Category: News of PlanB Escape

Choosing the Best Escape Room for your Team

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When choosing an escape room for you and your Team, there are a few things you need to look out for. We want to give you a quick overview over what to look out for, but keep in mind that with escape rooms a lot is subject to what you like and what your own personal interests are.

So let’s directly begin.

 

1. Topic

 

Out first point is in my opinion the most important point. Before booking an escape room, check out the topic of said room. In the end the most important part of a room aren’t the riddles but the overall atmosphere and specifically the topic. If you don’t like prison scenarios, you will not find a prison escape room that you will like even if this room has the most elaborate and fascinating riddles.

So the first thing you should check when booking an escape room, are the different scenarios and especially the ones that interest you most. The good thing is, that most cities have a wide range of different Escape Room providers, and also a wide range of different topics.

 

2. Amount of players

 

The second most important thing in my opinion is the amount of players, it doesn’t help you at all looking for escape rooms with a group of ten people to in the end find out that the room you want to play isn’t suitable for that amount of people.

Luckily all escape room providers list the amount of people directly on their website, so make sure to check this out.

Important to note is also that in general most rooms are suited for up to six or seven people. If you are more than that you can usually split up and play two different at the same time.

What you also need to keep in mind is that if there is a room that is suited for more players, lets say around ten, you are probably better off not playing this room with just two participants, as it is very hard to create an escape room that is at the same time suited for two or ten players. (this normally just means that the room is incredibly hard if you are just two players)

 

3. Location

 

Important but shouldn’t be your main concern, of course it is great to play an escape room which you can easily reach via car or public transport, but you shouldn’t restrict yourself because of this and maybe miss a great experience.

Its sometime also not the best idea to go for an escape room in the middle of the city, keep in mind that rent in inner cities is way higher than a bit outside, which usually leads to escape rooms in the city being smaller than the ones further outside. If that is a criteria you look out for in escape rooms, you should check locations which are not in the inner city.

 

4. Difficulty

 

This point might seem very important to some players, as you might fear that you wont be able to finish the room, or that you won’t like it because it’s too hard, but this is actually not such a big issue. Yes a hard escape room might not be as fun for some groups as an easy one, or the other way around, but every escape room has a game operator on location who will always help you if you are stuck somewhere. Also in the end it is about the fun you have while solving the riddles and not necessarily about “winning” the game.

 

5. Reviews

 

Make sure to check out the escape rooms reviews before booking but also don’t let yourself be discouraged by bad reviews. Every Escape Room has bad reviews, just as every other spare time activity or anything else that can be reviewed online. Not everybody likes every game, just make sure that there are more good reviews and that you like the escape rooms theme and you are good to go.

Escape Rooms during Corona times

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  1. are there any escape rooms open again?

The short answer is yes.

Most of the escape room providers have opened again since the beginning of June, because at that time people from one household were allowed to play indoor activities together again. By now the restrictions have decreased to such an extent that people from several households are allowed to play together.

There are individual providers who have not yet reopened in order to rebuild or modernise their rooms during this time, but these will certainly also reopen soon.

Note, however, that due to the uncertain situation, it is possible that a new wave of corona infections could well lead to new regulations being issued by the government and various recreational facilities having to close or adapt again. If it is not clear from the operator’s website whether they have already reopened, it is best to contact the operators directly and let them advise you.

  1. what must be considered?

The most important thing is that you only start your game if your state of health is good. The symptoms of a SARS-CoV-2 infection are not the same for everyone and range from coughing and breathing problems to fever or worse. So if you are not feeling well, inform the provider you booked with and cancel your game (most providers have relaxed their cancellation policy).

Also, people who have had contact with infected people in the last 14 days are not allowed to play our games.

Furthermore we ask you to follow the instructions of our game operators, we do our best to organize the games in a way that several groups do not meet in our premises, but this will only work if you support us and pay attention to what we tell you.

Wearing a mouth and nose mask is mandatory in our common area in the rooms itself is optional, more about this in the next section.

