Undoubtedly, one of the biggest hits on Netflix last year was the Korean show Squid Game, whose resounding success was well recognized by global viewers and movie critics alike.

Within the first 28 days of its premiere, an estimate of over 142 million member households was drawn in to enjoy this survival drama full of gore and tears. It was an Internet sensation so hard to ignore that creators online started making their own iterations of the games in the show.

If you are as crazy as I am about Squid Game and are bored of the same old birthday party, let’s learn together how to bring a thrilling escape room to life at home!

Getting ready

1. Brainstorm your themes

Do some research on the most popular escape room now and give mind maps a go to see what themes your guests might prefer. Should it be about haunted houses or time travel? Should it be about the 80s’ or even the Middle Ages? See how to have a perfect brainstorming session by clicking here. 2. Set an appropriate time limit

How much time you can spare on designing the room and setting up the game matters. Try to limit the game to 30 mins first. Feel free to make it longer if you are a master game designer.

3. Pick a big room to fit

Make sure that the room you pick is big enough to accommodate all the players and fits your theme. You can use up to 2-3 rooms to make it more complex.

Storytime

1. Decide on your theme and story

Sketching out a rough story will give your escape room a purpose. Maybe your guests are players in Squid Game and need to find a loophole in the system to escape. Or maybe they are tomb raiders trying to flee from a cursed and collapsing pyramid. This is entirely up to you.

2. Break your story into bite-size pieces

Don’t write a whole novel for your escape room. Instead, use succinct sentences to give clear instructions.

3. Create a flowchart

Use a mind map to outline what the players need to do to complete all the challenges. Click here for a comprehensive guide on how to make a flowchart or watch the video down below.

Design challenges

1. Know your players

Are your guests experienced escapees? Or new to the game? How many players will be joining the game? You can even customize each puzzle or challenge for your guests if you know them through and through. 2. Design your puzzles

Either use quizzes or props to encrypt your hints, but make sure that these puzzles are solvable within the time limit. Start simple. Hide clues in a secluded area and give the players enough hints to find them. These clues could be the key to finding the number combination to a locked safe. Let your imagination run wild with these challenges.

3. Keep your hints concealed

Lock up your hints, add fake info, and make it entertaining for your guests. Say, fold some pages in a book, or circle out some misleading info that will lead to dead ends and see if your guests are smart enough to figure it out themselves.

4. Use different mediums to give hints

Turn it into a multimedia game. Don’t just stick to pens and paper. You can use videos to give clues or even audio hints to engage your guests on different sensory levels.

Play the Game

1. Set up your rooms

Decorate your rooms with DIYs or props from craft stores to fit the theme. A costume or two would be a plus if you are committed to the game. Music matters too. Some would even argue that background music can make or break the game.

2. Do a run-through first

Put yourself in the players’ shoes and go through the challenges and puzzles to ensure that all of your props work. Now, get another person to play through the whole game. Record the time spent and make adjustments accordingly.

3. Explain the rules

Before the game can begin, give a speech and explain the setting of the game, the rules, and some of the hints. Make sure that all participants understand the objective and provide hints when needed.

4. Choose a grand prize for winners

To entice people to join the game, pick a prize for all the winners who successfully finish the game on time.

See how to pick out prizes (including Christmas presents) here.

Try setting up your own escape room this year with these tips and share how it turned out in the end with your other friends.

Reference:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squid\_Game

https://www.wikihow.com/Plan-an-Escape-Room