Things You Didn’t Know About Being an Escape Room Game Master
Have you ever thought about being an escape room game master? It’s not as easy as it looks! There’s a lot more to it than just coming up with puzzles and watching people solve them.
In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the things you need to know about being an escape room game master, from the challenges to the rewards.
So if you’re thinking about taking on this challenge, or if you’re just curious and want a peak behind the scenes, read on!
The challenges of being an escape room game master
One of the challenges of being an escape room game master is that you have to be able to think on your feet. Often, you’ll need to come up with creative hints for puzzles on the fly, as well as troubleshoot any problems that arise during the game. This can be a bit of pressure, but it’s all part of the fun!
Occasionally things in escape rooms break – as more and more games become dependent on custom technology these issues can become increasingly technical and difficult to fix on the fly during an ongoing game.
A good game master will be able to help their team bypass any technical bumps in the game, ideally without the players even realizing something wasn’t functioning as intended. Or, if they do realize, the game master will be able to provide adequate assistance to make certain the team is still getting the full experience and that their fun is not hampered by the technical trouble.
Fortunately for game masters, the actual design and construction of rooms isn’t typically left to them, so they don’t need to be able to build and design the custom tech – just fix it or bypass it if necessary.
Another challenge is dealing with difficult players. While most people who play escape rooms are there to have fun, sometimes you’ll encounter someone who is determined to ruin the game for everyone else. As the game master, it’s your job to keep things running smoothly and keeping everyone happy – no small feat!
There are many rewards to being an escape room game master as well! We’ll talk about those in the next section, so read on!
The rewards of being an escape room game master
Despite the challenges, being an escape room game master can be a really rewarding experience. There’s nothing quite like watching people solve the puzzles you’ve created and seeing the looks of triumph on their faces when they escape the room! It’s always satisfying to watch someone “get” a puzzle that you spent hours perfecting.
At Clue Chase we put hundreds of hours and a great deal of care into all of our rooms and puzzles, we need to be certain that our games can be solved entirely with the information as it is presented to you in the play-space, no outside knowledge or help should ever be strictly “necessary” in order to successfully progress through one of our games.
In fact, when teams are able to complete one of our escape rooms without a single clue, we don’t take that as a cause for concern that maybe our games are too easy (they aren’t, it’s an extremely rare team that can solve a room without our help) instead we see it as a great sign!
It means that our puzzles are logically consistent and properly self-contained, and that motivated folks with enough puzzling know-how will be able to complete all our challenges on their own merits as players, without being blocked or hampered by some strange anachronistic bit of knowledge that we want them to have.
You’ll also get to know your players pretty well over the course of a game. You’ll learn about their likes and dislikes, what type of puzzles they’re good at, and maybe even a few things about their personal lives. It’s all part of the fun of being an escape room game master! Think of running a game as a bit like watching your own custom reality TV episode.
You’ll be watching a team of players trying to work together to solve a series of challenges for one hour, or about the length of a good game show on TV. Playing the role of game master is fun! You get to directly influence the outcome of your team’s adventure, and helping people to have fun is its own reward.
You also get to be a part of a growing industry. Escape rooms are becoming more and more popular, so it’s exciting to be on the forefront of this trend. Who knows, you might even end up helping to design the next big thing in escape room games!
If you’re looking for a fun and challenging job with the potential for great rewards, then being an escape room game master is a sure bet!
What you need to know before becoming an escape room game master
If you’re thinking about becoming an escape room game master, there are a few things you should know first. For starters, you’ll need to be able to think on your feet. While you likely won’t be designing any puzzles yourself, at least not initially, being able to rapidly come up with solutions to unique problems is an important skill for any game master! Y
You’ll also need to be able to maintain a cool head under pressure, as things can sometimes get a little chaotic in an escape room! Running a birthday party for a group of hyperactive 12-year-olds is no small feat, and making sure the kids feel like they’re all included and succeeding – well, it isn’t for the faint of heart.
You’ll also need to be familiar with the different types of escape rooms out there. There are many different themes and styles of escape rooms, so it’s important that you know what you’re getting yourself into before you start game mastering. Some escape rooms may involve live actors, and they may even want you to perform! If you’re not comfortable with that, make sure you’re not applying to an escape room that uses actors!
Also, even if you won’t be acting, being a game master is a very people-forward position. You will be regularly interacting face to face with medium to large groups of strangers. You’ll need to provide their introduction to the room, and answer any questions they may have before or after the game. If you’re not a people-person, working at an escape room may not be a great fit. The more you like meeting new people, the more you’ll like being an escape room game master!
So, there you have it! These are just a few of the things you need to know about being an escape room game master. From the challenges to the rewards, it’s not an easy job – but it can be a lot of fun! So if you’re up for the challenge, give it a try! Who knows, you might just love it.
If you’re interested in trying an escape room at Clue Chase, or in speaking to one of our game masters yourself, you can give us a call at 646-829-1690 or send us an email to info@cluechase.com and we would be happy to help!