  1. what measures are taken?

As already mentioned, we organize our games in such a way that no groups meet in our shop to minimize the risk of infection.

Participants with symptoms are not allowed to participate in our games.

A mouth and nose mask must be worn in the common area.

All playing areas will be disinfected after each game, as well as all contact areas in our common area.

Pay by card if possible (in our Karlsruhe shop card payments are accepted on site, in Stuttgart not, best use the direct online payment when booking the date).

The rooms are ventilated for a few minutes after each game.

  1. why should I go to an Escape Room?

It sounds like there are a lot of requirements that have to be met and that make the whole Escape game much too complicated, but there are only a few things you have to consider as a player, we take care of most things without you having to contribute.

While most people are currently turning to outdoor activities and overcrowding these recreational activities, increasing the risk of infection, you can rest assured with us and other escape room providers that we will make sure that you don’t stand shoulder to shoulder with other participants and that you have a private experience with the people you have chosen for your adventure.

Furthermore, Escape Games are of course always great fun that is always worth it, and can take you a little bit out of the normal everyday life and the worries that come with Corona.

We have a wide range of different games for you to play, whether you want to enter our Fallout Room and save the world from nuclear disaster or prove your magic skills in Magic University, there is something for everyone. If you like it realistically, you can also visit our Bunker 71, where an unknown gas has escaped and needs to be contained by you as a group.

 

How to Play Games with a VR Headset

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In many ways, VR is the future of gaming. The concept has existed for decades and nowadays, VR technology is extremely advanced and provides highly immersive experiences that get closer and closer to the real thing.

  1. Do you need to own a VR headset to play a VR game?

It depends on the game title. Some games are exclusive for certain types of VR heasets like Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, others even allow you to use an inexpensive VR headset, like for instance Google Cardboard, which you can use with your smartphone, provided it meets the right requirements.

Of course there is always the option to rent a VR headset, or visit a VR lounge or arcade, where they offer various exciting VR titles.

  1. What types of VR headsets exist?

2.1. Tethered VR headsets

This is currently still the most immersive and high-quality way to experience a VR game. The VR headset is connected to a powerful computer by cables (HDMI or USB) and some space is needed to set up sensors to track the players’ position and movements. The player can use a variety of hand-held controllers to play the game.

There is currently only one console related (tethered) VR-setup, which is Playstation VR. It uses proprietary equipment and the headset has a processor box that allows the user to show the gameplay on an external display, like for instance a TV screen. Some PS VR games can show different perspectives on the display of the headset and the TV screen, creating a multiplayer experience involving someone wearing a VR headset playing against several other players using a normal screen.

An invention by Intel, called WiGig lets players connect their VR headsets and peripherals to a computer via wireless adapters, which means the player can move more freely without constantly having to consider the connecting cables, which improves the overall gaming experience.

2.2. Standalone VR headsets

Standalone headsets do not require an external computer or any other external gear.

All important components, like displays, processors, storage memory, sensors and batteries, are built directly into the headset, meaning that the player can move very freely, not just in their own home but pretty much anywhere they want to.

The downside of this extremely mobile VR-experience is a noticeable decrease in the quality of the game graphics and refresh rates.

Still, the future of VR gaming will certainly be wireless and big tech companies like Facebook and HTC are constantly working on improving their VR-related products.

2.3. Handheld VR headsets

These headsets are usually made from sturdy, foldable cardboard or other inexpensive materials, which makes them an affordable alternative to the other, all rather costly options we have already looked at.
They usually work with a smartphone as screen, which is inserted into a frame in the headset.
The display faces the player’s eyes, with a set of lenses in between to create depth. Most modern smartphones have built in sensors which can be used by VR apps in addition to the phone’s camera to detect motion. Of course the most recent high-end smartphones will provide the best VR experience.
This is an excellent option for those who are curious about VR but do not have the means to try the more high end devices in this category.

