HOW AUTOMATED ARE OUR ESCAPE ROOMS?
We receive various questions from our escapers. One question that often comes up is whether the gamemaster has to manually monitor the game and "control the buttons" to make certain things happen in the room, or if everything happens automatically. The question is, to what extent are our escape rooms automated?
Our escape experiences are 100% automated.
To achieve this, more than 100 sensors are hidden throughout the entire experience: reed switches, micro switches, RFID sensors, motion sensors, push buttons, alarm mats, metal detectors, light barriers, light sensors... The signals from these sensors are fed into a central system. This system converts the input signals from the sensors into output signals according to a certain (puzzle) logic. These output signals then ensure that, at the right moment, for example, a light turns on or off, a door opens, a sound plays, a motor starts, a light changes color, a small door opens, an actuator opens or closes, a video plays, and so on.
It would be very difficult for the gamemaster to manually monitor everything and work without sensors. First of all, many extra cameras would need to be placed in the room to see everything properly, and secondly, it would be a stressful task for the gamemaster. Additionally, as a player, when you solve a puzzle, you want immediate feedback. If that confirmation comes a few seconds later because the gamemaster has to manually give the go-ahead, everything moves a bit slower, and you can feel that. It's like playing a game on your PC where your computer lags every time something happens. It makes for a less enjoyable gaming experience. That’s why we avoid that by automating everything: when you solve a puzzle, you notice the result just 1 millisecond later.
Does the gamemaster not have to do anything during the game?
The gamemaster obviously follows the game closely. The main task of the gamemaster is to ensure that the players have the best possible experience in the room. The gamemaster has a huge impact on this by giving the right hint at the right moment. Additionally, unfortunately, it's always possible that a sensor might decide to stop working after a while. In that case, the gamemaster can intervene manually to keep the game going without the players noticing. To minimize this as much as possible, we only use industrial-grade sensors, which are also used in the production lines of automated factories, for example. Everything can break, but these components are of very high quality and last for years without a hitch.
Would you like to experience that from the front row?