Tips for horror escape rooms

What to actually expect

Puzzles are usually simpler than in a standard escape room — dim lighting and an unsettled group aren't a good combination for anything logic-heavy, so horror rooms lean on atmosphere over difficulty.

Lighting, sound, and actors do a lot of the guiding. Pay attention to any well-lit area — it's often deliberate — and don't dismiss anything an actor hands you or says, even in character.

Standard scare tactics apply: jump scares, flickering lights, unsettling sound design, and sometimes the group getting split up for a few minutes.

How to get through it and actually enjoy it

Play along with the story, even knowing none of it is real — the fear is the point, and fighting it usually makes the experience worse, not better.

If you feel your heart rate spiking, it can help to remind yourself once or twice that it's a designed experience, not an actual threat.

Wear closed-toe shoes and clothes you don't mind getting a little dirty — many horror rooms involve crawling, ducking, or moving through tight or uneven spaces.

Never run if the lighting is bad. Most injuries in horror rooms come from someone panicking and running into a wall or tripping, not from anything in the room itself.

Your safety comes first. Stop immediately and say so if you feel physically or mentally unsafe — no room is worth pushing through genuine distress. And never touch, push, or throw anything at an actor; they're staff doing a job, not props.