Building a New Escape Room - How to...

07/05/24

Building a new themed escape room at Escapism Chester is a thrilling endeavour that requires a blend of creativity, attention to detail, and meticulous planning. Here's a glimpse into what it takes to bring a new escape room to life:

1. Concept Development: The journey begins with brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for the theme of the new escape room. This involves considering popular trends, customer preferences, and unique concepts that will captivate participants.
2. Puzzle Design: Designing puzzles is at the heart of creating an engaging escape room experience. Puzzles should be diverse in nature, ranging from logic puzzles and riddles to physical challenges and interactive tasks. Each puzzle must be carefully calibrated to provide just the right level of difficulty and excitement.
3. Set Design and Theming: The physical environment of the escape room plays a crucial role in enhancing immersion and storytelling. This involves designing sets, props, and decor that align with the chosen theme, creating an atmosphere that transports participants to another world.
4. Technology Integration: Incorporating technology into the escape room can elevate the experience to new heights. Whether it's hidden sensors, electronic locks, or interactive displays, technology adds an extra layer of interactivity and excitement for players.
5. Testing and Iteration: Once the escape room is built, thorough testing is essential to ensure that puzzles flow smoothly, technology functions as intended, and the overall experience meets expectations. Feedback from test groups is invaluable for identifying areas for improvement and making necessary adjustments.
6. Storyline Creation: Once a theme is chosen, the next step is to craft a compelling storyline that will immerse players in the world of the escape room. This narrative will serve as the foundation for the puzzles, clues, and challenges that participants will encounter.
7. Marketing and Promotion: A successful escape room relies on effective marketing and promotion to attract players. This involves creating enticing promotional materials, leveraging social media channels, and collaborating with local influencers or businesses to generate buzz.
8. Staff Training: Well-trained staff are essential for providing a memorable and enjoyable experience for participants. Training should cover not only the operation of the escape room but also customer service, safety procedures, and conflict resolution.
9. Launch and Operations: Finally, it's time to unveil the new escape room to the public. A successful launch event can help generate excitement and drive bookings. Once operational, ongoing maintenance and updates are necessary to keep the experience fresh and engaging for repeat visitors.

Building a new themed escape room at Escapism Chester is a labour of love that requires passion, creativity, and attention to detail. But for those involved in bringing it to life, the thrill of seeing participants immerse themselves in the adventure makes it all worthwhile.