  1. How to play games with a VR headset?

First, you need to set up your device. This involves different steps, depending on which headset you are using. If the proprietary software for the headset is not yet installed, you need to do so first before you can manage your device. When the installation process is finished, you can calibrate the sensors of your VR headset.

Once everything is set up, make sure that your headset is adjusted comfortably and you have enough space to move, so you aren’t distracted while playing a game.

Now it is time to check out some games!

Some apps for VR devices offer a selection of VR titles you can play directly from the app. Another way to find good VR titles is the online platform Steam. They offer Steam VR, a virtual reality platform you can install with your VR headset in order to play VR titles.

If you are using a smartphone VR headset, setup is very fast and easy. You just need to insert the smartphone into the device, adjust the lenses and choose a VR title from your app store.

When it comes to VR titles, there is virtually no limit to the imagination. Of course, playing the latest and greatest VR Games, like Half Life Alyx, is an exciting experience, but there is a lot more to explore. Various simulation programs will finally give you a chance to explore places you have never been to, try physically impossible things like flying or diving without equipment or even ride a rollercoaster while sitting comfortably in your own home.

5.Conclusions

VR-Gaming has become part of mainstream entertainment and more and more people are interested in playing VR games. While VR headsets are still on the expensive side and rather complicated to set up, the creation and development of more and more immersive and fascinating game titles and the constant improvement of hardware components means that VR gaming is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to conventional gaming. Nowadays and in the future, VR lounges will provide an excellent opportunity to try the VR experience using the latest technology, game titles and providing the perfect space to have an immersive adventure without having to commit to buying an entire VR setup for yourself.

Gimmicks like foldable headsets for smartphone use are another fun way to get a taste of VR, but the future most certainly lies in wireless VR gaming with slim and light hardware components.

Escape Rooms for children

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  1. Are Escape Rooms suitable for childern?

Children are very energetic and curious and they love to play games. They are also very creative and eager to learn and they thrive on positive reinforcement.

All these characteristics are very useful when it comes to solving puzzles and riddles, meaning that Escape Rooms are in fact excellent for children, provided they are designed in the appropriate way.

Whether it’s just a fun family outing, a birthday party or any other kind of celebration, Escape Rooms provide an excellent alternative to the usual options (cinema, bowling, etc) and will not just be a fun and memorable experience but also a challenge and a playful way for children to test their abilities.

Which Escape Room is the most suitable for these occasions depends on the age of the children who are taking part in the game and whether adults will be playing as well, or just supervising.

Teenagers are certainly capable of playing alongside adults in an Escape Room that is a bit more challenging, as they have already gained a deeper understanding of the game dynamics and can solve more advanced puzzles. Younger children will likely get bored very quickly if they don’t understand the game or any of the challenges, so it makes more sense for them to play an Escape Room specifically designed for children.

An adult should always be present to make sure the children stay focussed, prevent or mediate possible arguments and to make sure they behave appropriately.

Keeping all this in mind, children can be excellent companions for playing Escape Rooms, because they think and behave so differently from adults. They are great at recognizing patterns, finding hidden objects and solving number and word puzzles and they have a very creative and open mind.

  1. Some Tips for playing Escape Rooms with children

 

2.1. Do some research

It’s important to do some research before you book the Escape Room, to ensure everyone has a good time and in order to prepare yourself and your team for the game.

Make sure the theme of the Escape Room is age-appropriate. Many Escape Rooms have rather dark and suspenseful themes which can be frightening for children of a certain age. Another thing to consider is the difficulty of the Escape Room. Find something that won’t have too many abstract riddles or a complicated storyline, so that the children don’t lose focus or get bored with the game.

Finally, choose a theme that is fun for everyone taking part in the game, to make sure it  will be a great and memorable experience.

You can achieve all this by either searching online and checking out our website at planb-escape.de or by calling us directly and asking for advice.

