Thanks to ever evolving technology, the world is constantly changing. Looking at our own industry of escape room games, we can see that that there has been a huge movement away from physical games and towards virtual ones. In a roundabout way, we can thank the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, it kept many players having to social distance in their own homes. In fact, social distancing meant that the traditional escape room game, played within a confined space simply wasn't possible to play. Thankfully, many escape room game businesses were able to segway into offering virtual escape room games over video sharing apps such as Zoom. Today, we thought we'd take a deeper dive into playing escape room games virtually.

Choose Your Escape Room Gaming Style

First things first, you’ll need to find an internet remote game that suits your team and your team's playing style. Because the virtual world is able to offer many more options than the real world, then you'll find a huge number of options and experiences awaiting you when it comes to remote escape room game offerings. There are any number of different styles of gameplay and it's really up to you to find something that suits your personal preference. Having said that, many of the best virtual escape room experiences today can be found by having a games master directing everything from within a traditional escape room. In this way, you’re still able to enjoy all the puzzles and clues. Though you'll need to use the eyes and hands of the games master in order to complete the game within it's allotted time.

Virtual Games Will Seem Weird at First

If you’re used to playing escape room games in a brick and mortar facility, then the transition to playing a virtual game may seem rather awkward. Though digital escape rooms are based on the same foundations as traditional ones, they do require a different thinking strategy when compared to the more traditional ones you used to playing with. In some ways, many of the techniques and game play strategies that worked so well for you in the traditional escape room setting, are simply redundantin the digital world. That's why we suggest that you prepare yourself for a new way of thinking.

It can be Frustrating

Don't be surprised if as an experience escape room player you find the remote play environment to be slightly frustrating. At first you may be inclined to throw your hands up and decide that virtual escape room games are not for you. But we recommend that you keep going and stick with it. In some ways, you'll be learning a new set of skills. I some ways it’s frustrating having to re-navigate something that you will once familiar with. Keep in mind that running a virtual game remote play over the internet is still a reatively new activity. As such, both the players and the businesses offering such games are still learning as they go. To that end, it's important to remain patient whilst at the same time putting in the effort to learn something new.

Remember When our First Started Playing Escape Rooms

If you could think back to your very first escape room gaming experience, then that's always a good place to start. After all, back then you really had no idea about how the game's function, and what to do as the clock ticked down the remaining time. Of course, after you've played through a few games, then you will instinctively know how to find clues and the best methods by which you can speed up the whole playing experiencein order to allow you to escape to victory. But when you first entered the brand new escape room game, it probably took some time to adjust your thinking until it became second nature. Likewise, when it comes to playing virtual remote escape room games for the first time, you may well find yourself as confused and disorientated as you did in your very first escape room game experience. But stick with it. In no time at all, you’ll develop a new set of skills as you learn to play the same games, but from a different perspective.

On the whole, when you’re playing your first online remote escape room game, you're probably going to be sitting at home with your laptop. To help you understand and optimize your overall playing experience, we’ve compose a few pro tips that’ll have you up and running within no time at all.

Do you have Multiple Monitors? 

We suggest that you use one monitor for your live video feed of the actual room itself. The second one can be used solely to display items and clues found in digital form.

Keep Your Tabs Organized

It's a good idea to rearrange your tabs so that they sit next to each other across the top of your browser. This will make it much easier if you need to locate them quickly. Likewise, we suggest that you always keep your workspace clean. This means closing any unwanted tabs. Particularly those concerning completed or used items. By limiting what you can see in front of you, you'll be able to focus much more on the important factors. It’s also a good idea  to copy paste all of the digital assets into a single workspace. Maybe this may take a few minutes to complete, but it'll allow you to see everything side by side. In other words, it will give you the same experience as if you were comparing props, clues and puzzles within a real escape room game.

Ask For More Hints

You'll be surprised just how many players would like to ask for hints but simply don’t thanks to their own pride. But when you're playing a remote online escape room game, then you may well need more hints than you would in a traditional game. Furthermore, it can be difficult to spot things using the camera worn by the game master. So if you're not seeing things clearly, or if the games master is moving too fast, then don’t be afraid to either ask him to slow down or to focus more on specific clues. At the end of the day, you're probably going to be playing an escape room game with a group of friends or colleagues. So in order for the team to function well, then good and clear communication is key. But the same communication is also important when directing the game master to find stuff around the room.

Fun Should Always Come First

Keep in mind that one of the major reasons why escape room games are so popular is because they were about problem solving and thinking outside of the box in an unexpected situation. Now many new players are starting to play remote games, they find that these factors are as important as ever. Of course, there could be an endless debate over the advantages of a virtual game versus a real one. Nevertheless, it's important to recognize that they are different. And that they will require different strategies and gameplays. No matter how difficult the remote game may appear, always keep in mind that you are in an escape room in order to have fun. You'll always find someone in a team who take the games too seriously. Don't be that guy! Just enjoy the common experience of being with your friends or colleagues. Then you’ll realize that the actual situation of the game master, whether in distant basement or being played on the monitor of your PC, isn't the important part. It's about being social and having a great time.