escaperoom

An escape room, sometimes called an escape game, is a live-action, team-based puzzle game. A group of players is placed inside a themed room and must work together to locate clues, solve puzzles, and complete a storyline in order to escape within a set time limit, typically 60 minutes.

Gameplay and design: Players usually form small teams of two to six. A game master oversees the experience, can provide hints on request, and ensures safety. The room blends narrative with puzzles—riddles, codes, pattern recognition, and physical tasks. Puzzles advance the plot by opening doors, triggering mechanisms, or revealing new areas. Many rooms use electronics, sensors, lighting, and sound to enhance immersion. Safety considerations include emergency exits and accessibility where possible.

History and scope: The modern escape room concept emerged in the late 2000s, with early popularity in Japan, and expanded rapidly worldwide during the 2010s. Since then, the format has diversified into numerous themes—from detective mysteries to science fiction—and into variants such as online, mobile, or mixed-reality formats. Professional settings use escape rooms for corporate team-building and training, while consumer venues offer public experiences. The industry emphasizes ethical design, age-appropriate content, and clear difficulty ratings.