locks using keys. Traditional lock and key. Number locks. Directional locks. Cryptex. Alphabet locks. 



Probably one of the most common puzzles used in physical escape rooms are locks and keys. These are great for the game master because they physically stop players from moving from one clue to the next and can help keep things linear. But how do you unlock the secret to lock and key puzzles? 

 

How to Solve Lock and Key Puzzles: 

  • Search the room for keys and match them to corresponding locks.
  • Solve a puzzle within the room to reveal a code that will unlock a specific lock. Codes are often only used once.
  • Discard used keys and locks to avoid confusion.

 

Jigsaw Puzzles



Type: If there’s a type of jigsaw puzzle in the room, it’s unlikely to be just for decoration –– although we doubt anyone is expecting you to solve a 1000-piece puzzle in under 60 minutes. Small jigsaw puzzles or shape matching games are common and will likely help you on the way to your escape by revealing a code, clue, or instruction. 

 

How to Solve Jigsaw Puzzles: 

  • Solve the puzzle by putting each piece in the correct spot –– easy as pie.
  • Some puzzles may be connected to a mechanical release lock and will open a door or release something else you need to find.



Number and Maths Puzzles



Type: Solve mathematical equations or decipher number patterns. Love or hate maths, it’s always going to come in handy for an escape room. 

 

How to Solve Number and Maths Puzzles: 

  • Use logical reasoning and mathematical skills to find the correct solutions. 
  • Numbers are not always hidden in plain sight, and you may need to count objects or symbols in the room to find answers. 
  • Often, mathematical answers will give you the codes to locks, or will need to be decoded into letters to spell out a message.

 

Pattern Recognition



Type: Identify and replicate visual or auditory patterns. Look out for colours, shapes, repetition, or similarities. You need a keen eye and good observation skills for these types of puzzles. 

 

How to Solve Pattern Recognition Puzzles: 

  • Observe the environment for recurring shapes, colours, objects, or sounds. 
  • Patterns and shapes are not always obvious and can be well integrated into the room, such as painted on walls or hidden under objects.

 

Logic Puzzles



Type: Deductive reasoning challenges. Traditional logic puzzles are usually rendered in a grid format and can be quickly solved with a set of rules. 

 

How to Solve Logic Puzzles: 

  • Break down the information given and eliminate incorrect possibilities to find the correct solution. 
  • Look for fixed relationships or conditions that are explicitly stated that will help you narrow down the right answer by eliminating wrongs. 
  • You may be allowed a pen or pencil to solve this type of puzzle, so look for something to write with or ask the game master. 

 

Word Puzzles



Type: Anagrams, word searches, or crossword-style puzzles. These types of puzzles are super common in printable escape rooms and are super kid friendly, often giving them fun information and allowing them to tap into their learning skills.

 

How to Solve Word Puzzles: 

  • Rearrange letters, search for hidden words, or fill in blanks to form meaningful words or phrases. 
  • When complete, the answers from word puzzles can spell out messages to help you escape, or give you the codes for keys and alphabet locks. 

 

Physical Manipulation Puzzles



Type: Manipulate physical objects to reveal clues. Vintage puzzle items and wooden puzzle locks. Ever pulled a cracker and discovered one of those little plastic tiles with a tiny ball bearing inside with a little hole for a goal? Similar concepts can be found in escape rooms, and you must use physical manipulation and co-ordination to beat them at their own game. 

 

How to Solve Physical Manipulation Puzzles: 

  • Experiment with different interactions and movements that might manipulate a ball, a magnet, or a small object. 
  • Often the right moves will uncover hidden compartments or messages, or even release keys. This can sometimes rely on trial and error, but sometimes you’ll need to uncover hidden instructions that will show you the way. 

 

Interactive Technology Puzzles



Type: Solve puzzles using electronic devices or interactive elements. There are a multitude of ways that interactive technology can be used for either real-life escape rooms or escape rooms at home. You may need to solve something on an iPad, or make a light bend through a room using mirrors. These types of puzzles can be tough nuts to crack, but you don’t need to invite a squirrel in to help you solve them. Often the answer will be in plain sight or instructions will be spelled out within the room just waiting to be discovered. 

 

How to Solve Interactive Technology Puzzles: 

  • Explore and interact with technological components in the room, considering potential connections. 
  • Trial and error can also work if you’re lucky. 
  • On rare occasions, you may be doing the right thing, but the technology is not quite syncing up, so this type of clue is also a good one to call upon hints from the game master if you’re struggling.

Hidden Object Puzzles



Type: Locate hidden items critical to solving other puzzles. Typically, the easiest type of puzzle to solve, and usually always in the last place you look.