2.2. Preparation

It’s important to make sure that the children in your group understand what an Escape Room is. Explain to them how an Escape Room works, tell them what’s important to get through the game and answer any questions they might have about it. Sometimes children are a bit scared of trying something new, so you have to reassure them that there is nothing to be frightened about and make them feel safe during the game. If your child needs some convincing to take part in such a game, a great incentive could also be to invite some friends or other family members to go along.
Another way to prepare for the game is to practice solving some puzzles and riddles that are similar to those in an Escape Room.

In addition to this, there will be a guide at the Escape Room location who will explain how everything works and talk about rules and safety measures before the game starts. This person will also be supervising the game, giving useful hints when they are needed and answering any questions that might arise.

2.3. Keep the children focussed on the game

Children are easily distracted, especially in a new and exciting environment like an Escape Room. In addition to the preparation that is recommended before booking an Escape Room, it is important to have at least one adult present during the game to supervise the children and make sure they stay focussed on solving the puzzles and riddles.

2.4. Make sure the children can handle the game

During the game, especially if it’s not specifically designed for children, make sure each child is working on a puzzle or riddle that they can actually solve. The point of an Escape Room is to have fun and build confidence, after all. If you see them struggling, don’t just solve the game for them, but try to help them find a solution, so they still feel like they accomplished something. This can also work the other way around. If you are struggling with a task, ask the child or children to help you with it. It’s all about team work!

  1. Conclusions

Escape Rooms are an excellent game for children, provided you choose the right theme and level of difficulty, prepare them for what is coming and make sure they are safe and supported during the game.

Taking your children with you to an Escape Room will certainly liven up the game and give you an opportunity to get in touch with your inner child as well, which is more important than ever in these trying times!

Lastly, the most important thing to remember is that Escape Rooms are all about having fun, which, let’s face it, children are so much better at than adults. So let the children lead the way!

 

 

 

New unique format at Plan B – interactive escape rooms

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  1. Plan B presents a new escape room format – interactive games.

Plan B now offers a new Escape Room experience: Live Escape Rooms!

But what exactly are these Live Escape Rooms and how do they work?

What Live Escape Rooms are is quickly explained. The rooms themselves do not differ from normal Escape Games, but the players are not directly in the room, but can complete all puzzles from the comfort of their own homes. One of our game masters is on site in our room and streams everything he sees live via video transmission. The players can now give commands to our game master and tell him where to go and what to do. In this way the players can find and solve all the puzzles together with our game master.

The whole game is started by simply clicking on a link that the players receive from us. Afterwards they are directly in our livestream. Here they have in addition to the live game an inventory in which some useful items and written things in good quality can be found.

  1. Description of all our games that are available.

At the moment there are three different games available: Fallout, the Dungeon and Project:Impossible.

Fallout:

In our Fallout Room you will find yourself in an old nuclear fallout shelter which is about to be completely shut down. It is your task to reboot the necessary systems to prevent this shutdown and to ensure your survival.

The dungeon:

In the dungeon you will find yourself on the trail of an ex-prisoner. After your archaeological team accidentally locked themselves in the dungeon, you will find various clues left by the prisoner to help you figure out how he managed to escape.

Project:Impossible:

The most classic of our scenarios. You are a group of gangsters who have made it their mission to rob one of the best secured banks in the world. You only have 60 minutes before security changes shifts and you get caught.

  1. Summary

If you want to play one of our rooms but are unable to play it on location, this is the perfect opportunity for you to play one of our exciting rooms.

It is also a convenient way to play an Escape Room together if you and your friends are spread all over Germany.

Live Escape Game story

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Those who grew up in the 90’s will surely know them: the classic Point and Click Adventure games like Monkey Island were milestones in the history of computer games. Searching for clues, they searched every corner of the fictional game world to find the puzzle of Monkey Island. That rings a bell?

Of course. From the screen as a live escape game to reality, the adventure games were first transferred to Game Conventions, where they were built as an escape room. The sources don’t give a clear indication of where the Escape Game first came into reality – the USA or Japan. What is clear is that since the first releases in 2006, the development of the Exit Games as a popular leisure activity has picked up speed and is increasingly in demand as a destination for friends, family and colleagues.

