Here is another topic that is slightly off from our main tabletop gaming topics, but that we feel will appeal to the same audience – ESCAPE ROOMS. Don’t be surprised if I end up writing several posts on this topic as I have several ideas of where to go with these games.
So, this came up, because Danny and I had a date night and of course, like we always do, an escape room was part of our agenda. Typically, we do 2 in a night when our girls stay with my parents, but because of some construction, my kids were at home and we didn’t want it to become too late of an evening for the grandparents so we just did one.
Anyway, as I alluded, Escape rooms have become a huge part of our date night. Like they are involved in almost every date night that we take as a couple, so clearly we like them and we like them as a date. I have recommended it repeatedly in facebook groups, especially to parents, but also to those newly dating and I figured I’d make a more thoughtful post here. So, here goes…
The Top 5 (& a bonus) Reasons that Escape Rooms are the Best Date Night!
- You’re forced to turn off the electronics, turn off the distractions, and both be engaged in the same event at the same time.
- You’re forced to turn off the “logistics” talk that often fills our conversations, especially for those with kids.
- Problem solving always brings out strengths and weaknesses
- They’re cooperative
- They’re so much fun.
Ok, there’s my quick list, so let’s break that down a little bit more.
Turn off the distractions
For a long time, I thought that the phones and distractions were just us and not common place, but as I have learned, that’s a pretty common issue for people on date night. Especially for parents, it feels like this is your moment without the kids and it is easy to find yourselves into a comfortable routine of fiddling on your phones or checking in or whatever else you do. But, that only takes away from the need to engage with your date for the evening. Sometimes saying put the distractions away is much easier said than done – ok, almost always is. But in an escape room, you’re forced to do it. And forced is a bad word, because obviously if there is an emergency, check your phone. I always set my watch to receive any calls or message alerts on silent and that way at a glance I can tell if it is who has my kids and may be important, but I’m otherwise not looking at my phone. This is a huge element for us.
Logistics talk
Again, for a long time, I thought this was just us or maybe even just a parents thing, but I have learned that it is also pretty common, especially as we ebb and flow in phases of life where we are maybe feeling a bit more disconnected. Conversation seems to become a little bit of a calendar review or logistics or here is what has been going on. I don’t want to downplay the importance of that, as clearly there needs to be communication, but there also needs to be something to break that up or there isn’t true communication occurring. While you’re in the escape room, you’re forced (again bad word) to leave all the logistics of the rest of your life, no matter how simple or chaotic it is, at the front door of the room and for 1 hour, you can’t worry about who is taking the kids to dance on Thursday, because you’re focused on some other task that you’re working on together. Which brings me to the 4th item on my list (i’ll backtrack to 3).
Also, this gives you an avenue of discussion that isn’t logistics. We tend to do a room and then dinner and then a room. If you’re in a rut where you’re having a hard time having conversations that don’t center around logistics or your children, try this. Because now you can be talking about the room you just completed. Did you like it? Was there a specific puzzle you liked or didn’t like? Was there something that you still don’t know how you got to? Did you use hints, what would have been the clue to help you avoid that hint? It gives you a topic of conversation that isn’t logistics but comes naturally.
Cooperative events
Escape rooms are by nature a cooperative event. You succeed or you fail together. You are encouraged (and in some rooms required) to work together to solve one common goal, which in that moment is escape that room. Solve the puzzles and escape the room. This creates a specific set of problem solving that you two (or however many) accomplish together. It encourages your mind to be doing something so that while you’re enjoying being with your date, you’re also accomplishing something and that releases great hormones that do all sorts of good things for mental health and in turn relationships, but that’s not what this blog or podcast is about.
Strengths and Weaknesses
It should come as no surprise that as you face these escape rooms and the puzzles that make them up, that you will find that you and your date have different strengths and weaknesses. Many of them you probably already know about each other, but you may be surprised. Why do I highlight this? 2 reasons.
First of all, sometimes we need to be reminded of our dates strengths (and weaknesses) for other elements of our lives. The escape room provides an avenue where you are reminded or maybe find out about a strength in a different way that you later realize could be useful in your lives outside of the escape room.
Secondly, it comes back to balance. You will likely need the strengths that each of you have separately to accomplish the goal. This is a great reminder in life that you need to work together and lift up each other’s strengths and assist in each other’s weaknesses and we have found that experiencing that inside the escape room, can help us realize it even in the rest of our lives.
They’re fun!
I mean, ultimately, if you’re going to spend the money to do something, you want it to be something fun and these rooms are a lot of fun. They can be found in literally hundreds of themes so there is bound to be one that appeals to you. From mafia to time travel, school playgrounds to bank heists. Horror themes to the city you live in. There is a theme to appeal to everyone.
BONUS: Socially Distanced
Since we are still in 2021 and social distancing and Covid are still the normal way of life, I feel like I have to add this little bonus reason for escape rooms. Almost all escape room locations are doing all rooms as private events right now during covid. So, the only contact you MAY have (and this depends on the location) is the person that checks you in and directs you to your room (and of course they’re masked). There are some locations near us locally where the game master isn’t even in the lobby, You pick up a walkie talkie on the desk, sanitize your hands and go on. They talk you through the opening video and into your room and you never actually see the person. They are also all listing great cleaning procedures between rooms and you’re welcome to stay masked – some are requiring it, some are not – once you’re in your private room experience with only the guests you arrived with.
So, in our Covid world, this is a great option that allows you a socially distanced date night that still gets you out of the house with minimum exposure to anyone outside of your group.
