5 ways on how to reduce the payback period for an escape game

It would seem that if the total investment is greater, then the payback period is also higher.

In practice, by opening several rooms at the same time, you drastically reduce both the volume of capital investments as well as the operating costs per room.

When you prepare 1 escape room for several games, then the “scale effect” works. For example, it is cheaper to open 2-3 rooms at the same time and at the same location than it is to open the 2-3 rooms, at different locations and at different times. By opening 1 room at a time, going through the process of renting, repairing, installing equipment, searching for personnel and promotional costs, it all adds to the overall costs making it a lot more expensive.

By opening several rooms at the same time, you will save a significant amount on the salaries of administrators and all the other staff, as well as renting technical rooms and waiting areas for each game.

The audience of players that you cover expands if you choose different themes for the different rooms at 1 location. By attracting an audience to one of your games, about 80% of visitors will be interested in your other games as well.

All of this helps reduce costs and increases revenue when calculating the ROI of each game.

By purchasing a well-known escape room franchise, you automatically acquire marketing. A recognizable brand is one of the most reliable guarantees that your games will be chosen by both locals and tourists. The escape room franchise costs are rapidly paid off by the amount of games that the brand name provides. Of course, this rule only works for well-known franchises, such as Indestroom. Our partners are the world’s largest Panic rooms, we not only supply equipment for their games but we oversee how carefully they control the quality at every stage, like we do our own. Their games are also always in demand.

Discounts are not considered good marketing; however, it makes sense to spread the word as much as possible, and why your new game is really worth visiting right after the opening. In the initial stage, before the word of mouth has got around, your goal is to attract the widest possible audience. Promotions immediately after opening are the best time for discounts.

It is important here to carefully prepare the game itself so that the first players enjoy themselves, and the process of positive reviews and recommendations start successfully.

The higher the quality of the escape game, the faster it will pay off and the longer it will be able to generate income. The time when an escape game could be opened for $ 5,000 is long gone. Now no one visits simple games and even if they do, be prepared for some negative reviews. Competition dictates new rules, and your game must be worthy of a sophisticated audience. Your equipment should not break down, as downtime and additional repair costs do not contribute to a quick payback period.

By investing in a more expensive product, you are investing in your future. Professional escape room kit will work better and longer. Remember: you won’t have a second chance at a first impression and first impressions…last. You pay not only for high quality, but also for service, support, manufacturer’s guarantees, visitors that are satisfied with the game and so on. For example, one of our clients from Australia was able to make back all of his investments in a record 3 months, playing 8-10 games daily. Read more – a link to our case.

You always have a choice – to do everything yourself, in parts, gradually, or to order a ready-to-play solution. At first glance, making an escape game by DIY seems to be more profitable, but let’s take a closer look: you will need to pay for additional months of renting a location, spend at least six months to create a game that is ready for visitors, and this is if it all goes smoothly.

When ordering a turnkey product, you only need to prepare the location for a maximum of one month beforehand. For our clients, we provide detailed wiring plans, equipment placement and design recommendations. After you receive your escape room props and puzzles, you will need about 3 to 10 days to connect and test everything, including the game control system, so you can earn money almost right away without wasting time on the long construction process.

Of course, depending on your location, there are many ways to further promote your escape game business. There are no universal recipes, so we restrict ourselves to the proven methods described above.

For the convenience of escape game owners, we have created a special calculator that takes all factors into account, including the costs of delivery. You can choose any escape game from our catalogue and compare the predicted payback periods for turnkey escape games, cubes and portable games. Don’t wait… Try it!