 

How to Solve Hidden Object Puzzles: 

  • Thoroughly search the room for concealed objects that may unlock clues or mechanisms. 
  • A good way to start a room is to gather all the obvious clues, objects, or loose keys and keep them organised, discarding used items as you go to avoid confusion –– it’s a real pain when you’re trying to crack that last lock with seconds to spare at the end of the game, and you’ve forgotten which of the six keys you’ve already tried.
  • Game masters will give you instructions before entering a physical room and may warn you against using force –– which such be strictly adhered to, but there’s usually no harm in giving a portrait a gentle tug to see if anything is hidden behind it. 

 

Pattern Matching Puzzles



Type: Matching shapes, colours, animals, objects, or symbols.

 

How to Solve Pattern Matching Puzzles: 

  • Identify the criteria for matching and find corresponding elements in the room. These can be exact-match, or objects that relate to each other. 
  • Pattern clues tend to call for an act of rearrangement that can reveal codes, clues, or messages.
  • This sort of clue can also link to mechanical puzzles. When you solve the pattern, another part of the room may be revealed or a door will unlock.

 

Maze Puzzles



Type: Navigate through physical or digital mazes. Mazes are a common clue used in printable escape rooms, where they can be used in lots of fun ways.

 

How to Solve Maze Puzzles: 

  • Analyse the maze layout and plan a route to the exit or desired location. 
  • Whilst making your way through the maze, note any object, letters, or numbers that you come across, they may lead to a clue or spell something out.

 

Riddles



Type: Poetic or rhyming clues leading to a solution. Riddles are hugely common in both physical and printable escape rooms and require you to use logic and reasoning skills.

 

How to Solve Riddles: 

  • Interpret the language used in the riddle to deduce the correct answer. 
  • Try to deduce patterns or clues that will give away the meaning of the riddle. 
  • Sometimes the answers are within the riddle itself, look for colours, shapes, or objects mentioned. 
  • Riddles can also be used to trick you. In these cases, you’ll have to do a little out-of-the-box thinking and start using your other senses. If the words don’t seem to mean anything when read, look at what they are PHYSICALLY saying. Are there Capitalised letters in the wrong place? Does every line start with a Letter that seems to spell a word? YoU decidE. 

 

Mechanical Puzzles



Type: Manipulate physical mechanisms to progress. For this type of puzzle, you may need to collect various items from around the room, or connect components in a certain order. 

 

How to Solve Mechanical Puzzles: 

  • Understand the function of the mechanism and experiment with its components. 
  • Look for other clues around the room that may tell you what to do. 
  • Use observation skills to work out problems. Does that hole look like it is the perfect size for a golf ball? Is there a golf ball in the room? 
  • If you’re struggling with a mechanical puzzle, you may still be missing a crucial component. 
  • These types of puzzles are usually the most complex, so it’s sometimes wise to move onto something else before coming back to it, you may just be missing the proverbial key. 

 

Audio-Based Puzzles



Type: Solve puzzles using auditory clues or patterns. Listen out for sounds in the room, or concentrate when given an audio clue outright. 

 

How to Solve Audio-Based Puzzles: 

  • Listen carefully for hints, codes, or musical sequences that guide the solution. This could be something such as morse code, and you’ll need to find extra information in the room to decipher the message. 
  • You may need to listen out for certain words or a message that will be a clue. 

 

Scent-Based Puzzles



Type: They’re a rare type, but scent puzzles can be very interesting. They are often used in the forms of recipes or ingredients. Perhaps you’re looking for a vanilla candle, or needing ingredients for a cake. 

 

How to Solve Scent-Based Puzzles: 

  • Somewhere in the room will be scented objects that you’ll need to find and place in order. 
  • They’ll often have extra information like numbers or letters that will help you work out a code or give you a message.

 

Team Coordination Puzzles



Type: Tasks requiring teamwork or simultaneous actions. In a fun way to encourage teamwork, you may all need to push a button at the exact same time, or stand in separate corners of the room to release a mechanism or unlock a door. 

 

How to Solve Team Coordination Puzzles: 

  • Communicate effectively and coordinate actions among team members.
  • Remember, the key to solving escape room puzzles is collaboration, creativity, and keeping a keen eye on details within the room. 
  • Every puzzle may have multiple steps, so encourage constant communication within your team. 
  • Before you know it, you’ll have escaped back into the freedom of the real world and be thanking each other for your amiable efforts –– or yelling at Dave for tripping you up during that morse code clue…

 

Keep puzzling on!



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