Berlin and Munich made the start in Germany, after the Live Escape Game enjoyed great popularity especially in Hungary. Due to the rapid development not only the number of providers (alone over 200 providers in Germany – http://www.zeit.de/zeit-magazin/2016/43/escape-rooms-deutschland-karte) has steadily increased, but also the range of missions, style of escape rooms and modalities have increased extremely.

The palette reaches from Horror Escape Rooms, to completely specifically mathematically interpreted Exit Rooms, topic-referred Escape Rooms or live Escape Rooms, in which the play leader interactively intervenes as an actor into the happening. Another reason for the growing popularity of Escape Room Games – Attention! Irony of development history – is the possibility to escape from digital everyday life for a moment. Even though the roots of Live Escape Games lie in the digital sphere, the analogue space with mysterious objects to touch and touch is a welcome change from smartphones, tablets and PCs.

In Stuttgart you have the choice between 4 live escape game providers, in Karlsruhe there are even 6. A lot of possibilities to test an escape room as a common destination and to escape from the digital everyday life for a moment.

Escape Room Design for the group not the individual

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Live Escape Games have taken the world by storm and appear in most cities. An exciting leisure activity that you can experience with friends, family and colleagues. What you may not have noticed is that most rooms are designed more for the individual gameplay than for the group.

Looking at the surveillance camera footage from the Escape Rooms, it seems that some players in a group tend to solve all the puzzles while others do little and just stand and watch.

You should never be too hasty with conclusions. Because the spectators have come especially for the visit in the Escape Room.

So it’s possible that the seemingly indifferent players really want to take part in the adventure in the Escape Room, but just don’t know what to do.

Before assuming that the groups that have booked a live escape game are a mix of a few enthusiastic players and several less interested in what’s happening in the escape game, you should take a look at how the puzzles are designed and make sure that the existing tasks and puzzles encourage teamwork.

This article will explain how this can be done.

LIVE ESCAPE GAMES – TREND ACTIVITY AND FUN ENTERTAINMENT OFFER

The numbers vary, but some larger cities already have hundreds of Escape Rooms on offer. Whether this is a consistent development or a trend for two, three or even five years remains to be seen. But what is already clear is that it is a trend in the leisure sector that most people have tried at least once before.

Of these players, a growing number are deciding to start their own Escape Room companies. Escape room owners come from a variety of professions: from former technology professionals to bar owners and accountants, more and more people are exploring and opening an Escape Room – the new interactive business.

A common feature among some owners, however, is that the Escape Room’s game design is not characterized by formal game design experience or training.

 

 

THE RESULT

What happens is that most game designs are used as a template for inserting puzzles that challenge the mind, logic, or spatial intelligence and are often frustrating to solve.

Typically, the game flow or sequence of events in which things happen is very linear. If that’s not the case, players have so many things to do that they don’t know where to start. Solve a puzzle to get some numbers (despite no credible relevance to the subject) and open a lock that will give you another clue to your next lock.

Such a linear sequence of the escape game testifies to the tendency to design escape rooms more for lone fighters than for a team. Because in a linearly structured escape game, players stand around when a particular puzzle doesn’t match their abilities or creativity, and the enthusiast in the group has all the fun.

THE PROBLEM

If a group is in a linear space and is stuck with a certain cipher, puzzle or logic puzzle, which is indispensable for the further course of the solution, then it is like an insurmountable wall – until someone with the right suitability (if you are lucky) is able to solve it. So everyone has to wait.

Puzzles that can be solved by individuals neglect those who want to participate in the Escape Room solution by solving individual part puzzles. This type of game design rewards the ambitious escape gamer, but not the rest of the group.

The lack of positive feedback can become a frustrating experience for some members of the group and create a dynamic of resignation. In later puzzles and tasks, the other players will not be so motivated to try to find the solution, as it is not very funny to be reminded again and again that they are not fast enough to solve them.

EXAMPLE: DESIGN FOR THE LONE FIGHTER

The riddle

Players must compare wine bottle labels with the countries they come from. To find out which is the missing country, they need to examine a journal entry with different prices and solve a mathematical question.

