During our time in the escape room industry (since 2015), more than one hundred ER scenarios have passed through us, so we have something to share with you.
We have described for you the main points that need to be considered and taken into account when starting work on the script (scenario).
Location
- How many rooms are there already in the location? Or the location is one large room, in which case the rooms can be "invented" and combined to your heart's content.
- Does the room have any special features: a narrow corridor / very small storage room, stairs, a basement area, etc.? If the room has "special features", then they can be turned into scenarios from disadvantages to an additional wow effect.
A small comment about the area (size) of the room — there is not one single correct answer here. We usually tell clients that the average escape room area for 60 minutes is 35-70m2 (377-754 sq ft). If you have a small room and you want to build a quest there or launch an additional escape room, then consider the option of a mini-quest for 30-45 minutes.
Topic
The theme of the script? Choose a topic that will be interesting to your audience. For example, a detective investigation, a space adventure, a historical quest, etc. Or maybe your quest will be dedicated to a specific event, for example: bachelor party/ escape/ rocket launch stop/ buried alive, etc.?
Target audience
Think about who will play your quest. Consider the age, interests, and preferences of your target audience. This will help you create a more appropriate scenario.
Here we would divide the potential audience into 2 parts: a children's quest (up to 10-12 years old) and an adult quest (12+).
Duration of the game
Classic 60 minutes? Or maybe a mini-quest for 20-30 minutes or a compromise of 45 minutes?
We usually use the following ratio: players need 3-4 minutes to solve an average puzzle, so for a 60-minute game duration, there should be 15-20 riddles inside.
Puzzles
Determine how many mechanical puzzles there should be:
- The principle of mechanical puzzles is: pull/ push/ move. Examples of such puzzles include mazes, cryptexes, various mechanical locks, and mechanical puzzles.
Determine the number of puzzles with electronics. There are usually more of them.
In our scenarios, we use a maximum of 2-3 mechanical puzzles, all the others with electronics.
Linear / Non-linear quest scenario
The linear quest scenario is a strict and fixed sequence of solving puzzles.
The non-linear quest scenario allows players to choose the order of tasks and influence the development of the plot. In a non-linear scenario, players can freely move between different stages or quest zones, solving tasks in a convenient order for them. Also, a non—linear quest scenario may include several different endings, which increases the chance that players will come to play with you again to test another ending.
All the best,
EcoDecor team
Comments