How to Start an Escape Room Business

Common types
72% of the modern escape rooms in the US alone are located independently. Some can be found within malls, arcade centers, and theme parks. The latter is more common for the mobile escape rooms — the emerging business model using modified or specially constructed V-nose trailers. Successful companies can become a brand and grow into a franchise.

Market overview
The escape room market is saturated, but not overly so. Even the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 didn’t affect it much. Only 4,3% of facilities were shut down permanently or temporarily (taking the US market as an example). There still was a 2% growth within the industry. The current estimated number of escape rooms worldwide exceeds 50,000 venues.
The current estimated number of escape rooms worldwide exceeds 50,000 venues.

The market is really profitable. Studies in Asia show that profit margins are 75% in the first years, and the number lowers to about 50-60% later. These are average rates, and the profit can be a lot higher. Keep in mind that the market is localized. There aren’t any franchises which are popular all around the globe, so everyone has a chance to shine, by opening an escape room.

An average escape room charges each person $25-30 for an hour. 10-12 people can play at the same time. The most significant objects of expenditure are payroll, rent and taxes, not to mention expenses and your time spent on creating an escape room. Some escape games are simple and some of them are pretty sophisticated, so expenses vary.

After we examine the market, the next step is to decide what kind of room you would like to open. Would it be DIY or professional? What scenario will your room have? We have collected the most popular themes in this article.

So let’s imagine, you decided to design your own escape room. For this option we have collected some advice for you according to our experience.

Just follow a simple plan.

1) Creating an escape room starts from an idea. This part of creating an escape room is probably the simplest. Free your imagination, as this is the only option to think up a theme. Your own taste will be a judge. The idea should be thrilling, funny or both. It’s not bad to take inspiration from your favorite books or films. Keep in mind what themes attract your target audience. Kids, for example, will love Cinderella-themed escape rooms, but adults will not.

2) Before opening an escape room, put some details to the project. Just google 10 people or objects that are connected to the theme. Write them down on a piece of paper. The list will contain main characters and elements of your world. For instance, if there is a room on the theme of “House MD”, then even his stick could be a nice option.

3) How to create an escape room idea & make a storyboard. It will be an engine that pushes the game into play. This part’s importance is pretty obvious, but many people forget about it. The only rule remains the same: be creative. Don’t use cliché scenarios, as everybody is already tired of them. There is also a small nuance: if the setting goes on in just one location, it will be easier to manage.

4) Create an organizational chart. The step’s main goal is to put the complete story together. Write down all the timeline points and give each of them a description. Each note will be a puzzle or challenge. A little advice: put as many details as possible. Turning timelines into puzzles is not easy, so you’ll probably spend some time on that.

5) Select puzzles for challenges. If you don’t know what puzzles to use, then you can search for them on the Internet. Sometimes there are ideas so simple and so genius, that you will regret somebody came up with the idea before you.

6) Simplify the game and test it. The step is important because necessary changes will be obvious and you won’t have to spend too much time on accessories and details if something goes wrong. Invite as many teams as possible, as this is the only option to find out all disadvantages of the escape room before creating an escape room.

As we have mentioned before, to do a custom escape room is impossible without proper equipment. Players will have a much more enjoyable experience, and you won’t have to do too much by yourself. All the equipment can be divided into 4 groups.

Fixed monthly costs are necessary for normal functioning. They include:
• rent;
• employee payroll;
• utility bills;
• phone & Internet bills;
• taxes;
• bank transaction fees;
• advertising;
• building maintenance (cleaning supplies, air fresheners, control room, vending machines, First Aid kits, fire safety, etc.).

Сosts mostly depend on the number of rooms in the escape room and local requirements for business owners. Some countries don’t have a specific licensing system for escape rooms, some do. Safety permits, marketing requirements, tolls, waivers, and fees also vary from place to place.

Let’s sum up everything we have said by pointing out advantages of DIY and professional escape rooms. We will start with escape rooms people do on their own:

• You won’t spend much money on the project.
• The number of available themes is infinite and depends just solely on the creativity of a person.
• Creating your own escape room is really interesting.
• You are not confined with any boundaries.

Professional escape rooms have also got something to show off:
• You’ll save a lot of time if you decide to buy it.
• There are many features making it easier to organize the escape room.
• There’s no need for thinking up of puzzles, as they are already included in a package.
• All the necessary equipment looks and works great.
• It’s much more convenient to use escape rooms built by engineers.
• Software is completely customizable.
• All the goods pay off quickly.

Gadgets used in professional rooms make a unique experience for players, so why not buy them? Don’t just wonder how to do your own escape room. Use high-quality props and gadgets from our catalog that contains a wide range of equipment, so you will definitely find something that will be useful. Our catalog contains a wide range of equipment, so you will definitely find something that will be useful.

The escape rooms world is booming and there’s no reason to believe this will change in the next 5 years. We’ve already discussed an important part of escape rooms’ appeal: easy pop-cultural referencing. From classics like Lord of The Rings to the most recent phenomena like Among Us, they give people the opportunity to live through those worlds.

So, how much do escape room owners make? Market leaders show 75% profit margins in the first two years, followed by 50-60% each year after that. The average venue in the US and Europe brings around €250,000-300,000 annually. America’s first escape room ever, PuzzleBreak, switched from a $7,000 investment to a $600,000 revenue in just 2 years.

The main source of profit obviously comes from how much you charge your guests. Smaller escape rooms in Europe can start with a €7 hourly rate for a person, but successful rooms can easily charge €40 for an hour.

Keep in mind that every concept is different. Some games can allow you to have up to 10 sessions daily, with a 2-12-people team participating in each. With that in mind, you are looking at an approximately €40,000 per month scenario.

Escape rooms business can be tricky but rewarding. Constant diligence and passion are important, but quality is essential. Turnkey projects created by professional suppliers make an excellent start for an independently operated venue.