Required skills: A bunch of math and logic

In this scenario, player A doesn’t need player B’s support to solve the puzzle, and player B has nothing to do.

Player A: Great, I love math!

Person B: Oh. Oh, I’m bad at math. I’ll watch then.

Player A is excited about the puzzle. Player B waits or tries to solve something else, although he doesn’t know what.

Frustrated not to be able to contribute to the solution, player B relies on player A.

 

 

EXAMPLE: DEVELOPMENT FOR THE GROUP

The riddle

Players must compare the bottle labels with the countries they come from. The wine rack is behind a partially broken wall full of holes, and the only way to rotate the bottles and catch a glimpse of the label is by squatting and stretching.

To see the labels, the second person must stand normally and look through a smaller hole. Players must find the missing country by finding the reference from a newspaper article. However, the article is torn and some pages are missing, so someone has to search the room to find the missing pieces.

Skills. Teamwork, Physical Teamwork, physical dexterity, mathematics and logic.

This puzzle cannot be solved alone. Both player A and player B have to work together to get the clue.

Player A: Great, I love math!

Player B: Here are some magazine pieces I found, and if you give me a second, I can come up and spin the bottles for you.

Player A is excited about the puzzle. Player B has no interest in thinking too hard, but is still able to focus on the common goal through simple tasks. Player B realizes that there are certain parts of the game that he or she cannot help with, but there are many activities that he or she can solve.

Players A and B celebrate together.

WHY DID THIS WORK?

In an Escape Room adventure, the goal is to lead the player’s experience to an intended result. Just like a book, a puzzle or a new mobile game: if you end up frustrated or repeatedly failing, you are less inclined to read/play.

Well, in an Escape Room, players can’t just stop and leave the room even if they want to. So they are in conflict between the awareness that they have paid for the time to be there and the disillusionment of not knowing what to do or what to try.

In the Escape Game design for the group, the goal of space has never changed. But the design offered several ways for player B to get positive feedback:

Collecting scattered newspaper scraps is a rather low level of difficulty in the live escape game, but if it matches the narrative, is credible and allows movement, team satisfaction is the reward.

In order to reach the necessary height and be able to rotate the wine bottles, a physical effort is required – player B does not really need to think. Because there are several bottles to spin, both players are involved in the action.

The collaboration between the players in completing the escape game means that they can celebrate together, resulting in an improved team spirit. Positive feedback is the reward for working together.

 

 

WHY SHOULD YOU FOCUS ON THE GROUP FOR AN ESCAPE GAME DESIGN?

The reality of this kind of business is that everyone is different. For something else like a restaurant or a toy store, for example, consumers would simply choose the products that fit and go with them. In the live escape game, people don’t know in advance what to expect and they can’t leave if they want to.

If you ignore that and just design a series of puzzles based on puzzles and numbers – or puzzles that are irrelevant to the subject – the participants of the Escape Game will gather around those who might have an idea but are not sure and investigate every inch and every corner because everything else they tried doesn’t work and they have no more options.

Better not to focus on the puzzle, but on the tasks. Simple things like collecting related props, encouraging teamwork when objects need to be moved or examined, and passing information from one room to another, lead to easy victories and a sense of fulfillment for all involved in the Escape Room.

Of course, you don’t want to make it too easy. If players feel that a task in the Live Escape game has been deliberately pushed to give them something to do, the reverse effect will occur and players will not be willing to solve all the tasks you have designed for them. For example, if the newspaper from the previous example was divided into 20 pieces, it wouldn’t work so well.

CONCLUSION

To ensure that everyone who plays an escape game is both challenged and rewarded, there is no need to overhaul the entire design. Simple changes, like those in our example, can be enough. The circle of people who can successfully pass and solve the Escape Room will be significantly expanded and everyone can function as a team alongside their friends.

And a group that grows together will stay together and come back to play the Live Escape game again. Guaranteed.