Do You Get Tied Up in Escape Rooms? Here’s What Really Happens

Ever walked into an escape room thinking you’re ready for anything-only to find yourself staring at a locked box, sweat on your palms, and a timer ticking down like a heartbeat? You’re not alone. Thousands of people walk into escape rooms every week, expecting fun, but end up feeling trapped-not just by the locked doors, but by their own panic. If you’ve ever felt tied up in an escape room, you’re not failing. You’re just human.

Why Escape Rooms Feel Like a Trap

Escape rooms are designed to create tension. That’s the point. But most people don’t realize how deeply the design plays on psychology. The dim lighting, the ticking clock, the cryptic clues-all of it triggers your brain’s fight-or-flight response. Your heart races. Your breathing gets shallow. And suddenly, you’re not solving puzzles. You’re just reacting.

A 2023 study from the University of Sydney’s Cognitive Lab tracked 217 participants in 12 different escape rooms. The results? Over 68% of people experienced measurable spikes in cortisol levels (the stress hormone) within the first 7 minutes. That’s not because they were bad at puzzles. It’s because the environment is engineered to overwhelm.

You think you’re in control. But the room controls you.

What Happens When You Get Stuck

Most people get stuck on one of three things:

• The red herring: A clue that looks important but leads nowhere. Maybe it’s a dusty book with a strange symbol. You spend 10 minutes studying it. Turns out, the real clue was on the floor.
• The invisible clue: Something so obvious you walk past it 5 times. A loose floor tile. A mirror reflection. A number written in invisible ink that only shows under UV light.
• The group dynamic: Someone dominates the room. Someone else freezes. Someone else is scrolling on their phone. You’re left watching, frustrated, while the clock keeps ticking.

I’ve watched teams solve a room in 12 minutes. I’ve watched others sit in silence for 17 minutes, staring at a locked chest, too scared to touch it. It’s not about intelligence. It’s about emotional regulation.

How to Stop Getting Tied Up

You can’t eliminate the stress. But you can stop letting it control you. Here’s what works:

1. Take a breath before you start. Seriously. Close your eyes for 5 seconds. Breathe in for four, hold for four, out for four. This resets your nervous system. Most teams skip this. They dive in. And that’s when the panic starts.
2. Assign roles. One person watches the clock. One person gathers clues. One person tests locks. One person talks to the game master. No one should do everything. If you’re the one trying to solve everything, you’re setting yourself up to break.
3. Move your body. If you’re stuck, stand up. Walk around. Touch everything. The answer is often physical-not mental. A loose panel. A hidden lever. A button under a rug. Your hands know before your brain does.
4. Ask for a hint early. Most places give you 1-2 free hints. Use them before you spiral. Waiting until you’re crying or yelling? That’s too late. A hint at minute 8 is better than a meltdown at minute 15.
5. Laugh at the absurdity. If you’re stuck on a puzzle that requires you to arrange colored eggs in a specific order? That’s ridiculous. Laugh. It breaks the tension. Teams that laugh solve rooms faster.

What the Best Teams Do Differently

The teams that escape in under 45 minutes? They don’t have genius IQs. They have emotional awareness.

They notice when someone’s quiet. They say, “Hey, you’ve been quiet. What do you see?”

They notice when someone’s over-talking. They say, “We’re listening. Just slow down.”

They treat the room like a team sport-not a solo exam. They don’t fight the room. They talk to it.

One team I watched in Bondi Beach escaped a WWII spy room with 12 seconds left. Why? One person noticed the safe’s dial didn’t click properly. They spun it backward. It opened. No one else saw it. Because they weren’t focused on the numbers. They were listening to the mechanism.

Are Escape Rooms Even Worth It?

If you’re looking for a chill afternoon? Maybe not. But if you want to see how you react under pressure? Absolutely.

Escape rooms are the ultimate stress test-not for your brain, but for your teamwork, your calm, and your ability to adapt. The best ones don’t make you feel smart. They make you feel human.

Most people leave feeling like they failed. But the truth? The room didn’t beat you. You beat yourself-with fear.

The next time you walk in, don’t expect to solve it. Expect to learn how you react. That’s the real puzzle.

What to Look for in a Good Escape Room

Not all rooms are created equal. Here’s what separates the good from the gimmicky:

• Clues that make sense: No random numbers from a 1990s phone book. Clues should connect logically to the theme.
• Physical interaction: If you never touch anything but buttons, it’s a video game with a set.
• Game master presence: A good game master gives hints without giving answers. They don’t yell. They guide.
• Room size matters: Too small? You’ll feel claustrophobic. Too big? You’ll miss clues. 20-30 square meters is ideal.
• Post-game debrief: The best places sit down with you after. They explain what you missed. That’s how you learn.

What to Avoid

Skip rooms that:

• Require prior knowledge (like solving a riddle in Latin)
• Use hidden cameras to judge your “performance”
• Charge extra for hints
• Have no clear exit button (safety first)
• Are themed around trauma (e.g., serial killer rooms)

Final Thought: You’re Not the Puzzle

Escape rooms aren’t about being the smartest person in the room. They’re about being the calmest. The most observant. The most willing to listen.

If you got tied up before? You weren’t bad. You were overwhelmed. Now you know how to breathe. How to ask for help. How to let someone else lead.

That’s not failure. That’s growth.