HOW TO CHOOSE A THEME FOR ESCAPE ROOM

Escape room themes can be divided into 8 big groups based on their main escape room ideas:

· Escaping from thrilling circumstances. It can be anything that is dangerous enough. Surely, there are no actual threats, but you are all into the game, and that the process is even more interesting. Zombie stories are pretty popular. The same goes with serial killers, famous villains, cages, dungeons, etc. Breakout game ideas usually include some actors, and so the game becomes realistic. A team has a limited amount of time to solve puzzles and escape from death.

· Investigating a crime. You and your teammates are detectives now. The game takes place in a crime scene. It’s your duty to find out what has happened there before. You can be the next victim if you are not quick enough. There can be false clues, and some witnesses might lie, so it’s not going to be an easy task.

· Solving a mystery. This escape room theme has a lot in common with the previous one. However, there is a significant difference. However, there is a significant difference. It can be any unsolved mystery connected to history, science, TV shows, etc. Decorations and costumes are chosen according to the escape room theme ideas. Find any information about an event, solve puzzles and collect clues in order to win.

· Defusing a bomb. Nobody wants to get trapped in a room, and it’s even worth if there’s a bomb inside. What are you going to do to prevent it from exploding? Right, you need to get codes by solving puzzles. You will be safe and free if the code is written correctly. This escape room theme is for those people who can keep control under pressure and use logic along with teamwork instead of panicking.

· Finding someone. A person is missing, and it’s your responsibility to find him or her. Look for the hints hidden in the room to make that happen. The person could be anyone. The most popular options are politics, historical figures, modern celebrities, etc. It all depends on what your target audience likes the most.

· Rescuing people. Someone is in a threating situation. Nobody can help, but you. It can be an ordinary person, a soldier or a special agent, so you will be rewarded for completing the mission. Find items that the person left behind. Maybe, he managed to send a message with a clue. You and your team are the only ones who can check that. · Espionage. Have you ever dreamed about being a military spy? Maybe, a corporate one? It’s time to shine! Your team gets a mission. You need to get into an object, steal some item or secret and get back to safety. Be careful! You can be caught at any moment! A burst of adrenaline is ensured in a spy themed escape game.

· Finding a cure. A virus is going to kill people all around the globe. Nobody, except for your team, is going to help. A scientist that has created the epidemic has left some clues in the laboratory. Find them and save the world.

You can find all the items for escape rooms in our catalogue. Contact us if you don’t find anything you need. We’ll gladly create and set it up for you at a reasonable price.

As you see, the amount of script ideas can be endless. The choice of topic is often location-specific. For example, horrors are very popular in Egypt, while rooms with erotic content are more suitable to the places like Vegas or Amsterdam. Historical escape rooms are a great choice for cities popular with tourists and city center locations. What if we try and analyze the appeal for a run-of-the-mill town without any location specifics? What topic do we choose?

We’ve run a survey among escape room owners and compared the preferences of our customers all over the world over the past 6 years. The results are as follows (in percentages):

These data are not a suit-all magical recipe for every owner but just a global trend: adventure, horrors, magical and family rooms are the most popular worldwide.

If you wish to find the 100% right escape room topic for your location, you should consider the following factors.

Does your business consist of escape rooms only or do you have also additional stuff like axe throwing, VR, or lasertag?

If you are strictly an ER enthusiast, analyze the trends for your existing rooms. If you are going to open your first room, find the most successful competitor in your location to analyze the appeal of their escape room ideas.

If your business is diversified, select the topic to match the mood of your other entertainments. A family ER won’t look good among the people who come to you to throw axes. If you run a kids/family entertainment center, a horror-themed ER may be not very successful.

Our experience shows that there are escape room theme ideas that function well under budgetary constraints, and, vice versa, there are topics that look good only if you invest a lot to get a quality game. The topics that require a lot of diverse escape room props, special effects, lighting, sounds, details, etc, will cost more. At the same time, there is a lot of more affordable options. If you feel that they will be popular and competitive in your place, you’d do well not to overspend.

Say, your budget is about USD 15 to 20 thousand. Your School of Magic room will probably disappoint your audience. However, you’ll have a great pirate-themed game at the same budget.

Choose wisely in accordance with your financial opportunities and be sure to consider all other factors.

Are you located in the city center, at the outskirts, or in a shopping mall? What are your surroundings?

If you are located near a college campus, a youth-themed ER will probably be a success with your audience. Adventure and family rooms are always popular in shopping malls. Are there a lot of tourists in your place? A great idea is to open a history-designed ER and include your local lore and legends.

The topic must be in accordance with your surroundings: if you have a premise in a cellar with stone walls, a medieval theme is a right fit. If you have smooth white walls in your place, opt for more modern topics – then you won’t have to invest in costly repairs.

One of the most frequent mistakes owners make is to consider their own preferences, not the audience preferences. Say, you’re a Star Wars geek: it’s not a guarantee that others are going to share your tastes.

Take notice that the audience preferences change over time. For example, such themes as bank robbing, jail, or morgue are now a thing of the past. It’s not a good idea to run such a room and hope for lots of visitors.

Take a look at our survey data (above), maybe you’ll find a lot to think about there.

A competition analysis, with the right approach, might just be the foundation of your commercial success. There is a number of competitor analysis methods, but be sure to consider the following:
• How many other escape room owners are in your place?
• What ER topics do they have?
• Are they popular? What are the most popular, what are the least popular?

A step-by-step guide to analyzing your competition:
1) Compile the list of the most popular ERs on the same topic in your location.
2) Visit the Top 5 rooms.
3) Make a list of criteria to consider when visiting the rooms.
4) Make a plan to surpass the competitors for each criteria for your future room.
5) Stick to the plan.

If you know that horrors are a success, use it. Let your new room be even scarier. Do the players in your location like ghost stories? They are sure to love a vampire-themed room. It is not a direct competition, but you are sure to get a lot of visitors and a quick return on your investments. It stands to reason that having the same storyline as your competitors spells failure. But say, your competitors have a very popular ghost-themed room? Another horror-designed room may be successful as well, but if it is about vampires. It is not a direct competition, but you are sure to get a lot of visitors and a quick return on your investments. Actually, there are many reasons why horror themes are popular and attract customers.

Now that we’ve learned about escape room theme ideas, let’s move on to a question of our customer. It is a combination of several factors that are all equally important. Here they are:
· Theme. We’ve already discussed how significant it is. All you have to do is just use your imagination. Being inspired by films and books is also great, but don’t make an escape room theme sound too cliché.
· Story. Put as much details as possible, as it’s a good way to set up specific atmosphere. Players should be aware of why they do something and what the result will be.
· Puzzles. Don’t make them too difficult nor too easy. You have to find the right balance, otherwise the game will be boring.
· Decorations. Apparel may seem not so important, however that’s not true. Use only high-quality materials to make your escape room design really fantastic. Buying expensive items will eventually pay off.
· Software. Players won’t see the majority of programs and devices that are used in the room. They are designed to make your work easier and much more enjoyable. Cameras, programs, computers can help a lot.

We have run through the main considerations for choosing the escape game theme of your new room. The better your aim, the more success your project will have. Good luck!

If you need assistance choosing a right ER for you, please contact us, we will be happy to help.

You can find all the items for escape rooms in our catalogue. Contact us if you don’t find anything you need. We’ll gladly create and set it up for you at a reasonable price.