With the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual escape rooms have been on the rise as another form of escape room entertainment to scratch the itch of enthusiasts everywhere. However, though virtual escape rooms are popping up everywhere and try to simulate the real experience, they are still going to be different. Before you delve into booking a virtual escape room, you should consider the following.
Scheduled with an Avatar or Unscheduled Play-at-Anytime
The first thing to consider is to understand the difference between different types of virtual escape rooms that are available. They can be broken down as follows:
- Remote Livestream with Avatar
- Play-Anytime Point-and-Click
- Audio Escape Games
For remote livestream games, players are logged into a video conferencing session and they will see what an on-site escape room worker sees in the physical room itself. The escape room employee serves as the avatar, or the eyes and ears, for the players. They communicate with the avatar to tell them to move around and perform different actions. In these games, there are also potentially online inventory systems and interactive puzzles to simulate the in-person experience. We offer a virtual escape room using a remote livestream for our Return of the Magician game that can be booked here.
In play-anytime point-and-click games, these do not have an avatar but are rather games that have been virtualized to allow the players to play at any time they want. These games may be sold as a one-time payment to play an unlimited amount of times, or they may be sold as a game token where you will be given a window of time that you have access to the game.
In audio escape games, these are more imaginative and similar to games like Dungeons and Dragons. The gamemaster serves as the narrator and coordinator of the game, and they interact with the players to guide them through the experience. Some audio escape games may provide images in a chat box for players to view puzzles.
The Size of Your Group
Depending on the type of virtual experience you are playing, virtual escape games can be limiting in terms of what your group can do. If you are opting to play a game with a larger crew, understand that some virtual escape games have been made to be linear so there’s only so much the group can do at any given time. Be cognizant of the amount of players or connections that the companies recommend you are able to book. Typically, escape room owners have gone through extensive beta-testing to find the best number to recommend players to book to have a good time.
Your Internet Connection
Virtual escape games that rely on a livestream avatar in-game will require you to be on a solid and stable internet connection. If any of your team members can’t maintain a solid connection, it may affect your experience.
However, there are still ways around that if you are set on playing a game that will require a livestream avatar. Your teammates don’t necessarily need to have video on so disabling the camera can help with your connection. You can also dedicate that time period of playing the game to limit other internet usage in the home in order to keep your connection strong.
Brick-and-Mortar Conversion versus Fully Virtual Experience
There are virtual escape games that are built from the ground-up as virtual experiences, and there are virtual escape games that are a virtualization of an existing brick-and-mortar game that the company has for in-person experiences. You should consider this as well when deciding on a virtual experience:
- Would you ever consider visiting the company in-person in the future?
- Do you enjoy seeing real-life objects or would you prefer fantastical creations?
- Do you live far enough away from the company that it would be highly unlikely for you to ever play the game in-person?
Who You’re Playing With
Last but not least, consider your teammates! Virtual escape rooms are great activities to connect those that aren’t able to connect locally. If you are desiring to connect with groups outside of your vicinity, then virtual escape rooms might be an option. Some great types of groups include:
- Friends and family that are living in different parts of the world
- Connecting with new enthusiasts in other states or countries
- Teambuilding activities with virtual coworkers in major corporations that span multiple locations