Things to consider
The answer to “
How to do an escape room correctly?” is not always what you would expect.
• It doesn’t have to be in the city center. Escape rooms are not grocery stores or movie theaters, the foot traffic isn’t the main factor here. The venue still should be accessible by car and public transportation.
• Opening in close proximity to another successful escape room venue can be beneficial.
• 2-6 rooms and 25-60 m² per facility is optimal;
• 2-12 players per team is ideal;
• Stick with a single game concept at the start.
• Investing in merch with your venue’s logo is a good strategy. It can be used as free souvenirs for the customers;
• Targeted advertising is a must.
Turnkey solutions
Creating an escape room micro-universe is an art. That doesn’t mean that ready-made options should be frowned upon. Purchasing one saves time, money, and adds to the newfound entrepreneur’s confidence.
So, how to buy an escape room? The common options are:
1. Purchasing a franchise;
2. Purchasing a
turnkey project.
The difference? Number 1 can be limiting. Franchise agreements usually mean:
• diminished creativity: a detailed set of harsh rules;
• shared information and a lack of total control;
• decreased revenue;
• dependency on the brand’s reputation.
Number 2, or turnkey escape rooms, is a fixed yet flexible solution.
• comes with a vast catalog of concepts with proven success among the
customers.
Each includes:
+ an established legend;
+ a targeted audience in mind (age groups, number of players);
+ a puzzle plan (number of sections&hours, number of riddles, types of riddles (
electronics, mechanisms, wow-effects, etc.).
• has a pre-made installation project for every concept:
+ number of rooms;
+ estimated space;
+ construction time (usually several days).
• includes logistics and additional services:
+ props;
+ up to 12 months of warranty;
+ special effects (lights, 3D sound, etc.)
• has a total cost pre-calculated and fixed.
After purchasing a turnkey escape room, buyers can add their own vision to the meticulously constructed world. Everything is synchronized in order to achieve seamless results. Game masters, engineers, designers, painters, and researchers all come together to create authenticity.