#puzzleroom

James Kirk

Mar 17, 2020
2 min

Anatomy of a Room: Sherlock’s Office

It’s the longest-running room at Escape Games Live… It continues to be one of our most popular… That’s right everyone, today we are going to be talking about Sherlock’s Office. Let’s get started breaking down this fan-favorite and take a look at the anatomy of Sherlock’s Office. The Basics Sherlock’s Office has been through some changes over the years and we’ve recently added a kids version to it. This room is designed to reflect an office used by Sherlock Holmes in the 1800’

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James Kirk

Feb 8, 2020
2 min

For the Love of Race Rooms!

There is a certain level of love out there for race rooms, a subset of escape rooms. These are two identical rooms that allow for separate teams to go in and compete to be the first team out. Of course, we too love this idea. It fuels an inherent competitive gene most of us have that pulses when we see a sporting event, play games, or compete in virtually anything. But as a player, this idea is even more thrilling. It also happens to be a great way to stick it to that Dave, J

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Escape Rooms: Not Just for Puzzle People

James Kirk

Jan 15, 2020
3 min

Escape Rooms: Not Just for Puzzle People

There are a few reasons why someone might decide that escape rooms are not for them. Claustrophobia for one, or perhaps you don’t like rooms. I mean, we can’t argue with that. But among the many reasons I’ve heard for not playing an escape room, one of the tops is some version of “I’m not good at puzzles”. Which doesn’t make sense to me at all? Because escape rooms are more than just puzzles. Our escape rooms encompass a wide variety of skills, that you, yes you, the person w

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James Kirk

Jan 15, 2020
2 min

Escape Games Live Has a Party for That

Who is ready to party? Great, I was hoping you were. Now, close your eyes for a second. I know you can’t read if your eyes are closed but go with it. I’ll wait. Actually, nevermind. You need to read this first. Let’s explore how Escape Games Live can help you throw the bestest party for any occasion. Because whatever it is, we truly have a party for that. Let’s Talk Your Basic Party Think of an upcoming occasion that you want to throw a party for. Maybe you want to surprise s

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A Parents Guide to Stress-Free Par-tay Planning

James Kirk

Nov 29, 2019
2 min

A Parents Guide to Stress-Free Par-tay Planning

Ahh…children’s birthday parties. A time for fun, celebration, friends, family….stress, disappointment, second-guessing, last-second changes and not one ounce of appreciation for everything you have done to plan and execute this party! At least it would be if you didn’t come to Escape Games Live. That’s right friends, Escape Games Live NEW party packages provide a full-service party experience. All you have to do is say “yup” (or yes… could even be an “absolutely,” basically a

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All About the Mad World of the Mad Doctor

James Kirk

Oct 26, 2019
2 min

All About the Mad World of the Mad Doctor

Our York location has moved into their new digs and it is back to business as usual at Escape Games Live. Since the move, we have made a few changes to the current lineup of escape rooms. The 70’s room and Mojo’s museum have both been retired (insert sadness here). The Precinct has a new home in our Lemoyne location (insert happy dance here). We also have a new addition to York: The Mad Doctor. The Mad Doctor is not the same old doctor you knew in Lemoyne. What was, at one ti

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James Kirk

Oct 22, 2019
3 min

Why Kids Make Great Escape Artists

So you want to play an escape room but your nephew is 10 and you aren’t sure he will stay engaged the whole time. Your 12-year-old sister wants to play too but you don’t want her to because she won’t help. I get it, kids don’t seem like an asset in an escape room. They seem like a distraction and one you have to pay attention to at that. I’m not going to tell you that all kids every time are helpful in an escape room, but don’t underestimate them either. Here are my top reaso

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James Kirk

Sep 22, 2019
3 min

York or Bust! We’re Movin’ on Up

Hello again friends! In case you have not heard Escape Games Live is moving our York location. Don’t worry. We are going a significantly shorter distance than what it takes to throw a ring in a volcano. We will be located next to the Codorus bridge on West market street, still in downtown York. Consider yourselves updated. What this means is that new things are happening and I am taking some time to make you aware of what is coming up and what you can expect from us. Here are

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Answered: Your #1 Question About Escape Rooms

James Kirk

Aug 8, 2019
3 min

Answered: Your #1 Question About Escape Rooms

There is one question that I am consistently asked whenever I tell someone I’m an escape room host. That question is: “So, do you like, watch us?” And the answer to that question: yes, yes, we do watch you. We have to. Otherwise, we don’t know what’s happening. We wouldn’t be able to provide clues when needed, laugh with you when fun things happen, or cheer for you when you figure something out. We wouldn’t be able to facepalm appropriately when you do something silly. Today

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James Kirk

Jul 9, 2019
3 min

But What’s Your Escape Room Motivation?

Motivation. Actors need it to understand their character’s reasoning for a specific action. At any given time, we may need it to determine the importance or gravity of a situation. For example, at some point in your life, you likely weighed the importance of whether or not to run to the restroom or stay and watch all of Avengers: Endgame. If you stayed you chose well. Yes, motivation is important to understand. Especially when it comes to escape rooms. I’ve Got Your Motivatio

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James Kirk

Mar 6, 2019
4 min

It’s All About Me (and Escape Rooms)

Happy March everyone! Winter is in full swing and my thoughts are drifting to Florida beaches and a good book. Before all of that nonsense however, let’s talk escape rooms. Even if you’ve visited our Lemoyne, PA escape room location, you may not be familiar with how they work. And you definitely don’t know what I personally like about escape rooms nor what I look for when picking one. So, it’s time to talk a little about me. Believe it or not I hadn’t played an escape room un

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Escape Games in Media: I Saw it on TV in a Movie that I Read

James Kirk

Feb 11, 2019
3 min

Escape Games in Media: I Saw it on TV in a Movie that I Read

Hello friends! I have returned after a hiatus and am back with the information and opinions you never asked for but knew you wanted. Today we are looking at escape rooms in the media. This includes TV, movies, books etc. Full disclosure: this is not an exhaustive list and I did not search for months to find every reference. This is a perspective based on my experiences of escape rooms as presented in our mass media and pop culture. I want to start by saying that even though I

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4 Misconceptions You Probably Have About Escape Rooms

James Kirk

Nov 5, 2018
5 min

4 Misconceptions You Probably Have About Escape Rooms

Let’s talk about something that I am sure many of you do not know about and that’s basic escape room business operations. Now, I am not going to give you the blueprints of how to run a business. That would be boring and, well, boring. Instead, I am going to go through what I find to be common misconceptions about the way escape rooms are run so you have informed expectations when searching for the business you want to go to.* Without further ado, here are the top four misconc

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James Kirk

Sep 11, 2018
5 min

Don’t Get Bored, Get Board.

Hello again friends, this is your Captain speaking. I know I stated earlier that I was an avid gamer but that label gets muddy as it applies to such a broad spectrum of things. For me it was a mixture of Video Games, board games and RPGs (Role Playing Games. Like Dungeons and Dragons which, for the record, really has nothing to do with devil worship.). I have been playing games and building relationships through games since I was at least 5. My father had me learning chess at

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A Noob’s guide to Playing Escape Rooms (Part Deux)

James Kirk

Aug 17, 2018
3 min

A Noob’s guide to Playing Escape Rooms (Part Deux)

Greetings again fair readers! After some time we have decided that writing about baby unicorn raising is just not practical as none of us will really utilize it and we have no frame of reference to advise you. Instead, let’s focus on some advice about what you should NOT do while playing an escape room. We already addressed everything you should know but there are some things you just shouldn’t do to be successful while playing. None of these things involve bribery or any sor

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A Noob’s Guide to Playing an Escape Room (Part 1)

James Kirk

Aug 13, 2018
3 min

A Noob’s Guide to Playing an Escape Room (Part 1)

Welcome back, dear reader! If you have read all of our previous posts, filled with valuable advice and knowledge you must have decided to give this escape room thing a whirl. Maybe you’ve assembled a team (carefully conducting interviews and callbacks) or have been training for months. Well if so, you overdid it. Bring it down a notch, friend. But that enthusiasm will serve you well. So, what do you need to be successful in your escape? That’s what this blog is here for. Welc

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How to Know Your Role on The Escape Team

James Kirk

Jul 4, 2018
4 min

How to Know Your Role on The Escape Team

While hosting rooms, I hear guests in our lounge talk quite a bit about breaking into teams and who is going to work with whom. Those planned teams last about as long in the room as I would in a trivia contest about “Days of Our Lives”. It’s not because the plan fell apart, but rather because the plan doesn’t account for human nature. Players are naturally inclined to gravitate toward specific activities or types of puzzles because it is what they like or what they are good a

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James Kirk

Jul 4, 2018
4 min

The 411 on Escape Rooms

Have you ever looked at the room you are sitting in and said to yourself “You know, I bet I could trap people in here and make them solve puzzles using my laundry, my DVD collection, and my recycling as puzzles”? No? I’m not surprised, I wouldn’t want people messing with my laundry either. But that is kind of how this whole escape room thing got started. If you are a newbie or even just interested in knowing more about escape rooms and what they are this is the blog for you.

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